restoration Civilian Mk1 Militant

[Zero-Five-Two]

Been a while since we had an update, so I thought I ought to sit down and put pen to paper so to speak. Not only that the old girl has developed a bit of a problem that I need some help with.

 

Went up to the AEC show at Newark at the end of May, bit of a damp weekend at times, but nonetheless a good show.

 

 

 

Met a guy called John Hanna and his newly acquired Mk1 "with caravan"

 

 

And also saw this? :wow:

 

 

It used to be a Militant, cab roof appears to have been covered in roofing felt, like you'd put on the garden shed!!

I'll put some more pictures on the Militant Gallery

 

Anyway, the journey up had been fun, heavy rain all the way, and most of it seemed to be inside the cab. I didn't think there was any holes in our roof but there must be some as the water was pouring in through the pop rivets inside. Still we got there without any real drama except my glasses steaming up.

 

Went on the Bomber County Road run around Scampton etc, no problem, but that said, a picture of us has now appeared on the net with the off side headlamp not working. So I must apologise for not carrying out a drivers walk round check.

 

Coming back into the showground the generator (no charge) light comes on. Parked up and checked things over, belts intact, Dynamo seems OK but no power getting back to the batteries.

 

Quick assessment of the situation, only got the journey home to do, if we don't need lights, demister etc like we did on the way up we can get home on battery power alone. Which we did.

 

Once back at the farm I set about finding out what is wrong. Belts were a bit shabby, so a new set was purchased. Incidently got them on line from www.bearingboys Size C65 £10.50 each. Dynamo has checked out OK, suspect the regulator/control panel causing the issue.

 

That'd be this thing

 

I like to think I am reasonably good with vehicle electrics but I felt a bit out of the comfort zone with this. Anyway I read on an old thread on this forum about a members Matador having a similar fault which was traced to dirty contacts in the regulator, so thinking it would be a good place to start I had the lid off today to see what's what inside.

 

Using a test light I found power coming in at the battery end and nothing at the dynamo end. Can't see anything wrong at this point, but still no charge.

 

 

I did find out if I poked this contact it engaged and the charge light went out. Progress I thought.

 

Didn't last long!

 

Smoke started coming from this coil, and not just a bit!! Proper on fire job!

 

Quick panic to stop engine and unplug everything that might be in danger of getting fried. Oops:blush:

 

 

I am now open to advice/suggestions from the more learned of our community.

 

Oh! and by the way anyone got a spare one of these in the shed? Mine smells a bit funny now

 

[Zero-Five-Two]

Those of you who have viewed this thread regularly will have noticed that all the photos seem to have disappeared into the ether. Nobody knows as they say. anyhow I am in the process of replacing them all and updating some of the text as well, so bear with me as there is quite a few of them to sort out.

[militant-nick]

Couple of photos I took at the same event of your very smart truck, that jib is a monster

 

Regards,

[Zero-Five-Two]

Thanks Nick. The Oil Drum Barbecue did pretty good as well

[Zero-Five-Two]

Good news is, the electrical (not charging) problem has been sorted. Thanks to a guy called Paul Bruschan, recommended to me by Richard Farrant.

:tup::.

 

Paul is an electrician from over Maidstone way. He does this sort of thing for a living, you can find his advert on Milweb if you need his number.

 

Problem was corrosion on the contacts in the regulator. Paul checked the system, found the guilty party, cleaned the contacts and adjusted the clearance, fired the engine up and it all works, nice steady charge at anything above tickover.

 

So we are back on the road! look out Kent we are out for a drive round on Saturday :-D:-D

[terrierman]

What a Brilliant Thread and I Love the Lorry.

 

John

[Richard Farrant]

Good news is, the electrical (not charging) problem has been sorted. Thanks to a guy called Paul Bruschan, recommended to me by Richard Farrant.

:tup::.

 

Paul is an electrician from over Maidstone way. He does this sort of thing for a living, you can find his advert on Milweb if you need his number.

 

 

 

Glad to hear that Paul fixed the problem :thumbsup:

[single speed]

 

Problem was corrosion on the contacts in the regulator. Paul checked the system, found the guilty party, cleaned the contacts and adjusted the clearance, fired the engine up and it all works, nice steady charge at anything above tickover

 

 

Any idea what the clearance should be Rob?

[Zero-Five-Two]

Paul didn't actually measure the gap, as you might imagine with feeler gauges, but used his test meter to judge to current flow at a given engine speed. He left it so that as soon as the revs rise above tickover, contact engages and dynamo charges.

[Simon Daymond]

I should probably adjust mine that way, ok on a good run, but pottering the batteries don't seem to get enough of a charge.

I'll add it to the list of all the other things I won't get around too

[Zero-Five-Two]

The answer is stop "Pottering" on and off low loaders and drive the thing (LOL!) :-D

[Simon Daymond]

that was a first

[Zero-Five-Two]

Long time ago, 2012 to be exact, I built this lovely bin behind the cab ideal for tools, spares, and all the other crap you take to shows etc.

