Gordon_M

Delete this and the replies then please Lee

Gordon

Yes, sort of - Dodge radio trucks.

Right back into 1940, the VC 1 Command had ordinary electrics, but the VC 2 Radio had similar components encased in big, clunky radio shielded housings. I've never actually owned one though.

Some images here;

http://forum.ww2dodge.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=9936&p=58384&hilit=shielded#p58384

I think I've mentioned the WK-60 series workshop trucks here before. A total of 741 ( I think ) cabover Detroit 3 ton chassis made in 1940 and fitted with Welles-Thornton ( Canadian ? ) back bogies, giving a 6 x 4 configuration. Standard workshop body was fitted by the British, though other people liked them as well;

A manual , DX 6557 ( Detroit, eXport, 6557 ) recently came up on E-Pay, and after checking that the owner of the only three surviving trucks I knew had a copy already, I picked it up. Looking through it I turned up one good image of the raw chassis;

You can see the cabover support frame, right hand drive steering, transmission driven winch ( the manual details an overload ignition cutout that will stall the engine if you overload the pull ) and the two winch pulleys on the rear crossmember. Note that the position of the left hand rear pulley allows you to run the winch cable forward to a winch fairlead set on the front left bumper corner so you can winch to the front as well.

There is no specific month/day/year on it, or chassis number range, just 1940, but I thought this would have to be the first Dodge truck series that I have ever seen a factory cabover manual for ?

The rest of it isn't that interesting, being a typical sketchy 1940 Dodge Truck thing, but like most of the export manuals it has the quantities in UK units - Imperial rather than US gallons and so on, plus it does have a procedure for Cab Over cab removal & replacement.

Been there, done ( most of ) that.

Things to know.

1. Buy something in the US with a title ( equivalent of our V5 / registration ) without that, much hassle though it can be done.

2. Spend not too much, and not too little. It'll cost maybe £2000 to import something like that, so your purchase must be worth more than that or you are using up money ..... but ..... the more you spend, the more you will pay on Customs duty and VAT, which will be levied on the total cost, including shipping, etc, etc. I'd suggest around a £3000 vehicle maybe unless you are rich.

3. Using a proper shipping company ( Kingstown Shipping in Hull - ask for Alan, Steve, or Mark and tell them Gordon sent you ) They can do local uplift in the US, all the shipping, transport, and local delivery to you.

4. Make sure you get the bit of paper ( I think it is a C&E 386 or something like that ) which shows that you have imported something with that chassis number and paid the import taxes. Without that bit of paper - hassle with registration.

5. Get the seller to buy, or take delivery of, critical spares you'll need. Spare engine? glass ? instruments? even tyres and so on. You'll never get it shipped cheaper than bringing it in the back of the truck when you purchase it.

Anyone else got good hints?

East lothian then ? First people to ask would be Tom Bewick in Torphins or Nigel Watson in Dundee. Don't have contact info unfortunately.

Green paint,white stars, and I'm sure 'impressed' vehicles had a serial number, but with an 'X' identifier in front, sort of USA - X1233456

Welcome. Please add a location your profile so we know where you are though, and a first name would be good too.

No idea on Commer stuff, lots of CMP owners around here, and of course you know of the Maple Leaf Up forum where all the Canadian vehicle owners gather?

I've never had to find a spare block for one, but there are a lot about. I seem to remember the later 235 is a drop-in replacement and has better full pressure oiling, and I've seen that engine compartment with a GMC / DUKW 270 in it, or a 28 HP Bedford, and a variety of Perkins lumps.

Gordon

Has to be for a film shoot - try watching old Indiana Jones films ....

Ahem, well it was me that pointed Rory here .....

Ten years back I would have suggested Rory look for a Weasel, but they are rare and expensive now, not to mention track problems. Snow Tracs are not that uncommon, straightforward to fix, and there are a few owners on here, hence me suggesting it might be the machine for Rory.

Got any limitations Rory ? does your project need to be trailer-able, light, economical, fit in a garage ?

Gordon

Indeed they would. A Federal would lift a complete fighter and a pair would lift a bomber, but the normal procedure would be to use the Federal to take down a crashed bomber into sections and just cart them away on the semi-trailer.

It's a different sort of crane truck to a heavy wrecker - longer, higher lift but lighter.

Yes, though they had a very specific function, aircraft wrecker and recovery, so probably weren't very high profile.

It either has invisible sails, or there's an engine in there some where

I remember a DUKW faked up as a longship for publicity work, years back.

It it came with GMC stuff, it has to be something like the gravity feed tank for a LeRoi compressor truck.

Find someone with a compressor truck and ask?

Indeed, Degsy, but when it is measured in hours per month you know it isn't going to be usable any time soon...

