The Resurrection of CJ2-26 |
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Fred Coldwell
Member Joined: 18 Nov. 2005 Location: Denver, CO. Status: Offline Points: 437 |
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The last major part to receive attention this past week is the engine. As noted on the first page of this thread, Willys short block serial number MB-504693 was purchased because it was only 1,088 engine serial numbers after the original factory engine in CJ2-26, which I believe was MB-503605.* Its unlikely I will ever find a MB engine with a closer serial number during my lifetime, so I'm very happy with this purchase. The cast in data on the lower passenger side reveals the block was cast on October 20 [1944], likely within a few days of the original block, casting data unknown. It bears Willys part number 638632 for the bare block then used in military jeep production. It's iron alloy includes nickel-chromium ("NI-CR"), as seen here: A vigorous cleaning of the piston tops reveals they are all standard size pistons stamped "S", so there's plenty of meat remaining in the smooth appearing bores. Yesterday I removed all the valves, which were marked with their respective positions. I will have disassembly completed by tomorrow and early next week will take the block and some parts to a local machine shop to be cleaned, magnafluxed, and freshened up. I expect to have hardened seats installed for both the intake and exhaust valves. I will install a CJ-2A crankshaft with heavier counterweights for slightly greater torque and on-trail momentum. I'll keep the chain driven camshaft but will replace the factory chain and sprockets with a nice, new roller chain and sprockets manufactured by Richard Saunders in Australia. The stamped CJ-2 preproduction jeep used the new, unribbed civilian cylinder head, Willys part number 640161. With its very low civilian jeep 640XXX part number, it likely was released for production during July 1944. It is listed in the CJ-2 Bill of Material on a page retyped on 11-18-44, so it definitely was used on the stamped CJ-2 preproduction jeeps. I have a nice, crisp example with a casting date of 8-28 that I will use on CJ2-26. Motoring along on . . . *[NOTE: This post was edited on 10-14-18 to correct CJ2-26's original engine serial number to MB-503605. Thanks wheelie for noticing the mistake.] Edited by Fred Coldwell - 14 Oct. 2018 at 8:16pm |
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Happy Jeep Trails,
Fred Coldwell Denver, CO 1944 CJ2-09 - X-33 1945 CJ2-26 - X-50 |
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Oilleaker1
Member Joined: 06 Sep. 2011 Location: Black Hills, SD Status: Offline Points: 4406 |
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Excellent Fred! We'll expect this Jeep ready for trail testing by the 3rd week in June. Oilly
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Green Disease, Jeeps, Old Iron!
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Fred Coldwell
Member Joined: 18 Nov. 2005 Location: Denver, CO. Status: Offline Points: 437 |
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RickG: Our front bumpers share between-the-rails holes at 18-1/2" in from each end, but my new bumper's second set of holes are 16-1/2" in from each end, so your M38 does not have an AgriM front bumper. Thanks for the data!
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Happy Jeep Trails,
Fred Coldwell Denver, CO 1944 CJ2-09 - X-33 1945 CJ2-26 - X-50 |
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Fred Coldwell
Member Joined: 18 Nov. 2005 Location: Denver, CO. Status: Offline Points: 437 |
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That sounds like a realistic goal, Oilly. I'll see how fast I can move.
Open that binding and dig in, Ol' U. Hopefully there will be plenty of good stay indoors reading weather over the next 6 months. Let's pray for the many deep feet of snow we need in too dry Colorado.
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Happy Jeep Trails,
Fred Coldwell Denver, CO 1944 CJ2-09 - X-33 1945 CJ2-26 - X-50 |
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Ol' Unreliable
Member Joined: 25 Sep. 2016 Location: CO Springs CO Status: Offline Points: 4226 |
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Yes, let's. I've been pretty disappointed with winters here since I moved in '91. We got a good 4" snow a couple days before Hallowe'en that year and I expected that to happen all winter long, but it was not to be.
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There's a reason it's called Ol' Unreliable
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Unkamonkey
Member Joined: 23 Mar. 2016 Location: Greeley CO Status: Offline Points: 2093 |
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As the old saying goes, climate is what you expect and weather is what you get. Be happy, there is nothing you can do about it anyway. I was up with some friends, we had to keep moving the brandy bottle closer to the fire to keep it from freezing.
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uncamonkey
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Fred Coldwell
Member Joined: 18 Nov. 2005 Location: Denver, CO. Status: Offline Points: 437 |
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Progress steadily marches forward. Disassembly of engine MB-504693 was completed, revealing the machining date stamped into its lower flange: 11-6-44. This is about 3 weeks after the engine block was cast on 10-20 [44], so we now know this was a slacker engine that hung out at the machine shop for a while after it was born. Geeesh! The short block has been delivered to the machine shop across town, Gunn Automotive. They will contact me next week with the initial assessment after they clean, magnaflux it, and mic some of the parts. The gallon of Kano Lab's Floway degreaser arrived by UPS. Today I'll purchase a plastic hand spray bottle to apply it to the greasy and caked-up jeep parts. A clean life is a neat life.
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Happy Jeep Trails,
Fred Coldwell Denver, CO 1944 CJ2-09 - X-33 1945 CJ2-26 - X-50 |
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CJ2A-CT
Member Joined: 19 Apr. 2016 Location: Connecticut Status: Offline Points: 360 |
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Fred, I look forward to each of your updates, keep them coming!
