M38A1 No Skid Plates and Blue engine

Mike_B · Post by **Mike_B** » Fri Dec 29, 2017 6:53 pm

I have been paging through the parts and service manuals and noticed the engine is illistrated with a skid plate on the oil pan. My Jeep doesn't have that, was that an option?

Also, my engine is painted Blue (almost looks like Ford Blue). Does that mean anything?

Thanks,

Mike B

Post by **wesk** » Sat Dec 30, 2017 12:04 am

Original L134 & F134 were black from the factory.

Canadian built jeeps used blue.

Skid plate on oil pan is stock and standard.

Mike_B · Post by **Mike_B** » Sat Dec 30, 2017 1:02 pm

Wes,

If the skid plates were standard, I wonder why mine doesn't have it? The pan is nice and straight showing no signs of trauma or repair. Was it stock on the CJ5's as well?

If I had a paper template of the skid plate I could make it and spot weld it to the pan.

Also, were there any other skid plates on the truck? I have none...

If the engines were black from the factory why are restored Army Jeeps painted OD?

Could a USN Jeep have come from Canada (blue engine)? Or maybe it's a rebuilt engine? My Jeep s/n is 64580 and the engine s/n is MD 83903.

Thanks,

Mike B

Post by **wesk** » Sat Dec 30, 2017 2:23 pm

If the skid plates were standard, I wonder why mine doesn't have it? The pan is nice and straight showing no signs of trauma or repair. Was it stock on the CJ5's as well?

Also, were there any other skid plates on the truck? I have none...

The wagons and trucks with those 4 cylinders did not come with skid plate on sump. The universal jeeps civvy & military had tranny skid plates.
Have you downloaded the parts manual from our downloads page yet. If you look these parts up in the parts manual it will be obvious what came with and not with the jeep. When these oil pans suffer a serious rock strike or worse they get replaced. If the owner does not specify the pan with a shield then he'll get the unshielded pan.

If the engines were black from the factory why are restored Army Jeeps painted OD?

They were black at Willys on the line and were painted OD when they were serialed for the Military. A correct resto would have painted the block black first then OD.

Could a USN Jeep have come from Canada (blue engine)? Or maybe it's a rebuilt engine? My Jeep s/n is 64580 and the engine s/n is MD 83903.

That would be very unlikely. Blue was a common in the field paint choice for field rebuilt engines. In your case the MD83903 engine is close enough to the jeep's serial to be original to the jeep. If the military ever rebuilt that engine it would have a rebuild plate on the side of the block. With jeeps over 50 years old they could have been rebuilt several times while out in civilian use and never have a rebuild plate. The fact that you can read the serial off your block's serial pad indicates the block was never decked. This is a normal activity on an overhaul. Not always the first overhaul but certainly decked on subsequent overhauls.

Mike_B · Post by **Mike_B** » Sat Dec 30, 2017 6:31 pm

Wes,

I do have ORD 9 SNL G-758 Parts Manual and did see the plate, but thought I'd ask if there could be a reason mine was missing. Past experence with Parts Books (from other brand cars and trucks) has shown me that they are not always 100% correct, hence the question.

Thanks for your responses, Happy New Year!

Mike B

Mike_B · Post by **Mike_B** » Mon Jan 01, 2018 12:46 am

Testing to see if I can insert pictures. Had to load it in the gallery first as I still don't know how to find the "copy to URL" when I right click on the picture in my picture folder...

My blue engine...

Happy New Year!

Mike B

Edited by Wes K
You right clicked the small thumb image and put that URL in between

. What you do is left click on the thumb image and when the mid size image appears right click on it and copy that URL to your post in between the

. This was your thumb image URL: http://willysmjeeps.com/v2/modules/gall ... .thumb.jpg and this is the right clicked URL for that mid size image: http://willysmjeeps.com/v2/modules/gall ... 60x640.jpg .

This is the last URL placed between

Mike_B · Post by **Mike_B** » Mon Jan 01, 2018 8:23 pm

Testing to see if I got the picture size right...

OK, looks like I got that right.

Is there a way to to move pictures from my PC Picture files directly to a Post without putting it in the Gallery first?

Thanks for having patience with me on this picture stuff

Mike B

Post by **wesk** » Mon Jan 01, 2018 10:51 pm