Flaming Bomb?

1941 - 1945, MB, GPW Technical questions and discussions, regarding anything related to the WWII jeep.
TwoCar
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Flaming Bomb?

Post by TwoCar » Sun Feb 28, 2016 5:22 pm

Hello. Today, I purchased a PE-95 generator with a complete GPW engine in it. The serial number is blank, but I can see a "flaming bomb". Any thoughts as to what it means? Thanks!
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GPWs 196622 & 196623
GPs 14351 & 16625
Slat Grill 118247
Convertos 0567349 & 0877894
Daughter - 10/23/2012
Son - 01/02/2018
Wife - Top Secret


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Tom Wolboldt
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Re: Flaming Bomb?

Post by Tom Wolboldt » Sun Feb 28, 2016 5:32 pm

Check the other side of the block just above the first exhaust port.

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Re: Flaming Bomb?

Post by TwoCar » Mon Feb 29, 2016 5:37 am

Hello Tom.

Thanks for responding. Before work this morning I tried to look at the location you mentioned, but the governor is in the way. I'll have to take it off tonight. In meantime I snapped a few pictures of some other numbers and letters that I found for additional information. The "2" and possible "R" are just below the front of the exhaust manifold and the "B" is at the back. The "88900" is stamped above the casting number. Can you determine the build date based on the casting number?

Thanks!
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HGPW5.jpg
HGPW5.jpg (179.28 KiB) Viewed 2061 times
HGPW3.jpg
HGPW3.jpg (74.16 KiB) Viewed 2061 times
HGPW1.jpg
HGPW1.jpg (146.01 KiB) Viewed 2061 times
HGPW2.jpg
HGPW2.jpg (159.48 KiB) Viewed 2061 times
GPWs 196622 & 196623
GPs 14351 & 16625
Slat Grill 118247
Convertos 0567349 & 0877894
Daughter - 10/23/2012
Son - 01/02/2018
Wife - Top Secret

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Tom Wolboldt
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Re: Flaming Bomb?

Post by Tom Wolboldt » Mon Feb 29, 2016 6:05 am

Your motor block was cast on August 12, '43. It was assembled as a replacement motor. There should not be anything stamped where I asked you to look so don't bother.

I do not know what the 88900 stamping is at this time. It may have the serial number of a jeep that this motor was in at one time or it may have been the serial number of the motor that this one replaced. Most likely the later.

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Re: Flaming Bomb?

Post by TwoCar » Mon Feb 29, 2016 6:19 am

Thank Tom. Very very helpful information. I'm going to try to clean off the serial block any evidence of a serial number.
GPWs 196622 & 196623
GPs 14351 & 16625
Slat Grill 118247
Convertos 0567349 & 0877894
Daughter - 10/23/2012
Son - 01/02/2018
Wife - Top Secret

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Tom Wolboldt
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Re: Flaming Bomb?

Post by Tom Wolboldt » Mon Feb 29, 2016 6:46 am

Actually looking at the serial number pad again there may be a serial number there which would make this a production motor. If there is a serial number it should be in the 13xxxx range.

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Re: Flaming Bomb?

Post by TwoCar » Mon Feb 29, 2016 6:55 am

Thanks Tom. Do you know what the "flaming bomb" represents? I see them on some military arms (my M-1 Carbine barrel for example), but never heard of them on an engine.
GPWs 196622 & 196623
GPs 14351 & 16625
Slat Grill 118247
Convertos 0567349 & 0877894
Daughter - 10/23/2012
Son - 01/02/2018
Wife - Top Secret

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Tom Wolboldt
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Re: Flaming Bomb?

Post by Tom Wolboldt » Mon Feb 29, 2016 7:14 am

I believe in this case it shows the motor was inspected by Ordnance personnel at Ford's motor assembly building.

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Re: Flaming Bomb?

Post by TwoCar » Mon Feb 29, 2016 7:16 am

Very cool. Thanks!
GPWs 196622 & 196623
GPs 14351 & 16625
Slat Grill 118247
Convertos 0567349 & 0877894
Daughter - 10/23/2012
Son - 01/02/2018
Wife - Top Secret

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dpcd67
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Re: Flaming Bomb?

Post by dpcd67 » Mon Feb 29, 2016 10:05 am

I have seen on GPW replacement engines, and have, the Ordnance belt and crossed cannon mark above the exhaust manifold, but I have not seen the Ordnance bomb mark; that does indicate that somewhere in its life, it got marked by some Government personnel.
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Chuck Lutz
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Re: Flaming Bomb?

Post by Chuck Lutz » Mon Feb 29, 2016 10:25 am

Since Tom W. identified this as an Aug. 1943 casting it might very well have been completed one/two weeks later. I would try to check the PE-95 for any indication that it was produced before or after about Sep. 1943. This might give us a clue that it had an engine swap at some point in time and was re-engined by ORD at that time and got the flaming bomb marking at that time. That would indicate it was a replacment GPW motor.
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TwoCar
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Re: Flaming Bomb?

Post by TwoCar » Tue Mar 01, 2016 7:19 am

Thanks guys for the information. I had a chance to clean off the serial number pad, but either it wasn't stamped or it was stamped and then ground off??? The generator's plate shows that it's a PE-95H with an order number from 1943 and the Onan plate doesn't provide a date. Overall its a very clean genset with only 172 hours showing on the meter.
Attachments
HGPW6.jpg
HGPW6.jpg (184.37 KiB) Viewed 1876 times
HGPW7.jpg
HGPW7.jpg (90.75 KiB) Viewed 1876 times
HGPW8.jpg
HGPW8.jpg (204.34 KiB) Viewed 1876 times
HGPW9.jpg
HGPW9.jpg (171.43 KiB) Viewed 1876 times
GPWs 196622 & 196623
GPs 14351 & 16625
Slat Grill 118247
Convertos 0567349 & 0877894
Daughter - 10/23/2012
Son - 01/02/2018
Wife - Top Secret

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Tom Wolboldt
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Re: Flaming Bomb?

Post by Tom Wolboldt » Tue Mar 01, 2016 7:43 am

The Onan data plate seems help with the number stamped below the distributor.

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Re: Flaming Bomb?

Post by TwoCar » Tue Mar 01, 2016 7:48 am

Hello Tom.

Now the big question is if the original engine was replaced with this GPW engine and then stamped on the side for identification. I have a few other generators and will check to see if the MB serial number matches the number on the Onan date plate. Thanks!
GPWs 196622 & 196623
GPs 14351 & 16625
Slat Grill 118247
Convertos 0567349 & 0877894
Daughter - 10/23/2012
Son - 01/02/2018
Wife - Top Secret

TwoCar
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Location: Beautiful Pennsylvania

Re: Flaming Bomb?

Post by TwoCar » Mon Mar 07, 2016 8:03 am

Just an update. I looked at my other gensets and don't see a relationship between the serial number on the engine and the genset itself. Thanks to all for your time!
GPWs 196622 & 196623
GPs 14351 & 16625
Slat Grill 118247
Convertos 0567349 & 0877894
Daughter - 10/23/2012
Son - 01/02/2018
Wife - Top Secret


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