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46 CJ2a 22786 Brer Rabbit, 53 Willys Wagon, 62 Willys Pickup building with son-in-law, Jason
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TXtea
Member Joined: 21 Mar. 2017 Location: Dallas Status: Offline Points: 156 |
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So I've been creeping on this thread and I think it's awesome! Keep up the good work Fred. That being said, I didn't realize you had written a book on these early Jeeps until a few posts ago. So after learning that I went to Amazon just to see if they had a copy and sure enough they did... for almost $2600!!!! I sure hope you're getting a piece of that. Haha!
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Ryan
'48 CJ2A SN: 161039 |
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Bruce W
Member Joined: 29 July 2005 Location: Northeast Colorado Status: Offline Points: 9611 |
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Ryan, I could let you have mine for $2200.00. Plus shipping, of course. BW
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It is NOT a Jeep Willys! It is a Willys jeep.
Happy Trails! Good-bye, Good Luck, and May the Good Lord Take a Likin' to You! We Have Miles to Jeep, Before We Sleep. |
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TXtea
Member Joined: 21 Mar. 2017 Location: Dallas Status: Offline Points: 156 |
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Hmm, that's still a bit steep for me... How about $2175.00? Haha!
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Ryan
'48 CJ2A SN: 161039 |
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Fred Coldwell
Member Joined: 18 Nov. 2005 Location: Denver, CO. Status: Offline Points: 437 |
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Just noticed the 11-6-44 machining date on the engine block is the same as the assembly date stamped into the original rear axle. So CJ2-26 will be in perfect balance and harmony date-wise front and rear, assuring firm and steady time travel on highways and trails. A quick commercial break for an alternative to Amazon. For those who don't want to deplete all their thou$$$ands in jeep parts funds to learn more about the CJ-1 and CJ-2, have I got a deal for you!! My 2001 book: is available at the far more reasonable price of $30.00 plus shipping, and includes a brief personal note to you from the author himself. Postage in the lower 48 states is $6.70 for a Priority Mail Flat Rate letter size envelope, so the total payable is $36.70 in the lower 48 sates. For postage elsewhere, please contact me by PM or email with your full mailing address, and I'll advise you of the applicable amount of postage. The book is 176 pages long and chock full of thick, juicy early jeep data and facts. The table of Contents gives you an idea of the topics covered: Payment options include PayPal, money order or check. Please email me for my PayPal account name. You can mail a check or money order for $36.70 payable to "Vintimage, Inc." to: Fred Coldwell 2031 Krameria St. Denver, CO. 80207-3928 and remember to include your full mailing address so I can mail you the signed book. Thank you. Now back to our irregularly scheduled programming. |
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Happy Jeep Trails,
Fred Coldwell Denver, CO 1944 CJ2-09 - X-33 1945 CJ2-26 - X-50 |
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RICKG
Member Joined: 08 Jan. 2015 Location: so idaho Status: Offline Points: 1941 |
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A Shameless Plug!
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I never met a mule I didn't like!
MC51986 "OD MULE" DOD 01-52 '50 CJ3A "Bucksnort". Keep 'em Rollin' |
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wheelie
Member Sponsor Member Joined: 25 Jan. 2011 Location: red lion. pa Status: Offline Points: 814 |
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Just started catching up on this. I was just going to mention the matching dates. That's about as cool as it gets.
Glad you are back at it. Been missing this thread. Is there another book in the future about this restoration, specifically?
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Fred Coldwell
Member Joined: 18 Nov. 2005 Location: Denver, CO. Status: Offline Points: 437 |
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A 14 mm. Auto-Lite AN-7 gapped to .030", for sure!
Nah, only this thread, which is mostly interesting facts discovered during the resto rather than a how-to-do-it instructional thread. You wouldn't want to follow my meandering path because I'm learning by doing, missteps and all.
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Happy Jeep Trails,
Fred Coldwell Denver, CO 1944 CJ2-09 - X-33 1945 CJ2-26 - X-50 |
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Ol' Unreliable
Member Joined: 25 Sep. 2016 Location: CO Springs CO Status: Offline Points: 4226 |
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If there is, I want to pre-order it!
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There's a reason it's called Ol' Unreliable
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Fred Coldwell
Member Joined: 18 Nov. 2005 Location: Denver, CO. Status: Offline Points: 437 |
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Great news today from the engine machine shop: the magnaflux was magnanimous! No cracks anywhere in the block or cylinder head. Measurements have been taken and new parts are on order. Tomorrow I'll take over the clutch assembly, front pulley and other crankshaft parts necessary to have everything precisely balanced, just like me. Step by step . . .
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Happy Jeep Trails,
Fred Coldwell Denver, CO 1944 CJ2-09 - X-33 1945 CJ2-26 - X-50 |
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Ol' Unreliable
Member Joined: 25 Sep. 2016 Location: CO Springs CO Status: Offline Points: 4226 |
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Fred, when you were looking at the "JEEP" stamping last month, it occurred to me that the "JEEP" was scanned on the front of the windshield frame. Has anyone suggested scanning the back of the stamping to try to re-create that stamp? I don't know if it would give a more accurate stamp but it might be worth a try.
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There's a reason it's called Ol' Unreliable
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