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1.Disconnect the battery’s negative cable  and then the regulator wire marked BAT (battery) from the existing VR (Hint: Use tags or tape to identify for reattachment of all wires) Next, disconnect wire from ARM (armature), and then from FLD   (field)  . If a wire is connected to the mounting screw for ground, disconnect and tag.If a condenser is present, note its connection.

Remove mounting screws and observe the positioning of the VR. Remount new unit in same location (You will have already acquired the correct 6 or 12 v  VR. Reconnect wires in the same sequence as removed.You are NOT done!

POLARIZE THE CHARGING SYSTEM.         IT WILL NOT WORK IF YOU DO NOT POLARIZE!                                   
 Start by taking a piece of wire (14 gauge or better) around 8″ long. Hold one end against screw head on the BAT terminal. (See drawing)  Touch the other end to terminal marked ARM for a maximum of two seconds.  DO NOT TOUCH FLD OR ANY OTHER METAL PART.  There may be a spark, but it won’t hurt you. You should see the generator move just a bit. Thats it. Done!

You will want to start the vehicle and observe that  the ammeter is now charging or your charging light is off.

NOTE: A battery in poor condition or has a low charge can cause the VR to appear defective. Make sure it has a good charge before you assume a faulty regulator.

Reassemble the cover and manifold with new gaskets. Clean surfaces perfectly before applying gasket sealer and new gaskets. I use Permatex spray copper which fills small voids. Coat all surfaces. Be sure and clean manifold studs and REMEMBER to seal the manifold end bolts with teflon or  other thread seal as they go right into the water jacket.

Snug all bolts evenly. Personally, I don’t use a torque wrench here. Its not possible to get one on the lower studs and I just rely on my own feel .The gasket will compress a bit and give it all the holding power it needs. Just go easy, CAST iron breaks with too much torque. Reinstall the carburetor and any hoses and lines which you removed to disassemble.

Then…Start your engine and if you did this properly, it will be  smooth running with proper compression. If your engine is not at least 90 PSI across the board,it’s time to pull the head and check pistons and cylinders.

This is the procedure to be followed in adjusting L-head valves. The 4 cylinder is the one I present, but the 6 is similar.

The F Head is much easier, but thats one of the reasons why they developed another engine.

Start by removing carburetor linkage, choke and throttle cables and fuel lines . You will want to remove the fuel line from the fuel pump. Cover the fitting with tape or something to prevent debris from entering. Drain and remove lower radiator hose. (I know its extra work, but it will make manifold removal much easier.) You can work with it in place if you wish.

Remove the carburetor. Next the manifold.

Remove exhaust pipe which has one through nut and bolt and one tapped bolt.

Now the fun part…..   Your manifold is held on by 5 studs with nuts and 2 machine bolts. Go easy as snapping one off is going to take all the fun from this job. It might help to put some penetrating oil on the surfaces you can reach a few days prior to removal attempt.

Grab yourself a 9/16″ socket wrench with several extension bars. I use both 1/2″ and 3/8″ for its smaller profile. You will also find that a 9/16″ box end ratcheting wrench will make life much easier when you go to remove the 2 underside nuts. Start in any order you wish. Take it slow and if things seem like they are not progressing, you may need to apply heat. Oxy-Acytelene torch is great,(Don’t get too hot) , but standard torch setup is fine, especially if you get some MAPP gas for a hotter flame. For the machine bolts, apply heat to the block…not the bolt. On the studs, you will have to put heat to the nut and stud. This will help break up the rust.

As mentioned, because of clearance issues,the box end ratchet wrench works best for the 2 underside nuts , but a 3/8″ socket used WITH a U joint might also work. My 1/2″ U joint is too large.

Once you have removed all 7 fasteners, pull off the manifold. If it’s stuck,I use a small wooden wedge to break the gasket free.

Again… Not too much force. Cast iron breaks!

Remove 2 long valve cover bolts and cover. You are ready to adjust the tappets which I will discuss in the next writing.

The correct tune up procedures for your 4 cylinder , L-head Jeep engine are as follows. It is very important to follow the sequence or the final results will be less than satisfactory.

1. Remove spark plugs and clean or replace. Gap is set to .030

2. Check the battery and terminals, the engine ground strap and ground cable. The metal braided ground strap must be installed for proper starter operation and lighting connections.

3. Pull distributor cap; clean it ,inspect for cracks ( a minute crack can cause misfires) and check points for pitting and proper gap (.020) Grab the distributor post and see if any play exists. If so, a new bushing is easy to obtain and install.

4. Check ignition timing.

5. Check valve tappet clearances. Set to .016 for both intake and exhaust while cold or hot. Further detailed instructions on this procedure will be coming soon.

6. Remove crankcase ventilator valve from valve cover and clean. Clean fuel filter. Always a good idea to have an inline filter,even a new disposable one.

7. Check carburetor float level,accelerator pump travel and metering rod to specifications.

8. Adjust low speed idling screw on carburetor to idle smoothly.

There are many steps and details to be followed for keeping your Jeep running smoothly. It is well worth the money to invest your time and tools as most mechanics will not have a clue how to do this anymore.

Detailed carburetor rebuild will be posted soon.

Yes, Its true! JC Whitney of Chicago ,Il. offers a reconditioned  engine with all necessary components for the sum of $127.50 . The engine is complete and guaranteed perfect in every aspect.  There is  a 90 day guarantee. You can also purchase a brand new unit for $325.00 . A crating charge of $5.00 applies with shipping FOB Chicago, Il. Unfortunately for those restorers of Willys Jeeps, the year is 1947 and the army surplus engines were of limited quantity. Noting this price for an engine,it somewhat repudiates the myth of the $50 Jeep. Of course ,many army surplus items were sold for a fraction of their original cost, but the Jeep was in such demand (and still in production) that prices remained  stable and were never “cheap”

The promotions for War Bonds were strong. Coupling patriotism with fear, many prominent radio and screen personalities travelled to promote their sale. Hollywood produced many movies in which the enemies of our country were villianized. At the end was always a War Bond promotion. There are many you can watch to get the feeling of the time.

“Avenge December 7″, Letter from Bataaan”, “Freedom Comes High” , and  ” D-Day minus one” are some examples of Seventh War Loan films.

The total cost of participation in WW2 came to roughly $340 billion dollars (Todays money = $3.5 Trillion)

The transfer case is a gear box which is used to engage the front propellor shaft and reduce the ratios for high and low ranges. It attaches directly to the transmission and is lubricated by its own oil supply. The only maintenance required is occasional lubrication of the shifting levers and proper 90w gear oil in the unit. Over time, the seals always leak and it is often necessary to remove it to do a proper job of new seals. It is easiest to remove the transfer case along with the transmission as you will want to do the complete job at the same time. However, you can remove just the transfer case by disconnecting the rear and front propellor shafts,the nuts on mounting bracket,speedometer,shift levers and rear cover plate. Once the rear plate is removed, you can access the nut holding it to the transmission shaft.

Many vendors offer repair kits and you will only need a few tools to replace gaskets. A pinion seal puller and driver are good to have.

This is only a quick overview of the procedure. Complete details are available foor the asking.