While restoring an old carburetor I found out that a couple of the bolts were stripped, the fix for this is a Heli-Coil kit.  The kits include a drill bit, tap, coils and an installer tool.  The basic steps are outlined below.

1	Here is a coil threaded on to a stud before installation, as you can see the 5/16-18 coil fits perfectly.
2	Next drill and tap the stripped hole using the drill bit and tap supplied in the kit. Tip: Using a cutting oil or other light lubricant will make it easier to thread the new hole.
3	Put the coil on the installer tool included in the kit, notice the tang going into the notch.
4	Carefully thread the coil into the hole that you just tapped.
5	The finished product is shown below.

Pertronix makes a 24 volt electronic ignition that fits the distributor of the M37.  The part number is MV-161 and can be found online from $120-$160 in price.

The benefit of electronic ignition means no more tune up kits, no more adjustment of the points and condenser.

	Distributor with the cover removed.
	Start by removing the condenser.
	Then remove the rotor cap.
	Next remove the mounting plate and remove the tab the points mounted to.
	Here the module is installed, before installing the mounting plate back into the distributor you will need to grind down the wire retaining clip to provide enough clearance for the module.

After looking around for a rebuild kit for the M37 fuel pump I got a prompt reply back from Tom at Then and Now Automotive, you can read Tom’s reply below.  My fuel pump turned out to be an AC 9804J and was more in need of a good cleaning due to rust in the fuel lines than a rebuild.

The fuel pump after it was rebuilt and installed.		As you can see there was a lot of rust present.

Then and Now Automotive can be reached at:

Phone: 781-335-8860
Outside U.S.: 01-781-335-8860
Fax: 781-335-1925

Then and Now Automotive
447 Washington St.
Weymouth Ma. 02188

mailto:oldpartstom@aol.com

Dear Matt,

    Thank you for your kind inquiry. We make the fuel pump kits for the M37 and all sorts of other fuel pumps, but in order to provide the right kit, we need to know the number that is stamped into the pump you want to rebuild. The pump number is on the edge of one of the ears that the bolts go through to hold the pump onto the motor.

    The M-37 Power Wagon and the M-43 Ambulances tend to have AC pumps with either # 9615 or 9804 stamped in. These are pumps equipped with a priming lever, and the pumps are also equipped with fittings to run submerged (briefly).

    With that number we can send the right kit- the kits contain the parts for both the fuel and vacuum sides- the gasket to block, rocker arm pin and bushing and spring; oil seal and retainer (for the vacuum side only- on the fuel side there is no seal, just the seal retainer acting as a spring seat) ; diaphragm assemblies (of die cut buna-n-nitrile rubber cloth reinforced with nylon, with upper and lower steel protector plates and the pull rod riveted through the center- watch out for crappy flea market kits which expect you to somehow take your old diaphragms apart and re-stake them!) check valves and check valve gaskets (10 check valves in this pump!) and pulsator diaphragm on fuel side, and vacuum side bowl gasket and fiber washer.

    The kits are $ 69.50 because of the extra check valves and the pulsator diaphragm. Shipping and handling is $ 12.50 by UPS inside the continental US. We also offer rebuilding services on the pump at $ 145.00 for the labor and kit parts. We take the usual credit cards, and ask that you telephone or fax in your important information for an order. We cover our phones from Monday to Friday in Eastern time at 781-335-8860 from 8am to 5pm and at 781-335-1579 from 10am to 7pm> The fax is 781-335-1925 anytime.

    Hope this helps,  Tom

Monroe County Indiana had an auction that included a 1954 Dodge M37 that had been restored by the county around 1988, a few bids later by my nephew and the truck was all mine.  Having a second M37 makes putting the first one back together much easier.

	To the left is an article from the Monroe County Herald from February of 1988 detailing parts of the restoration, even though the truck was restored in 1988 that was still 20 years ago.
	I call the truck The Patriot because it has a red, white and blue color scheme.
	The truck is equipped with a Super-X 24 volt siren from Federal Sign and Signal Corporation.

 Some other pictures of my progress

After a quick Google I learned that the appropriate method for MIG welding for sheet metal was:

1. Use 0.30 solid core wire with Argon/CO2 gas.
2. Space welds about 1" apart allowing piece to cool to prevent warping.
3. Once the welding is finished you can grind down the welds, go slow to prevent heat build up and warping.

Below are a before and after of a crack I welded up on my project.

 
The M37 with the hard top removed, I also personalized it with some primer.

The brush guards and winch cable removed.

Fenders and lights removed.

I bought a 1952 Dodge M37 in April 2008 as my first restoration project.  I decided on the M37 because it's appearance, luckily there are lots of NOS (New Old Stock) parts available. 

The M37 was produced from 1952 - 1969 and saw service in both Korea and Vietnam, there are 6 variants of the M37:

• M37 and M37B1 Cargo Truck
• M42 Command Truck
• M43 Ambulance
• M56 & M53 Chassis Truck
• V41 Maintenance Truck (M201)

My M37 has the PTO driven winch which adds 300 lbs to the overall weight of the truck.

You can order reproductions of all the original M37 manuals here.  The Faxon manuals are all reproductions.

You can also find them on eBay sometimes for less but not always.