July 45 Crate Engine Found

Create a thread to track the progress of you MB/GPW restoration progress. Previously a General Discussion board.
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Bill H.
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Re: July 45 Crate Engine Found

Post by Bill H. » Wed Nov 20, 2019 9:48 am

I'm so glad we were able to stay on track here and not deviate from the OP's fantastic score. Makes me proud! :roll:
Bill H.

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eclipse
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Re: July 45 Crate Engine Found

Post by eclipse » Wed Nov 20, 2019 3:10 pm

Rivet counters are everywhere. Even a couple of my friends do it. I'm glad to see perfect examples with all correct parts. I however am more interested in driving mine than to worry about bolt headstamps, etc.
I try to find correct items like that beautiful engine. (I managed to find a T245 2 years ago for my M37 to remove the civilian engine and put in a fresh new correct one. Don't ask the cost!) But I will use modern replacement parts to keep driving mine. It isn't a garage Queen or parade and show warrior. My MV's are daily drivers.
I love to see all the NOS stuff out there. It will be nice to see pictures of what the op's engine goes into and to see it with the preservatives cleaned off
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Re: July 45 Crate Engine Found

Post by ndnile » Wed Nov 20, 2019 5:53 pm

eclipse wrote:
Wed Nov 20, 2019 3:10 pm
.... It will be nice to see pictures of what the op's engine goes into .....
I have an odd sense of humor and I know I do. When I first posted this I had a very strong desire to say it was going into a PE-95 generator with a bum engine and then stand back and watch the fireworks.

Reality is it's going into a mid-late June GPW which I understand needs to be un-bubba-d.
Doug
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Re: July 45 Crate Engine Found

Post by Joe Gopan » Wed Nov 20, 2019 6:02 pm

And I will not mind if you "hog" my posts.
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Ian Fawbert
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Re: July 45 Crate Engine Found

Post by Ian Fawbert » Thu Nov 21, 2019 1:55 am

Thanks for sharing those pics.

Can you get lots more form lots of angles from closer and share them please? The info from these motors helps us all improve the quality of vehicles we can restore!

On a side note, if I read it right about using this block, I’d suggest your friend slow on the possible installation of this motor. The same type of NOS GPW block which turned up a few months back on face book was being talked as valued/offers coming in the US $5,000-$10,000 range- food for thought re selling and buying something else/rebuilding a block or 3!!!

Cheers, Ian.
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Re: July 45 Crate Engine Found

Post by ndnile » Thu Nov 21, 2019 7:17 am

Hi Ian,

He is currently knee deep in another project, I don't think there is a hurry to install it. He is also very interested in documenting military history. I'm sure no nut or screw will go un-photographed.

Cheers, Doug
Doug
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Re: July 45 Crate Engine Found

Post by Ian Fawbert » Thu Nov 21, 2019 4:53 pm

Great to hear Doug, i look forward to seeing photo's one day!

Cheers,
Ian.
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Re: July 45 Crate Engine Found

Post by donk_316 » Sat Nov 23, 2019 8:13 am

Is it cool to know what he paid for the engine in a crate? More of a curiosity honestly.



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GPW 112092 04-30-43 USA 20372531 (orig)

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Re: July 45 Crate Engine Found

Post by ndnile » Sat Nov 23, 2019 8:18 am

donk_316 wrote:
Sat Nov 23, 2019 8:13 am
Is it cool to know what he paid for the engine in a crate? More of a curiosity honestly.
I will say that I'm comfortable that he got a fair deal, but it's not my place to share details.
Doug
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Dave 56
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Re: July 45 Crate Engine Found

Post by Dave 56 » Sun Nov 24, 2019 9:56 am

OK Guys, I guess it's time for me to jump in here. I'm the one that recently purchased the NOS GPW engine in a crate. Like Doug stated, I paid a fair price for it, which is to say I paid less than half of what it may be worth. 'Nuf said. I was lucky enough to be able to purchase it at such a good price because the previous owner liked the fact that I could use it in a WWII jeep and he would be able to see it run. It had been in his barn since his great grandfather purchased it. No one knew it was there until he found it while cleaning out the barn. Guess that makes it a real "barn find"...

