TECH TIPS
BUT IT FITS
I bought a Willys M38A1 that had been sitting in a barn for about twenty years. It is mostly complete and original but is missing some small parts such as the choke cable, radiator cap, some hose clamps, and the oil dipstick.
I have two flathead motors from M38 jeeps that have their dipsticks, and they fit in the M38A1 F-head motor. Is that okay?
No. An M38 dipstick is about two inches shorter than an M38A1’s, so it won’t be useful in determining the proper oil level in your ‘A1, though you could weld or braze on additional length.
The correct length of M38A1 dipstick is 27-19/32 inches, measured from the lip of the cap to the end of the rod.
The military encountered this problem when the M38 and M38A1 were in service together. While the longer M38A1 stick didn’t fit in the M38 engine, the M38’s shorter stick did fit in the ‘A1 — as you found — resulting in some massive oil overfills.
FACTORY OIL FILLER PIPES
While we’re on the subject, and for FYI, some M37, M42, M43, and M201 trucks came from the factory
