My new 1954 M38A1

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Maverick1701
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My new 1954 M38A1

Post by Maverick1701 » Wed Oct 01, 2014 6:05 pm

Attached are pictures of my M38a1.
This is my 2nd military vehicle (my first is my 1967 M35A2)

I picked it up last Friday. I have been staying pretty busy with the Jeep. I removed all the interior as well as the fuel tank. I have also been going through the running gear while reading the tech manuals.
After soaking the cylinder bores for the weekend I turned over the motor by hand sunday night. It turned smoothly/freely. Monday evening I hooked up new batteries and it turned over on its own power for the first time since 2002...smoothly and freely again. I have compression. Now I need spark and fuel. I have new plugs/wires on the way. Once I get spark, I am going to see if the carb still flows (I doubt it will but I want to at least try it before sending it off for rebuild or attempting to rebuild myself).

There are a few other issues I am working out. I have the "brake & clutch pedals move together" problem which should be an easy fix after reading the TMs and reading other forum solutions.
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jeep small.jpg
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Chris
1954 M38A1


Dave M38A1
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Re: My new 1954 M38A1

Post by Dave M38A1 » Thu Oct 02, 2014 1:09 am

Looks like a good platform. A complete vehicle with lots of potential.
Thanks for posting.

Dave
Dave M38A1
1953 M38A1
1964 USMC M38A1
M274 A5 Mule (Pepe')
64 CJ5
97 TJ Wrangler (Son's Ride)

Maverick1701
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Re: My new 1954 M38A1

Post by Maverick1701 » Thu Oct 02, 2014 4:24 pm

thanks! At this point I am waiting on parts to arrive.... I wish USPS had a super mega fast shipping mode.
Chris
1954 M38A1

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Re: My new 1954 M38A1

Post by Maverick1701 » Sat Oct 04, 2014 7:35 pm

Well some more parts arrived but no spark plug wires yet...they are still in transit.

Today I was actually off from work. I decided to do some riding on the motorbike vs spending all day working on the jeep. We are short handed at work so we get every 3rd weekend truly "off". Off has the quotes because we are still subject to being called out of something big kicks off (I work for the local sheriff's office).
However I did spend a few hours this evening working on the jeep since the weather is AWESOME.

This evening I knocked out a few things:
-freed up the brake lever from the clutch lever with the help of PB blaster and fresh grease (the pedals were moving together)
-re-installed the fuel tank (after inspection with snake camera & a good rinse)
-re-installed drivers seat frame (no seat yet)
-removed PO license plates
-removed some of the POs wiring (PO had wired up a horn & license plate light which were also removed)
-installed two new batteries with quick disconnects (so I can charge batteries individually...if needed)
Chris
1954 M38A1

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Re: My new 1954 M38A1

Post by Maverick1701 » Mon Oct 06, 2014 8:06 pm

Well my spark plug wires FINALLY arrived...dang UPS!!! I installed my new plugs and wires (plugs not in the block so I can visually check spark). The M38A1 has spark!

Last week (when I had the tank pulled) I rinsed out the old fuel and ran a snake camera/inspection camera down inside of it. The tank is REALLY clean.
I picked up 5gal of fuel after work today and tossed it in the fuel tank with some seafoam. I cranked the motor over a few times and now I have fuel...woohoo!!!
Obviously it took a few cranking treatments for me to push out all the old fuel. Once the old fuel was pushed out of the system, I reconnected everything to the carb.
I haven't tested my carb...yet.

After all this I went into my house for a bite to eat.

I came back outside after enjoying some food and noticed a pretty good sized mark/stain on the ground. I did some looking and apparently I have a pin-hole leak in the fuel tank of the jeep. I pulled the tank and turned it on its side. I have a temporary fix in place but I will complete a "real" fix once the jeep is up and running.

Tomorrow I am going to re-install the fuel tank and then check the carb...assuming work does not get in the way.
Chris
1954 M38A1

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Re: My new 1954 M38A1

Post by Maverick1701 » Tue Oct 07, 2014 5:10 pm

ITS ALIVE!!! After 12 years of sitting, the Jeep finally returns to the land of the living!!!

I was able to pull the straw using one of those magic claw things.

today I installed the new plugs + wires. I decided to pull the carb and give it a good cleaning.
The carb was full of old nasty fuel. Also the accelerator pump spring keeper had become detached from the shaft (I replaced the keeper on the shaft).
On reassembly I filled the bowl with seafoam. After re-installation the jeep was soooo close to catching (it sure was trying).
I gave the Jeep a small shot of start fluid and she kicked off. The Jeep ran fairly well....it blew out a bunch of crap/mice nest/oil out of the exhaust.
Chris
1954 M38A1

