ArtistsRifles

Yep - that's 1st gear. From memory only used for crawling or starting when fully loaded. Otherwise 2nd is more than adequate for everyday use.

Sunshine is back so work resumed on the UAZ. Well - should have been down Weston at the Helicopter Museum playing with a Hind with the rest of Red Alliance Team UK but unfortunately the Range Rover disgraced itself a week and a half ago by first having the starter fail whilst on the brake test rollers for it's MoT then having the ABS ECU suffer a failure - I am still waiting for it to come back - and dreading the bill!! But I digress....... Yesterday I had another go at the new door. Readers may remember last year I got 4 new doors from Tarmot. They could not source the original slam lock doors so I had to go for the new style with anti-burst locks. Got the drivers door on but could not get it to close fully. After a few hours faffing about slackening off the hinge bolts and pulling/lifting I got to the point where it would finally close all the way. But - the locks will not engage fully. I have manage to get it to the point where the lock semi-engages and holds the door shut. But one good thump from inside the vehicle makes it pop open. Than I refitted the door top - and found again I had to lift the door for it to shut - but now it will not open on the exterior handle. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvlX3ZqPTpo (dedicated YouTube tags not working for some reason!) Something went wrong... Today I had a go at the handbrake again. I got a replacement set of shoes and back plate from Trapper Industrys to see if that cures the problems I had with the new drum. Striped the old shoes off - and found 1 return spring missing - then found I cannot remove the back plate unless I first remover the rear drive flange from the gearbox output shaft!! And of course - its an odd sized nut - calipers measure it a at 27.5mm across the flats. And sod law dictates I did not have a socket or a spanner that size in my collection - so work had to end. Getting the hump with UAZ designers!! :mad::mad:

Hmm - good idea - I never thought of that. I had considered using a hot air paint stripper but the oven sounds a better idea. Will have to wait till the OH is out for a few hours :-)

Yes - my Moles are the standard size though and as a result they have very little room to move unless I grip the heads off centre - and then they just slide off.

I think they were also meant to be worn with the white cotton inner gloves - same as the later kit.

Thanks David - 2BA matches the dia. of the existing screws

Not been able to do much the last couple of weeks - which is damned annoying but I've been temporarily grounded. Range Rover went in for it's MoT and first off disgraced itself by having the starter burn out whilst in the brake test bay blocking that solid for a complete day Then they couldn't get the ABS light to go out (instant MoT failure point) so had to wait for an electrician to come out . 3 hours of work later they decide the ABS ECU is acting up - one rear sensor is not registering at all, the other is reading 1.38 mph whilst the car is sitting still!! So now waiting for a replacement ECU to be fitted, codes cleared and the MoT carried out.. But this digresses. Being stuck at home I thought I'd have a look and see if the original horn could be recommissioned just for something to do. Front nut and cover plate came off easy enough however the 8 screws holding the two halves together are a different story. Despite being soaked in penetrating oil daily for the last two weeks they refuse to budge. So the plan looks like having to cut the heads off with a grinder then try drill the remainder and try to use Ex-Outs. Only question then is - what type of thread are they?? Dia looks to be 3/16" - but are they Whitworth? UNF? BSF?

Anything that might be classed as "BVA" (Bright, Valuable, Atractive) - i.e. anything you signed for - went inside the vehicle, usually under lock and key. Adding a storage (usually an ammo) box, when done,was a field mod normally used to carry anything gash/that had no value per se. Stuff like pegs and rope/cord for cam nets that had been "acquired", canvas scrim etc.

Congratulations :-)

I painted my 109" by brush - bought a 5 litre can of satin Green and used approx half of that with 2 coats on the exterior and interior.

Depending on when in the 1980's you are talking about - in the very early 80's for the field Transport units (RCT) still had 68 pattern DPM jackets and trousers worn with Shirts KF (aka Hairy Mary's), no t-shirts underneath. Trousers would have the green corlene belt. Boots DMS with woollen socks and brown puttees. Either the regimental beret or cap comforter and "turtle" steel helmet or (perish the thought) DPM cap For barracks - either 68 pattern DPM or O/D lightweights with shirts KF and, in chillier times, the wolly pully. Trousers held up with either the green corlene belt or a Regimental stable belt. Boots DMS again- highly bulled though - with puttees as above. Webbing would be the usual 58 pattern kit. Corlene belt sometimes had a pouch worn at the base of the spine carrying the army issue clasp knife.

