My new project: 1964 USMC M38a1

wilfreeman · Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2018 3:34 pm Post subject:

I DID find the fitting to the stand pipe about a half turn loose (the one on top of the tank). Tightened all the other fittings (they weren't really loose though. Didn't think about the one on the stand pipe INSIDE the tank being loose.

Here's a link to the video I shot. https://youtu.be/-8qa3WIe0pU

It's also skipping pretty bad.
_________________
Matt
1953 M38a1
1964 USMC M38a1
'51 USMC M100 trailer, '54 M100 trailer, '90 M101a1 trailer
Http://wilfreeman.wordpress.com (M38a1 build blog)
http://m38a1usmc.wordpress.com (USMC M38a1 rebuild blog)

ROBCDN3 · Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2018 1:52 pm Post subject:

Hi. Wilf. Same as mine squirting into the fuel filter. I saw your choke is pulled out halfway and this usually means a vacuum leak good luck with that one . You better get the propane torch out and check around the carb and vacuum lines. I had a vacuum leak at that fitting that goes into the lower valve cover. I will check my stand pipe and top of the fuel tank 90 for cracks.Real nice job you are doing on the A1. If I could learn to post pics I would show the results of my trouble shooting. Cheers Rob M38A1 CDN3

wilfreeman · Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2018 2:06 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the input Rob. Yeah, I have to pull it out all the way to start it and about half choke to keep it running until it starts to warm up. After a while it will run with no choke, but not well with that skip.

I spent the morning and part of the afternoon issuing a friend's tire machine to remove 9 NDCCs from rims and remounting 5 new (old, but properly stored, not cracked) NDCCs. Man, I'm kinda sore! Didn't get around to troubleshooting the engine today, but the new shoes sure look nice!
_________________
Matt
1953 M38a1
1964 USMC M38a1
'51 USMC M100 trailer, '54 M100 trailer, '90 M101a1 trailer
Http://wilfreeman.wordpress.com (M38a1 build blog)
http://m38a1usmc.wordpress.com (USMC M38a1 rebuild blog)

wilfreeman · Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2018 6:00 pm Post subject:

Well my wife gave me a few extra hours to work on the jeep while she went for nails and pedicure - good tradeoff! I decided to get all of the electrical sorted in that time. I got the gauge cluster installed with everything working correctly, the front passenger side b.o. light working (blown bulb and bad ground), passenger side headlight bulb replaced($18 MRAP bulb off ebay - shipped) wired in with a regular 3 prong plug and all of the waterproof connections broken loose, cleaned and anti corrosion grease put on them.

I'm feeling accomplished today!
_________________
Matt
1953 M38a1
1964 USMC M38a1
'51 USMC M100 trailer, '54 M100 trailer, '90 M101a1 trailer
Http://wilfreeman.wordpress.com (M38a1 build blog)
http://m38a1usmc.wordpress.com (USMC M38a1 rebuild blog)

wilfreeman · Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2018 8:08 pm Post subject:

I pulled the fuel pickup this afternoon - the standpipe was tight, but I gave it another 8th of a turn to be sure. I found a small bit of fuel around the fitting on the fuel pump outlet fitting, but that shouldn't cause it to suck air (just leak a tad). It wouldn't tighten up any more.

The bad thing about today is that I couldn't even get it to fire up! It was running yesterday (although badly), but wouldn't hit a lick, even with ether, today. I checked for 24v at the distributor inlet and spark at the points, then gave up on that and moved on to other things - I couldn't deal with it today. I guess I'll start at the beginning of the troubleshooting manual maybe while I'm on night shift.

Everything else is pretty much done except getting it running right and changing the clutch.
_________________
Matt
1953 M38a1
1964 USMC M38a1
'51 USMC M100 trailer, '54 M100 trailer, '90 M101a1 trailer
Http://wilfreeman.wordpress.com (M38a1 build blog)
http://m38a1usmc.wordpress.com (USMC M38a1 rebuild blog)

Ryan_Miller · Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2018 6:58 am Post subject:

Hang in there! Very Happy

_________________
Ryan Miller
MVPA # 22010

wilfreeman · Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2018 6:24 am Post subject:

90% done now. Got my wheels and markings painted yesterday. I also got it running again. Don't know exactly why it wasn't firing, but I DID find a major vacuum leak at the carb base gasket. Replaced that and it purred like a kitten! I drove it up the driveway and it started acting up again - running rough. I was able to keep it running long enough to take a "glamour shot" for you guys.

The only major work I have left is to install the clutch next weekend and a bunch of little odds and ends. My top and web straps should arrive from WeeBee Webbing next week.
_________________
Matt
1953 M38a1
1964 USMC M38a1
'51 USMC M100 trailer, '54 M100 trailer, '90 M101a1 trailer
Http://wilfreeman.wordpress.com (M38a1 build blog)
http://m38a1usmc.wordpress.com (USMC M38a1 rebuild blog)

4x4M38 · Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2018 8:24 am Post subject:

Nice Matt!

The missing after warming up....

Sounds like a condenser.

