GPW 240019 gets a new lease on life

Create a thread to track the progress of you MB/GPW restoration progress. Previously a General Discussion board.
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42cargo
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GPW 240019 gets a new lease on life

Post by 42cargo » Thu Mar 29, 2018 1:31 pm

When it comes to doing things slowly, I'm pretty sure I take the cake.

I bought GPW 240019 over 20 years ago in Los Angeles. At the time, it was a runner, although it had a Willys' engine, transmission, and transfer case in it and was missing many parts. On the plus side, the body and frame were in pretty decent shape.

A year or so after getting it, I ended up shipping it off to store at my brother's place in Colorado. I had a number of other projects going at the time and didn't have the space to keep it in LA.

Hard to believe, but it sat for a decade before I finally brought it back to LA. (This vehicle has logged more miles on trailers and flatbeds than it has under its own power.)

In LA I began the initial passes at removing parts that weren't correct and slowly acquiring the right ones either used or NOS. The Willys engine ended up going to another member in the Northwest and I got an early 1945 GPW engine from a guy in LA. (I subsequently tracked down a correctly dated replacement block, which needs a ton of work including stitching cracks, sleeving the cylinders, doing the valves, etc.)


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The jeep pretty much as I bought it in 1997

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Another angle

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Slowly picking up some of the missing odds and ends

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Engine compartment configured with a mix of an MB engine and CJ air filter

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Frame stamp

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MB engine that came with the jeep when I bought it.

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Replacement block

In 2009, we moved from LA to Texas and I dragged the GPW and a G506 out there.

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In Texas, I focused most of my time on the G506, but still kept tracking down parts for the GPW such as the correct transmission and transfer case, along with things like seats, top bows, F-marked bolts, etc. (That darn script F!)

Yet another move from Texas to DC meant the GPW headed back once again to my brother's place in Colorado, where he's now taking over the project.

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He's got a great start on things, pulling the engine and transmission/transfer case and getting them ready for rebuild.

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The early '45 engine. From the initial inspection, it might just be a case of cleaning up the cylinders, putting in new rings, doing a valve job and reassembling.

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The transmission and transfer case, however, are going to take some work. On the plus side, they are now the correct Ford units (the transmission is dated a month or two before the DoD of the jeep.) On the negative side, the internals are a mish mash of makes and in different conditions. Ironically, the original transmission and transfer case that I sold to a member in Texas for his MB turned out to have excellent internals--many of them F-marked. I'm glad to have helped him get his vehicle running again, but wish I had those Ford internals, which I'm now on the prowl for.

At the pace my brother's going, GPW 240019 might actually move under its own power before its 75th anniversary next year.

More updates to follow.


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Michael O.
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Re: GPW 240019 gets a new lease on life

Post by Michael O. » Thu Mar 29, 2018 6:58 pm

Slowly but surely is the story of my G503 life! Now that you’ve started the restoration it will hopefully move along quickly. My first jeep that I bought when I was 20 years old will finally be done in a few months. I’ve had the opportunity to collect and accumulate many original used or NOS GPW parts for it over the past several years (more than a decade!) while I’ve been waiting for the tub restoration to be competed...which after many years, it’s finally just about finished. In the end, it will have been worth the wait.

I’m glad you’re finally getting started. Looking forward to seeing your finished restored GPW!
Michael O’Connell

Too many jeeps…and a Dodge.

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42cargo
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Re: GPW 240019 gets a new lease on life

Post by 42cargo » Thu Mar 29, 2018 7:12 pm

Thanks for your note, Michael.

John

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twinflyer17
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Re: GPW 240019 gets a new lease on life

Post by twinflyer17 » Fri Mar 30, 2018 5:37 am

Glad this old GPW followed you during your cross country moves and eventually landed with your brother! Clearly you and he are determined to finish it at some point. Excited to see its progress. Where in DC are you located? I actually just moved out of the city in December (was in Dupont Circle). No room for a little G503? :wink:
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Re: GPW 240019 gets a new lease on life

Post by 42cargo » Fri Mar 30, 2018 5:58 am

Hi Sean,

Thanks for your note. I'm in the Takoma section of DC. While we have a back yard, it's tiny and no off-street access. Quite the downsizing from a large barn on 5 acres in Texas, but it suits my current professional and personal needs. At some point I'll get a place out in the country when I retire and will tool up again to do a restoration.

