M38 RMC Crate Engines?

[Bull Run]

Does anyone know if M38 RMC engines were ever available as crate engines in the military surplus market? or from surplus parts dealers in the late '60's to 1980's or are they strictly a motorpool replacement?

[Bull Run]

And so the answer is yes RMC engines were available as a crate engine.

As I slowly get my M38 cleaned up I noticed that the engine does not have any overspray of Highway Yellow on the engine but literally EVERYTHING else is painted this color.

It is an educated guess that late in the vehicles life the original engine was replaced with the RMC engine. Whether done by the military or another owner the world may never know but apparently the first civilian owner got a little overspray from their home made camo paint job on the cylinder head.

Given the verbal vehicle history from the previous owner, dates on the title, and how powerful the engine is I think that it could be fairly accurate to say the RMC engine was fitted in the 1970 to 1980 range. Kind of like archeology!

[Dan S]

I've got a MC engine that is "highway yellow". I believe mine is out of a generator based on some of the bolt on items.

There has been some discussion about generator MC engines. The yellow color seems to surface regularly.

Dan S

[Bull Run]

I am still cleaning up my M38 and finding the highway yellow paint on nearly everything. The engine has way more power than I usually find in an abandoned jeep and it is a little unnerving trying to move the jeep around as the brakes do not work. I am pretty sure it is a USMC vehicle but not sure what kind of vehicle function it served. The RMC engine has yet to be tested but may turn out to be nearly new given how strong it runs.

[Ben Dover]

The RMC engines did surface on thesurplus market of the 50's and later in unused condition. They would appear in DRMO catalogs and at State Facilities that were being supplied vehicles by US Forest Service.

[Bull Run]

The only M38 owner I ever met around my area drove his surplus M38 home from the regional DRMO facility around 1968 or so as he told it to me. According to him it was nearly new when he got it. He drove it regularly for years with all of its original Army markings. So M38's were around but not common.

Most are gone and forgotten, but my area once had several major surplus dealers with warehouse's of WWII and Cold War surplus goods, so theoretically if the RMC engine was bought locally they would of been the source for an engine if a civilian owner installed it. The timing would be right but purely speculative.

Thanks for your insight Ben and Dan.