Factory Service Manual

I have a 1970 CJ5 and I am wanting to buy a FSM obviously there are many available can someone tell me which one is the best all around?

 

I don't know about the best but I liked the factory service manual from AMC. I got it from FAXON.com . It covered up to 71 and included a little on the CJ3B.

 

http://www.kaiserwillys.com/product/1680/willys_mechanicsmanuals







Todd

 

Yeah, by definition, the FSM is the factory service manual. This is the manual supplied by Jeep corporation to its dealers' mechanics. There is only one. The FSM was revised for every model year, but only one manual was issued that covers a specific year.

The other manuals, like Haynes, Chilton, and Motors, are aftermarket competitors. They are service manuals, but there is only one FSM.

 

That's not quite accurate. For one thing there was never an issue called "factory" service manual.
Only the OWNERS MANUAL was issued for each model and for most but not all years.


Civilian Jeep manuals began in 1945.
The original was called the CJ-2A MAINTAINANCE MANUAL.
A little later came the MECHANICS MANUAL series.
This includes the special 1953 edition titled CJ-3B Universal and Farm Mechanics Manual.
The UNIVERSAL SERVICE MANUAL series began in 1957 and ended in 1971 with the SM 1046.
The Universal Service Manual covered universal models only and were never issued for each year.
The optimum Service Manual is dependant upon specific model, vintage and engine (L4,F4 or V-6)
I am lucky enough to have a near complete colllection.
I would say that the optimum service manual for a 1970 CJ-5 is either the SM 1038 published by Kaiser Jeep Corporation copyright 1968 or the SM 1046 published by American Motors Jeep Corporation copyright 1971 1973 1975 or 1977

 

Thanks for the detailed reply.

My point was that the factory supplied manuals to their dealer's service departments, intended to be used by the dealer's mechanics. These are the "factory service manuals" even if they were not titled as that. Certainly from 1972 on, there was a new manual (titled the "Technical Service Manual") for each year. I presume that, for earlier years, there was a manual in force, and that supplements were issued to cover the changes from year to year. But this was before my time with Jeeps, so I have to guess about what manuals were issued during those years.

 

I would love both a 67 and a 70 manual just to have with both jeeps.
I think it would be an inside the house item, much unlike the 3 manuals I use while working on the rigs, Chiltons, Haynes, and Lundel's rebuilders guide.
I want to thank everyone for the links posted as places to get info.
I really appreciate them as it gets harder all the time to get info on these things and the mechanics who worked on them years ago are all retiring.

 

http://www.earlycj5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=75014

 

That's right Tim, and we all depend on your post 1972 expertise.

The post 1971 Technical Service Manuals were issued every year.
They were only available to service departments and so are quite rare.
That series of manuals covered all Jeep models produced for a specific year.
The post 1971 AMC group index is a totally changed organization of the published material.
This change is most ovbvious comparing the Willys/Kaiser Universal Parts Lists (UPL) to the post 1971 AMC Parts Catalogs.

 

At the risk of splitting hairs ...

When you say "they were only available to service departments," are you referring to the '72-on TSMs? If so, these books could be purchased across the parts counter in their day. The dealership I worked at sold lots of them to customers, and they were featured in their glass-front counter - a popular item.

 

Yeah Tim,
I was referring to the post 1971 TSM's
I didn't realize these were sold overcounter.
The only copies I have (1972 and 1973) were Service dept. copies.
Regardless original TSM's rarely surface.

 

On virtually any vehicle made in the last 50-60 years you could go to your dealer and get a copy of the service manual the dealer used. I have seen reprints available on a ton of vehicles that have been out of print for years. Somehwhere my dad had one for like a 49 mercury or something. My grandfatehr bought it at the dealer in like 50-51 or so. My factory service manual is an original and there is even a part number on it, printed in 8/1971, AMC part number SM-1046, I would guess it was sold to a private mechanic from the notes I found on the inside of it. It covers only the models 1971 and prior. According to what I've been told they were updated every several years as they made changes. Mine even has an addendum in the back fora couple of late changes that must not have been made in time for the normal publication. It was an addendum for the brakes.

 

and the bindings typically fall apart New meaning to loose leaf.

The old ones Ken referrred to stay together much better. Some of the sections in the post 72 issues are direct copy of the earlier material. The FC manual I have (SM-1003-R1, 1960) covers all years of the FC's and I use SM-1046 for the CJ5 which covers just about everything for all early CJ's except L head motors.

 

Hey tmgir,

I have a couple of FSM's (the real ones) for early Jeepsters. Any Idea what these are worth in fair condition ?

Extreem

 

A guess? Maybe $30-50 each; less than $100 I would think. You could try to eBay them with a reserve and see how high they go. Depends on finding the right buyer.