John

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Re: GPW 240019 gets a new lease on life

Post by twinflyer17 » Fri Mar 30, 2018 7:59 am

I completely understand, John. I spent 5 years in the city while my GPW was in PA. Finally have a garage of my own in MD now. DC is a great place, but hard to find space for things like MVs! I do have a friend in the Palisades who is lucky enough to utilize his neighbors driveway to access a shed where he stores his MB, though. I'm still envious of his setup!
Sean

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Re: GPW 240019 gets a new lease on life

Post by 42cargo » Fri Mar 30, 2018 9:00 am


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Re: GPW 240019 gets a new lease on life

Post by 42cargo » Wed Apr 04, 2018 1:25 pm

Latest update from my brother. The '45 block, head and transmission case went to the shop for magnafluxing. Since this was a running engine when I bought it, I don't expect there to be any issues, but better to know sooner rather than later. The transmission doesn't show any evidence of a crack in the usual spot on the upper front part, but again better safe than sorry.

In the meantime he's been going through the transfer case and sent the following:

Per the Novak rebuild article: “Install new shifter shaft seals if the old ones are leaking. These are difficult to remove without the proper puller. Trying to pry them out will usually damage the bore allowing oil to leak out around the outside of the new seal and the bore. Care taken here will help eliminate oil leaks.”

Notice the use of the Bridgeport Universal shaft seal remover. All the bearings and seals are now out of the transfer case. Most of the parts have been cleaned in kerosene and inspected for cracks and wear. The Novak master rebuild kit should arrive Friday, so reassembly might start this weekend on one key component.

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Also per the Novak rebuild article: “Check the intermediate shaft for signs of wear. The 3/4" and 1-1/8" shafts will almost always need replacing. The 1-1/4" shafts hold up longer but any sign of rollers working on the shafts should be cause to replace, not only the shaft, but the rollers and thrust washers as well. Our transfer case rebuild kits include these parts. The intermediate shafts we make are the only source we know of high quality transfer case shafts. Shafts from other sources are imported and are extremely poor quality, low grade steel, shallow depth of hardness, etc.”

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This was the reason I spent the bucks on the Master rebuild, in the second pic you can see the wear on the intermediate shaft. I’m not positive but this type of wear might be called “fretting”, a word which many people use but don’t really understand.

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Re: GPW 240019 gets a new lease on life

Post by sjalbert » Thu Apr 05, 2018 11:35 am

Hey John,

Glad to see you're making progress. Is that the Ford head that I sold you before you moved to Texas?
Seth
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Re: GPW 240019 gets a new lease on life

Post by 42cargo » Thu Apr 05, 2018 12:28 pm

Hey, Seth. Thanks for your note. That is indeed the same head.

How are things going for you?

John

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Re: GPW 240019 gets a new lease on life

Post by sjalbert » Thu Apr 05, 2018 12:37 pm

Flooded in Harvey. House is back together. Finally unburied the Jeep from all the stuff I piled onto when the water came into the garage. Gotta drain all the fluids, water got to the floorboards so transfer case, transmission, crankcase etc. have water. I didn't see the water in the crankcase until after I started it. It did crank right up on 8 month old gas with a battery that had not been on the tender :)

Went to Brent's without the jeep this year. Felt kind of strange. Your name came up when we were talking about all the folks that weren't there.
Seth
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1944 MB 349858, 20620361
1942 MBT 10968 viewtopic.php?f=18&t=149552
1942 MBT 15799, USA 0217497 viewtopic.php?f=18&t=225199
MVPA # 8587
Com / Inst. SMEL
CFII - ASEL
KI5LYB

Collecting Willys Engine Info. Please send me Engine #, Casting Date & Machining Date if known

42cargo
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Re: GPW 240019 gets a new lease on life

Post by 42cargo » Thu Apr 05, 2018 12:57 pm

Sorry to hear about all the impact from Harvey, but glad to hear you're starting to get things squared away.

I miss Brent's show and also going to Camp Delta when I lived in LA. Now that I'm in DC, I might try to catch Hershey sometime. Not strictly a military show, but I went years ago with my dad and enjoyed it.

John


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