I know my memory ain't what it used to be - but isn't that mast topper called a "pineapple"??

A shame Edd is leaving - but having listened to his explanation on his YouTube channel I can understand why. The new American producers of the show are wanting to cut costs and the primary area of axing was the workshop! For me the interesting parts. Edd felt that he could not in good conscience continue hence the parting of the ways. It was fascinating to hear that the first couple of series when it was just Attaboy productions the entire crew consisted of Mike, Edd, a director, camera man and sound man. Then Discovery took it onboard, at first in conjunction with Attaboy but gradually getting more and more involved, followed as I understand it by Discovery US - hence the relocation to the US for the last two series. In the process the crew grew to 45 people plus Mike and Edd. The last series was apparently a mix of Discovery USA and Velocity but going forwards it will just be a Velocity production. For me the first half a dozen series were the best when they were picking up cars relatively cheaply and fixing them using ordinary workshop tools the average guy could get hold of. After that the costs started climbing and the kit used was more and more professional garage. Still enjoyable to watch but the element of " you can do this too" was lost. Edd apparently has some interesting projects under development based back in the UK so it should be interesting what comes out of that. Maybe a cross between WD and Car SOS??

Many thanks - still hoping the soaking in WD40 will do the trick!

A bit more progress over the weekend. Not too much due to a late start - but still got some done before I had to head home again. Got the bolts undone for the instrument panel and the switch panel. As ever there was on bolt on each that proved to be a right b*gg*r to get undone. On the switch panel this was further compounded by it being the lower left on that is adjacent to the steering column!! Once the bolts were out the instrument panel was removed so that the cable drives for the rev counter and speedo could be disconnected, the panel then lifted clear and rubbed down with 260 grit W&D. So was the surround face of the carrier.Once done the glass panel was masked off with duct tape (I left the damned masking tape in doors ) and then given a couple of coats of satin black smooth hammerite. The rest of the control panel was blanked off with newspaper - I could have removed the connections but - at the moment - do not feel too happy disturbing working connections given the state of some of the wiring. Whilst the instrument panel was left drying the corroded areas that were treated with Jenolite last weekend were given a coat of Bondaprimer. Following that I had a happy time trying to measure up the ropes holding the side sheets and tail sheet in place as the wind started to increase accompanied by rain showers. Looks like I will be needing in the region of 148 feet of 1/2" diameter rope plus end ferrules (8). Then to find a way of forming the eyes - looking at the existing ropes they appear to be spliced although I have seen the sheets (they are all Bedford MK type so the tilt is currently in 6 side pieces and 3 roof) with the eyes formed using metal cleats to pin the two sections of rope together. Next visit the plan is to check out the electrical feed to the dash fuel gauge to see why that's not responding at all then remove the switch panel and give the outer section a coat of satin black too whilst the rest of the panel is rubbed down ready for a coat of bronze green. If the horse boxes next door are out so I can get the passenger door open I might have a look at the fuel cut-off too to get the engine to cut using the lift the foot pedal method as opposed to put it in gear and stall it. Also the connections to the temperature sender to see if I can stop the gauge swinging to full deflection when the engine is running and if the throttle is pressed.

How hard - or not - did you find it getting the foot valve off? Might be having to do that to mine once I get the exhaust sorted so she can be run again. If the soaking in WS40 hasn't stopped the leak it will be valve out and rebuild time.

There is a label on the windscreen frame of mine that says 60 psi front and 80 psi rear if that's any help?

Might be possible - either way its a good reason to expand the toolkit Replacement horn arrived today - new one is a 24v Commercial Vehicle unit - slight difference in size so I need to fabricate a new bracket for the new horn to mount in the existing location inside the front bumper.

Ah - now therein lies the problem - the screws holding mine in are standard plain head screws that need a conventional screwdriver to hold them!! I'll have a look next time I am over to see if the holes also line up on mine and if so whether or not a normal stubby screwdriver will fit in there. Too much has varied from what was standard on mine to be able to say definitively a standard solution will work. Rebuilt steering wheel arrived today - it was totally FUBAR before, in addition to the cracks around the rim there were a couple of nasty ones along the ring that caught the hand nicely as the wheel was fed through thus slicing the skin like a razor blade. Wheel has been rebuilt using modern materials so the cracking should be a thing of the past as should the outer coat wearing away. It was probably one of the most expensive single jobs on the vehicle but well worth it!!

