My 49 CJ3A

[stony]

Well after only 35 years it is time to put her on the road again.  I was late draining her one fall and she froze and cracked.  Just finished stitching her wounds and getting ready to send her to my machinist.  Should be easy right?  Wrong!  Couple of head studs sheared, the pump housing cracked when I tried to remove the (mostly rust) shaft.  The fuel pump arm was frozen in place, apparently for a long time, because it scored the pump lobe on the cam.  So new fuel pump and cam.  Cylinders look good but will probably go .040 over and shave .035 off of the head to try to get to about 7:1 compression.  Anyway having fun.  Here she is, probably not going to paint her, patch a few holes, clean her up and go.

[aboyandhisdog]

Pretty cool, let the fun begin!

[athawk11]

There is a lot to like here.  Wow.  The engine trouble aside, I haven't seen one come through so complete in a while.  A true survivor.

[stony]

Yeah she is in pretty good shape.  #11159, engine #11140, probably built around Jan, 1949.  I think the color is Pickett Gray rather than Potomac Gray which should be the 1949 color.  I supect that they just used the 1948 CJ2A paint till it ran out then switched to the new color.  Going to try to keep it as it is, if I paint anything it will just be under the wheel wells and spots that I need to patch.  So going to go through the engine and brakes, and new seals and she should be good to go.  Can restore it anytime, but it is only original once!

[squidtone]

That is a true beauty with so much originality! I wouldn't paint it either. Just clean and preserve what's there. Really nice, enjoy!

PS...any chance of you taking a closeup detail picture of the wiper motor vacuum hose and where it attaches to the windshield arm? It looks like it could be original. I've read that they used copper tubing....
(I found holes in my windshield arm where the clamps holding that tubing were, but all my stuff is missing, and I've never seen the real thing up close)

Have fun with it!
Dave

[stony]

Sure can.  Should be able to do it later this week.

[stony]

Have had these for nearly 50 years, so they have to go on it.  They came with my 56 CJ5 that I got when I was in Alaska in the USAF, 1969.

[1955CJ-5]

Are those the "free wheeler" hubs?

If so I've seen them on ebay for plenty....

Randy

[stony]

Yes they are . They were rattling around in the tool box of the �56� when I got it.  � what the heck are these things� my thoughts at the time.  Didn�t even think about them till a few years ago, then started looking for them, pretty hopeless quest since they were last seen in a long gone chicken coop on the farm.  Then one day when looking for something in the tool barn, there they were!  My Dad (who NEVER threw anything away) had stuck them on a shelf when the old building was torn down, sitting there for about 15 years.  Should be able to change them out in about 10 min with a battery powered drill.  WAY sexier than the new hubs LOL!

[stony]

Squidtone:� here are some photos of the vacuum line.� It is black painted steel.� Looks like it is steel gas line.

[squidtone]

Wow. Excellent pix and lots of 'em too.
The line is really tucked in more than I thought it would be. I checked my windshield and it has all those screw holes shown in your pictures.
Thanks so much.
Dave (squidtone)

[stony]

Yeah they sell a �kit� to replace that line, $99, could get the same thing for about $15.  I should have measured it (l think it�s 1/4� of) but it looks like it is just steel gas or brake  line with a rubber hose that goes through a grommet in the body that attaches to a short line going into the pump.  Here is the hose and grommet.

[athawk11]

That is not the wiper motor I expected to see.  Can you tell which way the wiper arm would park when off?

[stony]

I don�t know if that is the original wiper motor, and I do not know which way the wiper is at rest.� I don�t remember that it ever worked.� First attempt at removing the screws was unsuccessful.

[stony]

So, have had a chance to go over her stem to stern.  Should have the block and head back from the shop next week, and get that back together.  Crank just needed to be polished, had been turned once sometime in the past.  The bores were about 0.008 over, so had it rebored 0.040.  Took 0.035 off of the head.  Brake cylinders are shot, pistons frozen, so ordering new ones.  Put new shoes in a long time ago, so they look pretty good.  The small adjuster cams were rusted beyond repair, so will be replaced.  Master cylinder is pretty OK, so a rebuild kit is in order there.  I replaced the brake lines many years ago, so they are OK.  Pretty sure the transmission and transfer case and differentials are in good shape, just going to drain and put in new lube.  CV lube for the front axels.  That just leaves seals to do, all 4 wheels tranny and transfer case.  A bit of rust in the gas tank but otherwise looks good.  Radiator looks perfect, so hoping it is.  Tires are shot from sitting, but will hold enough air to see if she will move.  Trying to decide on those.  6.5 x 16 on there now, probably stick with that size just to make sure the old brakes are strong enough to lock em up, should need arise.  Mud-snow or NDT is the only question.  Probably will stick with 6 volts for now.  If I decide to go with 12v, just going to have the field coils in the generator replaced, the starter should handle it.  About all for now, but I am sure all will not go smoothly [ch128540]