Take out powerpack value?

a place to discuss anything of interest to owners of M151 jeeps

Moderators: rickf, raymond, Mr. Recovery

Post Reply
M37
Sergeant
Sergeant
Posts: 99
Joined: September 5th, 2018, 11:41 pm

Take out powerpack value?

Unread post by M37 » September 22nd, 2018, 10:34 pm

A guy near me has this take out powerpack. I am interested in buying it but I don't want to over pay for what it actually is, a take out.

It comes with what he said is a NOS carburetor, that he bought. It also comes with a gauge cluster, transmisson cover and a few new ujoint flanges.

It has everything seen in the following pictures. I am interested in it but I don't have to have it. I have one running engine currently, but I do need a second engine for another M151 I also have. He is asking $900 for what you see. He said the engine is free and appears to have compression. It has oil in it and the dipstick is free of rust. The exhaust and driveshaft are torch cut so it is an unknown mileage take out.

Any guidance on what going rates are around the US for similar engines would be great to know.

Thanks,

Joe

Image

Image

Image

Image

User avatar
rickf
General
General
Posts: 19740
Joined: November 26th, 2007, 1:28 pm
Location: Pemberton, NJ.

Re: Take out powerpack value?

Unread post by rickf » September 23rd, 2018, 8:39 am

Well, You have an A1 engine that has been upgraded with an A2 fuel pump and a 60 amp alternator. You have a transmission and radiator which add to the value. I did not see the asking price before typing this but I was going to say 800-900 considering the extras. The mount is handy to keep it stable and movable, although balanced (barely) on that cart is a little scary.
1964 M151A1
1984 M1008
1967 M416
04/1952 M100
12/1952 M100- Departed
AN/TSQ-114A Trailblazer- Gone

acudanut

Re: Take out powerpack value?

Unread post by acudanut » September 23rd, 2018, 9:46 am

I see theses all the time. They go for 500.00 in my neck of the woods. I too can't believe what it is sitting on. Scary.

Fil Bonica
Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Posts: 2607
Joined: December 9th, 2007, 10:49 am
Location: ~ Heaven ~

Re: Take out powerpack value?

Unread post by Fil Bonica » September 23rd, 2018, 10:12 am

Contrary to what Rick said it is probably an early A2 engine.
The first A2 Fords were actually made on the last A1 contract.
As far as the price is concerned it seems too rich for a pile of psrts not a running engine.
I would feel much better at $500.00
IMHO!

Fil Bonica
K1ABW

M37
Sergeant
Sergeant
Posts: 99
Joined: September 5th, 2018, 11:41 pm

Re: Take out powerpack value?

Unread post by M37 » September 23rd, 2018, 11:54 am

Gentlemen,

A hearty thanks to all of you for taking your time to reply! I don't see these come up all that often in my local area. When they do they look like they have been in a wet outbuilding for 40 years. The high and low price ranges really help me establish how to make a sensible, to me, offer.

I too had severe pucker factor when I saw it perched on the cart. I'll be curious to see if it is still on the cart when I go to look at it in a week or so.

Thanks again!

Joe

User avatar
Horst
Colonel
Colonel
Posts: 1956
Joined: December 9th, 2007, 6:21 am
Location: Munich, Germany

Re: Take out powerpack value?

Unread post by Horst » September 23rd, 2018, 1:15 pm

If you buy it, I hope you have more luck than I did. I got a take-out too but turned out both the block and the crank were well worn beyond the manual limits. It would have probably run but I parted it out and sold a few parts to minimize the loss. A take-out is always a bit of gambling. And if the engine is well worn, the transmission is probably not much better.
Horst

1972 USMC M151A2 w/ROPS (ex Barstow) and M416
1962 M201 and trailer
1966 GTO,1982 E350 Skoolie, 1987 SJ413, 1987 911
Gone: 2xM35A2c, Unimog 404S, Hanomag AL28, DKW Munga

User avatar
rickf
General
General
Posts: 19740
Joined: November 26th, 2007, 1:28 pm
Location: Pemberton, NJ.

Re: Take out powerpack value?

Unread post by rickf » September 23rd, 2018, 2:29 pm

Fil Bonica wrote:Contrary to what Rick said it is probably an early A2 engine.
The first A2 Fords were actually made on the last A1 contract.
As far as the price is concerned it seems too rich for a pile of psrts not a running engine.
I would feel much better at $500.00
IMHO!

Fil Bonica

500.00 for a complete engine and transmission including radiator, alternator and NOS carb, plus the other parts? The carb is 300 alone. I may be a little off on my parts pricing but I don't think I am that far off.
1964 M151A1
1984 M1008
1967 M416
04/1952 M100
12/1952 M100- Departed
AN/TSQ-114A Trailblazer- Gone

User avatar
m3a1
Lt. General
Lt. General
Posts: 4029
Joined: August 7th, 2014, 6:36 pm

Re: Take out powerpack value?

Unread post by m3a1 » September 23rd, 2018, 4:28 pm

Do you know of any take-out engines that come with any guarantees? Don't let that hang you up. There are as many success stories as there are horror stories. Do your homework. If he won't let you check it out, then the deal is off. That's a premium asking price and for a premium price you get to look it over thoroughly and put your grubby little hands all over it.

For starters, hook up a battery and run a compression test...or the old finger-in-the-plug-hole test if that's all you've got....and only after lowering it to the floor, of course. If it has low compression numbers that counts against the price, right? Have a look at the spark plugs. There's some easy evidence to be found right there. How does the oil smell and look after cranking?

