Old Bill Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 Yes, a post-war four tonner very closely related to the Subsidy chassis. There were a few tweaks to the engine shortly after the War when the pump drive was made longitudinal instead of transverse. The ten-spoke rear wheels are interesting as I have only ever seen eights before. Nice pic! Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andypugh Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 Found this one on the web, same model truck? Amusing to see a solid-tyred vehicle delivering a load of pneumatics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rolf S. Ask Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 Hello Would I be allowed to use some of your photos in the Norwegian MV magaine Mud & Snow for an article about vehicles in Norway pre WWII ? The magaine is the clubmagaine of the norwegian MV club, so not a commercial magazine. redits will of course be given, and an example of the magazine can be sent to you BEst regards Rolf S. Ask Please answer to email rolf@hustegning.no We relocated the Dennis today driving it 61 miles to its new home in Leicester.As readers will remember lack of storage space has been a problem for us so it has been residing with our very good friend Mick in Gamlingay for the last year or so. On Saturday it was driven about 25 miles to Woburn Sands and today we took it to its new home. It was an tiring but trouble free journey up the A5 and took about 4 hours to complete with one quick stop on the way to fill up with water. Here are a few photos of the day: Getting ready to leave: Milton Keynes: Towcester: Up the A5: Nearly home now: A useful shed: Larger drip tray required. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted January 13, 2016 Author Share Posted January 13, 2016 Hi Rolf. Yes of course. I took those photos and am more than happy for you to use them. Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Bill Posted March 14, 2016 Share Posted March 14, 2016 Whilst I have been continuing the fit-out of the new motor house, it has become painfully obvious that the Dennis radiator is not happy. In fact, it has had it completely! On chipping out the filler that had been applied as a stop-gap and giving it a wire brushing I could see that the tank has gone into holes all the way along just above the brass tube plate. Bearing in mind that the tank was about 1/4" thick at this point originally that is some serious corrosion! The only proper course of action is to make up some patterns and make up new tanks. However, I really don't want to do that at the moment as there is so much else to be going on with so I need a solution that will last just one more season. After some pondering, I decided to patch the tank with aluminium strips and seal them in with silicone sealant. First job was to cut a patch. This worked well so I did the other side too. The back of the tank was worse but I gave it the same treatment. I filled it this evening and the top tank has remained tight although I have a few drips from the bottom. Hopefully this will keep us going for the rest of the season. Once you have more than one vehicle, you have a maintenance problem! Oh well! Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels v Posted March 14, 2016 Share Posted March 14, 2016 Is it corrosion from the inside or outside, and what antifreeze do you use? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Bill Posted March 14, 2016 Share Posted March 14, 2016 It has corroded from the inside out. We don't put anti-freeze in as the coolant doesn't stay there long enough! Normally, we drain it down because it stays idle for such long periods. This radiator has suffered because it was on a fire pump so it spent long periods inactive but full. Of course there is also the dissimilar metals problem causing a battery effect. Brass and aluminium in electrical contact in a solution with a surface open to the atmosphere very close. The system isn't air-tight so the oxygen doesn't get used up. In fact it is a recipe for disaster and these radiators only last about seventy years! Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
draganm Posted March 14, 2016 Share Posted March 14, 2016 In fact it is a recipe for disaster and these radiators only last about seventy years!Steve I really wish my new car would last "only 70 years" The Galvanic corrosion is certainly an issue, but those tanks looks like sand castings to me. If so then they started off life as a very porous "metal sponge". Any extruded sheet or plate AL would be better, something in a 5000 series marine grade AL would be ideal. I guess keeping that Dennis logo is a big deal though to the vehicles value and collectibility. tough little problem to solve, an investment casting today would cost a fortune. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels v Posted March 14, 2016 Share Posted March 14, 2016 yes all those different metals does not help, and being aerated isn't good either, anti freeze or waterless coolant might have help but if it doesn't stay in there aren't much you can do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andypugh Posted March 14, 2016 Share Posted March 14, 2016 The only proper course of action is to make up some patterns and make up new tanks. However, I really don't want to do that at the moment as there is so much else to be going on with so I need a solution that will last just one more season. I wonder if building up on the inside with metal-spray would be any help? Ben? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grasshopper Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 Might there be a suitable epoxy coating that could be used inside the headers? I know its not in keeping with your original methods, but may serve as an intermediate fix. I did have to seal a cracked Matador bottom header with some silicone sealant and Belzona once (needed to drive the thing to a new site), and it was still fine when I sold it on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nz2 Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 In fact it is a recipe for disaster and these radiators only last about seventy years! Steve Should that be 95 years plus? Or is that after seventy years they start to leak Doug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alixcompo Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 (edited) Scarily there are several products available in the motor trade to provide cheap and quick fixes for cooling systems. Once there was just the 'Barrs Leaks dog turd' but now there is 'K seal' (about £12) which will fix almost anything including weeping head gaskets and 'Liquid Steel' usually £40) which guarantees to fix any head gasket. Barrs have kept up to date and also provide a head gasket "cure" (£36 ish) Bad leaks are prepared by stuffing them with wire wool if that gives you an idea of their worth. You might be horrified at the prospect or it may be handy info. Keep up the good work; I remain in awe.................... Edited March 15, 2016 by alixcompo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redherring Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 Radiators, jacket