Looking for a Ready-To-Go L 134 for an old MJ

A neighbor of mine has an old early 1940's MJ with the flat head L 134. Engine froze up about 20 years ago. He'd like to throw in a NOS or rebuilt engine and get 'er goin' again. I can't imagine where he'd get a NOS. Does anyone know where to get a rebuilt engine to throw in this thing. He's in his 60's now and this Jeep was his play toy when he was a kid in the 1950's and '60's. Kinda sentimental about it...

 

Sorry for posting in the incorrect forum....and I'm pretty sure it's the original engine. His Grandfather got this Jeep soon after WWII, and it's always had the same engine in it...chances are good it's the original.

 

Glenn, I've never tried to free up a frozen negine. What would be the best way to proceed ??....put a breaker bar on the harmonic balancer and try turning it ??? I'm clueless...I guess it would be a good idea to try and pump oil throughout the engine first ??.............???

 

Are the L head engines all the same ? Were there production changes in the manufacturing process over the years ? Where would I look for the serial number to verify the details on that other site ?

 

Not sure why it froze. I'll have to talk to him and ask. I guess the freeze-up is usually piston-related as opposed to a main bearing freezing up ?? I've never dealt with a frozen engine. I think I remember hearing that if a piston freezes up, a ring can break if the piston is broken free. Not sure about that. I guess it's worth a try. The engine is useless at this point. Gonna suggest he get a quart of mystery oil and put about 4 ounces into each plug hole. This guy is a summer resident here. The Jeep probably sat for 8 months or longer, then when he tried to start it after it sat for so long, it was froze up. So I don't think it's a heat-related issue. Probably worth trying to unfreeze. Wouldn't cost much to try, that's for sure. A quart of that mystery oil can't be much...

 

I know it was in the war 'cause it has bullet holes in it. They were there when he got it. I think his Grandfather got it at a government auction...I'll have to ask him all these questions...not sure what model it is. It has a 2-piece windshield that can be rotated. There are pins on each end about halfway down that allows it to be rotated so you can ride with the glass vertical or rotate it so it's horizontal...not sure why you'd want the glass to rotate like that, but it does...still has the original glass panes in it too. There's a divider down the middle. Looks like it might be 2 separate pieces of glass...you can also lay the glass down onto the hood. No tailgate..rear-mounted spare tire.

 

I believe it's always better to rebuild what you have (if it's rebuildable of course)
sounds like an MB,are the h/lights set back in the grill openings ?
slat grille would be MA
got any pics of it ?

 

No pics yet, but I'll have some soon. Going to walk over to his house and snap a bunch with the digital camera. Not sure about the headlights, but I'll get enough images to answer all the questions. I'm extremely curious to find out just what model this Jeep is. I was unaware there were so many models used in the war. Are the MB and MA made by Willys ?

 

That's what I was thinking Glenn. If they're there I'll copy down everything. I'm going to take a bunch of pictures too. Will I be allowed to post them here for everyone to see ?? Hopefully I can get a serial number or 2. That other site has a guy who can research one of the serial numbers and tell when and where the old wartime Jeeps were made. I wish I knew where it was when it took those bullet holes. I'd also like to post some pics of our all-original ''66 CJ-5. It's not "pretty" like most of the Jeeps on this site, but it's still my baby. Only 45K miles on it. Still has the original brake linings, paint, vinyl on the seats, Kelly steel cab, and the F-134 purrs like a kitten !!

 

Well, sorry but no pics today. It rained from sunup 'til sundown. Going to try again tomorrow...

 

If you have a go at unsticking the engine, go easy and don't force it. The Marvel oil is a good idea, but the best way is to pull the head first. Look at the tops of the pistons (burnt? rust? galled rings? lots of carbon or oil/grease?). If the top end looks OK, soak everything with Marvel Mystery Oil, Kroil, WD-40, Lime-Away or even Coca-Cola, and let it sit a couple of days. Try to rotate the engine - if it moves a bit but feels "mushy", the stuck part may be in the valve train or even the distributer. If it is just plain locked, with no give, keep it up on the top end with Marvel or whatever. It might take a month or more to unstick an engine - but forcing the situation will just cost your friend money. With patience, I've freed up a number of stuck engines for rebuilding or repair, including an old 1912 model Cushman that took 6 months to unstick.

 

Yup, I second that. If you get too aggressive with it , you can bend a rod. If you can't get it unstuck, it's best to take it apart and break up the pistons from below with a hammer and long bar. If it's stuck that bad, it needs rebuilt anyway and thus needs new pistons.

 

Thanks guys, your advice is obviously based on many years of experience, and I consider it priceless...will follow it to a "T"...

 

Well, I had a quick look at the glove box. All 3 data plates are still there. However, they've been painted over. The owner suggested removing the glove box lid to look at the plates. He also suggested using paint remover to clean them. Question : are the numbers on the plates painted on, or are they stamped into the metal ?? I'd like to try removing the paint, but I don't want to ruin the plates and render them unreadable. What's the best way to clean them up so I can get all the "numbers" ??