Fat Albert's '43 MB 217048 Project Thread

[zepher11]

Haven't been in the neighborhood lately, and just got caught up. Looking good, Dutch. And Rodney has good advice: One step at a time, one day at a time. Good words to keep one going. Keep up the good work!

[Fat Albert]

One day at a time... Now if I could just string several of them together I might actually accomplish something! Thanks guys for the encouragement.

Dutch

[Fat Albert]

I finally got a little bit of time to get the jeep up to the shop and a power ratchet for the steering wheel nut. Wow... I worked at home with a hammer, wrench and PB Blaster for a looong time trying to get it off. It took all of 2 seconds with the power ratchet. Maybe SnapOn stuff is worth the money!


Next problem... the wheel puller I borrowed from my father-in-law is damaged... bent. I should have looked at it close when I borrowed it. It wouldn't work anyways... the arms or fingers at the end are not big enough to reach around the wheel. Bummer all the way round.


I tried a hammer on a block of wood after the puller failed. No luck. Soooo... tomorrow it is back to the brother-in-laws shop for a bigger and better puller! It's nice to have family with TOOLS!

While working on the wheel I found "Bob"

Don't know why anybody would carve their name in the wheel... but obviously Bob did. I wonder when Bob took knife in hand? Again... if only this jeep could talk. There is also another carving in one of the spokes but I haven't deciphered it yet. Sorry... no picture of it.

While working on the wheel my buddy crawled up under the jeep... boy does this ever bring home how much work I got to do!


Another shot of Bear... trying to get me to throw something for him... in this case it is a rotten potatoe!


That's all I have for tonight. Trust you guys had a good weekend.

[Fat Albert]

Finally able to string several hours together on the jeep this afternoon! Boy does it ever feel good to see something actually accomplished! Of course I'm sure it's easier to see things happening on the tear down than on the build up! Can't wait to get to that point... but still I'm enjoying this stage right now. Keep it fun... that's what so many have told me on this site over the past few months. So that I am.

Alright... here we go. Lots of pics tonight. The day started out with trying to figure out how to get the steering column off. I have tried over the past week off and on to get the steering wheel off. Unsuccessfully I might add. I started with the small wheel puller which turned out to be too small and BENT. Then moved on to my bro-in-law's shop and a bearing puller. Big hunk of metal... several parts to assemble. No teeth to mess up the Sheller wheel rubber. But it wouldn't even begin to move the wheel off the splines. I stopped when I started seeing stress cracks in the wheel and it still wasn't budging. Then when my bro-in-law suggested heat I thought there must be another way. So I began going at it from the other end.




I took the bolt out of the clamp... took the top 3 bolts out of the top of the steering box. About this time I'm getting nervous because I really wasn't sure what I was going to get into. If the steering function is ok I really wasn't planning on rebuilding the steering box. I figure leave well enough alone!
But after getting this far the steering column and shaft still won't come out. What's up with that?!

[Fat Albert]

Note to self. 4 metal shims were in between lid and box. Probably need to order some new ones. How to determine size? Are they one size fits all?


I thought I'd better clean the box up a little before I tore into it any deeper... so out comes a screw driver and the trusty wire wheel on a drill!

Look! Numbers! Why does that excite me? What REALLY excites me is all this gorgeous OD shining through!

When I took the bolts out of the front cover water began to pour out. I guess it all had to be tore down anyways.


Goo inside. I noticed on top was a grease nipple. Not sure if this is factory or a Bubba mod. I thought factory put lube in the steering box... not grease. This goo looks like a grease and water sludge.


Once the box was opened and most of the goo cleaned out I was able to see how to screw the worm gear/shaft out of the box... freeing the steering shaft/column from the box but not the tub. Box lid too big to fit through the hole in the tub. Oh well... at least its free from the steering box and I can lift the tub off the frame now!

[Fat Albert]

Next up is getting ready to lift the tub off. I don't have an engine hoist or block and tackle to lift with... no problem! I got something much better! I know... my middle name could be Bubba too sometimes.


It only took a moment to realize something still wasn't free. I almost just gave a yank on the boom but decided that wasn't a wise thing to do. Good thing too!

E-brake cable still attached. And rusted. I couldn't get it off... so out comes the cutting wheel.

And gentlemen! We have lift off!



Now it feels like I'm getting somewhere with this project!


And project it is...

[Fat Albert]

The tub is in rough shape to be sure. I'm still planning on trying to rebuild it rather than replace. I'm thinking of it as a personal challenge.
The good thing is that for all the rust on the tub, the frame seems to be pretty solid. Surface rust all over it to be sure but the metal is solid and should clean up descent enough I think. The exception to this is the back cross piece that the pintle hook attaches to.

