M38A1 Engine Serial Number

[bl5211a]

Has any one heard of a M38a1 engine serial number starting with RMD instead of MD?

Also What was the chassis serial number range for 1952 built m38a1's?

Thanks, Brian

[Cuz]

The "R" represents a brand new factory built spare replacement engine. You won't be able to nail doen the DOD of the jeep using that engine serial.

I'll give you a mid month M38A1 serial for each month of production in 52:

May MD1044X
Jun 1201X
Jul 1457x
Aug 1702X
Sep 1889X
Oct 2621X
Nov 2860X
Dec 3460X

[bl5211a]

good information. Thank you.

[SFCKUNERT]

I have RMD 29640 which was listed on my dash data plate and thus how my jeep was titled. My block also has an original rebuild tag welded to the bottom driver side of the block. I will attempt to attach a photo this evening. There is no data plate behind the passenger seat. What does this number tell me about my jeep?

[SFCKUNERT]

[SFCKUNERT]

[Cuz]

It tells you nothing about the jeep. Willys did not match engine serials to chassis serials. The engine is the only benefactor of the data plate and serial info. Someone has either christened the jeep with the engine's serial number because they lacked the original dash serial plate and patent plate and/or titled the jeep in a state that used the engine serial number for vehicle ID in the old days.

[SFCKUNERT]

Wes, Thanks for the heads up. I do believe this is what happened. The gentleman I received the vehicle from (Leonard Nettles) had the vehicle titled in California. All the paperwork he provided me tells exactly that story. Christened or not, My sights aren't set on restoring a show winner but a tool of family bonding and personal desire to accomplish this project.

With all that said, this engine has a crack in the block and will not be along for the maiden voyage. I acquired a second engine a few years back and have slowly been prepping it to be installed and that's where I am today. The bad part about all of this is that I moved to Northern Chicago for work and the jeep had to stay in the barn in Ohio. I'm seriously considering trailering it up here and parking it in the garage. Do you have any knowledge of any M38a1 experts in the southern Wisconsin/ greater Chicago land who would be willing to lend a hand/ provide advice etc??

[swampymarsh]

It was always my understanding that the "r" prefix stood for replacement.

[Cuz]

Swampy,

Brand new factory replacement engines for the M38A1 that were procured by contract from Willys were shipped from Willys with the prefix R so a RMDXXXXX or RMDXXXXXX engine was a brand new replacement from Willys through the Ordnance supply system. My money says that block was a simple MDXXXXX and during the Japan depot rebuild the decking process took the serial off and the depot re-stamped it adding the R and the cyl bore OS .020. My RMD engines have the R equal distance from M that the D is.

[NEKAF4EVER]

I just read about the engines with a RMD-serial number.
Here in Holland I located three M38A1's that were assembled by Nekaf and have a RMD engine serial number.
These M38A1's all belong to the first 100 that were built in Rotterdam in 1955.
The RMD serial is on the engine and the original aluminium dashboard plate, so the engine must have been installed on the assembly line.
MD10032 1955 engine nr. RMD103529
MD10050 1955 engine nr. RMD103408
MD10093 1955 engine nr. RMD103923

[dlevy]

Does anyone know what a serial number that starts with: "DSF" indicates?

"DSF 42 SR"

This is on a spare engine I have.

Dave

[Joe Gopan]

Could be from possible industrial engine days. Show some front and side views.