MB42/GPW43 Frankenweenie

Create a thread to track the progress of you MB/GPW restoration progress. Previously a General Discussion board.
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17thAirborne
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Re: MB42/GPW43 Frankenweenie

Post by 17thAirborne » Tue May 23, 2023 4:38 pm

Excellent work. Good to see the GPW and F markings were uncovered. You will be the radiator guru, or know more about them than you wanted.
Oz

Feb 43 GPW 98532 USA 20206257
May 42 GPW 68901 USA TBD
Apr 42 GPW 14518 USA 2069296
http://gpw.castraponere.com/ (My Restoration Page)


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ww2DAD
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Re: MB42/GPW43 Frankenweenie

Post by ww2DAD » Tue May 23, 2023 7:26 pm

Thanks Ozzie. For every hole I fix I find another. I think I'm down to the last 4. 2 new and 2 repeats. Hopefully tomorrow I can start putting it back together. I probably won't know if it works until I pressure test it.

As far a guru, I've guru-ed enough. I have had to relearn things I'd forgotten and found things I didn't know. Still waiting on Chevy core to see if I can build a Willys core from it. I will post that when the time comes. Glad you sold the Greek jeep and good luck on selling the other.

Mike

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ww2DAD
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Re: MB42/GPW43 Frankenweenie

Post by ww2DAD » Fri May 26, 2023 7:14 pm

After cleaning, sanding, fluxing and tinning I've got the top tank and core ready to assemble. As a precaution after doing all that I found one more hole in the core. I will repair it tomorrow and solder on the top tank.
Mike
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a.jpg
Top and core

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ww2DAD
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Re: MB42/GPW43 Frankenweenie

Post by ww2DAD » Sat May 27, 2023 9:04 pm

Tank top and radiator core soldered back together. Wired top to core to keep it in place for soldering. Then I gently hammered the core's top plate sides against the tank top's edges before fluxing and soldering. Started at one end and worked my way to the other end cutting the wires when I got to their location. Entire top took about 40 minutes. After it cooled a little, I went back and reheated small areas to wipe off excess solder. I then finished fixing the lower tank.

Lower tank had two spots where it had cracked from freezing. I also had to make a brass gap filler plate to put around the outlet pipe on the inside of the tank. Plate and pipe were then soldered to the tank. Fixing the lower took the rest of the afternoon. Tomorrow, I will solder the lower tank on and then fix one small pin hole in the core. Pressure test after that.

Mike
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b.jpg
Tank top soldering
Picture1.jpg
Lower tank and repair

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ww2DAD
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Re: MB42/GPW43 Frankenweenie

Post by ww2DAD » Mon May 29, 2023 7:38 pm

Happy Memorial Day to everyone. Thank you to everyone who served and those who are no longer among us.

The basic radiator minus the frame and fan shroud is finished. I had to make one adjustment to the lower tank outlet pipe. When I found the radiator, the lower tank pipe was at a 90 degree angle. That is how I soldered it back on (last post picture). Yesterday I checked it against the metal connecting pipe to the water pump and had to change the angle (approx 30 to 35 degrees). After that it was simply wiring it in place to the core, hammering the lower plate sides against the tank and soldering. I did a water test after fixing the one pin hole and had two leakers. Will fix those tomorrow and then sand blast the frame and shroud. Hopefully should be able to paint by the end of the week if it seals up.

Mike
Attachments
a.jpg
Pipe angle change and wiring in place
p.jpg
Finished rad

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ww2DAD
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Re: MB42/GPW43 Frankenweenie

Post by ww2DAD » Wed May 31, 2023 6:09 pm

Pressure test time. After fixing one more drip that occurred after filling the radiator with water, I hooked up my bicycle pump to a rubber expanding stopper with a screw in valve stem and pumped it up to 8 PSI. Three leaks happened and they were from previous repairs. After I redo these I will try again. Chevy rad core finally arrived and I will also look at modifying that for the Willys radiator. Picture one is of the stopper with valve stem. It's an expanding plug that had a bolt thru it, and replaced with a valve stem that came from Auto Zone. Second is of the bicycle pump set up.
Mike
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Picture1.jpg
Stopper and setup

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Re: MB42/GPW43 Frankenweenie

Post by 70th Division » Fri Jun 02, 2023 8:22 am

ww2DAD wrote:
Mon May 29, 2023 7:38 pm
Happy Memorial Day to everyone. Thank you to everyone who served and those who are no longer among us.