Bubba had cut it up to install his back bumber anyways and I was already going to replace it. South-Side-Slide said he had one I could get from him! Coming your way soon South Side!

I would have been satisfied if that was all I had accomplished today... but it wasn't!

I then removed the front and rear drive shafts...


Bubba had installed a T90 tranny. I'm not sure if he lengthened the front shaft or just slid the yoke back on the splines a little. What do you think? I should have put a tape on it but I didn't think of it at the time.

[Fat Albert]

Next I zoned in on that gosh awful looking F style engine. FINALLY! Time for it to go! I'm keeping and reusing the transfer case but the engine and tranny are being replaced with a '47 or '48 model Willy's L style flat head engine and another T90 tranny. I removed the bolts from the transfer case... but I couldn't get it to come off. So I opened the top plate on the tranny. WA-LA! And Oh My! What a mess. Full of water just like the steering box.


Stored the transfer case away and moved on to removing the engine and tranny.

A couple of Bubba mods caught my eye. Think I ought to leave them?
Love the clothes hanger brake line holder!


And then there is this! Priceless! I thought you had to move the cross member back in order to make the T90 tranny work! Nawwww... all we need is a drill and a bolt! (Top and bottom view)

[Fat Albert]

Another fine example of Bubba enjineering. Who needs a wiring harness? All we need is this old cord off this wore out power tool!


Alright... back to work. Next I removed the bolts holding the engine and tranny in. Amazing that only 6 bolts hold it all in place. And then once more... we have lift off!


Looking better all the time!


Fruits of my labor!


Bear checking it out...

[Fat Albert]

And again... that would have been a great day if I stopped right there. But I kept going! Hey... I never know when I'm going to get a chance to work on it again! I'm pumped about having this much time today!

So now I have a rolling chasis... what next to remove? I tried removing the steering box but I couldn't get the steering arm off from either end. I need a pickle fork. (I think that's the term ) I'm sure my in-laws have one I can borrow next week.
Since that didn't work I moved on to the master cylinder. No go there either. So what now?! I know! The Bubba Bumpers!
I think this is the last Bubba mods left on MB217048 besides the wheels and tires. I am so glad to see them go!



Here are the front frame horns... or at least where they SHOULD be.



Back frame...

[Fat Albert]

And then one last picture... along with a question. Actually I'll look it up myself later. But I noticed the front springs had TWO sets of springs. Not sure if this is factory or the really and truly LAST Bubba mod.


And that was all for today. I'm happily tired and ready for bed now. Sweet dreams all.

[thidisbogus]

Hi Dutch,

Making great progress. Thanks for taking the time to post so many pictures. You are correct about your steering box. The grease nipple was a bubba mod. They did use oil not grease in it. Stirstick told me that bubba's have pumped so much grease into their boxes on some that the grease makes its way up the tube and drowns out the horn connection.

It sure is nice to have a backhoe! Sure makes quick work of a two or more man job.

The two sets of springs you see are normal if you are talking about the drivers side. The top set are your normal leaves and the bottom set is your Torque Reaction Spring (TRS).

[nick peters]

Hey Dutch
Nice to see your progress and glad to hear your trying to save the tub im sure tht will give you satisfaction at the end of your project. Again, good luck to you.
regards Nick

[VitoCapo]

darn! You sure do like to get carried away sometimes eh? LOL!
Amazing progress!

Here's a great write up on the steering.
http://www.1944mb.com/c-97-G503_WWII_Mi ... store.aspx

Don't feel bad about the grease in the steering box, I think it's Bubba's way of hazing us.
That article above has all the info about the shims, how to measure em, and yes you can get them from Ron.

Keep up the good work!

[Fat Albert]

Thanks Rodney, Nick and Vito... I appreciate the encouragment and info. Can't wait to get another day like yesterday. I've got to finish stripping the frame. My bro-in-law offered to let me borrow his portable commercial air compressor and sand blaster! Can't pass that up! That has been one of my crimping points. My air compressor is an old... and I do mean ooollldd... model that cannot put out enough volume and keep up with air tools. I wind up working in short blasts... or just using a cheap set of craftsman wrenches and sockets. It works but its slow.

Ok... I'm off to see if you guys have put up any updates now. It gets dissapointing these days when I get on here and you haven't posted lately! Come on guys! You can't let things like work get in your way here! I'm counting on you!