Because a couple of weeks later a couple of unidentified parts have joined the bag of known parts awaiting the return of my engine from the shop. I had a mechanic over to my garage to tear down the engine while I watched and took notes. But I must have blinked and missed something. These were in with valve train parts... tappets, valve springs, retainers and locks. The unidentified parts are in the first pic alongside a valve spring retainer for scale.

I'm going to be reassembling the engine myself, so a couple of unidentified parts are not welcome. There are eight each of the washer and "nut", suggesting that they belong with the valves, but some info about how they are used and assembled, and in what order, would be greatly appreciated. Funny thing is, I can't find them in the CJ-2A and CJ-3A Parts List and I've had no luck searching for them in online parts vendors catalogs.

Help!

The diameter of the washer is a millimeter or so smaller than the retainer, so effectively the same dia. as the spring and would fit as you suggested.

The inside diameter of the nut is very close to the dia. of the valve shank, but the old valves don't look as if they've ever been intimate with these mysterious nuts.

Using the washers as shims seems a reasonable explanation for their presence. But, my rebuilt engine will have new valves, springs, and tappets so even if the washers are explainable and the nuts remain mysterious, I think I'll feel comfortable leaving them in the odd bits box. Would be interesting if your washers were the same, however. Guess I'll check the parts list for shims, just in case.

That's it, Red. Thanks!

OK, you guys are great! Mysteries solved. I'm putting these parts into the "interesting bits" box. I enjoy the history of Jeeps and Jeep parts as much as working on them. Thanks for the help and info.

There was no oil slinger on the shaft, just another mystery washer where the slinger should have been. The washer, as I recall, is not in the parts list or crankshaft illustrations and is split.

I picked up explanations for this from various posts. The two most popular are: 1. it's there to "sling" oil onto the gears, and 2. it's there to sling oil away from the old style front oil seal that was not very effective, thus minimizing the usual oil leak.

I tend to go with #2, if only because most posters agreed that the slinger usually was discarded when the old style seal was replaced with the more effective "modern" seal.

In either case, it is probably better to install an oil slinger and discard the mystery washer or whatever else was used to compensate for the loss of its thickness.

I bought an old slinger and will use it when this all goes back together. Here are some pics...

The machinist found one in his back room....I'm beginning to think he has an entire jeep back there...maybe two...

So, like you, I'll have a slinger and a new seal...you can't be too careful...!