Original colour and bellhousing question

[PaulS]

I know (or I think I know) that engines were painted black originally.  What about the rest of the drive train from the bellhousing to the axles?

Second question:  how do I read the casting date on a bellhousing?  There's a code that says "415 49" on mine.  Could that be April 15, 1949?  Or something else in '49, or is it not a date code at all?  Early 1949 would match the rest of my drive train.

I ask because on much of my drive train (axles, tranny, transfer case) I found traces of both yellow and orange paint.  It was clearly painted one of those and then overpainted with the other at some point.  The engine is not original to the Jeep (it's from a CJ2A) and was painted a medium/light blue.  But I was cleaning the bellhousing on the weekend, and discovered that it matched neither the engine nor the rest of the drive train, and was painted a darker blue.  (Something like a Normandy blue.)

Thanks,

-Paul

[athawk11]

Paul,
On the CJ3A, the chassis, including all components of the drive train, were originally painted black. 

Can you post a photo of the bell housing?

Hawk 
 

[PaulS]

Can you post a photo of the bell housing?
�

I can, but it won't have the colour.  I painted it black after I cleaned it.  (I'm painting all the chassis and drive train black.)  the picture will have to wait until I have a chance to take one, though.

Is there a particular part of it you want a good look at?

-Paul

[athawk11]

That's fine, no worries on the photo.�Some bell housings are different, but compatible.� You mentioned you have a 2A engine, so I thought a photo would tell us if the bell housing more likely came with the engine, or was it with the other parts of the drive train.� Or, because of the color difference, was it from another Willys all together.�

[PaulS]

Here's an old one I took during disassembly.


For the engine colour, don't look at the throttle bracket--look through the rust beside and above it.  Clearly, you can't see the bellhousing colour under the gunk.  But you can see part of its shape.  I don't know if it's enough to tell you if it's 2A or 3A, though.  I'll try to get some pictures of the cleaned/painted housing tonight--including the casting codes.

-Paul

[athawk11]

Good photo.

That is a 3A era bell housing.  I'm not as familiar with the date codes on the bell housings, so you might be correct.  I have seen date codes that include a letter... A, B, etc...

[PaulS]

I just got a message back from the PO.  He has no memory of swapping out the bellhousing when they changed the engine.

I can't be 100% sure the bellhousing was ever changed.  The tranny had traces of the yellow and orange paint I found elsewhere.  The bellhousing not only did not have those colours on it, but it had a different colour I found nowhere else.  Points to a swap at some point.

BTW, everything I've found a date on so far has been first half of 1949, which is consistent with the S/N.  (Other than the engine, of course.)

-Paul

[PaulS]

Pictures (cleaned and painted)



The two casting codes appear to be:
"641420 2"
"415 49"

[athawk11]

Very Nice!  Nothing better than freshly refurbished Willys parts.   

[PaulS]

Very Nice!� Nothing better than freshly refurbished Willys parts.� �:)

I think I might start assembling an engine tonight.  It has already been painted.  Bored and honed (to 0.080, so it's the last time for that block), valves ground.  The shop reinstalled the valve train, so I just need to do the pistons, bearings, and crank.  And then all the gaskets and seals.  I'm looking forward to that.

But I haven't properly dealt with all the associated stuff (water pump, oil pump, fuel pump, distributor, carburetor, manifolds, etc.)  Not going to do anything with the starter and alternator. 

-Paul