My initial thought on purchasing it was that its "crate date" (July 3, 1945) was very close to the estimated DOD of a project jeep I have, and that it would be a perfect engine to put in that jeep. The project jeep is serial number GPW 273928 with an estimated DOD of June 21, 1945, less than two weeks away from the date on the crated engine's tag. The project jeep is mostly rust free, mostly original and complete, minus the engine and everything bolted to it - exactly like the crate engine. The project jeep's original engine appears to have been pulled to replace the clutch and never reinstalled. The engine was lost or sold somewhere along the way, before I acquired the jeep. It's been sitting for a few years, waiting for a likely engine to show itself, which it just did.

Now that I have the crated engine home, I'm planning on building a roller dolly for it, so it can be moved around easier. The crate, with the engine strapped inside it, is currently sitting on a standard wooden shipping pallet, which takes up more space than I have available to store it. I have no immediate plans to uncrate it and use it in the '45 GPW, so you guys can relax about the objectionable possibility of such a priceless artifact actually being installed in a jeep, at least for the foreseeable future. Too many projects, not enough time.

Before I do anything else with it, I will research it and document it, along with taking tons of pictures. I understand there is a casting date on the block (which I have not documented yet), and also a serial code stamped on it ending with an X. There is nothing stamped on the serial number boss. I'll also contact Tom the GPW Whisperer and see what he has to say. I've read about three or four other crated engines that have been found over the years, including one or two found recently. They may be rare, but they're out there. Perhaps a more appropriate used engine will appear that could be installed in the '45 project jeep. You never know what might happen... Let me know if you happen to be holding the original engine for GPW 273928.

Watch for pictures to be posted here soon. I'm thinking it would be good to put it on display at Camp Plymouth in April, (MVCC's Spring swap meet and Military Vehicle show). In the mean time, I'm making room for it in my garage so it will be kept safe and sound, out of the winter weather.
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Re: July 45 Crate Engine Found

Post by John Neuenburg » Thu Nov 28, 2019 6:39 pm

Dave,
That would be a nice display at the April 2020 Camp Plymouth.

Does it have a short serial number on the block, driver side upper front?

John
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Dave 56
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Re: July 45 Crate Engine Found

Post by Dave 56 » Thu Nov 28, 2019 9:02 pm

Here's an update on the GPW engine:
Yes, the serial number on the engine is on the driver's side, above the front end of the exhaust manifold. Evidently it's a sequential serial number for replacement engines, starting with engines crated in mid 1944. This one was crated on July, 3 1945, or shortly after, with a serial number of 11685X, known as the "X" number. It's currently sitting in my garage on a furniture dolly. Got it in there before the heavy rain arrived last Tuesday.

The GPW project jeep I was contemplating installing the replacement engine in turned out to be serial number 275928, not 273928, found after cleaning off the frame stamping to take photos. After careful consideration, I've decided to keep the crated engine in its crate and not install it in a jeep. It will be on display at Camp Plymouth, April 2020, with all the preservative features intact. I'll post some pictures soon to give you a preview.

Dave
42 - 45 GPW and MB jeeps
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43, 44 Ford GTBs
45 M29C Weasel
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July 45 Crate Engine Found

Post by donk_316 » Fri Nov 29, 2019 7:40 am

Hey Dave,
So just for clarification.
All replacement crate engines starting from mid 1944 were given their own serial number ending in an X ?

The replacement engines before mid 1944 were the blank boss engines?
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Re: July 45 Crate Engine Found

Post by dpcd67 » Fri Nov 29, 2019 8:23 am

Nice find, and good move, keeping it as is and not in a jeep, where it would lose it's uniqueness.
Donk, those replacement engines do not have any numbers marked on the boss; just the X number where OP said it was, and also has the Ordnance escutcheon proof mark stamped beside it; those are hard to see. I have one in my GPW. You know the crossed cannons on the belt with the flaming bomb in the middle. Leather working was a vital Ordnance commodity in the 19th century; not so much now.
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Re: July 45 Crate Engine Found

Post by John Neuenburg » Fri Nov 29, 2019 11:58 am

I had a replacement engine like that. It was in a roller in my Evolution of a Restoration display at the 2003 MVPA convention by the USS Hornet in Alameda. These are very attractive to many people. Dave's is special though.
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