Found a Willys powered Generator

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Halsey
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Found a Willys powered Generator

Post by Halsey » Sun Apr 12, 2015 4:35 am

Hello friends,

My father inlaw called last night and told me he just bought a Willys powered generator for me. As he is a cool father inlaw, and knows that I am addicted to anything Willys. Anyway, other than telling me that it had some data tags on it and that the head on the engine had Willys on it, he couldn't tell me much about it. It does have 54 hours on the clock, and everything looks clean and usable.

I am heading up there today to take a look at it and take some pics, but I was wondering if you folks could tell me where to look to figure out the age of it. He said there was a year on one of the tags but the space was blank. He could not find any other dates on it.

How long did they make these military generators?

Where can I look to find a date of manufacture?

Thanks for any and all help, and have a great day!!

Chris
43 GPW 122779 7/15/43
43 GPW 105097 3/25/43 Matching numbers.
51 CJ3A
51 M38
55 M38A1


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matt506
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Re: Found a Willys powered Generator

Post by matt506 » Sun Apr 12, 2015 5:43 am

Halsey,
I just picked up a PE 95 dated 43 myself this week and is pretty complete except the fact they converted the fuel sysstem to propane. I know little about these so like you I am learning but from my understanding there are a few ways the find this out. One look at the plate on the very front of the chassis over the radiator opening. There should be a year on this if not look at the serial/ item number and during WW2 era they would put the year in the middle of the number,by itself as two digits. Two, go off the serial number on the motor, though take a look and see if the motor seems to have been a replacement. Also look and see if it has a rebuild tag on the distributor side of the block. This will at least get you in a general ball park. Three, take a look at subassemblies IE guages and such as these are sometimes dated on their faces and or on the cases. Hope this helps. FYI I do have a digital copy of the manual and sometimes with little changes you can date the model to the manual print date like a PE-95A build in 1942 compared to a PE 95E built in 1945. Not sure if these dates are correct just a example much like Jeeps are dated early to larte war by what they do and don not have on them. Matt
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M-6 81mm hand cart,
4-43 MBT,
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1961 M151,
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Re: Found a Willys powered Generator

Post by Halsey » Sun Apr 12, 2015 5:55 am

Thanks Matt! All very good info! I should be there in about two hours so I will check everything you suggested.

I'll list all info I can get off it tonight when I get back.


Again, thanks for the information, very much appreciated!



Chris
43 GPW 122779 7/15/43
43 GPW 105097 3/25/43 Matching numbers.
51 CJ3A
51 M38
55 M38A1

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Re: Found a Willys powered Generator

Post by matt506 » Sun Apr 12, 2015 6:39 am

No problem let me know what you find. In my office at the reserve center so it can get pretty boring. Any excitement is appreciated. Matt
SFC Matt Miller,
4-42 GPW,
M-6 81mm hand cart,
4-43 MBT,
4-43 WLA,
1961 M151,
M18 paracaisson,
"Find The Bastards and Pile On" 11th ACR

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Re: Found a Willys powered Generator

Post by Halsey » Thu Apr 16, 2015 6:42 am

A few pics of the ww2 Generator. Engine matches the data tags....Neat stuff
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1i.jpg
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1h.jpg
1h.jpg (98.9 KiB) Viewed 3570 times
1g.jpg
1g.jpg (122.63 KiB) Viewed 3570 times
43 GPW 122779 7/15/43
43 GPW 105097 3/25/43 Matching numbers.
51 CJ3A
51 M38
55 M38A1

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Re: Found a Willys powered Generator

Post by Halsey » Thu Apr 16, 2015 6:44 am

A few more pics...
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1l.jpg
1l.jpg (219.98 KiB) Viewed 3570 times
1k.jpg
1k.jpg (225.54 KiB) Viewed 3570 times
43 GPW 122779 7/15/43
43 GPW 105097 3/25/43 Matching numbers.
51 CJ3A
51 M38
55 M38A1

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Halsey
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Re: Found a Willys powered Generator

Post by Halsey » Thu Apr 16, 2015 6:45 am

Weird that the data tags do not show a mfg date stamp.

Also, having trouble keeping it running. Unless I run a wire directly from the coil to the battery, it will die after I start it. When wire is connected, it runs like a champ....

