May 11, 2019
You are going to fix that right?
You know I wouldn’t steer you wrong.
You should approach steering in a step by step manner and not skip around looking at different things. The article on jeep steering on my website originally appeared in the WW2 publication called Army Motors and contains a step by step approach to doing your steering right.
May 10, 2019
Army Jill sitting on the hood of a 1942 Ford GPW complete with a GI Towbar.
When I decided to restore/rebuild my jeep I wanted to add the World War Two Tandem Tow Bar. I found the tow bar in Washington state from a jeep parts seller named Cliff Tebeau. This hitch was designed so that two jeeps could hook up and then pull a large artillery piece…that normally would be pulled by something much larger than a 1/4-ton jeep!
The kit was used to allow two jeeps to pull a 105 mm artillery piece. It was also used to allow jeeps to move aircraft around an airfield. Personally, I’ve never trusted it so I NEVER have tried to use it to flat tow the jeep behind another vehicle. All you have to do is look at the bumper gussets where it is mounted and it will give you a weak feeling.
May 9, 2019
Is it time to replace your water pump?
Does your WW2 jeep need to get a new water pump?
are available. These pumps are tapped and plugged for
WW2 jeep water pump.
a water heater. These are technically not correct for the WW2 jeep. Original WW2 jeeps did not come from the factory with heaters. However, Willys-Overland did produce an add-on kit that allowed the crew to get some warmth during harsh winters. Still, if you can’t find an original water pump to rebuild then this is a good bet.
You need a good water pump on those old engines. Buy one and keep as a spare or replace yours today!
May 8, 2019
Have you thought about rebuilding your worn out WW2 jeep engine?
Spring is certainly here and a young man’s thoughts turn to rebuilding WW2 jeep engines that should have been rebuilt during the sleepy time of Winter. Does your WW2 jeep engine need rebuilding? Considering purchasing a kit with all sorts of parts.
WW2 jeep L-134 engine rebuilding kit.
Omix-Ada 17405.02 Engine Kit with Timing Gear, for Jeep L-Head 134
The kit contains pretty much everything needed to rebuild your tired WW2 jeep engine. The kit includes pistons, rings, main and rod bearings, cam bearing, timing kit, full gasket and seal set, eight valves, eight valve guides, oil pump, and engine mounts. When you order the kit you have to specify the piston, main and rod bearing sizes.
Of course, the best thing for most owners to do is to take their stripped down block and head to a shop to have it cleaned and checked for warping and cracks. But with a few tools, it is easy enough to rebuild your engine in your own garage.
You are going to want to have instructions on how to properly rebuild your engine.
The Complete WW2 Military Jeep Manual.
Those instructions are contained in The Complete WW2 Military Jeep Manual
You will also need a Piston Ring Compressor
May 7, 2019
Solex Carburetor for L-head jeeps.The Omix-Ada 17701.01 Carburetor Solex Designed L-Head for Jeep. This carb is a good substitute for a worn out Carter carburetor. It can be purchased for a reasonable amount. The only drawbacks are that the fittings are metric and in smaller towns, it can be difficult to find the appropriate adapter and the Solex is sensitive to fuel pressure.
The problem seemed to be that the reproduction or repaired WW2 jeep fuel pumps were supplying too much pressure and overfeeding the Solex. I solved the resulting flooding by installing a Fuel Pressure Regulator
Is your carb sad? Why not buy a new one?
The Solex was used on a limited basis on WW2 jeeps repaired by the French for the US Army.
I found the Solex to be responsive and easy to start (if you know how). So if your Carter is all worn out, consider going with the Solex. The Solex is available from a number retailers including Amazon.com.
You also might be interested in an original looking reproduction made by Joe’s Motor Pool, also available at several jeep parts retailers.
May 6, 2019
What were the jeeps before they were called jeeps?
They were called Bantams! Find out more about the Bantam BRC by reading Warbaby by William Spear. Bill Spear is passionate about Bantam receiving fair credit for designing the jeep. The Bantam was the first jeep! Recently Chrysler LLC ballyhooed the 75th anniversary of the jeep…but, of course, Bantam was built in 1940.
May 5, 2019
The photo is dated May 1942. The jeep is being used by the Marines to tow a glider.
May 4, 2019
Oliver and Stanley’s Jeep – Navy
Ollie and Stanley are driving in a Navy adventure. A 1/32 scale jeep by Gates. A nice model with pretty good detail. Good enough for a couple of sailor boys.
