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My M38 has sat for more years than it saw in service. Not quite , but today , Labor Day 2021 , it breathed new life! Though not complete it did run . My question is not to sell but to save .my mechanics ability go as far as basic tune up / maintenance , thank fully I don’t throw things out , I was able to reuse old plugs that have seen better days , the others weren’t sparking .it seems when it gets to temp . It bogs down and quits. No vent system in place ,no crossover tube for carb. Bluish smoke from exhaust .
Most of the vent system is capped distributor is invented. Any help is welcome thanks in advance.I’ve owned since 2008 . Not a lot of extra income .

You can save it and do most of the work. I took 10 years to restore my M-38CDN. First off start out with something that takes priority (Motor, axles, whatever) then do your homework and find out what needs to be done. Then find what special tools you might need and see where to acquire them (DO NOT Look Harbor Freight as cheap, they are good tools and will do for a shade tree mechanic, I buy there to save cash). Next take your look and see what parts you might need, bearings, shims gaskets, etc. Then budget for the task.

I did my restoral on $140 per month allowance from the wife's household fund. If a large amount is needed, say 4 tires then talk it over with the wife and have her set funds aside till the FUNDS are available then buy.

It can be done and you will just have to learn patience and spend time learning the books and parts manuals... Cold winter nights are great for this... among other things...

Set your mind to it and learn how to weld at a community Vo-tech, it will give you much more pride in the project and satisfaction that YOU did it...

Good luck and give it a go...

That is my goal . Just hearing it run started something in my heart that it’s never too late , Never quit ,one thing at a time.

Thank you Hal.yes tires , not till running , has ‘1952’ tires all around
Decent tread.

It’s a reboot of a project started in 2008 not new project . Photos in my album

Alphonzo,
To get back to your question, What has been done to your engine thus far? IE has it just been rebuilt or has any recent major repairs been performed on it?

Wes , no engine work done other than new fuel pump and radiator. All 24 v system intact I started taking apart to have it painted a few years ago and it has just sat like that till recent . Low funds. Still not painted but I want to resume restoration . I bought two batteries last week and got it running yesterday , No vent system . Mostly complete , no tailgate no top . Will it run without vent system ? Thanks Al

Yes it often will run without vent system but I would need to see the engine and note any and all missing parts, incorrect parts etc. before I could help you out. To offer troubleshooting directions at this point is unwise and would not help you much.

Some steps you should take to improve your local restoration efforts:

1 - Find a friend with significant mechanical skills.
2 - Visit with your local MV club branch.
3 - If you do not already have a complete set of manuals just download the PDF versions free here on this web site.
4 - Find access to or purchase the basic troubleshooting tools/test equipment. IE compression & leak down testers, Timing Light, Vacuum/Pressure gauge, dwell/tachometer, volt-ohm-amp meter and the list will grow as you become proficient at using these tools.
5 - Go on line and search for old US Army Motor Pool Training manual sets and a 1950/60's copy of the old reliable US Army TM 9-8000 Principals of Automotive Vehicles manual.







These will point you in the right direction.

Thank you Wes . I have copies of TM 9-1804A ,TM 9-8012,ORD7 and ORD 9 I have photos of engine and jeep in gallery page 10 third row down 12 . It shows a carter carb but I have the correct carb on now , can’t seem to update photos .

Alphonzo,

I moved this thread from the Technical Knowledge Board to the Project Threads as it sounds more like this will become your build thread, and is gearing away from a specific question. If you have a question in particular that pertains to an aspect of your build, I would recommend searching the TKB first and then posting a new thread there. Until then, this is a great place for you to start posting pictures of what you have, and then from there we can all start talking about what you have and where you would like to go.

Thanks Jake. Will get new pictures soon. Al

I actually found that using a Google search is more helpful. Most of the time the results are for this forum.

You can put a link to your photo album in your signature, makes it easy to find.