M151A1 to M151A2 Conversion?

[L1A1]

Hey everybody!
A fellow I converse with, on another MV site claims to have been a motorpool mechanic on mutts in the USMC. I have no reason to doubt him although some stuff he's told me doesn't exactly jive with what I know about the military (my own time in was very short). The following is what he told me and I'm trying to figure out if the military ever did this (even at the unit level) or is it just a "fishing story".

According to this fellow, They used to take M151A1s that they still had on hand and bring them up to "A2" standard by removing the M151A1's "A" arm rear suspension and welding in the trailing arm suspension from an M151A2. I don't know if they ordered the A2 suspension parts through supply chanels or simply scavenged the nessassary parts from damged A2s.

I've never heard of this before and all the Marines I know where all combat arms so none of them could tell me anything (eccept that they liked driving the M151's) what do you guys think?
Regards,
Matt

 

[papercu]

a2

Marines has trucks?? A Navy guy told me they would just carry them close and then said "sic 'em".
Anything is possible, with enough time but if they wanted to do that and had the jeeps why not just cut them in half and weld them that way.
And if they did it would have to be in a war zone. The first IG inspection would have the Company Commander busted at the very least. I vote no. Wayne

 

[nattieleather]

RE: a2

I think I know who your were talking to and if it is the same guy then you have to take a lot of what he says with a grain of salt...about the size of a salt lick is good..... Anyway...It's a good story, but I don't think it would have happen. First off the trailing arms for a 151 and a 151a1 mount different than they do on a A2...hence the change between vehicles in suspension. Secondly there is camber angle and all that that the trailing arms need to follow and I don't think a motorpool would have taken the time that would be required to figure all that out. We're talking some major change in the rear for the mounting etc.

Like what was said anything is possible, but probably unlikely.

 

[L1A1]

Yes I'd have to agree with you fellows about this. Nattieleather the fellow I was refuring to lives in Texas. He's a good guy all in all, he just has some strange ideas.
Matt

 

[Artillerydan]

I have been in this hobby a long time and have bought, sold and restored quite a few M151s and I would say this is some serious BS. Yes anything could have been done once or twice as some pet project with some wrecked vehicles but....Like it was said earlier the rear is 90 degrees different on the suspension. It is not just some bolts and welding. Not that you started the story (obviously your trying to verify it as fact or fiction ), but guys like that are a menice . They take good people and fill their head full of .... Well I just really hate (yes hate) people who pawn off information as truth when they do not know or just plain lie.

 

[Alvaro Martinez]

Hello everyone, I’m new here. I’m struggling a bit with my m151. I own a A1, I’m Rewiring it with a A2 harness. regarding to voltage regulator isssue, I found that my old plug from starter switch has a #8 thin wire, and a Thick #4 Wire taped together. In A2 harness accordng to wiring diagram, #5 wire goes starter switch to alternator. Shall I use this wire #5 straight to 25A regulator?? In which pin should it be plugged?

thanks for your help, by I’m lost here !

 

[acudanut]

Hello everyone, I’m new here. I’m struggling a bit with my m151. I own a A1, I’m Rewiring it with a A2 harness. regarding to voltage regulator isssue, I found that my old plug from starter switch has a #8 thin wire, and a Thick #4 Wire taped together. In A2 harness accordng to wiring diagram, #5 wire goes starter switch to alternator. Shall I use this wire #5 straight to 25A regulator?? In which pin should it be plugged?

thanks for your help, by I’m lost here !

A conversion from A1 to an A2 would never work imo.
If you using a A2 wiring on a older model, you are better off going to a 60 amp alt. Problem solved and you can lose the bread box.

 

[LCPL 4]

From Bucolic on the G838... http://g838.org/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=9696&p=82489&hilit=25AMP+WIRE+HARNESS#p82489

"This may be a dumb question but can one adapt an A2 harness back to a 25A charging system? I looked up prices for 60A alternators and OUCH!"

I just finished installing an A-2 harness in my A-1 and stayed with the 25amp gen. Here's what I was given to hook it up:
Ken
In installing an A2 wiring harness to my 1963 M151 I ran into a few problems.
One was the early Mutts had a generator and the later went to an alternator. On the driver’s side under the hood part of the harness you have three wires that hook to the alternator. These leads are number 3, 5 and number 568. #3 is a ground wire, #5 is the "ammeter or shunt to starter terminal block or battery connection" and #568 is the "alternator field from ignition switch". You will want to put these wires on a generator Mutt is as follows:
#3 ground to somewhere on the body.
#5 connect it to the lead coming out of the regulator cannon plug fitting.(you will have two cannon plugs coming out of the regulator, one goes direct to the generator and the other has one smaller wire. you connect this wire to #5).
#568, do nothing with it. Let in hang there unconnected.
I did all this after discussing with two sources of information, Rich Miller of Riv Rad and Mark Dodd of Rapco. My Mutt starts right up and the battery is charging.
Also, behind the dash next to the instrument panel on your generator powered M151 you have three circuit breakers. You will only use two of them. One of them put the two #25 wires and another put the two #27 wires. This should complete your wiring behind the dash. The A2 did have more equipment and anything you have unplugged that you could not find a place for, let hang unplugged.
Hope this helps
Jerry Gardner
Tyler, TX.
Good Luck
Mike Schnitzius
Bucolic

 

[Alvaro Martinez]

From Bucolic on the G838... http://g838.org/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=9696&p=82489&hilit=25AMP+WIRE+HARNESS#p82489


I just finished installing an A-2 harness in my A-1 and stayed with the 25amp gen. Here's what I was given to hook it up:
Ken
In installing an A2 wiring harness to my 1963 M151 I ran into a few problems.
One was the early Mutts had a generator and the later went to an alternator. On the driver’s side under the hood part of the harness you have three wires that hook to the alternator. These leads are number 3, 5 and number 568. #3 is a ground wire, #5 is the "ammeter or shunt to starter terminal block or battery connection" and #568 is the "alternator field from ignition switch". You will want to put these wires on a generator Mutt is as follows:
#3 ground to somewhere on the body.
#5 connect it to the lead coming out of the regulator cannon plug fitting.(you will have two cannon plugs coming out of the regulator, one goes direct to the generator and the other has one smaller wire. you connect this wire to #5).
#568, do nothing with it. Let in hang there unconnected.
I did all this after discussing with two sources of information, Rich Miller of Riv Rad and Mark Dodd of Rapco. My Mutt starts right up and the battery is charging.
Also, behind the dash next to the instrument panel on your generator powered M151 you have three circuit breakers. You will only use two of them. One of them put the two #25 wires and another put the two #27 wires. This should complete your wiring behind the dash. The A2 did have more equipment and anything you have unplugged that you could not find a place for, let hang unplugged.
Hope this helps
Jerry Gardner
Tyler, TX.
Good Luck
Mike Schnitzius
Bucolic

Thank you very much for your advice. I believe next weekend I’ll work on the m151 and proceed with the electrical work. I guess I’ll come back to you pretty Soon with more questions !

thanks again

Alvaro