Gordon_M

If I had to guess closer to twenty-five years Pete. It was a very solid, clean chassis cab when I worked on it, looks a lot more worn and weathered now. It's noticeable how a lot of these trucks survived half a century when stored inside, but go west in a hurry when left outdoors.

Thanks Pete, WATR is what I was remembering. Good to know my brain is still functioning.

Good to hear Pete, but something is slightly off. You describe it as a D15T (presumably for Tanker) but I'm sure when I read the dash plate it said something like D15W ( presumably for Water ). Can you check the dash plate for me please? Might be old age and ( lack of ) memory. I tracked down where the Mushroom Farm was, now long gone. It was Sheriffmuir Road, Bridge of Allan. If you check it on Google Maps you can see one lump of new housing development where the farm used to be. I do remember that, like the C and F series Canadian trucks, all the water tankers had chequer plate over the fuel tank on each side to act as steps when accessing the tank - which of course the cargo truck didn't need. The D15 only came as cargo or tanker, of course, the dump bed didn't go down to that load rating. I do have an image somewhere of the No 13 cab variant of the D15, presumably just prototyped. Courtesy of Colin MacGregor Stevens. Dodge CMP.pdf It would be easy enough to make that, just start with a D15 cargo with a wrecked cab, and add a Chev No 13 cab, Ford grille, and all the handmade bits. Gordon

Hello again. Well for many years it was configured as a wrecker and lived at a Mushroom farm in Dunblane with four jeeps ( I can't stand the things - Mushrooms, not jeeps ). It was bought and driven home to Plean by the new owner, but eventually developed a knock on the number six rear big end bearing - oil circulation or failing water distribution tube maybe? Of course nobody had a clue where to get long block Canadian Dodge engine spares in those days, so the owner just pulled the wrecked bearing, sized the crank, which was damaged but not that badly, and got a new set of big end shells from Glacier locally. I think when they were still loose on that crank journal he ground the face of that one cap slightly to take out the slop, so when you strip it you should do a particular check on the number 6 big end bearing journal, then bolt the bearing cap to the con rod and see how oval it is. I think he ground about 10 or 15 thou off the face of the cap which you may well be able to recover if you know to look for it. Apart from that it was fine, and I think it went to Durham when it left Stirling area. Ten of the twelve new big end shells were in the glovebox when it left. Solid truck, indoor stored all its days when it was in Scotland.

Interesting Pete, looking forward to the history. it's a proper tanker too, with the chequer plate rear steps. There was one round here that went south years ago, if this is it I have some engine info that may help.

There has been a lot of discussion about that over the years, none of it particularly well informed as far as I saw. I'm sure the manual just says to pack the bearings with grease on assembly, so I would do it by the manual. There are a couple of issues with those axles which I should mention, though; 1. If the differential is over-filled, or the inner seal is worn out, or you park at a really odd angle, the differential oil can migrate down into the hub, which isn't good. 2. The second issue is just a different take on the first issue. People find differential oil in their hub(s) and assume the diff was over-filled, or the inner seals are leaking, but what is really wrong is that the axle vent on the centre section is blocked up with mud, dust, or grease. When the axle heats up the pressure actually forces diff oil past the seal down into the hub. Next time you are working on the truck remove both the axle vent mechanisms and clean them out thoroughly, then re-fit. Check them regularly too if you use the truck a lot.

I think it is a structural thing. Cast steel is a fine crystalline structure, cast iron is a coarse granular structure - it might not work at all. Check with your spark erosion chap it may be fine - or not. You do have the pattern and the spark erosion mask so just casting again in steel might be the thing, but do check.

I thought you made the differential spider blank in cast iron? I'm not sure that will spark-erode anything like a steel casting - I might be wrong though. Worst case you'd just cast the pattern again, in steel this time.

Clark Equipment Clarktor Six or a variant of it. Came as light or heavy versions extensively used during WW 2 with Chrysler Industrial six cylinder engine, basically a Dodge WC engine. They were made for many years, and that looks to be a lighter one made in the '50s or '60s. There is a Yahoo Group for these things if you end up bringing it home.

I think you summed that up nicely Andy. That Elon Musk though - reverse parking rockets? and none of my trucks will do 0-60mph in 1.9 seconds. Just think of the petrol and diesel tax you wouldn't be paying that nice chancellor chap if you topped up your electric car from your solar roof every day.

It's going to be something obvious, like for sizing / reshaping those brass olives you used to find on all the pipe joints. Put a damaged olive on the plain round jaw, find the appropriate groove, squeeze, turn it round a bit and repeat till it is the right shape.

Ta, looking now

Of course we will get used to it in time, not very intuitive. It's a bit like one of those phones that has five hundred features you never use, or that satellite TV with a hundred channels you don't watch. Still, someone put a pile of work into this, so thanks for that. ( but we really do need a NEW POSTS button )

( Tom's signature includes a 1913 Unic 9C Tim ... :angel: )

"US Property" was the normal stamp on such equipment made in ( or for ) the US to issue as war aid - lend lease, basically. The theory was that it could be issued to allies, but could not be sold on, or sold back, because it was marked as, well, US Property. As an example, Thompsons that were made for Britain and paid for by Britain were not so marked, but those that were made for, and paid for, by the US and then issued as war aid to Britain, were. Your item could have been made in the US, unlikely, or made in the UK for the US as reverse lend lease, but marked as US Property so it could be loaned out again. Confused yet?

The Tank Museum shots are reference shots of a very early vehicle in brand new condition, There are similar shots around of virtually all the US vehicles that were in the UK, whether as samples, illustrations for recognition, or whatever. The ambulance has symettrical headlight guards and the small red cross marking on the side, both early features not found after about mid 1942. It may well also have the USA number on there - painted in drab blue on the side of the hood - and not showing up on film - exactly as planned.

What's the trailer behind the halftrack at about 0.40 ?

My employers were cheapskates and used plastic - foundry and pattern work was may day job for many years. When you have mastered 'oddsides' you had to move on to the much trickier 'drawbacks' :mad:

Little glue-on plastic numbers for use on patterns Doug, available in a range of sizes as you may expect. regards Gordon

I think started with jeeps and then moved to LR's. Used to feature at the Edinburgh Tatoo now and again. Basically it was an update of that obstacle course with a 'chasm' they used to have two teams hauling dismantled field guns over.

No 13 cab C15 I think. Differential suggests Chevrolet, and I agree that the body height also suggests this is a 4 x 2 C15 rather than a 4 x 4 C15A. If it was a 4 x 4 that rear body would be sitting almost 6" higher.

I think you might have mixed it up with "The Flight of the Phoenix" where the assembled plane crashed ( accidentally ... ) at the end of the filming and killed the unfortunate pilot, who was then the subject of a dedication in the credits.

Some master cylinders have a non-return check valve to stop the fluid getting back into the cylinder quickly. It allows the piston bore to draw fluid down from the reservoir rather than pull it back out the brake lines when the piston returns. I have seen Dodge cylinders with, and without this check. It is usually right at the cylinder output, just before the brake light switch position. If the system heats up, it can pressurise the whole system against this check, but this is only an issue if there is one in line. Many of the Master Cylinder rebuild kits I have seen come with this check valve.

If you have enough free play in the brake pedal and pushrod, then your brake linings are too close to the drum somewhere, and when it heats up it is back-pressurising the system against the output check valve. Re-adjust all eight linings to give them more clearance, then re-test.