I am rather to new to the world of Jeeps but I have done a bit of research and recently purchased two CJ-3B models. One is confirmed to be a 1954 and the other is not confirmed. The unconfirmed one may be a 54 or newer but the SN plate is either missing or covered by a dealer or after market heater core installation. I would like to know if I should be able to see the SN that is stamped on the frame with the body still on or will the body have to be removed to see it? The 54 (engine donor) cranks over and runs with a liberal amount of starting fluid sprayed down the carb throat, but quickly dies. I investigated and it seems that my fuel pump is not pumping fuel. The engine is the "F" Head 134. I have ordered the rebuild kit (A9293) and plan to rebuild the original. Any tips, tricks or advice would be much appreciated. I am looking forward to an enjoyable journey with my rebuild and plan to come to this forum often to learn more about the "good old" Jeep. Please take a look at the attachment to see my new project.
Welcome Chuck, that is a great start. It looks like pretty good steel. Finding one with original steel and parts is the first part of a great restore that's for sure. Shoot some more pictures for us.
The serial number on the frame can be hit or miss. https://cj3b.info/SerialNos/SerialNosFrame.html Some had them some did not. Most plates fell off and stamped numbers can be corroded away. A CJ3B might have numbers stamped in the frame. The firewall VIN tag is of course your best bet. You may want to take a look behind that heater.
The fuel pump is a pretty straight forward diaphragm style. You shouldn't have trouble. Clean it up and blow it out well. Just be sure there is not a lot of wear on the pivot hole of the arm (where the pin goes through the arm), and where the arm contacts the cam.