restoration Civilian Mk1 Militant

[julezee001]

My Militant used to have a tiny pre-filter behind the cab to save the lift pump. It was however totally inadequate, and there is now a filter/aglomerator there instead which catches all the water and lumps that come up the pick up pipe. I usually only get problems when I've run low on fuel and it then picks up the "floaters", which lead to a huge loss of power as they travel slowly up the pipe until they get drawn into the pre-filter. So far I've never had her stop running altogether, and after about a minute she clears and runs up the road fine. I change all 3 filters annually, sometimes the pre-filter twice, but at about £1.30 each they're a very minor expense.

 

Jules

[Zero-Five-Two]

Those little Pre Filter things were a Mod on the later Mk1's. If I remember right they were little glass bowls, easy to crack when refitting after cleaning.

[Zero-Five-Two]

Just in case the old timber tractor was feeling unloved with all the interest being in the new tanker, I took her for a bit of a run out today.

 

Don't know if anyone else has noticed, but it has been raining a bit just lately, and I wanted to check the roof sealing I did earlier in the year, see if the cab stayed dry. Pleased to report that rain ingress has now been restricted to a little bit blowing in under the windows, and a few drips over the door tops, which is what you would expect.

 

Had to stop part way round and tighten up the drivers side wiper arm, it swung round up over the roof at one point, but otherwise a nice little run round.

 

Took a couple of pics, looking moody in the rain, while stopped

 

 

 

and again back at the farm

 

 

 

You can't not love her really

[Corbs]

I didn't care a jot about Militants until I saw this thread. I love the timber tractor!

[Zero-Five-Two]

Started clearing out the shed today, in preparation for the ingress of tanker parts that will happen in the next couple of weeks, and found some instruction plates which were removed to allow for the repair of the off side wheel arch back in 2007

 

 

From here

 

Refitted today some 9 years later, a real round to it

 

 

Fitted up the trailer couplings too

 

 

 

Have no air pipes for them to connect to, at mo, so not a lot of use but they do look the part.

 

On a more serious note, she has had a naughty little oil leak for a while now, and getting worse. At the Sprat and Winkle run to Hastings last October, there was an embarrassing little puddle under the motor when we parked up on the sea front. More than enough for a GV9 if we were a plated working commercial.

 

Quick investigation at the time revealed the rocker cover gasket leaking, so today removed the lid and had a look.

 

 

Might be made of aluminium but it is a big bit and was a bit of a fight to get out.

 

 

 

Gaskets. The offending articles. Damaged/leaking bits easily seen. Pair of new ones required

 

 

On a positive note, the rockers and top of engine look in pristine condition.

 

I have a couple of leads on new gasket suppliers but any suggestions are welcome.

[Grasshopper]

When I was looking after a fleet of AECs busses, I used to make my own gaskets when our stocks were depleted. I successfully made a full top and bottom set for a horizontal 9.6, but took a lot of time! With the advent of companies who make gaskets, we did have a batch of the more common ones we used produced.

[Grasshopper]

When I was looking after a fleet of AECs busses, I used to make my own gaskets when our stocks were depleted. I successfully made a full top and bottom set for a horizontal 9.6, but took a lot of time! With the advent of companies who make gaskets, we did have  a batch of the more common ones we used produced. 

[philb]

Rob,

I made rocker cover gaskets for my Matador from 3mm corprene sheet (cork granules bonded together with neoprene rubber) which I bought from you-know-where-bay. It's easy to cut and doesn't crack like cork does and doesn't creep like solid rubber does.

Phil

[Zero-Five-Two]

Time for an update on the oil leak and gasket saga, as it's been a while since I started messing with it.

 

Following Philb's suggestion I had a look at the old gaskets and they appeared to be made of a composite cork material. I found a supplier of sheets of the stuff on the net and sent off for some.

 

Cutting it out turned out to be a nightmare, more often than not it just split and tore right where you didn't need it. Then had a better idea. Normal gasket paper but 2 or 3 sheets glued together to get the desired thickness.

 

Worked out much better. I had to buy a 2.5m roll of the stuff, but it did give me a bit of spare to play with if it all went wrong.

