M151A2 in its new home

[Scott Bentley]

Originally Posted by maple_leaf_eh

ebay.com/itm/VIETNAM-JEEP-Truck-M825-M718-M151-A1-A2-LH-RH-CENTER-Under-Body-Repair-Panels-/181119933643?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories &hash=item2a2b96dccb&vxp=mtr

Is this the sort of thing I should be on the look out for?

There is someone here in Ottawa I horse traded an entire Large Underbody Repair kit to. I won't put him on the spot, but he may or may not need all of it to fix his. I'll ask.

[maple_leaf_eh]

With a looming calendar date when I have to present the M151A2 for safety inspection, I made a plan to make roadworthy but not concourse-quality repairs. The battery box is under the passenger seat. The batteries are ganged together with cabling. They sit on a cookie sheet tray with is perched over two large oval basins in the battery box floor on top of the right frame rail. Why the designers put so much air space under the batteries is unknown, but all the M151 family seem to have this problem area.

Two days ago I used a pick hammer and 4" grinder to find and remove the worst of the rust. In the process of making sparks I became more familiar with the re-militarization job. The battery box floor had been torched in the disposal, and then patched together in the restoration. Fortunately only the righthand depression was rusted out. I trimmed some 12ga sheet steel salvaged from somewhere to make an 'L' shaped piece and a simple rectangle, each with a 2" 90-deg stiffener. Both pieces bridged between the frame rail hump and the outside skin.

Mindful of my own limits with sheetmetal, I decided not to recreate the basin shape but go flat across. Authenticity will have to wait until a later more skillful rebuilder takes the task. Some dimples on the bottom the battery tray mean it can't fit exactly back in the same spot, but the flat panels are actually a little lower than before. No fear, I will not let the terminals ground out on the cover.

Last night I turned to someone who was properly trained in welding - my brother the retired Ship's Engineering Officer. He ran the 110v MIG wire feed welder while I did the unskilled stuff. He heated the undercoating and paint, I'd scrape and brush. He'd tack, and I'd chip and brush. He'd start a puddle, and I'd adjust the feed. He'd take a breather, and I'd inspect or chip some more.

After four hours on the job and about 48" of weld, stopping only for one pint, we burnt in both patch panels and some unexpected little fillets. The floor is sealed up, and likely stronger than factory! The biggest problem is Bondo body filler concealed several marginal spots along the right sidewall of the body. Burning Bondo has a reek all its own, not to mention roasting nuts when bending over top ...

There are some other gaps between previous patch pieces elsewhere on the floor which were picked up in the inspection. I can unbolt or back out the existing fasteners and surgically wedge patches into place. But last night got rid of the daunting part of the job. Finish grinding and cleanup are still required. Primer, undercoating and outer surface paint will follow, probably the morning of the inspection.

Pix to fol.

And, just an acknowledgement to the forum for motivating me to try something I've never done before.

[Eric B]

Hello Terry

There was a CDN mod for the battery cover where a rubber sheet was glued to the underside to avoid any contact with the batteries.

The USA came out with covers for each of the battery posts and connectors.

I have a part of an underbody kit but require it for my own.

I have also seen shut off switches added to kill the battery. Inside the storage area behind the battery box or in front of it exposed to the passenger.

Battery floors are harder to come by. MD Yuan is suppose to be getting into some M151 parts including those. There is also a supplier in Denmark, but not cheap to ship.

I am also looking so will keep you posted.

The upper battery tray is easy enough to find.

Lots of us CDN's have had issues buying from TNJ Murray. He has most parts but i will not deal with him again.

I had been planning on making a run with a few others to Adams Auto wreckers but that was before we found out about the auction and them closing.

Thanks
Eric

[Scott Bentley]

To pile on to Eric's comments. This is my take on 151 parts:
I departed ways with a lot of money restoring mine, and hindsight is 20/20. The biggest thing I learned was to plan ahead and order in quantity/variety from Front Line MV (FLMV), and then have it shipped to Ogdensburg UPS Store. Drive down and collect.

There are others such as TNJ Murray and Army Jeep Parts who will ship to Canada, but TNJ is painfully slow and expensive, and AJP is quicker, but very expensive. Not to mention, the associated shipping and broker fees etc. As a side note, AJP recently bought all of Saturn's 151 parts (and marked them up significantly). Saturn was my original usual 151 parts shop, but FLMV is a good outfit.

There are also few pockets of parts in Canada. I know Brian Asbury has a bunch of parts and I believe Ralph down in Niagara Falls also has some as well. Unfortunately, neither have a webpage to order parts. So its a phone call/email to find out if they have what you're looking for.

As for Batteries and Body Parts:
I think I'm the last guy in Canada to pull off getting a Battery Box Floor from Jeep Panels Plus. My original was similar to yours. Between the rust, an acetylene torch, and then the booty-fab re-weld job, it was a complete mess. I've seen guys just pull the whole thing out and put a flat panel in it. Works, but you need to look hard at the batteries (height).

I ended up going with Honda Civic batteries (size 22R I think). Maint free, twice the cranking amps, and cheap. I think they were $55 a piece from Walmart in the USA. Probably a bit more here. I'm betting half the reason why those battery floors were all rotted out were from the original maintenence type batteries. I also did a Master Switch (LSVW style). Only difference was I chose to put it on the front of the Battery Box Bulkhead/Seat Riser between the Passengers heals.

[chris vickery]

Hi Terry

I would argue the seat belt issue, if they were never installed they don't need to be. I am not sure though about 1974 vehicles, if the seatbelt law was already passed then. At any rate, removal of the rear seat is a quick option, also if you check ePay there are numerous mil-spec lap belts to be had very inexpensively. IIRC, I think the last ones I saw were $15.95/pr.

[maple_leaf_eh]

I got a set from Peter Simundsen for the rotted and fatigued ones on the M38A1. They are black and have a flat heavy strap tab to bolt in. The only question will be finding somewhere reasonably strong and unrotten!

Ottawa's MV email list buzzed last week with a Stanley Cup victory parade for the Senators. What better way to parade than with all four running Ottawa M151A2s? Hence the motivation to attach seat belts for the backseat hockey player passengers!

[rob love]

Seatbelts were mandatory in all vehicles after 1970/71. The seatbelts on the Cdn M151A2 rollcage are from a Dodge van of the 1978 era, and the rear belts are the simple non-rewind type. They are available from many places....vintage auto stores, and I think even boats have the same seat belts.

Punch in a google search for universal seat belts, or check on ebay. The seatbelts normally have to be backed by a fairly substatial washer...about 3 or 4" round if I recall.

[Samuel Mcgregor]

Nice 74 pat Terry enjoy .