Ask him for a history on it. If he doesn't know anything about it (how many times have we all heard THAT?) well, that counts against the value. Then, ask him the BIG question. Ask him to justify the valuation he's placed upon it. Asking that is a pivotal moment in any negotiations because, in reality, he wants YOUR money. Have him justify it, and not by carb value alone (because a carb without a good engine is about as useless as ham sandwiches served at a Barmitzvah.) And comparable sales prices doesn't mean doodlysquat, because every engine has lived a different life.

Not to mention you're going to want to pop that top on that transmission and have a little looky-loo inside. Valve cover too. Is everything moving that should be moving?

Let us also consider the fact that you would have no shipping expenses to deal with and it's a load-and-go engine. Don't tell him that, of course but it does sweeten the deal unless you know of another engine in your neighborhood.

And finally the practical aspect of having an extra power pack - Let's just suppose your Great Aunt Tilley dies and leaves you a little money or you get a little refund in April. Even if this engine could use a little freshening up, it's already out and you're in a good position to send it out or do the work yourself.

So just look it over carefully. You'll soon figure out whether its worth the money he's asking. Someone felt it was worth keeping or they wouldn't have salvaged it.

Good luck with this. I hope you find you've got a great engine there!

Cheers,
TJ

acudanut

Re: Take out powerpack value?

Unread post by acudanut » September 24th, 2018, 12:21 am

900.00 is a fair price, now that I look it closely. The Alternator is worth 300, starter 200, Radiator 250.00, Carb 300.
looks like it never sat outside. If it turns over. Buy it.

M37
Sergeant
Sergeant
Posts: 99
Joined: September 5th, 2018, 11:41 pm

Re: Take out powerpack value?

Unread post by M37 » September 24th, 2018, 8:45 am

Some more about the engine. The current owner bought it from what he said was an older gentleman. He said it was housed indoors and the man had hopes of using it to power a generator, but never got around to using it for that. The original owner told the current owner that it ran but it had,"carb issues". That is the reason the new owner bought a new carb.

The owner I am dealing with bought it to power a pre-war roadster he is hand building. He decided to change directions and wants to sell this engine to fund a different engine. He said he isn't in a hurry to sell it, and I am not flush enough to buy it at present.

I am planning to bring a compression gage to check the numbers at each cylinder. I will also ask to look in the transmission, valve cover and side pushrods / tappet cover. I want to know it will have potential to run if he isn't flexible on his price. I don't think he was aware it is a 24 volt system when he purchased it, he still may not know. That might be why he hasn't run it yet.

I'll keep you all posted with an update on the results. Thank you all for your input! And very importantly, I will make sure it comes off of the stand and onto the floor before any attempts are made to start the engine.

Joe

User avatar
rickf
General
General
Posts: 19740
Joined: November 26th, 2007, 1:28 pm
Location: Pemberton, NJ.

Re: Take out powerpack value?

Unread post by rickf » September 24th, 2018, 9:19 am

I would not worry about taking he side cover off as there is nothing to see there but the tops of the lifters and bottoms of the pushrods, if there is a pushrod issue you will see it from the valve cover. That is just one more PITA gasket to reseal if you do buy it. Of all of the take out engines I have seen and heard of and helped repair online the vast majority of them were in pretty good shape. These are pretty stout little engines and they also did not tend to rack up many miles in military use. The main thing to look for is rust on the dipstick and under the valve cover. They, and any other engine that sits, collect condensation. But this was supposedly stored inside which is a good thing and means less chance of condensation. Same goes for the transmission, look for rust on the upper surfaces. If it is present you will not have to look hard, it will be VERY obvious.
1964 M151A1
1984 M1008
1967 M416
04/1952 M100
12/1952 M100- Departed
AN/TSQ-114A Trailblazer- Gone

M37
Sergeant
Sergeant
Posts: 99
Joined: September 5th, 2018, 11:41 pm

Re: Take out powerpack value?

Unread post by M37 » September 24th, 2018, 9:26 pm

Rickf,

Thanks for the info. I won't bother with taking the side cover off then. Also good to know that most of these engines were still useable when they were taken out. I assumed the military took them out when they were on their last legs.


Joe

acudanut

Re: Take out powerpack value?

Unread post by acudanut » September 25th, 2018, 12:15 am

M37 wrote:Rickf,

Thanks for the info. I won't bother with taking the side cover off then. Also good to know that most of these engines were still useable when they were taken out. I assumed the military took them out when they were on their last legs.


Joe

No, they were Civilian contractors (at DMRO) cut them out with a torch and then cut the jeeps up. Most of the victims were the A2's when our Government decided not to let them roll out and into civilian hands again. They deemed them unsafe at any speed. What a joke.
Last edited by acudanut on October 15th, 2018, 2:44 pm, edited 2 times in total.

SturmTyger380
Sergeant First Class
Sergeant First Class
Posts: 299
Joined: October 1st, 2015, 2:31 pm
Location: Upstate SC

Re: Take out powerpack value?

Unread post by SturmTyger380 » October 1st, 2018, 9:37 am

It looks from the contract number to be 1968.

A couple of years ago I got a spare engine one State away for $600. The guy had it at his warehouse where he ran his business. He didn't have any other military stuff. Him and his buddy would put a garden hose in the radiator once a year and run it just for fun. Said he bought it on a whim.
45' MB, ??' MBT, 47' CJ2A, 48' CJ2A,
51' M38 #1, 51' M38 #2, 51' M100,
52' M37, ??' M101A1 (1st Gulf War Vet),
53' M38A1, 53' M211, 65' M151A1, 67' M416,
MVPA #31724

Post Reply