Changing engine front mounting plate

32sbct · Post by **32sbct** » Mon Apr 29, 2013 6:47 pm

My M38 has a Willys MB engine. The engine was rebuilt in 1979 but never put back in the jeep. The original MB engine front mounting plate was modified by welding on a rearward facing tab so it would fit an M38. I was just given a correct M38 front mounting plate so I am considering changing it before putting the engine back in later this summer.

Will it be a difficult or time consuming project to change the mounting plate? It looks pretty straightforward until you get to removing and replacing the crank gear, that makes me little nervous.

Anything I need to watch for? Based on the work involved I'm wondering if this is worth the effort since the original mod seemed to work fine. Any thoughts are appreciated.

athawk11 · Post by **athawk11** » Mon Apr 29, 2013 9:02 pm

32sbct,

I'm sorry, but I'm confused. An M38 front engine mount plate would have the driver side dog ear facing forward, but your existing plate was modified with an added rear facing dog ear? Is your frame an M38? Or an MB or 2A?

32sbct · Post by **32sbct** » Mon Apr 29, 2013 9:49 pm

Sorry for the confusion. The jeep is an M38. The original motor was replaced sometime in its past with an MB Motor. The MB plate has both tabs rearward. To make it work in an M38 they welded a tab facing to the front on the driver's side. A picture is worth a thousand words so here is a picture. You can see where the tab was welded on the drivers side so that the MB mounting plate could be attached to an M38 frame.

Post by **wesk** » Mon Apr 29, 2013 11:44 pm

It all depends on your goals for the M38. Is it a driver, rock crawler or trailer queen?

The M38 front plate is necessary for the use of the stock M38 dual fuel/vac pump and the M38's heavy generator mount. If the MB engine is a timing chain engine there may be a bit of grinding to do on the M38 front plate around the cam gear opening which is shaped differently.

M38 front plate

MB front plate

Keith · Post by **Keith** » Tue Apr 30, 2013 9:51 am

i had the same scenario. It wasn't very difficult to change. I was going for an all original look under the hood using the older block. If thats your end goal there are many other things you will want to change such as fly wheel with proper number teeth to match the starter, timming gear cover, intake manafold, motor head, head studs, water pump, fuel pump,and the list goes on and on. All that is recommended to do before you install it.

Keith
51' M38