Great War truck

The strip down continues – the second and third pictures in this sequence of three show the reverse gear shaft – just to the left of the big bearing – being pushed out. The Reverse Shaft is out and can be seen standing on end by the “4” in the last of this sequence of three photos. The shaft was re-measured and it was found that there was the slightest of tapers of one just one “thou” on this shaft and that was causing some of the trouble. So the shaft was put back in the lathe and the excess was taken off with some emery tape. There were also a couple of high spots in its bronze bush and these were scraped out. This took care of the problem and the stiffness has gone. Then it was just a case of re-assembling the box – just reversing the strip down procedure previously shown. Everything is now turning freely in the gearbox and the casing can now be properly cleaned again and finish-painted ready for placing in the chassis. Paper Gaskets have been made to go under the covers. The gearbox has been placed upside-down on a mobile bench for ease of painting.

Steve joined Tony in Devon over the weekend as they intended to go to Brighton together on the Sunday to see the completion of the London to Brighton Vintage Commercial Run, but they had the Saturday free and wanted to do something to the Dennis. It has been “bugging” Steve for sometime that there was a stiff or tight spot in the reverse gear of the gearbox which we re-built about 20 years ago and put to one side then until it was required and he was determined to look at this again before the gearbox was fitted into the lorry. The original re-build of the gearbox is covered briefly on page 2 of this “blog”. The gearbox had been stored on the bottom shelf in the Garage and has picked up some dust and muck on the outside over the years! It was lifted out and the strip-down was easy and a real change from the dirty and rusty items that we usually have to deal with as that part had all been done before! The following sequence of pictures show the strip down again are all really quite self explanatory and show the sequence in which it was done. The first of these two pictures show the wear on the teeth of one of the gears – we put this down to “heavy” gear changing by the drivers over the years! It should not cause us any concern.

Sorry. Only these ones:

Here are some pictures of the other Albion which was in the background in the Beamish photographs. Just completed the London to Brighton yesterday:

Wasnt planning to go to this one, but spend the day fixing the Jeep. Anyone, i went over for the afternoon with my youngest and really enjoyed it. I didnt take many photos but the place was very busy although the weather was rather cold. Saw some very nice vehicles. I really liked the Thornycroft (Nubian i think) which i hadnt seen before. A gorgeous Morris (which has featured here before) This number and colour scheme looked original. RAF? Nathans loveley new restored MW A WW1 Feldbahn. They have another one of these about to make its debut

MT sheds: We found a pile of these. Dont know what they are: Not sure what this was. Possibly toilets, but maybe battery charging area. Next to the MT sheds: Very wide door which made me think not toilets: Control tower: Another Auster flys in:

A few of us took our MV's up to the Windrush airfield for their fly in before going down to Abingdon today. I think there were 7 planes in all and about 10 MV's. We went for drive around the remaining peri track and a bimble in the woods to look at the remaining structures from the war . A fun day out and mostly sunny: Coal bunkers we think Shelter - very complete: hearth. Lots of these about: Another blast shelter: The old HMVF club house. It needs a lick of paint:

Thats funny. I came across one of these only yesterday. Not in such good condition though:

such a secretive collector he keeps his Panther in an underground bunker beneath his house. Mind you. it must have been quite tricky being in post war Germany and wanting to collect WW2 German armour.

Does the FWD belong to Don Chew,and is that Ken's Nash Quad? They look great together.

Some good news at last. Just been out for a drive in the Jeep. I was happy that we had checked and cleaned everything and it was all now in order, just no petrol getting to the pump. We squirted lots of petrol down the pipe from the filter to the pump until the pump could squirt it out. Then reconnected the pipe up to the carb and the one to the filter. Pumped petrol up in to the carb and then it started just like that. We think the problem must have been an air lock and getting the engine running (even just for a moment) gave the pump enough suction to clear the airlock. Thanks for all the advice everyone. Tim

Can you post some photos of them here. we would all be very interested to see them. Thanks Tim

Sorry. I think you sent me a PM a while back and to my embarassment i did not respond. PM me again with your E_mail address and i will send you the draft version.

Gosh, when will this saga ever end? There is no fuel going into or coming out of (unsuprisingly) the new fuel pump. All the joints are sound. As i have blown through every pipe back into the tank i wonder whether as the whole system is dry all i am sucking is air. So, do i need to prime the system somehow? I have tried it on the starter but no joy. I am wondering whether a tow start might give the pump enough oomph to suck all the air through and get to the petrol. Any thoughts anybody? How did they start new Jeeps out of the factory? Thanks

The bushes are just an interference fit in the two sides of the case and they were easily pulled into position with a draw Bar. A quick initial trial fit looked good. Loosely bolted together – all it needs now is the Steering Screw and Steering Nut

it was purchased by a Herr Flick (no really) and he restored it. I thinkhe still has it.

The cleaned bits were then washed down with cellulose thinners before priming with Bondaprimer – a cellulose based primer. There are two big ball races in the mechanism – one of them is at present in Leicester but the other one still in Devon has cleaned up beautifully and can be used again. The one in Leicester is yet to be cleaned but we are hopeful that it is in similar good condition When the quadrant lever and shaft which is fitted in the “Box” was removed from the “Box”, it brought the two bronze bushes in which it runs, with it, as they had become firmly attached. It appeared that all that was holding them on the shaft was congealed oil. They could not be levered or slid off – some gentle heat was applied to get them to budge – but each one had to be heated several times as they would only move a short distance before they cooled and became stuck again. If they had come off easily, they might have been fit to be used again, but sadly, they became damaged during that removal process. Fortunately, we already had a small length of suitable shell bronze in stock – bought many years ago as “might come in handy, one day” and two new bushes were machined up.

Whilst the “Leicester Division” has been pattern making, the “Devon Branch” has been working on the Steering Box. The actual “Steering Screw” is still in Leicester and awaiting straightening, as you may recall that we found that it was bent when it was removed from the “Box”. The objective in Devon was to get everything ready for reassembly as soon as the straightened “Steering Screw” came south again. These three pictures show the whole “Box” again before it was taken to bits, just as it came off the chassis. The actual “Box” came apart comparatively easily and after the usual procedure of washing the two halves in a paraffin bath and then wire bushing them, they look quite reasonable.

Good thought. I had checked the tank and it is not that. I have however now found the problem. i painted the connections with water and washing up liquid, blew through the pipe and found the leak. I now need some replacement parts so i will be giving Mr Rivers a call on Monday. We are getting there. just slowly. Oh yes, i need it for next weekend for an area event/ fly in. The things we do for fun. Tim

Well i have changed the pump for a new one. I was told that the job was "a bit of a fiddle" by someone who knows and "a two minute job" by someone who doesnt. Anyway, it was a bit of a fiddle but done now. The problem is still the same. No fuel seems to be getting to the carb. I have got a spare carb to try but as no fuel is getting to the old carb i dont think that will make much of a difference. When i pump the lever on the fuel pump i can hear air going in to the carb, but no fuel. Next step is to replace the pipes going from the filter to the pump unless anyone else has any good ideas? Thanks Tim

Yes, Beamish is a fabulous museum. There are a couple of others which are similar, Black Country and Iron bridge. All would make a great backdrop for photographs. here are a few more photos:

Here are some more at Beamish. i cant imagine manybetter places for a photo shoot:

Nice job! Here is one of mark and his Albion.

Taken at Beamish. A really great picture.

Coming together now.