10 http://www.militaryvehiclesmagazine.com
GAS WOES
One of our 83/329 re-enactors, Jay Lovell, of Middlefi eld,
Ohio, has a Willys MB with a modifi ed CJ gas tank. He has run
out of gas more times than all the other guys put together.
Here in Northeastern Ohio, we are fortunate that there sev-
eral places where we can still buy ethanol-free gasoline. Most
folks do not realize just how bad ethanol is for old engines.
I have a 1939 John Deere B. It will foul plugs and quit run-
ning in just ten minutes with 10% ethanol fuel. Since switching
back to ethanol-free gasoline, it runs just like it did when it was
new. I did have the magneto rebuilt.
This spring, when I got it out of winter storage, it had not
been run in six months. To start the engine, I rolled the fl ywheel
forward about a quarter turn. When the magneto tripped, it fi red
right up and ran.
I sure am glad that we can still get ethanol-free gasoline in
this area. With all this wet weather, maybe the price of corn will
go high enough to stop the nonsense of putting ethanol in gaso-
line!
— David Dorson
TRY A CAR SHOW
I go to car shows
all the time. Most of
the time I take my
1935 Ford Pickup
that is modifi ed and
updated. Sometimes
I take one of my three
jeeps or 5-ton. Some
of the car shows are
beginning to offer a
military vehicle category in there awards.
This past February was our annual indoor car show put on by
East Texas Crisis Center, a women’s and children’s abuse support
organization and the local Ford Dealership. Usually, they have
about 100 cars in attendance and every year they have a theme.
This year’s was “Viper Invasion” They had over 50 Dodge Vipers
and even had a road course set up in the parking lot to give rides
in Vipers. They had a line of takers for two days
The show starts on a Friday night and runs through Sunday
at 4 p.m.
I took my 1942 WWII GPW Army Jeep. I always set up a
display to make it more appealing.
I always draw crowds because everyone likes an old Army
jeep. It is a lot of fun and rewarding. Every time I do this, and
I have done it since 2009, I get the best display and usually an-
other trophy for best 4 wheeler. This year was no exception. They
want me to bring something back next year.
An added benefi t is that spectators come up tell war stories
and also some that have military equipment that they want to get
rid of. I have collect lots of “stuff.” I have even gotten jeeps and
radios for my jeeps plus much more. It is very rewarding some
times.
I would encourage other military vehicle owners to get them
out of the garage or barns and take them to car show. It is very
rewarding.
— Jerry Gardner
M41 AUXILIARY GENERATOR
I am writing to you because I know you have great familiar-
ity with many military vehicles. One of my personal favorites is
the M41 Walker Bulldog. I had only a brief experience with it at
Fort George G. Meade, MD in 1957 just before the 2nd Armored
Cavalry was gyroscoped to West Germany for the last time.
I have a good collection of books and articles about the M41.
The one thing that is missing in all of them is a thorough discus-
sion of “Little Joe”, the auxiliary power generator for the tank.
I have just received and gone through book 67024, “M
Walker Bulldog Walk Around”, from Squadron Publications.
The only mention of “Little Joe” is in regards to the external
muffl er. How can that be?
If you have any pictures and documentation about the M
auxiliary power generator, or if you can advise me of a source
for those items, please advise me as to how I can get them into
my hands.
Thank you for all of your efforts with military vehicles. Your
works have brought me great joy and comfort through the years.
—Robert Burns Wadley
Amarillo, Texas
I had to do some
head-scratching on the
M41’s auxiliary genera-
tor before I remembered
R.P. Hunnicut’s treatise
on light tanks in his M
Sheridan book, A History
of the American Light
Tank, Vol. 2 (Presidio:
1995). In it, he states (pp
32-33), “The auxiliary
generator and its engine
were located in the right
front corner of the en-
gine compartment with
the exhaust pipe protrud-
ing through the top of the
hull. No muffl ers were
installed on the auxiliary
engine exhaust on vehi-
cles 1 through 1367. On tanks 1368 through 2289, a small muf-
fl er was mounted on top of the right main engine muffl er. This
installation was unsatisfactory with the auxiliary engine muffl er
often being damaged by heat from the main engine muffl er. Be-
ginning with tank 2290, a larger muffl er mounted on the right
front fender was provided for the auxiliary engine.” — JAG ✪
communications
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