M38a1 stay cable

danrothe2001 · Post by **danrothe2001** » Sun Dec 23, 2012 8:53 pm

Doing a frame off on a 1953 M38A1 and added an NOS stay cable as the original one was absent. I have searched the forums and the manuals and I cannot find the installation procedure. I threaded a nut all the way on and then slipped it through the bellhousing and tightened up the second one to clamp the dust shield and bellhousing together but the cable was loose. If I leave the first nut off and just slip it through, I can get the cable tight but I can just keep cranking on the nut and pulling the engine back. Maybe my cable is the wrong length? Please help.

Dan Rothe

Post by **wesk** » Sun Dec 23, 2012 11:31 pm

There are two different cables. Willys 649706 (Ord # 7372548) early M38 and Willys 804488 (Ord # 8328043) late M38 and M38A1. You are suppose to use two nuts.

It is adjusted by leaving the aft nut as far aft as possible then install the forward nut and tighten until you can only move the center of the cable with your thumb pressure up and down about 1/2"

danrothe2001 · Post by **danrothe2001** » Mon Dec 24, 2012 6:42 am

Thanks Wes. I thought that is how it should go. That means mine is too long or I need to chase some more threads on it. Do you or anyone else know the overall length it should be? Thanks.

Dan

Post by **wesk** » Mon Dec 24, 2012 8:28 am

I used to have a couple of photos of them with compared lengths but I can't see to locate them.

Is your bracket on the cross member bent forward a bit?

danrothe2001 · Post by **danrothe2001** » Tue Dec 25, 2012 9:24 am

Not noticeably. It looks pretty straight and square. I ran the nut down and put it back in and it is about 3/4 inch too long so it would have to be bent a lot. Cable length is 15 1/2 inches overall, 11 5/8 from head of bolt and 3 7/8 bolt length. Also if I run the first nut all the way down and then slide it through the bellhousing there is maybe 3/4 inch coming out the other side. Not much adjustment. Pictures that I see show more sticking out. Hope some of this info helps. I would just get another cable but I would like to make sure that this one is wrong first.

Dan

danrothe2001 · Post by **danrothe2001** » Tue Dec 25, 2012 1:35 pm

Forget to mention that the motor was a civy unit but mounts have been converted back to mil spec. Measuring from the back of the bellhousing where the bolt goes to where the ball seats is 12 inches. I believe that the trans and bellhousing are mil spec.

Dan

Post by **wesk** » Tue Dec 25, 2012 1:45 pm

Just get with the vendors tomorrow and ask them to measure what they have on the shelf. If they have a shorter one buy it. The one you have may be for the CJ5/6 with the much longer T98 4 spd tranny or for a V-6 Dauntless installation.

A simple right now solution would be to add a bushing ahead of the ball as spacer. A 1" brass bushing with an ID slightly larger than the swaged part of the cable shaft then slide it over the cable to the ball and slip both the ball and bushing behind the tab on the crossmember. Then a couple twists of lockwire to keep it from popping up and out of the slot.