 

2 layers seemed to be the best thickness glued together with some aerosol flooring glue that I happened to have in the shed

 

 

 

 

2 Gaskets cut out quite nicely

 

I did use a smear of sealant as well when I fitted them, but mainly to hold them in place. Rocker cover screwed down nicely and all looked good.

 

Went for a test drive round Sittingbourne about 10 miles or so, then open up the engine cover to see how things were. Both gaskets bone dry, but oil still dripping from under the motor.

 

Further investigation found the side cover plate leaking on the right hand side of the engine. You can just about get your hand up the side of the sump, but enough to feel some of the holding bolts are less than finger tight.

 

Diagnosis may have been easy, repair is something else. To get to the plate you have to remove the engine top cover, and then the side cover, but you can't do that until you have taken out the drivers seat and the floor plate under it. Oh deep joy!!

 

 

 

Once removed it was easy to see where the oil had been leaking through.

 

 

The offending plate

 

Took about 3 hours to get it off and clean up the mess, absolutely kills yous back, knees etc. Would be lovely to be able to tilt the cab like a modern truck!

 

 

Anyway back home to finish cleaning and make a new gasket

 

 

 

Bit limited for working space on our patio just now, some git has left a cab top in the way :blush:

By coincidence, I had a bit of gasket paper in stock, just a single layer this time, and again a smear of sealant. Bolted up easily.

 

Haven't been for a test drive yet, weather got a bit inclement, but I have had her running for half an hour or so and no noticeable oil dribbles, so fingers crossed it's all sorted.

 

Supposed to be on show this weekend at the Kent County Showground at Detling, but time is getting a bit tight for that, still got the floor and seat to put back in before it can go anywhere, then it needs a good steam clean and polish.

[Zero-Five-Two]

Quick update from the last post, on the day of the show at Detling, I went via our workshop at Sevenoaks, partly to meet up with others going to the show, but also to give the old girl a good run and test for oil leakage.

 

It's about 35 mile each way from the farm where she lives, so I figured that would be far enough to see if we are dry or still dripping. Pleased to say that having parked on some nice clean concrete at Detling, we were not embarrassed by leaving a puddle anywhere.

 

On the down side, I don't know how I managed it but I cracked the passengers windscreen

 

 

I think I whacked it with my elbow while opening the engine cover. Anyway, it was starting to delaminate round the edges and it looked a bit tatty so new glass was in order.

 

 

I took one of the tanker screens down to our local windscreen place, and they used that for a template to cut a new one. Only £40 so not too bad.

 

 

Up bright and early this morning and set about fitting it in.

 

 

 

Cutting the old glass out was fun, originally it was slotted into the frame with a strip of rubber around the edge. When I did the frame as part of the restoration the glass got glued in with modern screen sealant. Bit of a mare to get off. Trusty Stanley knife with a fresh blade and a shot of WD 40 to lubricate it eventually got through.

 

 

Still needed a bit of brute force at the end though. Gave the frame a good polish up while it was empty and changed the edge seals at the same time.

 

 

 

New seal looks excellent

 

 

Cable ties etc are holding it all together while the glue sets over night, hopefully by the morning it will be good to refit.

[mammoth]

The crack appears to have started at the wiper bolt, suggesting that there has been some metal to glass contact. Perhaps counter-intuitively the use of glue may have contributed to there being a stress point. The original use of rubber allows the glass some movement inside the wobbly frame.

[Zero-Five-Two]

Crack started by the screen wash, which was a retrofit by some REME Unit back in the day. Looking closely at it, now, it looks like they simply drilled through the frame in the appropriate place, and caught the edge of the glass causing a weak point.

 

Anyway all good now

 

 

Just have to get the Brasso out for the drivers side

[Zero-Five-Two]

Big show this weekend, Saturday and Sunday. The AEC Society Rally at the Newark Showground. It's actually called "The Great North Road Run" and meant for all makes and types of motors. But it is sponsored by the AEC Society and they are always the largest turnout, although ERF's come a close second.

 

We'll be there with the old Militant, as usual. Took her to work last weekend for a run through the workshop, oil, water and grease up etc, ready to go. Day off on Friday for last polishing and so on. Some of the black paint on the back needs a fresh coat too, so I'm hoping for a dry day.

 

Been out this evening for the expensive bit

 

 

Before

 

 

After

 

That's was 200 ltrs at 109.9p per ltr = £220!