Any suggestions?
43 GPW 122779 7/15/43
43 GPW 105097 3/25/43 Matching numbers.
51 CJ3A
51 M38
55 M38A1

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Re: Found a Willys powered Generator

Post by Halsey » Thu Apr 16, 2015 6:49 am

And a few more.
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1n.jpg (179.73 KiB) Viewed 3569 times
1m.jpg
1m.jpg (174.89 KiB) Viewed 3569 times
43 GPW 122779 7/15/43
43 GPW 105097 3/25/43 Matching numbers.
51 CJ3A
51 M38
55 M38A1

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Re: Found a Willys powered Generator

Post by matt506 » Thu Apr 16, 2015 7:25 am

Your tag says it is a 1945. The motor seems to be a replacement out of a jeep. The motor has a starter, generator ,and jeep type exhaust pipe going to the bell housing. If it is wired as original you have to keep the start button pushed untill the motor is running fully as it has a 10psi oil shut off switch i guess. no mine had a bad ignition resistor so i too have to direct wire the coil to make mine run. looks nice!
SFC Matt Miller,
4-42 GPW,
M-6 81mm hand cart,
4-43 MBT,
4-43 WLA,
1961 M151,
M18 paracaisson,
"Find The Bastards and Pile On" 11th ACR

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Halsey
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Re: Found a Willys powered Generator

Post by Halsey » Thu Apr 16, 2015 10:49 am

Okay you have me, where does it say 45 as the year?

Also, as the data tag and the engine number on the side of the block are the same, how would it be a replacement engine?

New to this stuff, so talk slow to me...Lol :wink:


Chris
43 GPW 122779 7/15/43
43 GPW 105097 3/25/43 Matching numbers.
51 CJ3A
51 M38
55 M38A1

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Re: Found a Willys powered Generator

Post by Adam » Thu Apr 16, 2015 8:22 pm

PU's are nice generators, take the cover off of the controls and there will be a nice wwll voltage regulator under there (hopefully) Look at the date code as well and the model of the volt regulator and battery charging generator. compare them to the motor serial number and casting date and casting numbers 638632 should be cast into the block. Of the 4 of these I have 3 have ww2 engines in them, dont know what the other is .

A starter is original to this unit, bottom left of the schematic to the right of battery it shows the starter. Look on the bottom right of schematic, what is the revision date. approved 10-44 maybe? Your corps of engineers tag is a little different than mine,

Adam

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Re: Found a Willys powered Generator

Post by Halsey » Fri Apr 17, 2015 4:24 am

10/27/44 was the date on the bottom right. Funny as that is my wife's birthday...just not the year... lol

Engine number behind the oil filter is the same as the number on the data tag. Oaks air filter with the info stamped on the side. Starter and generator look to be original. Neat stuff!


Chris
43 GPW 122779 7/15/43
43 GPW 105097 3/25/43 Matching numbers.
51 CJ3A
51 M38
55 M38A1

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matt506
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Re: Found a Willys powered Generator

Post by matt506 » Fri Apr 17, 2015 4:53 am

Hey Chris that should be the drawing number when the engineers made the schematic. 1945 comes fron the contract/ serial number. If you look right after the philidelphia abbreviation 45 then 32. This is where and when the piece was accepted through the depot into army service. Now I was completely wrong on your motor as like a cross eyed fool yours is a PU-58 and I am thinking pe-95 so you are good to go there. Matt
SFC Matt Miller,
4-42 GPW,
M-6 81mm hand cart,
4-43 MBT,
4-43 WLA,
1961 M151,
M18 paracaisson,
"Find The Bastards and Pile On" 11th ACR

User avatar
Halsey
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Re: Found a Willys powered Generator

Post by Halsey » Fri Apr 17, 2015 5:06 am

Thanks Matt. Very cool!

Still working on getting it to stay running after the starter button is released. Using a wire from the coil to the battery to keep it going. Even after its warmed up, if the wire goes away, the engine shuts off.....But at least it runs! Not bad for a 70 yr old critter! :D


Thanks again for the info Matt.


Chris
43 GPW 122779 7/15/43
43 GPW 105097 3/25/43 Matching numbers.
51 CJ3A
51 M38
55 M38A1

User avatar
matt506
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Re: Found a Willys powered Generator

Post by matt506 » Fri Apr 17, 2015 5:14 am

Use that schematic to your benefit sounds like a problem with one of the relays behind your instament panel. If it is like the pe95 oil down the bottom hinge, then remove the three nuts and tinker away, just don't zap your self :shock: .
SFC Matt Miller,
4-42 GPW,
M-6 81mm hand cart,
4-43 MBT,
4-43 WLA,
1961 M151,
M18 paracaisson,
"Find The Bastards and Pile On" 11th ACR


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