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Re: My new 1954 M38A1

Post by Joe Gopan » Tue Oct 07, 2014 5:44 pm

Apparently your carburetor is not the YS type that is OEM to the M-38A1.
2011 MVPA PIONEER AWARD - MVPA #1064
HONOR GRAD-WHEELED VEHICLE MECHANIC SCHOOL 1960 - US ARMY ORDNANCE SCHOOL(MACHINIST) ABERDEEN PG 1962 - O-1 BIRD DOG CREWCHIEF - 300,000+TROUBLE FREE M-38A1 MILES
LIFE MEMBER AM LEGION-40/8-DAV
7 MIL SPEC MAINTAINED MV'S
COL. BRUNO BROOKS (ARMY MOTORS) IS MY HERO

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Re: My new 1954 M38A1

Post by Maverick1701 » Wed Oct 08, 2014 6:02 pm

Ben Dover wrote:Apparently your carburetor is not the YS type that is OEM to the M-38A1.
no it is not. I am still going through a lot of the fixes the PO did. I am slowly getting everything back to stock....slowly but surely.
Chris
1954 M38A1

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Re: My new 1954 M38A1

Post by Maverick1701 » Wed Oct 08, 2014 6:04 pm

(most) everything is looking good on the jeep.

I have three main issues that I am going to tackle next. I might find that they are the same issue once I tear into the motor.
1. motor burning oil after approx 45sec of running (heavy blue smoke out exhaust).
2. possible sticky valve (I did the "old timer" test by holding a piece of paper up to the exhaust pipe. the jeep attempts to suck in the paper every so often).
3. tick around valve cover.

I am reading the manual to what it says concerning these issues.

Off the top of my head:
I am going to start with adjusting the intake valves (since it is super easy/quick) and a compression check. The compression check will determine my next course of action.

This is a project jeep so I may pull the head just for the heck of it (and so I will have the experience of pulling the head off a vehicle).

I will update as more info becomes available.
Chris
1954 M38A1

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Re: My new 1954 M38A1

Post by Maverick1701 » Thu Oct 09, 2014 4:50 pm

This morning I ordered a compression tester for $21 off ebay. It should be here in a few days and I can test compression.

After work today I checked the oil and started the jeep. Still had large amounts of blue smoke and a light tic near the valve cover (I used the screwdriver to the ear method to located the tic).

I got a wild hair about me and decided to use up some seafoam I had sitting around. I seafoamed-ed the upper end of the engine and added some to the motor oil in hopes that it would clean out any crap the Jeep had accumulated after sitting for 12 years...also because I was bored and wanted to occupy some time (idle hands are the devils plaything...right?). I should note that I already had seafoam in the fuel/carb to clean out the carb.

I let the seafoam sit in the upper end of the motor for about 45min. After cranking I had the usual stinky white smoke that is seafoam (along with my blue smoke). I let the jeep run for approx 30-45min. I mixed up the throttle between idle/mid rpm/high rpms. As the running time increased I noticed that the the jeep smoked less white smoke. Eventually the white smoke stopped all together (assuming because upper-end seafoam was gone/used). Eventually the blue smoke stopped as well.... which was a pleasant surprise. During todays running of the motor, the blue smoke progressed from smoking all the time to smoking only during throttle acceleration to no blue smoke at all.

***correlation does NOT imply causation***
I can't say for sure if the seafoam helped my blue smoke issue or not. I might have just burned off all the residual oil/crap I had used to coat the cylinders before cranking. WHO KNOWS?!?!?!?
All I can say for sure is that I enjoyed making a huge stinky white smoke cloud (who doesn't???) and I will might be sending the City of Lakeview an invoice for mosquito control (yes, this half sentence is sarcasm for those few ppl who have no funny bone)
***correlation does NOT imply causation***

This weekend I am going to drain & fill fluids in the drivetrain (x-mission, x-fer case, and front/rear differentials). I also need to purchase said fluids (tomorrow) once I decide what fluids to purchase...based on my searching, I can see that there are many many schools of thought on this subject.

Eventually I am going to start on the brakes but I am having to soak the drivers/front drum in PB blaster while tapping on it from various directions... I can't get those three darn screws to release from the drum (so I can pull the hub/drum). I may tackle the rear end brakes (since those are free) if work/time/weather allows but we shall see what the weekend has in store.
Chris
1954 M38A1

Joe Gopan
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Re: My new 1954 M38A1

Post by Joe Gopan » Fri Oct 10, 2014 4:19 am

Go to your local industrial tool supply store and purchase an impact screwdriver used for starting stuck screws. These are struck with a hammer and impart torque to start the screw turning. KD and Gear Wrench makes them. KD #1140 Impact Driver Set. They come with Phillips and flat tips, buy some extra tips as you will need them over the years.
This gadget has been around for generations and will make an equalizer out of you on removing brake drum screws.
You can also soak the screws with PB Blaster and beat the devil out of the heads with a brad drift or hammer and they will come out in 5 minutes if you use a sharp screwdriver.. Buy some new 1/4" X 3/8" long coarse thread flat head screws while you are at it. Phillips or slotted, makes no difference.
2011 MVPA PIONEER AWARD - MVPA #1064
HONOR GRAD-WHEELED VEHICLE MECHANIC SCHOOL 1960 - US ARMY ORDNANCE SCHOOL(MACHINIST) ABERDEEN PG 1962 - O-1 BIRD DOG CREWCHIEF - 300,000+TROUBLE FREE M-38A1 MILES
LIFE MEMBER AM LEGION-40/8-DAV
7 MIL SPEC MAINTAINED MV'S
COL. BRUNO BROOKS (ARMY MOTORS) IS MY HERO