 

 

Unfortunately, as regular readers of this blog will know, any good idea of mine usually falls on its backside at some point, when measurements go wrong or something and the whole issue has to be modified to get round the problem.

 

The new tool bin was no exception, all went well until the crane jib was fitted, and I realised I couldn't open the bin lid without lifting the jib.

 

 

Not really a major issue, but if the worst happened and she had a breakdown, I wouldn't be able to get any tools out to effect a repair.

 

Plan was to cut the bin lid into separate sides, easy enough, but it has taken a while to get round to actually doing it. Week before last finally saw action. Quick grinder across the hinges lift off and return to shed for modification.

 

 

Audi might be more comfortable than the Toyota Pick up, but it does have its limitations. Anyhow, got home in one piece and straight out with the trusty 9" cutter, one lid becomes 3 bits, 2 potential lids and one centre section to be fixed under the crane.

 

 

Inner edges of the two lids have an extra wide strip to act as a rain cover between the sections

 

 

This weekend saw it all loaded back into the car (fits better now!) and back down the farm for fitting up

 

 

Trial fit of the three parts, in the vain hope that it will all come together, without a lot of mucking about. Then weld on new hinges and retaining chain.

 

 

Left Hand Lid

 

 

Right Hand Lid

 

 

Looks Good

 

 

But spot the edge of the right hand side, had to be ground off a touch. Crane jib leans to the right about an half inch, just didn't quite fit.

 

Still all done now, and the good news is, at least now if the worst happens and we do have breakdown we can get the deck chairs and the barbecue out while we wait for the recovery truck. LOL!!

 

[Zero-Five-Two]

Seems to me we are well overdue an update on life with Milicent the militant. So, as I sit here with a large Bacardi an’ Coke in hand, on the last day of 2014, I’ll bring youall up to speed.

 

October saw us on what is becoming our last outing of the season, namely the HCVS Sprat & Winkle Run. A gentle meander through the Kent and Sussex countryside, starting with breakfast at Sevenoaks, then trundle down to Eridge Heritage Railway Station for tea break, and then onto Hastings via the country lanes.

 

 

Eridge Train Station.

 

We were last to leave Sevenoaks, so last in here and had plenty of room to park, most of the others had been and gone by the time we got there.

 

Show parade on Hastings sea front, fish an’ chips on the beach. Lovely. Couldn’t have asked for a better day.

 

‘Til going home time!! Half past four, middle of Hastings, on the main road out of town, who was blocking the road? Yep! It was us, lift pump full of crap and no diesel getting to the injection pump.

 

Fortunately, the recent tool bin modifications allowed us to get tools, etc out, and after about half an hour of swearing, cursing and praying she started up and we continued on our way home.

 

Careful analysis of the situation, over a lager or two afterwards, discovered there is no filtering of the diesel in between the tank and the lift pump. Any sh**e in the diesel tank goes straight into the lift pump.

 

Best solution would be to fit a modern filter/sedimenter into the line between then tank and the lift pump. Most of the buses I work on have these fitted, and they do collect some crap over the course of the working week, despite filling up at reputable suppliers.

 

So yesterday morning, we made a start. Design and build, as they say.

 

 

Fuel pipe runs along the back of the tank

 

So we fit a new sedimenter along side the diesel tank. However, Knowing what I am like with measuring anything, I thought it would be better to try things first before fitting it all up and finding we have to grind it off and start again. So check fuel line and tack weld bracket and test first.

 

 

Looked good, but time was running short and there was a further delay by the need to feed sheep and other helping out of the farmers. I should add that this is a pleasure, (family an’ all that LOL!!), and they let me keep the Militant on site for free, so I can't complain.

 

Finished the job today.

 

 

Nice fitment, coat of paint and it looks like it was meant to be there. Fire up the motor and check for leaks

 

Only a proper old English engine engine smokes likes this on a cold day

 

Anyhow we went for a quick blast down the A2 to Faversham and back to see if the old girl would run OK.

 

Yes she did, bags of power, and that awesome exhaust roar that tells you she is happy with life

 

 

Looks good after the road run. Nice layer of water collected in the bottom, "plus crap", and none of it going into the rest of the system. Sediment bowl has a nice little drain tap underneath to syphon off the muck.

 

Last piece of news, we have a new flag!! A friend of a friend who is still a serving member of the Corps of Royal Engineers, and must therefore, remain nameless, acquired this item from the Royal Navy stores while in Afghanistan. (Why the Navy were in Afghanistan is beyond me, I thought it was a land campaign)

 

 

It should fit on a boat, such as the Ark Royal, or HMS whatever. Apparently he was in their stores on legigimate business and asked who it belonged to. As he was told it could be his for anappropriate fee, it changed hands and was re-liberated to the UK. We’ll look good for 2015.

 

All the best for 2015, speak to you later, off to get a Bacardi refill, and sing Auld Lang Sine.

