WTB Willys A-12268 1-1/2 ton jack & handle

[Fred Coldwell]

I am looking to purchase a Willys A-12268 1-1/2 ton jack and its 3-section folding handle A-12269 for my 1944 MZ-2 radio jeep. Here are some photos showing what I am looking for. These photos previously were posted on the G, three from Mark and one from Frank. Naturally, I will buy Mark three and Frank two (an extra cause he's a good guy) sodas or adult beverages (your choice) at Tower Park next month as heartfelt thanks for using your fine photos.

This is what the jack looks like from the front, which has a short snout down low where the handle attaches to raise or lower the jack. The base is rectangular (not square) and is raised slightly on the front and rear ends like a Norwegian toboggan:



The base has a small hole at the center rear of the jack. The rear end is stamped "W" on one side and "1-1/2" on the other side:



Here is another view of the rear end with its centered hole and stampings. Some jacks were stamped with "W" and "1-1/2" on the top of their base while others were so stamped on the bottom of their base (for those who store their jacks upside down):



The correct three-piece folding jack handle looks like this one:



The jack was manufactured by Walker Mfg. Co. and was used from 1943 to 1966, so some should still be around. It is marked on the top of the rectangular (not square) base with "W" and "1-1/2". It was called Ajax Auto Parts No. 2181 during WW II. It was later called Walker MFG. CO. # 2181-AB and # 280003. It had two more part numbers…643926 & 929500 and two Federal Stock numbers, 41-J-74-507 and 5120-708-3365.

It is NOT the similar looking jack with a square base that is marked 303 or 313 or 41-J-66.

If you have this Walker jack or its 3-piece handle that you will sell, please contact me by PM or email with price and shipping charge to Denver, CO 80207. Delivery of either or both next month to Tower Park will cause me to buy you one or two sodas or adult beverages of your choice. Thank you for your help!

[Edited 3-09-12 and again on 3-14-12 to correct description and photo of jack handle]

[Mark Tombleson]

Ahh.... the jack handle is a three section, Fred.

Here is the drawing and a photo.




The stamping on one of my jacks was on the top of the base... the other on the bottom only.

[Fred Coldwell]

Mark:

Thanks for the correction. I'll edit and update my WTB post.

[JAB]

Is it likely that the same jack handle was used in the Quad?

[Fred Coldwell]

Hi Jeff:

Great eye! Initially I thought the Quad rods might have been riveted closer together on the center pivoting "clip" piece than on the late WW II MB jack handle, but the angle at which that clip piece in mounted on the Quad body would account for the two jack handle rods being parallel and touching. Now if I find two late war jack handles, I might have to find a Quad to put the second one on. Thanks!

[Mark Tombleson]

What does the handle for the MA look like (A-654)?

That handle is more in the time period... I will say that connecter is spot on for the A-12269 handle. I just don't think that last section with the crank fits into the area we see behind the seat. The rods are only 13" for those sections on the A-12269.

[Ben Dover]

It is also the Jack issued with the M-38A1

[Doug Page]

Question: Was this jack used on late production jeeps (1945)? And is the only acceptable handle the one pictured?

[Ian Fawbert]

Hi Fred,

There were some NOS ones for sale out of Europe a year or 2 ago (they were on ebay?). I think a few here on the G (maybe or including Derek?) might have bought one from the seller pre/post/not on ebay as i remember someone posting photos of their new jack, but i am not sure. I think the seller was a G member but i dont know the name sorry. It may be worth trying to follow that lead? They seemed a decent price at the time (i cant remember how much sorry!). I am not sure if they are the exact jack you are after, but they looked close (again, from memory!) enough to follow up on.

Best of luck in the search,

Cheers,
Ian.

(edited for my spelling, or lack of!)

[gringo]

Hallo ! - you are speaking about the 41-J-66 "bottle Jack" with the 3 piece folding handle. (listed in the TM from February 1944) I found some of this jacks and handle in austria.

regards gringo

[Derek Eddlestone]

Hallo ! - you are speaking about the 41-J-66 "bottle Jack" with the 3 piece folding handle. (listed in the TM from February 1944) I found some of this jacks and handle in austria.

regards gringo

...............I bought one and I know of at least two more that came to the UK.............thanks Gringo.....

Derek.

[Chuck Lutz]

Rumor has it that Willys used these in VLP MBs.

[Fred Coldwell]

UPDATE: I found a 3 piece folding handle A-12269 at the Tower Park MV meet, so I have completed half of my quest. Thanks again to the seller who read my post here and brought an extra handle to Tower Park. After I purchased it from him, he mentioned he brought it because someone on G503 was looking for one. I told him I'm that guy!

While inspecting my new handle, I noticed "PATENT 1,520,134" stamped into the flat top of the second joint for the end rod that fits into the jack and the middle rod that goes back to the handle proper. A quick check of the U.S. Patent number data base revealed this patent was issued on December 23, 1924 to Joseph J. Mizer, who in turn assigned it to Walker Mfg. Co., the manufacturer of the jack and handle I'm looking for. This patent number confirms I bought the correct handle.

While at Tower Park I received many generous offers from European friends to send a A-12268 jack my way. But I'll hold off from acting on those offers until after I attend the MVPA Convention at Huntsville, Ala. in late June 2012. I still hope to find the correct bottle jack here in the U.S.A. If I haven't found one by Fall 2012, I'll expand my search to overseas. Again, thanks to all who have helped me and offered help on my bottle jack quest!

[Fred Coldwell]

Is it likely that the same jack handle was used in the Quad?

Hi Jeff:

A quick look in the Willlys List of Parts Numerical (LOPN) reveals the jack and handle used on the QUAD and seen in your above photo were Willys part numbers A-380 (Jack Screw type) and A-381 (Jack Handle). These became obsolete on 2-19-41 when they were replaced by jack A-653 (Jack-Screw type Spun Steel #200W-G) and handle A-654 (Jack Handle Spun Steel #200W-Q) used on the MA jeep. The MA jack was replaced in the MB by A-1240, a Spun Steel Corp. #200W-G screw type jack furnished without a handle (but which used the A-348 socket [wheel nut] wrench as the jack handle).

[Chuck Lutz]

Hey Fred....glad to hear you found part of what you were looking for....are you sure the Norwegians were not confused? You wanted a bottle jack.....perhaps they will send you a Bottle of Jack?

Bottle of Jack.jpg (53.24 KiB) Viewed 441 times

Anyway, nice to see you even for a short time at TP....wish I had a whole day to make notes from those LOPNs you were generous enough to bring and share with the guys! Between your collection and some of Tom Wolboldt's stuff he brought....I could have blown a couple days perusing that stuff and making notes! I am convinced that if you want to understand the GPW/Ford story, you have to read everything you can about the MA/MB series jeeps as well.