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CJ-2A Build of the Yellow Jeep w Auto Shop Help

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yellowjeep View Drop Down
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    Posted: 29 July 2021 at 1:13pm
The time has arrived to begin a build thread.
First, the backstory posted on the OWF.
"My father used to own a cattle ranch with two other partners in eastern Oregon for 30 years. In 1995 they sold it, and his CJ-2A, which had been his ranch/hunting jeep for 30 years, stayed with the property and new owners. A year and a half ago I looked up and met the family that bought the ranch - the Langers of Sherwood, OR. After our meeting, I wrote them and asked if they would be open to entertaining an offer from our family to buy back the Jeep since it was so closely associated with my dad for 3 decades. They wrote back and said, "You can have it!" I am moved by their generosity."

FYI: This Jeep has no gender-related name since it has been known in our family as "The Yellow Jeep" since the mid-'60s. We even have an internet password at the extended-family cabin utilizing that name. Needless to say, it must remain yellow, though the spray-can yellow the last owners used on it is much paler than the original yellow, which I'm pretty sure is "Michigan Yellow".

For the past month and a half, I've been exploring different strategies for restoring it, how far to go, and the usual decision-making issues of budget, determining the end goal, etc. Since I don't have the budget for professional restoration skilled labor, but also don't have anything close to a shop at my home garage, I explored the option of utilizing the local High School Auto Shop. In the past week, they have said they'd accept the Jeep as a project, provided I would commit to 2-hrs per day in the class, guiding the team assigned to me. I have accepted those conditions with joy. Sometime in about 6 weeks in early September is when I expect to be given the green light to take it over to the H.S. Yesterday, I brought the Jeep to my house from the shop it had been residing at. The Jeep has no brakes whatsoever so that was a bit interesting.

The goal is to get it running (engine runs, but no brakes and broken leaf-spring mounts) to where it is safe to drive, is decently reliable, can be titled/registered, and could make it on an OWF RFTH event.

To feel like we were off to a good start, I ordered some 215/85R16 Hankook tubeless radial tires and planned to get the wheels/tires off this morning paying careful attention to left-handed threads vs. right-handed ones. Interestingly, the wheels with the left-handed threads were on the RF and LR (with the "L" stamped on the studs), while the LF and RR had either "R" or nothing stamped on the studs.

First I put WD-40 on each stud/nut combo then starting on the LF first w/ right-handed threads (in fact one of the 5 studs had an "R" stamp), I managed to loosen 3 nuts using a breaker bar plus pipe before my 13/16" Craftsman socket cracked! I've never had a socket crack on me before. Thus the first day touching the Jeep ended rather prematurely.

Thinking I'll put more WD-40 on the nut/studs and let it soak in longer. But I'm open to other ideas and suggestions. Attached are some photos of the wheels/tires/nuts/studs. I'm told I have combat wheels on the front and CJ-2A wheels on the rear. Also the RF tire is mounted in the wrong direction.
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yellowjeep View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote yellowjeep Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 July 2021 at 1:18pm
Need to figure out what happened that the photos of the wheels didn't post.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ggordon49 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 July 2021 at 2:10pm
Hello yellowjeep! Great story, thanks for sharing... Please take lots of photos during your restoration process. That winch is gnarly, talk about heavy duty LOL Great looking WILLYZ, very cool.

P.S. WD-40 is not that great for penetrating rust, it's more of a water repelling fluid. Try something like PB blaster.. You can also heat the lug nuts with a small map gas torch used for plumbing.... 
- Don't Let The Fatherless Ones Grind You Down -
- I like them stock, survivor's with original paint are my favorites -
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote yellowjeep Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 July 2021 at 5:20pm
Glad to share this story.  It is a blessing.
I do hope to take lots of photos - and maybe a video or two.

One of the professional restorations shops that looked at photos of the jeep noted the same about the winch size, including noting that the grille has been bent inward slightly to accommodate it, not to mention that something that heavy may have tweaked the frame.  Then he commented on the bent tow bar and speculated that it may have fallen forward while the Jeep was being driven and dug into the ground causing the front end of the jeep to rise up in the air - possibly tweaking the frame.  Getting the Jeep put up on jacks in order to look at the frame is a high priority.

Thanks for the heads up about PB Blaster.  Learning new things everyday via these this forum and Old Willys Forum.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote yellowjeep Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 July 2021 at 5:21pm
Applying heat - if that is what it takes - will mean waiting until it arrives at the H.S. Auto Shop as I don't have anything here along that line.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote chasendeer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 July 2021 at 7:59pm
Neat jeep with great family history!! If you need any parts I have a bunch in Napa.
Jay
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote yellowjeep Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 July 2021 at 8:25pm
Thanks Jay, that is good to know.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote athawk11 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 July 2021 at 9:10pm
Interesting history.  

