New Member Possible M151A2

[TienBien11B]

Hello everyone!

So I live in the Hudson Valley and have found what I believe is an M151A2, has intact data plate that says so, in the middle of our woods. Very strange and nowhere near any road plus the density of trees does not allow for vehicle travel even my Jeep TJ can't slip in. So here I am wanting to rescue this Jeep but I will have to ruck my tools in for a few miles and a winch. Probably something I'll do over the course of the next few months. Anyways I've been searching through the forum here finding places that sell 7.00x16 tires and I'm still struggling to find the correct wheels which I believe are 5 on 5.25x16 but not 100%. My goal is to get new tires on the Jeep so its freely rolling to reduce resistance so I don't have to ruck my 9k winch plus a couple batteries into the woods. Thanks for all the help via the posts I've been reading and TM's I've snagged! I'll probably have a question at some point this weekend as I'm rucking out to work on the Jeep today... Thanks again.

 

[TienBien11B]

 

[poppop]

If its sitting on the ground the first thing you need to do is check the underside. These were notorious to rust out and sitting on the ground made it worse. I did have a source for wheels but shipping would be bad from Ga. Do you have any idea how lond it has ben there?? Mine was rusted bad and I did a lot of welding and adding metal underneath to reinforce it. You can buy channal repair kits if that go on over the old ones. I did not know that when I got mine.

 

[TienBien11B]

It is actually not sitting on the ground as it still has two tires and whoever once upon a time took the other two had the decency to put the lug nuts back on and leave the IFS sitting on rocks. There is rust but it is isolated to the fenders where I imagine another vehicle or a careless driver did damage to them which removed the paint allowing rust to form but less than half an inch of creep from the exposed metal. I'm not a chemist but had it been there for a long time then the rust should have extended further. I've found some 215/85R16 retreads for cheap which I believe is the civilian equivalent of 7.00x16.

When I was younger I did a lot in the offroad community so my skill set includes mig/tig welding, fabricating, and even some basic bondo body work and paint. Right now I just want to rescue it and stop the decay and get a handle on what all needs worked on. I got lost on the way to college and did some time in the Army but I graduate this year so my cash flow will be back up and I have wanted to restore one since I did so with my neighbor as a small boy some 20 years ago.

Oh you wouldn't happen to know what size socket the lug nuts on an M151A2 need? I'm putting together my pack to ruck out there and it would be nice to carry one less set of sockets along with the highlift and bottle jack, shovel, BFH, etc...

 

[poppop]

I think it is 3/4 but take that and one bigger and you should be fine. I think you are right on the tire size as I think that is what I ran on mine until I got a deal on NDT.s. I have a Friend that runs a scrapyard and killed many 151,s. He does not have many parts left now but several years ago he let me go into his container half full of mounted 151 tires and take my pick. I got 4 nearly new tires on wheels for $10.00 each and just had to add more air. I don't know if he has any more left as that was several years ago.

 

[TienBien11B]

That would be awesome as I saw some at Eastern Supply for $$$ and the wheel spacer option is expensive as well plus I don't like the physics of wheel spacers. Hopefully I can get it rolling today so next weekend I can rope some buddies into helping me cause I'm not trying to ruck a Warn 9k winch and two optima deep cycles for like 3ish miles.

The engine and everything under the hood looks bad. I can see the rust through the oil port and all the fluids have long since returned to the Earth. Even if it ends up not being salvageable I wouldn't mind taking the torch/saw to it and switching over to straight axles tube/channel frame and a new engine... kinda like a modern take on the MV minus the modern armor. Or I could just part it out so that other Jeeps might live.

 

[poppop]

Used power packs are quite plentiful and usually reasonable. There is a site devoted to 151,s so do a search and it should popup. I got lucky with my repower. The orginal engine ran but oil fouled one plug quickly. I used to check e-bay often and one day 3 nos A2 engines popped up for sale in Ga. I got the high bid of $203.00 and had the choice to take all of them which I did and the guy even delivered them because he had a trip planned that would bring him within 6 miles of me. I have since installed one in my 151 which fired right up and runs great as it should being new. I sold one to a SS member for $500.00 and am keeping the other one in case I run across another vehicle one day.

 

[TienBien11B]

Yea I'm looking to do this project over time as I'll be working again full time come this summer and I'm willing to wait for the good deals... So perhaps I am not functioning well right now but do you mean a 3/4" drive socket set or...?

 

[poppop]

no, the size of the nut is 3/4 and you should have no problem removing them with a 1/2 inch pull handle. Or If you have a four way lug wrench that will do it.

 

[salt6]

Google G383 that will get you to the M151 web site

 

[salt6]

Google G383 that will get you to the M151 web site

Sorry G838

 

[TienBien11B]

I think you mean G503.com and in my opinion it seems to be a lot of WTB type posts and not many build threads or informational threads. Thanks for setting me straight.

 

[poppop]

salt6 is correct, g838 is strickly M151 and G503 covers everything. Lots of good info several build threads.

 

[salt6]

Oh yeah take lots of photos.

 

[TienBien11B]

I will for sure, already have a growing folder of the carnage ahead of me... Right now I'm just looking for 2 wheels as I figured out the tire issue but the only wheels I've found are outrageous, I could probably make a very simple cad model and do it on a friends water jet for less.

 

[M715VFD405]

I saw a site the other day that had rims and tires for the 151 but imat work I'll see if I can find it when I get home and post it for you then

 

[salt6]

You might want to try a WTB listing on your local Craigslist.