I don't know how people can not laugh their asses off when reading posts on the G503.com jeep forums.
Some guy says the connecting rods are STEEL. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
The block, crank, pistons, con rods are CAST IRON. So is the dist housing, the starter housing, the genny housing, the water pump etc etc etc.
IRON IS NOT STEEL. Steel is made from highly refined iron with 95-99%+ of the carbon removed. There is very little steel in a WWII jeep. The body and frame, some gears and axles.. but most engine parts ain't steel,brake drums are cast iron, as are the bellhousing, transfer and transmission cases, some gears are cast (timing, transfer case sliding and IM gear). One reason is that steel is a biatch to cast. And ductile iron is just a strong as steel, but flows very easily into sand molds.
How I ever survived being on that forum I'll never know... but it IS a constant source of laughs.