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Scammell Explorer fixes and workarounds


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Guest catweazle (Banned Member)
We need more real life drama here, Catweazle, can't you feel a new thread coming on?

Well theres plenty going on for me,but its on the race boat,its amazing the rubbish the so called experts come out with,they tell you there computors say that wont work,when you tell them it has for the last 40 yrs they dont have an answer,only thats not what it says here,sorry off topic shame its not x RN i could do a thread,mind you its owner was is that good enough.:-D:captain:

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Guest catweazle (Banned Member)
I was thinking 'what desperate/diabolical bodges did members use to get their broken down pride and joy home?' I can well would imagine some of the stuff done at sea!

ITs a good idea.why dont you start it off,think the army boots will take some beating,In the seventies dealers also got up to allsorts,At one time the AA must of attended untold call outs in the Ruddington area.I can remember one incident from ruddington days,but thats another day.

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ITs a good idea.why dont you start it off,think the army boots will take some beating,In the seventies dealers also got up to allsorts,At one time the AA must of attended untold call outs in the Ruddington area.I can remember one incident from ruddington days,but thats another day.

 

 

Now this has brought back a little story regarding Scammell Mediums (as Explorers were known in the army). At the REME workshops where I worked, there was also an Ordnance depot. Vehicles for disposal were brought in from local units at one time, but disposed of through the big Ruddington auctions, viewing being done in previous days. After the auctions, it was quite busy with people like Vass turning up and literally stacking Bedford RL's together on low loaders. One day after an auction, a Scammell medium recovery was seen coming down from the Ord depot.....with black smoke pouring out of the exhaust, definitely running rich. The driver pulled up at the workshop and explained he was driving the vehicle back to Norwich but he had a problem. Now the vehicle examiners were well aware of what the fault was ( and were no doubt waiting for this moment :)). Sometime previously, an Antar broke down in the area, fault being..........a faulty float in the carb. Being a weekend and using initiative, they removed one from the Explorer waiting for disposal and used that, but did not replace it, so one carb was flooding. I have no doubt that a float was found ;).

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Hi Bernard

 

Strangely enough, my old ex RAF Explorer GSU 510 has just surfaced after going into hiding for many years. See: http://markpeacocklr.co.uk/forecourt/others.htm

 

Mike

 

Mike - it has now been sold to a collector in Suffolk, it appears to be in really good order, and the cleanest one I've seen for a long while. Hopefully won't be too long before it is seen out and about again.

 

Tony (who feels sure he has bought something Scammell or GMC related from you in the past.........:) )

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Mike - it has now been sold to a collector in Suffolk, it appears to be in really good order, and the cleanest one I've seen for a long while. Hopefully won't be too long before it is seen out and about again.

 

Tony (who feels sure he has bought something Scammell or GMC related from you in the past.........:) )

 

Well I'm glad to see I'm not the only one to sport a non compliant radiator grill!

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Mike - it has now been sold to a collector in Suffolk, it appears to be in really good order, and the cleanest one I've seen for a long while. Hopefully won't be too long before it is seen out and about again.

 

Tony (who feels sure he has bought something Scammell or GMC related from you in the past.........:) )

 

Glad it has gone to a good home. There are 2 b/w pics of it on the CCMV site taken soon after I bought it for a staggering £1250 + vat back in 1985 - those were the days. Even got it delivered foc! :-D Noticed it still has the braced Militant 1 mirror arms I knocked up for it.

 

Mike

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  • 2 weeks later...
Guest catweazle (Banned Member)

In the 8 wheeled Leylands we worked on they were plain bushes with auto oilers.

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The gearcase is mounted on the axle tube on two points, the bearings being a bronze bush. The outer bush is splash lubricated from the gearcase, the inner one is fitted with two "grease" nipples for oil. My interpretation of the setup is that the gearcase and bush turn relative to the axle. On mine both inner bushes have turned relative to the gearcase, so the oilways no longer line up. On the one that moves, on full articulation, the oilway can be seen through the hole for the grease nipple. (see picture)

My solution has been to drill new oilways through the bush with the beam level to allow oil to pass to the inside of the bush.

The general advice I have had from various sources is oil, abuse and heat. I am hoping that once I can give it a decent run and get the whole thing heated up it will start to free off. It will move, but is very tight.

 

The questions are;

How common is this sticky beam problem?

If the bushes move out of place and the gearcase moves relative to the bush how much damage can it cause?

How many people have actually taken out the grease nipples to see what is going on behind them?