Edited January 2, 2015 by Zero-Five-Two
cure spelling mistakes

[single speed]

Thanks for the latest instalment rob. Think I'll have to do the same. Happy new year!

[woodsmoke7]

Nice truck that. I think il fit one of those sedipots aswell , less water in the gogo juice is always a plus!

[Zero-Five-Two]

Suns been out today, and as the first show of this years season is nearly upon us (28 Mar at Detling), thought I'd best have some truck time and start getting herself ready for the waiting public. She has been parked up for nearly 3 months over christmas etc

 

This was to include draining the water and gunge from the newly fitted fuel sedimenter. Bit of a pain to do, as it means hand priming the fuel back up and bleeding the system through. Good news is the mission was accomplished without too much trouble.

 

Even better news is, what I thought was a layer of water in the bottom of the pot is in fact just the thick glass bottom of the bowl.

 

 

So, yes, there was a bit of dirt in the tank, but it was all diesel, there was no water, which is excellent.

 

As for the rest of the wagon, on the good side, batteries stayed charged, tyres stayed pumped up, and nothing seems to have fallen off. On the bad side, she must have a coolant leak as the radiator needed topping up with about 2 gallon of anti freeze, there is quite a big oil stain under the engine so that is dripping somewhere, but the level is still ok so it can't be too bad.

 

lastly the cab is, as usual, full of spiders and their webs, most of which seemed to became stuck to my face, as I was bleeding the fuel up.

 

 

Lights, wipers, washers, hooter etc tomorrow, good grease up and then a quick run out round the block to get every thing freed up and moving again. Much washing and polishing to follow

[Zero-Five-Two]

Got a few more photos to post of the recent activity.

 

In an attempt to repair the problem of the rain water leaking in through the roof at last years AEC show, I bought a big pot of seam sealant and plastered it all over the various joins in the roof plates.

It is quite horrible stuff to paint on as it tends to stick to the brush as much as it sticks to the roof, and the amount that gets on your hands/clothes etc which you then smear onto somewhere else is beyond a joke. Anyway, got there in the end. Tried to get the cab indoors to complete the respray, but the crane was too high for the barn door. Solution was raise jib part way and just put the cab under cover.

 

 

Bit like an Ostrich

 

 

Undercover paintshop

 

 

New paint looks a bit bright, compared to the rest of the cab, but you don't really notice as it is on the roof. So far (touch wood) no rain ingress into cab, that said there hasn't been that much rain round here for the last couple of months.

 

Next move, a cosmetic touch more than anything. Couple of Jerry Cans in a nice rack. I say cosmetic because due to earlier experiences with fuel in jerry cans these will remain empty show use only.

 

Angle Iron Frame

 

 

2 x Steel Jerry Cans (Green ones!)

 

 

Frame onto Chassis

 

 

Colour Coded Cans

 

 

Maybe not thief proof, only a little padlock securing them, but they look good and as previously stated there's nothing in them anyway.

 

Quick word about the sedimenter bowl you can see in the last picture. It seems to have made a real difference in truck performance. It does filter out a fair bit of muck from the tank, but the real bonus, it prevents this dirt going through the lift pump on it's way to the main filter. Lift pump is much happier and pumps more giving more engine power especially under load. Good modification.

[Zero-Five-Two]

Had a little run out last weekend on the HCVS Sprat and Winkle run from Sevenoaks to Hastings. Nice run through the Kent countryside and afternoon on the seafront at Hastings.

 

 

Got there to find we were famous as this years poster pin up!!

 

 

 

We also turned out to be the good Samaritans of the show tow starting first this Leyland Comet

 

 

and later this 1929 Ford Model AA

 

 

The driver of the Leyland even wanted to pay us for our efforts! Wasn't going to accept any of that, it was a pleasure to be able to show off and help out.

[militant-nick]

An interesting mod that sediment bowl, those jerry cans look very smart indeed.

[Zero-Five-Two]

Thanks for that Nick, while the Jerry cans are just for show, the sedimenter does a very nice job of keeping the diesel clean

[ruggyjohn]

Maybe worth dropping the diesel tank of and steam cleaning it if your still getting crap in your new filter, if it is dirt in the fuel tank it could block the pickup pipe .

[Billruston]

[Billruston]

The fuel filter on my milly, inside the cab

[Zero-Five-Two]

I should point out that my dirty fuel issues were entirely self inflicted a while back when we ran out of diesel and filled up from a dodgy jerry can.

 

I am quite confident we got it all cleaned out, at the time with a major strip down and flushing of the system from the tank right through.

 

Since then I have stayed from cans, but that said, you would be surprised how much gunge you pick up even when filling up at reputable fuel stations.

 

This isn't a problem for most vehicles, but the disadvantage the Militant has when compared to other vehicles is that the fuel goes through the lift pump before it gets to the main filter in the cab. So even the smallest bit of dirt can cause an issue.