I took this on as I seemed to be the only one who didn't view making tracks as a problem, but going to leave that till the rest is up and running.

Fuel tank takeoff pipe with isolator. There's one tank in each track frame with conventional US big filler point. Takeoff point with isolator is at the lower inner corner of each tank, but only the tank in the right track frame has provision for a fuel guage sender.

Right hand cab door ( no point in using terms like ' passengers side ' as the T-36 drivers position is central ) Structurally fine, but a line of rot right across the sheetmetal joint with the lower frame section. There's a suggestion of similar damage on the angled section but it didn't look bad - at this point.

Rotten section cut back, ready for piecing in with new metal.

... and the completed edge. After I'd pieced in the bottom section I discovered the angled section wouldn't repair without some assistance, so I had to clean it out and put a plate behind it to weld through a few weak points. I'll phosphate the lower inner section before priming and undersealing it internally, then I'll reattach the outer handle and plate over the inner handle gap temporarily till it gets blasted and primed. It'll need a small amount of high strength filler on the repaired section and then it should be good for another 68 years as there are no moving parts other than the hinge and door catch - windows are fixed.

Battery box with insulated, stand-off floor

Remains of heater tube, shell, oval, soldered to underside of standoff panel

Starter pedal button, complete with retaining ledge for sealing gaiter.

Main drive components visible now that the drivers compartment is off

Drivers compartment, pulled for blasting

 

and the front part where the hitch goes is now 1 piece rsg! With a Bradley type civi hitch so I'm searching for a correct hitch at the mo.

 

Dave

 

Erm, you might want to have a word with Geoff about his ad on MILWEB then.....

http://www.milweb.net/classifieds/large_image.php?ad=63023&cat=8

Gordon

Good, you are pretty much sorted long term then as you have a good cab and all the drivetrain and axle spares you'll need.

What you really need now is a carpenter with an Austin K6 workshop that is about to re-make the rear body, and just ask him to make two, as I understand the body is pretty much the same.

Let me know if you are short of any engine or cab stuff and I'll put the word out, but I appreciate it's something not to be rushed. You'd probably want to store any bogie spares particularly carefully as I don't know of another surviving W-T bogie, military or civilian.

Gordon

Three, Pete? I knew about the one in the hedge, where did you get the other two?.

Did you get the COE cab from VPW eventually, and have you now got three Welles-Thornton rears, as if you have that will be a world population of - three, I think.

Any COE bits you need, as the lads on the 39-47 Dodge truck Group on Yahoo have some cabovers and may be able to help with parts? Fortunately you have the '41 COE cab, as the '40 is ultra-rare and there is precisely one of the contractor-built cabs from 1939 still in circulation.

Gordon

( one of four known surviving T-36 Snow Tractors )

If things were relatively cordial, and you had half the Police population of the area in for a visit ( wonder if there were any ghosts in there ? ) if you offered them a cuppa you probably got a tick next to your name which will probably avoid more grief down the road...

Doesn't do any harm to keep the local Police informed of this stuff - you are basically just telling them before someone else does.

Hi Gordon your dead right about that core plug hidden in the bell housing and infact thats the only reason why I took the engine out and brought it back to my workshop otherwise it would of been left at the airfield whiIe I finished off the chassis/body.

Good, not only did you know about it, but old age has not yet gone for me. Ever seen it filled with solder? I suspect it's such a pig to get to that there it must have been common practice.

G

Since you have the engine out and gearbox off anyway.

I'm sure I had to replace a core plug on one of these engines that was right on the back of the block, hidden by the top of the bell housing. To do it I had to pull the gearbox and bell housing while it was in the truck and it was a really tedious job for about five minutes work.

Am I right in thinking there is a core plug there, or is it old age and it was the one on the back of the head? It was definitely a large plug, 1.5 or 2" or so, and on the back face of the engine.

I vaguely remember that the original plug must have been leaking before, as the whole recess was filled up with solder.

Gordon

15cwt MW, and quite complete

On second look you are right Richard, clockwise looking at the undriven end of the crank?

There was the early Weasel which had the same engine at the back, driving forward into a transaxle at the front, which was why I asked.

Degsy - check the manual please - might still be that the Weasel has / needs a six-bladed fan and you have the four blade unit from a car.

Gordon

You might want to have a scan of the manual.

I'm not 100% but that looks like a reverse-flow fan you have in one of the pics, and I'm reasonably sure the Weasel should draw air from the front and pump it out the back - may be wrong though.... Might be from an early machine with the same engine at the back ? T-28 or whatever

I remember my DUKW drew air forward over the engine, but I'm sure my Weasels drew it in at the front. My Snow Tractor and Sno-Cat have conventional fans on.

Gordon