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| 1956 DJ3A Folding Soft Top Convertible; RESURRECTION | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Aug 24 2017, 10:53 AM (221 Views) | |
| PapaC | Aug 24 2017, 10:53 AM Post #1 |
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Papac
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Since the photo bucket scandal and the loss of my pictures ruined my last thread I'll start again until I get caught up. This is what I started with ![]() ![]() 1. Wrong rear axle 2. Solid back panel cut off 3. Collision damage and dents and dings covered with thick bondo 4. All electrical wires and gauges cut off and missing except enough to crank the motor 5. Badly bent front axle 6. Ugly homemade front bumper and rear crossmember 7. Brake lines and gas lines rotten or missing 8. Minor rust damage (the thick bondo saved most of the body from rust 9. No seats 10. Badly dented gas tank 11. WAY WRONG 14" tires and wheels So I set out to turn this |
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Charles Tate....North Mississippi 1956 WILLYS DJ3A Convertible Doing ground up nuts and bolt restoration by almost entirely reconditioning original used or a few NOS DJ3A parts. 1962 WILLYS DJ3A Convertible. (For research and parts only) | |
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| PapaC | Aug 24 2017, 11:07 AM Post #2 |
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Papac
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Back into one of these![]() ![]() Using as many original DJ3A Dispatcher parts as possible without taking any shortcuts |
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Charles Tate....North Mississippi 1956 WILLYS DJ3A Convertible Doing ground up nuts and bolt restoration by almost entirely reconditioning original used or a few NOS DJ3A parts. 1962 WILLYS DJ3A Convertible. (For research and parts only) | |
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| PapaC | Aug 24 2017, 11:20 AM Post #3 |
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Papac
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First I stripped all of the layers of paint and bondo and cut out any rot that I could find ![]() ![]() And hand made patches from scrap and welded them in. I also prepped the metal for paint with a cheap rust treatment from Lowes
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Charles Tate....North Mississippi 1956 WILLYS DJ3A Convertible Doing ground up nuts and bolt restoration by almost entirely reconditioning original used or a few NOS DJ3A parts. 1962 WILLYS DJ3A Convertible. (For research and parts only) | |
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| PapaC | Aug 24 2017, 11:41 AM Post #4 |
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Papac
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Found a like new front axle![]() Front end parts ![]() And rear axle ![]() In Ohio. I did rebuild the brakes with NOS front 1 1/8" wheel cylinders, had the hubs turned just for good measure, and rebuilt the master cylinder and made new brake lines ![]() As you can see if I go to the trouble of cleaning something up I painted it before reinstalling even if it wasn't supposed to be painted the first time around! |
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Charles Tate....North Mississippi 1956 WILLYS DJ3A Convertible Doing ground up nuts and bolt restoration by almost entirely reconditioning original used or a few NOS DJ3A parts. 1962 WILLYS DJ3A Convertible. (For research and parts only) | |
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| PapaC | Aug 24 2017, 11:51 AM Post #5 |
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Papac
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TECH FACTS WILLYS DJ3A Dispatcher original equipment 1 1/8" front wheel cylinders 13/16" rear wheel cylinders 9" by 2" front and rear brake shoes |
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Charles Tate....North Mississippi 1956 WILLYS DJ3A Convertible Doing ground up nuts and bolt restoration by almost entirely reconditioning original used or a few NOS DJ3A parts. 1962 WILLYS DJ3A Convertible. (For research and parts only) | |
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| PapaC | Aug 24 2017, 12:32 PM Post #6 |
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Papac
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I hand made and riveted on a new front bumper and rear crossmember. For these I used much heavier steel than original.[![]()
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Charles Tate....North Mississippi 1956 WILLYS DJ3A Convertible Doing ground up nuts and bolt restoration by almost entirely reconditioning original used or a few NOS DJ3A parts. 1962 WILLYS DJ3A Convertible. (For research and parts only) | |
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| PapaC | Aug 24 2017, 01:00 PM Post #7 |
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Papac
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Much of the work done on this DJ3A frame and axles were done upside down on saw horses in my shop Shown here flipping it back over onto its feet ![]() ![]() ![]()