covers, pipes... Over the years these Al castings have all foiled my attempts to preserve them. And so i was wondering about the merits of castings -v- fabrication from plate. I was exceedingly impressed by the fabrication of the Vulcan radiator (see Vulcan HMVF Thread). Do you think the 'quality' of plate aluminium might favour this approach? Robert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtskull Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 (edited) Just a thought: How about fabricating a new tank out of thin sheet, which would sit inside the original, with its flange sandwiched between the flange of the original tank and the upper tube plate? I understand that the cooling system isn't pressurised, so a dab of silicone should be sufficient to seal where one filler neck sits inside the other and the original radiator cap could still be used. Mild steel would be the easiest material to use, with the added bonus that if it was powder coated then it wouldn't be at risk from dissimilar metals corrosion. It would require a threaded boss for a detatchable top hose connecting pipe but that wouldn't present an insurmountable problem. Worth considering? Edited March 16, 2016 by mtskull Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andypugh Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 Just a thought: How about fabricating a new tank out of thin sheet, which would sit inside the original, with its flange sandwiched between the flange of the original tank and the upper tube plate? That's a cunning plan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Bill Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 If you look on page three (!) you will see what we did with the radiator in the first place. Even then, the tanks were perforated and extremely wasted. Dad lined them with Devcon titanium epoxy putty and then plated over the top before finishing with an epoxy water-proof paint designed to seal boats. He put a lot of hours into the job but was told that he was wasting his time. We have got four years of running out of it but it now needs a final solution. Making a thin internal tank has been considered (thanks mtskull) but there is still quite a lot of work involved. I couldn't weld it so it would be soft solder and rivets to do it. The aluminium Vulcan tank fabrication is an eye-opener too and a reflection on what real skill can achieve! Sadly I just haven't got it. However I can just knock up a pattern and make a direct replacement so that is the route we will take. I plan to do that next winter all things being equal. Poor old Thorny is going to suffer again! Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MatchFuzee Posted March 21, 2016 Share Posted March 21, 2016 When you cast a new tank could you have the inside anodised. I have read that different methods have their own problems, from may crack at a temperature of 80 - 100c to will reduce the thermal efficiency of the aluminium but stand higher temperatures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MatchFuzee Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 By now, I was expecting at least one reply to my previous post , although I didn't know if it would be "a brilliant idea, I wish I'd thought of that" or "anodising the tank would be as much as making a chocolate teapot". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted April 10, 2016 Author Share Posted April 10, 2016 We took the Dennis out for a 34 mile drive today. Pleased to say that Steves radiator repairs did the job and we had hardly lost a drop when we topped up for the return journey. The Dennis performed faultlessly. Interestingly, those in the front seat nearly froze on the trip back which makes me wonder how the drivers coped during the war especially when they had little opportunity to dry or warm themselves. Not seen a Gary before: The Mack was nice and had an interesting winch mechanism on the back: Gotfredson is another name I know nothing about: New tyres: Something to play with in the garden: I think we were all rather taken with this Mack. Purposeful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Citroman Posted April 10, 2016 Share Posted April 10, 2016 Catch a goat and make a coat of it that's how drivers kept warm.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cel Posted April 10, 2016 Share Posted April 10, 2016 Good to see that the Dennis performed well! Beautiful pictures also, I like the dragline! Marcel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Bill Posted April 12, 2016 Share Posted April 12, 2016 After our super day out on Saturday, I gave the lorry a bit of attention, part of which was draining down the cooling system. I emptied the water, which looked like milky coffee, down the drain only to find a lot of bronze glitter left in the bottom of the bucket. This was of distinct concern! The only part of the system with any bronze content is the water pump so I took the cover off to have a look and this is what I found: This is what it should have looked like! The top surface of the impeller and half of the blades had disappeared! Fortunately, the cover has not suffered much, which is a surprise when the impeller has lost so much material. The question now is what has happened? On inspection, I could see that the spindle has moved outwards about 1/2" almost disengaging from the spline, but what pushes it that way? Well, there must be a low-pressure area where it is drawing the water in and that will give it a bias. Also, the bearing is pressure fed from the oil pump at the end which also pushes it in that direction. To resist those forces, I fitted a collar onto the shaft at the inner end (although I had completely forgotten about that until I got the drawing out!). However, I didn't pin it as a pin would have blocked the oil way up the centre of the shaft. Instead, I simply grub-screwed it. It appears that this must have let go and allowed the movement but I am not certain yet. I must strip it further this weekend and have a proper look. This is the impeller that we originally copied and it seems to have suffered similarly at some time. I must dig the pattern out so Dad can get a new casting made. Not the end of the world but severely irksome and we are going to be off the road for a couple of months. What a nuisance. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Bill Posted April 12, 2016 Share Posted April 12, 2016 By now, I was expecting at least one reply to my previous post..... [/i] Anodising would certainly stop the corrosion. It was how torpedo hulls were treated when I made them for a living! I must admit that I don't understand the process though. How would it take to a cast surface and how would I do it? Interesting suggestion! Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Herbert Posted April 12, 2016 Share Posted April 12, 2016 It is amazing that Dennis didn't find this problem and fix it early on. Can I suggest threading the shaft and fitting two nuts with a tab washer in between and some form of thrust bearing between them and the end of the casting. David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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