What's the best way to put one back together?

[Grouser]

I've got my 3B down to the frame doing a complete overhaul of the suspension axles motor body everything. So my question is to those that have done this before to what degree do you rebuild the frame motor tranny before you slap the body on her. Thanks for the help!

[gmwillys]

My first answer would be to finish all that you can while the tub is off. Also, prep and paint the underside of the tub before setting the body.

[Grouser]

That is my current plan. I guess I was wondering about the steering column. I remember taking the body off that was kind of a tricky thing taking you off up and out an angle. How hard is it to install a complete steering column after the tub is on?

[gmwillys]

The steering column can come up through the bottom, after the tub is installed. It works best if you can put the front axle up on jack stands. This method would be best if you have painted the column already. If you have the column painted, then installed prior to setting the tub, you take a big chance in knocking paint off when putting on the body.
The last small Jeep I did body work on, besides my own was a M38A1. The military was smart in mandating that the body could be removed without even removing the steering wheel. The transmission tunnel cover is large enough to allow the wheel to fit through.

[Grouser]

Thank you sir I'd say the Army was pretty smart about how they did things and I appreciate that now have a great day thanks for the help.

[pelago]

am now in last stages of three years of work, and i also went to bare frame, and sandblasted it and started with suspension and wheels, then motor and transmission and it is
simply put ONE BOLT AT A TIME, AND USE THE RIGHT #8 BOLTS NOT THE HARDWARE CRAP

[Grouser]

I'm in no hurry one bolt at a time sounds good. But I think I will be hunting in it this year. Here are a couple of pictures that started the whole rebuild

[bmorgil]

Oh man! That is one hurt "Go-Devil"!

Classic Go-Devil ate the number one.

No hurry is best Grouser. I have taken things apart several times just to get it right. "Should work" never was a good phrase.

[LarrBeard]

"Well, we was doin' real good till the number 27 Go-Devil ate a piston. I'd like to thank my Momma, the Sponsors, the fans ...."

Then we took it back to the garage.

Just what were you doing when it went off?

[gmwillys]

I haven't seen a Willys plant do that...

We did have a CAT engine do that last Saturday, though. Second one in ten years with this program. It still ran until the oil pressure dropped below to below what the HEUI pump needed to keep fuel pressure. Sorry, no pictures.

[bmorgil]

Interesting, I don't see the "lock nuts" on the remaining rod bolts in the picture. I wonder if a rod bolt was reused once two many. The crank throw looks OK in the picture. My first thought was low oil pressure number 1. But the crank looks OK so to speak. I did see a rod like that come out of a motor that went in the water. There was more than one however. And a split cylinder. I don't think it would be RPM would it? Can that little flat head rev enough to break a rod? The carb and general flat head design, seems to make it look self governing.

Can't wait to hear what it was doing when it went!

[gmwillys]

RPM will beat the rod bearings out to where it knocks when pushed, when the oil isn't completely full to cushion the slop.

I vote for hydro lock. The Kitty pilar that we had fail was due to the tech not checking for water in the induction. I had walked by the test cell minutes before and it sounded good. Ten minutes later, he came looking for me to say he had a problem. Water had settled down in the intercooler, and when he switched to high idle, it gulped whatever was in there. #1 con rod took a left turn out the side between the HEUI pump and the air compressor. The bad part of the whole deal was that a couple weeks prior I held a briefing on what could happen if all the water wasn't pushed out completely. Hard lesson learned by being lazy.

[bmorgil]

Water is truly "non-compressible"!

[pelago]

ouch painful