'52 M38

[Ryan_M]

Today started with a little home cooking. Frozen Main Drive Gear quickly topped with boiling hot Input Shaft Bearing all glazed with a generous coating of "Assemblee Goo".

Jeep Parts, it's what's for dinner.....er, breakfast


Cluster gear needle bearings in their new home. By the time you are done with this step you can count 22 needle bearings out of a random pile by eye, Rain Man style.


Countershaft going in, Rick Stiver's rebuild guide "Tool A" coming out


Cluster gear and main gear installed.


That's all I can do for now. I'm at a standstill awaiting an NOS second gear to appear in the mailbox. I decided the original one was toast and not worth re-using. I'm hoping to see it in the next day or two and then get this transmission buttoned back up. A greasy transfer case anxiously awaits me.

[Jeff_M]

That transmission was born a mere two months prior to me.� :-(�

I'm thinking you're putting a lot more into this drivetrain refurb than you did with the 3A. mainly because you now know a lot more about it?�

I like the reassembly diagrams, something I should always do but don't take the time.� You even make note of which bolts/nuts you could have mixed up.� :-)

[Ryan_M]

I'm thinking you're putting a lot more into this drivetrain refurb than you did with the 3A. mainly because you now know a lot more about it?�

So far it's pretty much the same as what I did for the 3A. I plan to get a little more daring with the transfer case here though.

[athawk11]

Someday, I hope to have the confidence to tear into an old T90.  You are so nonchalant about it.  "Just another day at the office!"

Thanks for showing us.  I hope you'll give up the good 'tips and tricks' as you move along.

Tim

[Ryan_M]

As previously mentioned the tranny rebuild is on hold awaiting a new 2nd gear to arrive. I was inspecting all the parts again yesterday and realized the reverse idler shaft is pretty well roasted. Not sure how I missed that the first time around but one of those now has to be ordered. It's moments like these I really wish Walck's had a franchise here in town.

So, in spite of really not being exited about having both the transmission and transfer case ripped apart simultaneously, what's a guy to do? Might as well work up a list of required TC parts so I can at least qualify for free shipping. Only one way to do that....

The obligatory disgusting e-brake pic:


Anyone else's projects always look like the disassembly was achieved with the sole use of C-4 or is it just me? What a mess.


Cleaned up a little bit and at least organized into a manageable pile


I can spend the weekend cleaning and painting so I'll be ready to go (I hope) by the time the new parts arrive.

[1955CJ-5]

I'm still finding pieces from when mine blew up...

[MikeC4193]

Havent been on here for a while...just found out about this rebuild...I love the looks and smells of these old Jeeps...thanks Ryan for posting...I will be following along for sure...

MikeC

[Ryan_M]

Havent been on here for a while...just found out about this rebuild...I love the looks and smells of these old Jeeps...thanks Ryan for posting...I will be following along for sure...

MikeC

Lots of good stuff on this site Mike, glad to see you checking in. It does not get as much traffic as the 2A page but there's still a tremendous amount of valuable info to be found here and a fun, friendly group of guys  Don't be a stranger!

[Ryan_M]

New reverse idler shaft and 2nd gear arrived so that means it's back to work on the T-90.

After the initial transmission disassembly it was tough for me to determine what parts were good and what was junk. It's not always obvious if you don't have new stuff to compare too, and even then it can be a challenge. Here's the new second gear on the left and the old one on the right. The wear is most apparent on the two notches on the front face of the gear and the teeth of the blocking rings.



The old one was really chewed up:


New one has nice crisp front edges:


NOS synchros, clutch sleeve and clutch hub that I have been saving (thanks for the ebay tip when these were for sale last year Carlsjeep)


And it all looks better inside the case.


Shift tower on the operating table. The M38 towers are a little different than the 3A towers. Note the threads for the screw-on cap.




And somehow, it all ended up back together. It'll be even more shocking if it actually retains gear oil and works properly. I have left the shift tower unsealed and only finger tight for now. I'll button it up for good after it's back in the Jeep. (Bonus points to Tim if he can identify the brand of door in the background)



Next up, transfer case! Case is painted, innards are mostly clean, and bag of new bearings, seals, and small parts is waiting patiently on a garage shelf. I hope to start that reassembly adventure tomorrow.

[Bill]

I am really enjoying watching this build.

[Ryan_M]

I am really enjoying watching this build.

Bill - Why do I have a feeling your main source of enjoyment with this build is the likely prospect of witnessing it crack in half and explode whilst navigating some god-forsaken NH goat path?

 

[garage gnome]

You're not going to take that shiny gray 3A? 

[Ryan_M]

You're not going to take that shiny gray 3A?�

Only if I can't get this rattletrap M38 back together in time. You were asking about project motivation in another thread. I guess mine is to NOT to have to thrash the 3A in NH again this year. That thought alone keeps me working double duty on the M38!

[1955CJ-5]

You're not going to take that shiny gray 3A?�

Only if I can't get this rattletrap M38 back together in time. You were asking about project motivation in another thread. I guess mine is to NOT to have to thrash the 3A in NH again this year. That thought alone keeps me working double duty on the M38!

Be careful or you may end up with a shiny M-38!!

[Ryan_M]

I managed to log some serious and reasonably uninterrupted garage hours this weekend which is always a welcome occurrence.

Transfer case assembly time!

Walck's bearings and small parts kit.


New Output Shaft Gear next to the old one.


Old one is pretty chewed up...at least I think it is. Remember, I still have no idea what I'm doing with this stuff most times.....


I should have done a better job of this before cleaning and painting but I had to touch up a few cruddy threads.


New wire (Rebar tying wire) for securing the nice clean shift fork nuts.



Output shaft sliding into place



This was probably the most-not-fun part of the rebuild. I had to remove the rear bearing cap 6 or 7 times changing shims out to get the right end-play.

Set the end play close and then a quick coat of copper gasket spray on all the shims


Bearing cap installed for the final time. End play right where it should be.


Really coming together now. Rick's guide suggests marking front and rear of the case, as silly as it may seem. When your mind works as simply as mine does a single letter on a blue piece of tape can be a huge help.


Handbrake innards spiffed up and re-installed. I just cleaned up the old Bendix brand shoes and reused them. I wouldn't reuse a wheel shoe but I think I can get away with it here.�


The ol' Rustoleum paint really took a beating from the assembly and occasional spurts of brake cleaner. Once I get the tranny mated up to it I'll probably blast everything with another couple coats.


I've found that taking pics after every single step comes in very handy if you are not extremely familiar with what you are doing. There was more than one occasion when I questioned a much earlier step and by going back through all of my pictures I could determine exactly what it was that I had done. Especially helpful if you end up with a leftover washer or something. I tore the tranny apart once during that overhaul just to verify that the right parts were there - they were. If I had pics, I wouldn't have had to do that.

Glad to have this step out of the way, although I won't be completely relieved until it's back in the Jeep and successfully tested.