I think I found a nos m38 complete engine?

[Bryan Burt]

I called about this willys jeep engine I found and the guy told me it was a military crate motor. I said ok well I'm on my way. I bought it up, and it has a strange fuel pump and the down draft ys carb. All the oil line areas and water temp gauge spots have screw in plugs. The engine is painted dark Od green. the air breather cross over tube is the single head bolt m38 style with a metal line running to the carb. Clutch an all appears to be never used. Exhaust manifold is exhaust free and still black. Smells like an old battle ship. Flywheel teeth looks to be never touched. Water pump inlet is clean. No rust. It's a double belted pulley with 2 belts ready to go. The head may be civiy though? 640161 I think? Did any m38 nos engines have 2a willys heads? It has a pull guard at the front of the oil pan. No engine lifting bracket.

I'll post pictures soon. I just want to confirm that this is an original nos m38 engine or an old rebuild?


The story is an x-military guy bought all this stuff back years ago for his jeeps, but passed away and the guy I got it from got a few things plus the engine. I also bought 8 new ndcc 700-16 military tires the guy had all for 120 no dry rot and still the fresh tire nipples, plus a throw in militAry jeep manual and price book. I also bought a pill of mixed jeep parts for another 20.

[Joe Friday]

Lucky Dog...

[Cuz]

If it is truly an NOS M38 engine it will have a RMCXXXXX or RMCXXXXXX serial number on the pad above the water pump and the head will be a 800376 head casting.

Does your engine look like this M38 engine?

L-head l.jpg (131.31 KiB) Viewed 1073 times

L-head n.jpg (145.9 KiB) Viewed 1073 times

[Jeeps4Brains]

He needs to go buy a Lotto ticket.

[dfield]

Bryan,

Please post lots of pictures from multiple angles.

Dave

[Bryan Burt]

I will as soon as I can. It does not have the m38 style head number or the elbow from the head to the water pump, and the lower block number is 908756. The head number is 640161 I think. That is a 2a head right? It does not have a 24 volt distributor either, but double pulley, m38 cross over breather tube, m38 style carburetor, and it's painted the darker od green. Could this possibly be a bought nos motor from the late 50s or 60s and the m38 stuff added for a back up? Did nos engines come with any type of perserving fluids in the oil pan? Is that head common for that block? I'm sorry if I'm asking to many questions.
Thanks everyone.

[Cuz]

You may have a rebuilt block shipped from a military depot or contract facility. That 640161 casting head would not have came with the much later block 908756 casting block as NOS. You clearly do not have a NOS factory engine. That late 50's block would have come with an 800376 or later head from Kaiser/Willys.

[Bryan Burt]

Ok. Thanks for clearing that up with me.

[Fred Coldwell]

Could it be a replacement engine for the 6 volt CJ-V35/U?

[Bryan Burt]

I wonder if it was for maybe a CJV35 U. I took the intake and exhaust manifold off to use on another jeep i was building and saw that is has no sine that exhaust has been pushed out. Another words it has not ever been started. It also has what looks to be an alternator on it?? Maybe its just an old rebuild from a while back? Did any of these Jeeps ever come with a 24 Volt alternator? It has the belt guard on the bottom. The double pulley is very large compared to one that was on my CJ2A. Did any of the engines come shipped with some kind of solution in the oil pan to keep the internals from developing rust? My engine has some kind of strange chemical that smells like the inside of an old battle ship?

[Ben Dover]

It may have been built up from a new short block subsequently being surplussed. As you well know, lots of things are done to Jeeps after their military life.

[dfield]

Any pictures?

[mharris162]

Were you able to determine if it was an mcxxxxx or rmcxxxxx block?