Info needed: 1967 M38A1 Lubrication?

[rob love]

The Cdn Army had those two zerk fittings removed as they did not properly grease the rear wheel bearings. As well, if you over-do pumping grease into there, it has to go somewhere. I suppose putting grease into there is better than nothing, but ideally you remove the axles, clean and inspect the bearings, I go with new inner and outer axle seals (since they are fairly cheap) and set the axle preload/endplay at the same time. Then you can drive with confidence. But it is a big job for a novice.

[Les Kovacs]

Hi Rob.....I have another issue....I have downloaded two M38A1 Spec sheets (one US military and the other from Kaiser) from the internet..... they both state that the front/rear axle oil capacity is 2.5 qts or 2.4 liters......however, the 1967 M38A1 CDN2 Canadian DOD manual that came with the jeep states that the front/rear axle capacity is both 1.0 qts or about 1.0 liters.....which one is correct?

Thanks,

les

[rob love]

Well you made me have to stand up and reach onto the book shelf over the computer.

My operator manual shows 1 quart. That will be imperial so bigger than a US quart or a liter.

Quite frankly, fill the differential until it is one knuckle below the filler hole. Same goes for transmission and transfer case. If you reach your finger into the hole and bend the first digit down, it should just be picking up the oil. Also, service the little breather valve on top of the diffs. You simply give it a couple twists to dislodge any dirt that has attached itself to the oil vapour and can plug up the valve.

[Les Kovacs]

Rob....sorry for making you reach over the computer for the manual.....but clearly, the CDN manual states 1.0 quart for both diffs and both of the US spec docs that I have clearly show 2.5 quarts per axle....I will go with 1 quart plus and then bend finger one knuckle and touch oil.

I am now working on transmission.....both the CDN & US manuals for the 67 M38A1 show 1.0 quart of oil.....I drained out 1.6 liters....maybe that is why it was rust proofing the frame with its leaking.

Thanks....

les

[rob love]

There are several reasons why the transmission will help rustproof (besides worn seals/yokes and oil leaking through the splines of the shaft and by the pinion nut). One is that there is no seal between the transmission and the transfer case, so if you go up or down a very steep incline you actually transfer oil from one gearbox to another. There is a sealed bearing that can be installed to prevent this, but in the end the oil cant go any higher than the balls of the bearing.

Second is that the bolts between the transmission and transfer case can work loose, then leak oil between the two boxes.

Last, the front seal on the transmission leading to the clutch bellhousing is merely a felt seal rather than a positive rubber lip seal, so it will always seep a little.

But if you think a Jeep is at all bad, go buy any year Chevrolet......

[John Genereux]

Hello to Terry Warmer and Rob Love. I work at 202 workshop in Montreal and have seen and driven the Ceremonial M38 (not very far, just around inside one of our shops). The Jeep actually has CFR plates on it: 32252. I will try to upload 2 pics of it tonight.

[rob love]

Hi John
When I look at the CFR on the EDR viewer, it shows as having been disposed of back in 1982, so I would suggest that it has been retained in a semi-official capacity. The one here in Shilo is held as a museum artifact, but is still called out for military parades on base as well as transporting the base commander (and Juno, the army mascot) during other events.

Neat to see that your vehicles CFR has not been overwritten, and that the Jeep had managed to remain CFR'd from 1953 right until 1982.

The EDR viewer shows it as a 1953 Ford M38. Is the jeep a flat fendered M38 or a M38A1CDN? The serial number given in the EDR almost makes it look like it's a M38A1, as does the year of the CFR. That said, there were a lot of errors transcribed into the computer system from back then. Quite frankly, they may not have been as picky as a collector.