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Charles Tate....North Mississippi 1956 WILLYS DJ3A Convertible Doing ground up nuts and bolt restoration by almost entirely reconditioning original used or a few NOS DJ3A parts. 1962 WILLYS DJ3A Convertible. (For research and parts only) | |
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| PapaC | Aug 24 2017, 01:27 PM Post #8 |
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Papac
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TECH FACTS DJ3A Dispatcher SERIAL NUMBERS can be FOUND in two and sometimes in three different locations on the jeep. 1. DATA TAG on firewall is the main location 2. STAMPED numbers on the right side frame rail. . This set of numbers can be seen with careful cleaning and without removing the tub. It is located directly above the front springs rear mount location on the top flange of the rail. This set of numbers won't include the 56337 DJ3A Dispatcher serial number prefix. 3. OPTIONAL 3Rd LOCATION OF SERIAL NUMBER ON FRAME RAIL 'May' be on some DJ3A Dispatchers??? There's reported to have been another serial number stamping on the REAR section of the passenger side frame rail. If there this number should be just ahead of where the fuel tank sets. No sign of a second stamping could be found in this location on my 1956 and my 1962 DJ3A Dispatcher's frame rails. |
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Charles Tate....North Mississippi 1956 WILLYS DJ3A Convertible Doing ground up nuts and bolt restoration by almost entirely reconditioning original used or a few NOS DJ3A parts. 1962 WILLYS DJ3A Convertible. (For research and parts only) | |
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| PapaC | Aug 24 2017, 03:40 PM Post #9 |
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Papac
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When taking apart the engine I found things in a lot better shape than I could have predicted.![]() ![]() Cylinder walls were still in spec and there was very little wear. So after a really really good cleaning I honed the cylinders and polished the crank and put it back together with fresh rings and bearings. Even though this engine was running pretty good when I got this DJ a stuck and broken oil ring and a slightly bent valve adjuster might have eventually proved catastrophic. |
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Charles Tate....North Mississippi 1956 WILLYS DJ3A Convertible Doing ground up nuts and bolt restoration by almost entirely reconditioning original used or a few NOS DJ3A parts. 1962 WILLYS DJ3A Convertible. (For research and parts only) | |
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| PapaC | Aug 24 2017, 04:01 PM Post #10 |
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Papac
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I heated with a charcoal fire and removed the ring gear from the flywheel, turned it around, and put it back on and let it cool. ![]() ![]() The surface of my flywheel was already in pretty nice shape. No excessive glazing, scrubbing, or wear so I light sanded it and put it back on my engine. From that Ohio lot where I found my like new front and rear axles and and engine rings and bearings etc. there was also a heavy duty clutch and a really nice pressure plate that I used. ![]() ![]() That stuff and more as it was told to me had been kept in storage in a old shop for over 30 years! |
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Charles Tate....North Mississippi 1956 WILLYS DJ3A Convertible Doing ground up nuts and bolt restoration by almost entirely reconditioning original used or a few NOS DJ3A parts. 1962 WILLYS DJ3A Convertible. (For research and parts only) | |
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| PapaC | Aug 24 2017, 04:42 PM Post #11 |
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Papac
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TECH FACTS Early DJ3A Dispatcher Distrubuter is a IAY 4012. My notes indicate that for later models it could have been a IAY 4401? I decided to take mine apart and clean up and inspect everything before reassembly. ![]() ![]() ![]()
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Charles Tate....North Mississippi 1956 WILLYS DJ3A Convertible Doing ground up nuts and bolt restoration by almost entirely reconditioning original used or a few NOS DJ3A parts. 1962 WILLYS DJ3A Convertible. (For research and parts only) | |
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| PapaC | Aug 24 2017, 04:58 PM Post #12 |
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Papac
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![]() ![]() TECH FACTS DJ3A DISPATCHER DISTRIBUTER CAP....... ECHLIN #AL110 Dj3A DISPATCHER ROTARY CAP....ECHLIN #AL104 DJ3A DISPARCHER CONDENSER.........ECHLIN #AL868 (6 volt) or #AL869 (12V DJ3A DISPATCHER POINTS........ECHLIN CS725A (I used ECHLIN because they were American made, reliable and with a good reputation, and fairly easy to find NOS) |
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Charles Tate....North Mississippi 1956 WILLYS DJ3A Convertible Doing ground up nuts and bolt restoration by almost entirely reconditioning original used or a few NOS DJ3A parts. 1962 WILLYS DJ3A Convertible. (For research and parts only) | |
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7:30 PM Jul 10