October 2025 Update
Welcome to October!
Some good events coming up this month.
If you have an event you would like us to share, please send over to: post@ewillys.com
10/18/2025 (NEXT WEEKEND)
EPIC WILLYS MINI RACE; GETTYSBURG, PA
10/19/2025 (NEXT WEEKEND)
Recent For Sale Rigs……….
These are rigs folks have sent us For Sale Directly, not included in this one is the 1960 Hotchkiss M-201 that recently was added, that’s in the side bar to the right for a quick link to that one. I did get an email on that one this AM, I passed on to the info I have on that one.
Virtually in the shop…
Over on OWF was fun to follow along a Diff rebuild, always fun to see the progress of folks projects. Setting up these old Dana’s for some pros is probably second nature, but for some of us tinkerers it’s in interesting process to see it all work out in the photos anyway. Chasing the pattern and getting it dialed in with each move.
I think the tools we have access to today really make it easier for some of us.
Take the new style carrier and pinion bearing pullers, these are really neat and just make life a little easier, if you have not run across these you might want to try one out. The first time I used it, I destroyed the cage on the carrier bearing, it had no instructions and I was “I got this, with no help from YouTube, how hard can it be”. Well that ended badly, but I wound up reassembling the parts and pieces and looking at a video and it popped right off.
Here are a few tools I have for my DIY rebuilds. I get a lot of help from OWF and Jeff and Phil are great resources to set us straight along the way. You don’t need all this to do this stuff just sharing some things that have made my life easier.
Carrier and Pinion Puller
These have different color clam shells that goes over the bearing and clamps the race and rollers then the underside of the race and pops off the bearing with an impact.
Desitin or Boudreaux’s Butt Paste (White on Left) vs Yellow Gear Marking Compound
Yes I have tried the Desitin Diaper Creme, and it works, it’s basically like a Fish Oil based product and if not too horribly hot it works OK.
Case Spreader
These can be a point of contention at times, do you honestly need one, probably not for DIY use, but the import versions now a days are failry inexpensive and they are really slick how they work and for me it makes it super easy to get the carrier in and out, does not add a ton of time, and as you see here I did check the spread just to see how it works, and you don’t really need to do that but one time if your curious, it does not take much to get the case spread apart. Neat tool, was glad I tried it.
Flexible Dial Indicator Holder
For sure not in the “need” column, but when it Rome I had another use for this so I tried it on the Diff and it worked well. The magnets are strong, the way these articulate are really neat as well, it would be helpful to have 3 hands at times with this thing, but again not in the must have, just sharing.
Pinion Holder
Under $20, I’m sure its an import, and really this is a wonderful tool, I think this is a must have for holding the pinion, really helped me out.
DIY Pinion Depth Plate
This was scrap we made into a plate to check the pinion depth, it was just my time to make it, my guess is this is in progress as there are no holes in it to measure through yet!
Well figure I would share some of those basics I use in the shop for my DIY Stuff, for the pro and experienced rebuilders, It may seem crude or unnecessary but I found them useful. I still have the old school press and bearing separators you really need to have a good selection for when these new fangled tools just don’t get the job done.
I hope your projects are moving along!
Thanks, Tim
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