I’ll duck now, as I know the flak is headed my way!
_________________
Brian
1950 M38
MC11481
http://www.willysmjeeps.com/v2/modules.php?set_albumName=album372&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_album.php

wilfreeman · Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2018 7:38 am Post subject:

Thanks Brian! I'll try the condenser - am I correct in assuming that they aren't voltage specific (12v or 24v)? I have a breakerless module in my other a1 and this one HAD breakerless until I couldn't get it started last year and threw my spare distributor (with points) in. I don't have a spare condenser and would prefer to pick one up at the parts store if I can use one for a "regular" vehicle.
_________________
Matt
1953 M38a1
1964 USMC M38a1
'51 USMC M100 trailer, '54 M100 trailer, '90 M101a1 trailer
Http://wilfreeman.wordpress.com (M38a1 build blog)
http://m38a1usmc.wordpress.com (USMC M38a1 rebuild blog)

wesk · Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2018 10:31 am Post subject:

Back in the day these critters were built all coils were designed to operate between 6 & 8 volts. The 12V & 24V coils had internal resistors to drop the voltage to 8 volts or used an external resistor for the drop.

There are several posts on this topic:

wilfreeman · Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2018 10:23 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the info Wes - I haven't decided on whether to stay with the point ignition or put the original distributor back in it (with the breakerless system) to see if it will run right. I read over the troubleshooting section in the manual tonight and will start at the beginning (hopefully in the morning after work).

I painted and installed the w/s wipers yesterday and, of course, they didn't work. I think it is a combination of low vacuum from incorrect timing AND valve adjustment (too tight) plus old vacuum hoses. The motors might need some WD40 to go along with the other fixes.

After the wipers were installed and tested, I decided to go for a test run up the driveway since I had her running and she fired up and idled great. I guess I was just hoping that the gremlins ran away over the past week of not working on the Jeep! But no, they didn't - I backed out of the shop and she spit a little backing out, then a little up the hill. Then she ran great to the end of the drive and back - except she was idling a little high. I pulled into the shop and adjusted the carb and drove back up the driveway (my drive is 1/4 mile long). That's when she started acting crazy, wanting to die and spit and sputter again. I turned around and headed for the shop. Coasting down the hill at idle, she almost died a few times. As soon as I stopped in the shop, she died. Cranked right back up though!

Total run time including idling for wiper function test and 2 drives up and down the driveway was about 15 minutes. Total drive time about half of that. It was just up to operating temp when she started acting up. One thing I was thinking about tonight was what Wes always says - try running it without the gas cap on. I will do this tomorrow, although I know I switched the internal fording lever on the cap to open. I also observed condensation on the carb base for some reason. And I found a gas leak in the short curved hard line after the shutoff valve - I'll make a new line to replace that one. I'm sure I'll find a few more small things that I can mark off the troubleshooting list in my couple of hours of available time.
_________________
Matt
1953 M38a1
1964 USMC M38a1
'51 USMC M100 trailer, '54 M100 trailer, '90 M101a1 trailer
Http://wilfreeman.wordpress.com (M38a1 build blog)
http://m38a1usmc.wordpress.com (USMC M38a1 rebuild blog)

4x4M38 · Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2018 6:57 am Post subject:

Matt,
Sounds like you are having fun!

The shutoff valve/leak is upstream of the fuel pump
right? You can be sucking air there as well as dripping gas.

I know it’s hard but try and do one thing at a time and test.
Otherwise you’ll never know what it was.

Good luck!
_________________
Brian
1950 M38
MC11481
http://www.willysmjeeps.com/v2/modules.php?set_albumName=album372&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_album.php

rgmutchler · Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2018 3:48 pm Post subject:

Wes,
I don't know if I am mis-interpreting you or not. If the m38 coil was designed to reduce to voltage to 6 to 8 volts does that mean you can use a civilian distributor and coil without converting the elec system? If so wouldn't this allow you to use regular plug wires and plugs in a pinch.
_________________
R G Mutchler
M274A5
M-38 MC13312
http://willysmjeeps.com/v2/modules.php?set_albumName=rgmutchler&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_album.php

wesk · Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2018 5:55 pm Post subject:

The coil has an internal resistor. For example the 12 volt version of the military coil that has been offered by many vendors was also in reality a 6-8V coil with an internal resistor.

So the answer to your question is a double edged sword. Yes you can insert a 6 volt coil or 12 volt coil with an internal resistor but then you will have to convert your electrical system from 24 V to 12V or 6 V or add an inline resistor of the appropriate value to reduce your jeep's 24 V to either 12V or 6 V.

Before High Energy ignition systems and computer controlled engines the spark plugs did just fine on a 8 volt coil no matter what the vehicle system used for it's power source. So from 1920 thru about 1948 all coils were standard 6V coils (NOTE: the standard 6V coil actually is rated at 8 Volts!) which used an external resistor, usually a ballast type with 12 volt cars or a few by 1950 had an internal resistor coil for the 12 volt cars. So thru about 1980 this did not change. Then with High Energy ignition came coil outputs of 25,00 to 30,000 volts and a whole new era opened up.

During WWII when 24 volt started to become the popular choice for military equipment they saw no reason to raise the capacity of the coil and simply added more internal resistance.

I will agree the price of the standard military 24V coils is getting way to high and at the same time it's reliability is falling quite a bit. So I would leave my jeep 24V and choose a 12 volt coil system and adapt it to the jeep and distributor. This has been done several ways. You can search this site for many of those solutions.
_________________
Wes K
45 MB, 51 M38, 54 M37, 66 M101A1, 60 CJ5, 76 DJ5D, 47Bantam T3-C & 5? M100

Mjeeps photo album: http://www.willysmjeeps.com/v2/modules.php?set_albumName=Wes-Knettle&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_album.php

wilfreeman · Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2018 7:54 pm Post subject:


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