Restoration thread for GPW 12078 Script

[OldGPW]

Luke that tub looks fantastic!

[lt.luke]

Luke that tub looks fantastic!

Thanks! I have a couple more pics to post. I'm most impressed with the back panel. The pile of "extra parts" is really impressive. I wish I'd taken some better pics; before during and after restoration. When I bought it, I disnt think it was in bad shape, after it was sandblasted, it looked pretty rough. I had to sweet talk Tom really hard to restore it over repro. Now, it probably looks better than when Ford made it. I can't wait to see it in person, but I'm in no hurry for the rest of the bill!

[jeepfinger]

Hi Luke,
Superb work Have got a couple of questions for you. Luke, are you going with a field mod on the body rear reinforcement panel gussets, or just leaving them off The other one is, looking at the photo of your tub when it is finished, I noticed a hole in between the panel light socket holes, just wondering what it was for Please keep us posted with your recent work.
Regards,
Dave

[lt.luke]

Hi Luke,
Superb work Have got a couple of questions for you. Luke, are you going with a field mod on the body rear reinforcement panel gussets, or just leaving them off The other one is, looking at the photo of your tub when it is finished, I noticed a hole in between the panel light socket holes, just wondering what it was for Please keep us posted with your recent work.
Regards,
Dave

First question, I'm leaving them off. They've never been there. As for that hole, I have to talk to Tom, it's not supposed to be there. I guess we both missed it! Thank you for having better eyes than me! Also, thanks for the other kind words. Work has slowed down greatly. I'd love nothing more than to have a bottom half ready to set that tub on when it gets here, but I'm far from that point still!

[jeepfinger]

Hi Luke,
Don't know too much about my eyes being better than yours, I have to wear specs now Glad that I could help with the hole thing. I have a Ford tub that needs restoring, thats why I was asking about the reinforcement gussets, I have them on the body I have on my GPW now, it was a Willys kit and don't know whether to put them on. In PJ trigger's thread, Paul has put them on his GPW as a field mod.

I'd love nothing more than to have a bottom half ready to set that tub on when it gets here, but I'm far from that point still!

When I had my last tub done, I was in the same postion, it must have been 3 or 4 years until the tub went on the chassis.
Regards,
Dave

[lt.luke]

Hi Luke,
Don't know too much about my eyes being better than yours, I have to wear specs now Glad that I could help with the hole thing. I have a Ford tub that needs restoring, thats why I was asking about the reinforcement gussets, I have them on the body I have on my GPW now, it was a Willys kit and don't know whether to put them on. In PJ trigger's thread, Paul has put them on his GPW as a field mod.

I'd love nothing more than to have a bottom half ready to set that tub on when it gets here, but I'm far from that point still!

When I had my last tub done, I was in the same postion, it must have been 3 or 4 years until the tub went on the chassis.
Regards,
Dave

Thank you, I called my restorer and asked him to take a look at the hole. I'm pretty sure I remember pulling a cigarrette lighter outlet out of that hole. It's a VERY well executed hole, I haven't measured, but it appears to be perfectly centered and carefully cut out. Very smooth edges. I guess when he was doing body work he thought it was supposed to be there. The rest of the dash looks like it's correct, although there were just two or three "bubba holes". There were several more "Bubba" and "GI" holes that needed to be dealt with in the rest of the tub.

[jeepfinger]

Hi Luke,

I'm pretty sure I remember pulling a cigarrette lighter outlet out of that hole

I guess that was a GI field mod , glad that you will get it sorted before she gets a top coat.
Regards,
Dave

[lt.luke]

I think it's time for an update. The front axle is complete minus the axle wipers, paint and steering parts. The rear axle is ALMOST complete. I still have some things to do to the left drum, and it'll have to have a repaint after the differential rebuild. I guess I probably knew this, but as I disassembled the rear diff, I found the expected Timken bearings and races, but I also found that the Pinion Gear itself (F marked) and the inner pinion bearing (closest to the gear teeth) were Bower Brand. I was unaware that Bower was a supplier, so I learned something.

[lt.luke]

I was going to post more photos, but got a "Sorry, the board attachment quota has been reached" whatever that means! I'll try again later! One of the shims had a pretty neat mirror image of the bearing marking created, I guess by pressure, heat and gear oil? All the shims except the 0.001" ones were F stamped, so that was neat. The carrier with the new bearings and races was pretty difficult to get in the case, but earlier posts confirm that's how it's supposed to be. It feels really good, I can't wait to put engine power to it!

[OldGPW]

Luke, have no idea what that means? Maybe too many photos at once?

Good photos, keep'em coming when you can.

Just how tight is the carrier supposed to be when installing and once installed? When I tried it felt much tighter than I remembered it when I've checked in the past and when I took it apart.

[lt.luke]

Old GPW, you'll find mention of a "Carrier Spreader" in a few places in the Knowledge Base. Iron Duck (Luc in Belgium) has photos and a bit about the tool on this thread: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=108254&hilit=carrier+spreader

There's no mention of this tool in the Clymer's Manual that I have. You'll notice on your differential housing the two large holes, these are where the spreader tool goes. I'm told Chrysler used this tool too.

[lt.luke]

Update! My transmission/Transfer case is mated to the bell housing and pretty much ready to assemble to the motor.

I also dry-fit my skid plate (not original to the Jeep) and trans cross member (original to the jeep). The hole for the ear isn't lining up. Thread with pic: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=202258 PLEASE help out if you can! Also, the hole for the ear looks as if it's missing a captive nut or a weldnut, where can I resource a correct one? It appears too large to be a simple nut/bolt combination, correct?

[OldGPW]

Luke, looks like good work but I have to ask, isn't the bellhousing supposed to be the same grey as the engine and transmission? I thought they were painted as a unit, with the same paint then shipped to the assembly plants where the transfercase was fitted and that's why it was green.

[lt.luke]

That's a pretty good question. I'm not done with the assembly yet, I may decide to repraint it grey before all is said & done. I restored what I found when I stripped everything. You will also notice a GREEN tall crossover tube. That's what I found when sandblasting, crud, then OD, then Zink primer (I think it was red oxide primer on the bell housing). On the crossover, I left the inside untouched.

Now, I've discussed the bell housing with Tom W, & he said that the OD green as found makes it a replacement part. If it is a replacement part, it is correct for a VEP.

Anyway, well see what color it is when it's in the frame.

[OldGPW]

I didn't know that you painted it as found, replacement makes perfect sense. If you found it that way I would leave it as it unless you're doing a factory restore.

Still it looks like a very early bellhousing, no raised boss and is the hole threaded? Interesting it got an early part, I guess it needed replacement early on.