Maverick1701
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Re: My new 1954 M38A1

Post by Maverick1701 » Sat Oct 11, 2014 3:24 pm

Ben Dover wrote:Go to your local industrial tool supply store and purchase an impact screwdriver used for starting stuck screws. These are struck with a hammer and impart torque to start the screw turning. KD and Gear Wrench makes them. KD #1140 Impact Driver Set. They come with Phillips and flat tips, buy some extra tips as you will need them over the years.
This gadget has been around for generations and will make an equalizer out of you on removing brake drum screws.
You can also soak the screws with PB Blaster and beat the devil out of the heads with a brad drift or hammer and they will come out in 5 minutes if you use a sharp screwdriver.. Buy some new 1/4" X 3/8" long coarse thread flat head screws while you are at it. Phillips or slotted, makes no difference.
Thanks for the tip. Our napa is closed after 12-noon on saturdays. I will have to wait until tuesday (monday is a holiday) before I can pick one up.
Chris
1954 M38A1

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Re: My new 1954 M38A1

Post by Maverick1701 » Sat Oct 11, 2014 3:24 pm

Well today I decided that I wanted to drive my Jeep before several events occured.
1. before Winter/Snow decides to roll in
2. before I get too far along in the project where I can't drive it for several months (ie tub removal, etc).

I still have not had a chance to work on the brakes. So this drive was done with no brakes..but I was in a field and wasn't worried about having to swerve to miss anything.

I slapped the wheels/tires back on the Jeep and putted around in the field next to my house. IT WAS AWESOME!!! It's nice when hard work pays off. I ran around in 2hi, 4hi, and 4lo. Everything performed flawlessly.

I did not re-install the windshield for my drive but I did install the hood...because the chicks dig it!

I know the rules: PICS OR IT DIDNT HAPPEN!!!! (pics below)

Image

Image
Chris
1954 M38A1

Maverick1701
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Re: My new 1954 M38A1

Post by Maverick1701 » Sat Oct 11, 2014 3:52 pm

double post.
Chris
1954 M38A1

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Re: My new 1954 M38A1

Post by Maverick1701 » Sun Oct 12, 2014 8:37 pm

Today I drove the jeep a little. Once again I just piddled around in the field next to my house...it was still SUPER FUN!!! Unfortunately the rain decided to roll in and killed my fun.

Tomorrow I am considering pulling the grill, fenders, and body tub. I would like to start working on the chassis/frame with my needle scaler. After cleaning the frame and checking or rust I would like to eventually hit it with a coat of chassis saver/por15/whatever...but that is still a ways away.

I have been doing some pretty serious thinking about how far I want to take my Jeep in terms of my "rebuild". I put rebuild in quotes because I am not going to do anything like a "super authentic only used once per year mega meticulous" rebuild. However I did buy this Jeep to learn/enjoy and have the full intention of tearing this thing apart....just because (also it is mostly super easy because there are not much to these old Willys Jeeps).

At first I had been thinking that I would put everything on hold (outside of fixing the brakes) and wait until winter ended. Even though I am in Texas, I am in the panhandle and we get some pretty serious snow/ice up here. I do not really want to freeze my arse off working in my carport all winter. The downside to this plan is that I would not be making any progress on the Jeep whatsoever.....I didn't really like this idea.

I have been trying to think of plan that would allow me to complete at least SOME work on the Jeep throughout the winter....without loosing any body parts to gangrene.

Today I got the idea that my body tub MIGHT fit into my shop-room/enclosed garage. The room/shop is about 9ft wide and approximately 30ft long. I currently use it as a place to park/work on the motorbike. I also have tools, compressor, kayaks hanging on the walls, etc. I was not worried about the tub fitting interior of the room.... I was worried about the entrance (landlord installed a sliding glass door). So I measured the jeep and even with the sliding glass door...I will be able to fit the body into the room but just BARELY!!! (I will obviously have to have the tub on its side). This would allow me to complete some body work (rust removal, possibly apply bed liner to the floors/wheel wells/bed, some paint, and apply an undercoating). If I decide to follow this plan I would be MUCH further ahead of the game after winter clears out.

I still have not decided on a "game plan"....yet. Both plans have their pros/cons.
What I really need is to built a super awesome heated/cooled shop for my toys...all it takes is money!!!
Chris
1954 M38A1


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