 

 

By the time we get back on Sunday night, there'll be about a fivers worth left!

[ArtistsRifles]

Hopefully I'll be able to go next year for the first time :-)

[militant-nick]

Hopefully I'll be able to go next year for the first time :-)

 

Me too, mine goes into a big spray booth tomorrow 😃

[Zero-Five-Two]

Excellent weekend was had and a good percentage of today has been spent sleeping and recovering.

 

Couple pictures for your delectation

 

Saturday starts at 0300hrs

 

 

6 hours later arrive at Newark then, about lunchtime, out on the Road Run

 

 

Road run tea stop just happens to be across the road from RAF Waddington and this!!

 

 

Vulcan 607

 

 

Usual show time stuff after that, bit of window polishing, beers and bar b cue.

 

Back home again last night. Fuel gauge looks like this again!

 

 

Sums don't look to bad though. 376 miles done, 41 gallons of diesel used. Just a shade over 9 to the gallon. Quite respectable for an old Millitant.

 

How's this for a left hook Militant?

 

 

 

 

You have to look twice at it. Our Stuart larking about with the wheel we picked up for the tanker. Needs a clean up, but it is the right type and will "Do" quite nicely

[philb]

Well done, Rob. "Enthusiastic" doesn't quite describe you!

 

cheers, Phil

[ArtistsRifles]

Looks like a fun weekend - hopefully next year we'll be able to join you

[datadawg]

It has taken a bit of time, working around the bad weather, but the spare wheel carrier is finally in place and functioning well.

 

 

 

Watched the video, absolutely astounded at the engineering elegance. Wow! I have an m923a2 (US made 5 ton cargo truck, Gulf War vintage) with a spare tire behind the cab, but I would probably prefer sitting in a dentist chair for an hour rather than attempt to hoist that thing down. British ingenuity, for sure.

[Zero-Five-Two]

Hi Datadawg,

 

That video has been around for quite a while, good to know people are still watching it

[Zero-Five-Two]

Hasn't been all tanker work this summer, have managed to get out with the timber tractor, now and again. Weald of Kent Rally last weekend at Woodchurch.

 

 

Bar-b-Cue and beers as usual. Good selection of motors, tractors, MV's,

 

 

and a steam fair ground that is open well late on the Saturday night.

[Zero-Five-Two]

I've been after some replacement tyres for the old girl for a long time now, the lack of tread in places and the perished cracks have been a cause for concern for a while. As we all know you can't move for 14.00 x 20 tyres round and about, so when I found a set of 6 on Fleebay it wasn't really a difficult decision as to whether to have them or not.

 

Advertised as part worn, but nearly new would be nearer the truth, they are chunk tread, Pirelli Pista 22 ply, from a unimog.

 

 

So last Saturday, the mammoth task of removing and changing them all round began

 

 

 

Our Stuart surrounded by tyres

 

 

Good to have the use of workshop and lifting legs

 

 

However, workshop tools do not extend to fancy hydraulic tyre splitters, just the old fashioned "Monkey" hammer

 

 

Few blisters later and all wheels split reasonably well, except one which was a real pig, but we got it in the end

 

 

Took us 2 full days graft to change them all, second day was outside in the fog, but we took the legs with us.

 

 

Just to prove we "do" do 'elf an' safety, man using noisy air gun and wearing ear defenders

 

 

Went for a little test drive with the new boots on. Top speed is up a little 2-3 mph which I reckon is due to more tread making a bigger tyres. She rolls a lot easier, which catches you out now and again, especially when braking and changing down gears. So it may give us better fuel consumption.

 

They certainly look the part, and will be a good bit safer than the old knackered ones.

Edited November 7, 2016 by Zero-Five-Two
Spelling

[Zero-Five-Two]

 

Does this mean we are now famous?

[philb]

You are indeed and it was very nicely written, thank you.

[julezee001]

Just wondered what the steering is like with the modern flat tread tyres that you've fitted? Many years ago the Army in its wisdom stopped fitting bar grips on Bedford Mk's/MJ's in favour of the tyres fitted to Leyland Daf's, which had a flat pattern with lots more tread on the road. It not only made the steering feel as heavy as my Militant with Atlas crane behind the cab, but also ruined their cross-country capabilities too!

 

Jules