The basic radiator minus the frame and fan shroud is finished. I had to make one adjustment to the lower tank outlet pipe. When I found the radiator, the lower tank pipe was at a 90 degree angle. That is how I soldered it back on (last post picture). Yesterday I checked it against the metal connecting pipe to the water pump and had to change the angle (approx 30 to 35 degrees). After that it was simply wiring it in place to the core, hammering the lower plate sides against the tank and soldering. I did a water test after fixing the one pin hole and had two leakers. Will fix those tomorrow and then sand blast the frame and shroud. Hopefully should be able to paint by the end of the week if it seals up.

Mike
Hello Mike,

I hope you had a great Memorail Day, it should be a month long if you ask me, but it is good to remeber all those Veterans and what they did for America.


You radiator work is looking great !!
I think you are a real pioneer rebuilding it, and showing all the G how to go about the restoration.

Well done !!


Best Regards,
Ray

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ww2DAD
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Re: MB42/GPW43 Frankenweenie

Post by ww2DAD » Sun Jun 04, 2023 7:42 pm

Ray,

I did and thank you. I agree and it should be a month long. I was going to visit my mother and father who are buried together at the National Cemetery in Santa Fe but unfortunately my wife had her knee replaced just before Memorial Day. She can't travel until the doctor lets her.

I have been pulling double duty by helping her and sneaking out and working on the radiator. Unfortunately, the GPW core was a bust. Held water when not under pressure but leaked like a sieve when pressurized. Too many holes. I did score a NOS 1960s Willys core and have since used it as a replacement. Today was pressure test and I got a hosing when I forgot that I had a simple rubber cork stopper and not expanding stopper in the lower pipe. It didn't help that I was sitting there facing it when I pumped up the radiator with air. Drenched from head to foot but I was laughing because I hadn't thought about that happening.

Radiator was filled again and held pressure for six hours with no leaks. It is a true Frankenweenie radiator. GPW top tank, Willys NOS core, and a Willys lower tank. Frame and shroud have been sandblasted and interior areas on these are painted khaki green. Tomorrow I will assemble the frame to the radiator. I know it's not a true Willys or GPW radiator, but it fits the Frankenweenie theme.

The Chevy core also came in and I will experiment with that. I plan on pulling the GPW core apart and rebuilding it using parts from the Chevy core. While waiting on the parts I went ahead and finished the rear drive shaft yoke. Turned the JB weld down and installed the speedy sleeve and slinger but forgot to put in the bolts. After moving slinger and sleeve back off a bit I was able to get them in. Should have thought of that. I didn't quite read the instructions correctly for the sleeve and found that it says to use something like JB weld and while soft, slide the sleeve on. I did it the long route and it still worked.

Here are pictures of the Frankenweenie rebuild. You can see the GPW top and the Willys core and bottom. I'm happy with it.

Take care,
Mike
Attachments
z.jpg
Frankenweenie tank

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ww2DAD
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Re: MB42/GPW43 Frankenweenie

Post by ww2DAD » Tue Jun 06, 2023 7:14 pm

Happy and honorable D Day June 6th. Ray you were right! We should have had a complete month for the vets.

Whew - done. It took longer to get all the accessories for the radiator fixed and attached then the radiator even thou this one is the third time. I spent more time just making the stupid overflow tube than putting on the top and bottom tanks. Shroud required some minor mods to fit the frankenweenie tanks. Only thing left is final paint. Tank holds water and pressure. 60s NOS core is a slightly larger than original but I was able to make things fit. Will hold on to paint because my father-in-law has a project he needs done first (gunsmithing).

Pictures are of the front and back on the completed radiator. It wasn't too difficult and with patience and getting your toes burnt from solder every now and then (ya I do things in flip flops), it went together fairly smooth. I will wait until the jeep is done before I build a new core from the other parts.

Mike
Attachments
as.jpg
Front and back of rad


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