 

Extract from the parts book.

img0535aed9.jpg

 

img0780vl9.jpg

 

:-D N.O.S. - boilersuit is normal attire, spanners are always out :cool2:

Edited by croc
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No doubt they will free off, but if not, don't panic -

 

Worst case scenario -

 

Once the housing is worn oval, you'll probably have a job to keep any bronze bushes tight. Also if you have to get them made they will be ££££££. Possibly shaft will be OK but any play and a new std bush will suffer fast.

 

If you are up for a "super bodge", how about this - (never failed me yet!)

 

Get new bushes made from a hard NYLON (in this case recommend S grade, the same as heavy truck spring bushes). And only ££ to get made by comparison!

 

You may need to do some very careful measuring to get the optimum fit for both housing and shaft, but what happens is the bush will remain a nice press fit in worn housing, the bush simply deforming into worn area whenever load applied rather than break up.

 

Also to some extent self lubricating, though we always cut greaseways as original. Greasing will keep grit out and prevent hard particles embedding into nylon and then wearing shaft even more.

 

A brilliant company up in Glasgow, specialising in one-off jobs. Will dig their number out today (long time since used them)

Edited by N.O.S.
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The questions are;

How common is this sticky beam problem?

>Quite common, I have seen a few.

 

If the bushes move out of place and the gearcase moves relative to the bush how much damage can it cause?

>From memory, the beam is located on the axle by collars either side of the inner pivot, so the bush should not move far axially. However as you said above, if the bush rotates within the beam it will obtruct the flow of lubricant. I would not suggest using heat on the beam as all that will do is release the grip on the bush.

 

How many people have actually taken out the grease nipples to see what is going on behind them?

>Mine would not accept any grease or oil even at crazy pressures. I removed the nipples and found a mass of dried up lithium type grease which I eventually managed to shift using Rocol penetrating oil. I used an MS type grease and never had any more problems.

 

This is what they should look like:

http://ccmv.fotopic.net/p43438066.html

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Hello everyone , I'm hoping someone has a scrap front axle that is being used for spares as I'm after a locking bolt from the nearside front hub assembly as someone in the past damaged mine ! Anyone familiar with my Scammell will know its not urgent :-D ! But it would be nice to fit a decent one for peace of mind ! I'm happy to buy it of course and pay any postage costs ! Andy F . P.S. it is only the small bolt to the right of the photo I'm after ! DSC03400.jpg

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  • 1 month later...

:help:The front hub seals on my Explorer are the early type consisting of flat rubber pushed against the stub axle shoulder by springs. I have a problem with oil getting past due to a large chunk being missing, due no doubt to it being clouted on the stub axle when being fitted!

 

DSCF6215-1.jpg

 

Has any one got one lying around unwanted or even the later type, long shot I know but I thought I'd better ask.

 

DSCF6213.jpg

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My wife is taking the skin of the back of the cab. We have only just noticed that the cab frame is in sections and the cab back is fixed to the sides by bolts that go through the skinning.

 

Has anyone reskinned a cab back. is it easier to leave the frame in place, or can it come out. If it comes out what holds the back of the cab floor in place?

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Sorry Bernard I've had a look in my limited spares and haven't any hub seals ! Mike when I dismantled my cab the back panel was the last to be removed as it supports both side frames and floor boards ! Did you repair the leaking fuel tank ? daisy023.jpgdaisy027.jpg

daisy031.jpgdaisy039.jpg

Edited by AndyFowler
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try ARCO they make all sorts of speacilist seals and sell the material to make them.

 

Thanks Tony I'll look into them.

 

My wife is taking the skin of the back of the cab. We have only just noticed that the cab frame is in sections and the cab back is fixed to the sides by bolts that go through the skinning.

 

Has anyone re-skinned a cab back. is it easier to leave the frame in place, or can it come out. If it comes out what holds the back of the cab floor in place?

 

 

Mike, I re-skinned all my cab without even taking any of the frame apart, I just took the boards off the center section of the back body and drilled the new back sheeting that way, it was a bit fiddly but it worked. Be sure to use some non silicone adhesive/ sealer between the skin and the frame to stop rattles, so the paint sticks inside, and don't be tempted to not bother with the stiffening folds. (As if you didn't know that already!)

 

To bend the taper curved roof corners I just welded a big fire extinguisher and a little one to the bench the right distance apart, cramped the sheet to the bench and we all leaned on it till it looked right, so easy after ages thinking how to do it properly!

 

The front lower side panels can be fitted by prizing the front bulkhead panel away and sliding the pre-folded panel in.

 

Sorry Bernard I've had a look in my limited spares and haven't any hub seals !

 

Thanks for looking Andy

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