Yellow Jeep has what appears to be a CJ3A frame, tub and driver seat frame.  Are you sure it's not a CJ3A with a 2A windshield frame?
1- 1946 CJ2A   
2- 1949 CJ3A
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote yellowjeep Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 July 2021 at 9:13pm
Well not 100% sure to be honest.  Now that it is here, I can resume looking for the VIN number and /or motor number.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote JohnB Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 July 2021 at 10:12pm
Very cool jeep and even better family story. Thanks for sharing.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Michaeltru Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 July 2021 at 1:05am
Not only pb blaster, but liquid wrench is good.  Look for a penetrant for rusted parts.  WD-40 does make a penetrant also
Mike in AZ
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote rocnroll Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 July 2021 at 7:31am
....Any of the Kroil line of penetrants are my favorites, a little more cost but well worth the difference....Thumbs Up



'47 CJ2A PU
'48 CJ2A Lefty

"Common sense is not that common"
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AKoller Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 July 2021 at 1:53pm
Originally posted by rocnroll rocnroll wrote:

....Any of the Kroil line of penetrants are my favorites, a little more cost but well worth the difference....Thumbs Up





X2!! Kroil makes very good penetrating oil. I have never used anything better.
1950 CJ3A "Thumper"
1966 M151 A1
1942 GPW #70221
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote yellowjeep Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 July 2021 at 7:45pm
Wheel Removal Success
This morning we "got to first base" . . . on the wheels that is. Thanks to the advice provided herein and also thoughts from the Old Willys Forum community we stepped up our game:

1. Got a much better penetrant lubricant and applied it twice over 2 days prior to this morning's resumption of effort. Favorite penetrant lubricants suggested included:
LPS 1 or LPS2, Seafoam, Justice Brothers, PB Blaster, Liquid Wrench, and Kroil products.
I went with PB blaster because of the "wand" applicator and because the point-of-sale display was right at the front door of O'Reilys.

2. Bought an impact-wrench-quality socket and a 24" long, 1/2" drive breaker bar. He

Those three things did the trick to remove ALL wheel nuts and without breaking off any studs! Success! . . . and without having to go to the next step of heat application!

I delivered the wheels with old tires (3 different tread patterns, two were NDT and two-directional but still tube tires) to the local Goodyear store where the Hankook mud tires had arrived.
However, when I checked in at 1:30 (they were closing at 2), they showed me one of the combat wheels they had disassembled and the entire inside of the wheel was thick, flaky rust. So the decision was made to not mount the new tires, but finish getting the old tires off and let me have the wheels back on Monday for a more thorough inspection of the situation.

Time was spent this afternoon on a creeper under the Jeep inspecting the frame, body. . . really everything I thought to look at. Took a ton of photos and hope to post pertinent ones later this evening. I will welcome comments and observations of what you see along with my own thoughts of what I have.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote yellowjeep Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Aug. 2021 at 5:15pm
Here are two links to short videos:
The first is when the jeep arrived and was driven into the garage (w great care as it has zero brakes).

The 2nd is of the engine at idle

One conclusion:  The motor sounds good and that is encouraging.


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote yellowjeep Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Aug. 2021 at 5:17pm
Not sure why I'm having issues with uploading photos.

Let me direct you to the thread over at Old Willys Forum if you want to follow this thread:


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote athawk11 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Aug. 2021 at 9:17pm
The only thing I see that is definitely a 2A is the windshield...and maybe the engine block.  The tub has a DJ dash style.  The manifold setup is also DJ.  The passenger side fender is a later style.  (3A or DJ)  It has a later style transmission and TC shift lever set.  (3A)

Based on this group of photos, I would say it's a DJ, but they didn't make a 4-wheel drive DJ.  So... it's a hodge-podge mix of a CJ3A and a DJ3A with a CJ2A windshield.

It's a cool old Willys with fun back story, but it's not a 2A.
1- 1946 CJ2A   
2- 1949 CJ3A
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote yellowjeep Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Aug. 2021 at 9:32pm
Further evidence that I have a CJ-3A, not a 2A. The rear wheel well is only 32" long, not 34" (to give the driver more leg room), and the engine mounts are asymmetrical (not directly opposite one another). I can't go by the location of the ignition switch (which is on the far right like a 2A, but I have a late '50s speedo, so the whole dashboard is unique it seems. And how the mainframe rails meet the front bumper:  It doesn't have the flared gusset but is a square connection.  Now to figure out how to change the name of this thread!!
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