Typical front end detail without any markings. The national symbol is on the hood without registration numbers or other markings.
The jeep is complete with a gas can and spare tire. No pintle.
May 3, 2019
Have you checked your brakes recently? I can tell if you’re lying to me!
a. Introduction. If the hydraulic brake system, and the drum and brake shoe clearance are satisfactory, when the brake pedal is depressed with sufficient force to set brakes firmly, the pedal will have a “solid” feel, with at least 2 inches of floorboard clearance. During the initial 1/4 to 1/2 inch of pedal travel, the pedal should move freely (if pedal clearance is correctly adjusted it will be 3/4 inch for the WW2 jeep). The sub-paragraphs below furnish probable remedies for various behaviors of a defective brake system, based on the behavior of the brake pedal as a symptom.
b. Pedal Has Less than 2 Inches Floorboard Clearance. Adjust clearance between brake shoes and drums.
c. Pedal Has a “Springy” Feel. This is usually evidence that the brake shoes are improperly set, or have been relined with an incorrect thickness of lining. Improper shoe setting would indicate the need for a major brake adjustment. Before making a decision on this type of condition, road test the vehicle (or test it on a brake machine). This will indicate a “hard” pedal and a “poor” stop if these conditions are present. After road or machine test, pull wheels, check lining thickness, contact, drum condition, fit of shoes to drum, and anchor adjustment, to determine the exact cause of difficulty.
d. Pedal Has a “Spongy” Feel. Bleed air from the hydraulic system.
e. Pedal Jams or Binds. Check for mechanical interference; also check for broken piston stop wire in the master cylinder. Check master cylinder mountings and linkage, and if a booster is used, check mechanical linkage between master cylinder and booster.
f. Pedal Goes to Floorboard and Can Be Built Up by Pumping. If pressure can be built up, hold down hard to see if pressure will decrease. After holding for 1/2 minute, reduce pressure on foot without releasing pedal, and press lightly to see if pedal moves down under light pressure. This test will reveal a master cylinder cup which is thin, permitting fluid to bypass within the master cylinder without showing signs of leaking on the outside of the master cylinder.
g. Pedal Goes to Floorboard and Cannot Be Built Up by Pumping. Check fluid level in master cylinder reservoir. If insufficient fluid is present, test brake pedal action and perform operations described under new symptom. If sufficient fluid is present, continue with operations described in this subparagraph. Where accessible, feel the master cylinder boot to determine if wet with brake fluid. Squeeze boot with fingers; if the fluid is expelled around or through the boot, it is an indication that the master cylinder is leaking and should be removed, inspected, repaired, or replaced. If no evidence of leaks is apparent at the master cylinder, inspect all fluid lines along the frame, all hose and hose connections, the bottom edges of all brake flanges, and the inner sidewall of tires for signs of brake fluid leakage. If no external signs of leaks are found, but the pedal still leaks off under pressure, pull all four wheels and inspect the wheel cylinders. If no external fluid losses are found, but pedal “eases down” under constant but light foot pressure, it is a good indication that pressure is bypassing within the master cylinder; in which case, remove and repair or replace.
If you have a WW2 jeep or want a WW2 jeep, you need this book – The Complete WW2 Military Jeep Manual
May 2, 2019
Army Jill stands guard to protect her jeep. You can protect your jeep by knowing how to operate it properly.
I was looking at the synchronizer the other day and it made me recall a discussion concerning “double clutching” and whether or not you need to use this method of shifting with the T-84J. First, off, what the heck is meant by, and how do you “double clutch”?
Double Clutching, was a prescribed feature of Army driver training. The “purpose of double clutching is to synchronize the speed of the flywheel and the turning clutch disks so that gear shifting may be accomplished with a minimum of clashing of gears.”
What is the procedure?
…the procedure is the same for shifting to a higher speed, except that the engine is not accelerated while the gears are in neutral, per TM 21-300 page 113.
Double clutching is also mentioned in TM 21-305, dated November 1944.
However, according to TM 9-803, page 18, para 5c(6): …No double clutching is required…
The only time you might want to double clutch is when shifting from 2nd or 3rd into 1st gear. Not a practice that I recommend but sometimes you may find yourself in need of lower gears. Just use caution. I guess you might also find it necessary to double clutch if your synchro is badly worn, too. Don’t rely on this procedure–rebuild that transmission as soon as you can.
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