Thanks to all for the various posts on the "441-" engines in GPW's. I
suspect that these engines were replacements for the originals at some
point. At any rate, since the engine pre-dates the vehicle in my case,
and since there seems to be some evidence that contractors rebuilt these
engines specifically for MB's and GPW's during the war, I'm happy to
keep it in the vehicle. Besides, it runs great!
I have a copy of "Jeep Genesis - The Rifkind Report". This report was
published by the Quartermaster Corps during the war to try to clarify
who really "invented" the jeep... From that report, the following
interesting quote regarding test of the Willys prototype:
"Like any other pilot model submitted for test, the Willys jeep took
quite a battering from the Holabird course. As an example of the
extreme punishment to which pilot models were subjected, the frame of
the Willys fractured after 5,184 miles of operation; cylinders were
badly worn after 5,011 miles, and the entire engine was replaced by a
used motor from a Willys Americar..."
So that's the first time someone thought of sticking in an Americar
engine! Good enough for me...
-Rob Root
1942 GPW
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