That is indeed a possibility. Right now it's covered in crap and I cannot, hand on heart, say I noticed it illuminate when I tested the dip switch. The indicator switch on mine is slung beneath the dash panel on the handbrake side. I have to say its possibly the worst place they could have put it as it is constantly getting knocked when getting in and out of the drivers seat. Hazard warning lights have been retro fitted at some point - I suspect by REME whilst in service - as the switch for that is immediately in front of the handbrake. Ref the countersunk screws - what do you use to stop the screw heads turning for the top two screws? I've tried with the window right up and down to the stops and nothing I have will fit in the gap. Not even 90 deg cranked screwdrivers. So I was thinking of using ordinary M6 bolts. Finished rubbing the bezel down today, gave it a couple of coats of red oxide primer, let that dry and then the first coat of satin black. Not much but it is progress Still hunting on-line for a suitable horn unit to replace the FUBAR one.

Thanks Rob - did wonder about the gauge as it felt like the bezel had a knurled edge to it but was loath to try twisting it without confirmation :-) From your description I would say its got moisture trapped at some point between the plastic lens and the glass one so a good polish with T-Cut should do the trick nicely. The lamp lenses are OK - don't think they need replacing, no damage to them and they aren't badly faded. This was the state of the instrument panel before I attacked it on Saturday: You can see what I mean about the discolouration on the air pressure gauge quite clearly I think and the condition of the two light lenses. What I have yet to find a use for is what appears to be a warning light that can be seen above the horn/dip switch to the right at about the 01:00 position!! I'm inclined to think its a trailer indicator repeater as it does not activate when any other system is on and working. Unfortunately I forgot to pack the socket set on Saturday so could not get the main body of the instrument cluster out - that's the down side of having the vehicle 60 miles from home; you can't just pop back and get what you've forgotten. So next trip up the body will be coming out as well for cleaning and painting as will the switch panel. That's a good point on dirty connections - the more so as the previous owner stretched the cables behind the instrument panel so that the cluster etc can be lifted well clear for work so once its out I'll check both connections - the ones to the instruments AND the ones to extend the cables. The plus side to this is I can then suspend the clusters whilst I rub the panel down and give it a coat of DBG. Another job on the list for the next trip is measuring up the external panels for replacements - local sheet steel supplier reckons on £20 to £25/sheet based on estimated size. The rear side, door inners, front inners are all easy enough just being flat sheet cut to shape. The front sides that curve around and get riveted to the front panel have me in two minds. Not sure whether to just weld a small repair panel in (they have rotted out under the infill panels) or replace the whole panel. My friends are saying replace the whole panel - but I remember what you had to do to get that lip folded over in the correct profile and do not have the resources to accomplish that. We shall see. Also need to replace some of the fillets etc on the load bed itself - bit of poor design then as they formed water traps but had no drain holes. Quick question - those window winder from India - the ones here have threaded collars on which I assume will need to be cut off as if used they push the mechanism too far over towards the outer edge of the door??

Another productive day on Saturday. Spent some time going over the areas I could reach with the Jenolite to kill the rust preparatory to coating those areas with Bonda Primer. One thing is certain - I will have to take her out of her parking bay and find somewhere that won't block the farmyard in order to get to the areas I could not reach on Saturday. I had another look at getting the top two bolts holding the drivers side window winder in place - still cannot find a way to access the screw heads on the inside to hold them while the nuts are undone so I think it will be a case of getting the grinder out and taking them back that way to cut them free and release the mechanism for replacement. A shame but it might be for the best as then I can use normal bolts to secure the new items as I can then get the jaws of a spanner on the heads. Got the instrument panel bezel off - that is now home and being rubbed down ready for a new coat of gloss black (I am assuming it should be gloss and not satin??) and once it was off the application of some glass cleaner and a lot of elbow grease has the instrument panel readable again. Before the steering wheel goes on I will unbolt the instrument panel and switch panels, left them clear of the metal support panel, rub it down to lose the flaking paint and give that a coat or two of Deep Bronze Green before refitting everything. The only gauge that will then remain hard to read is the air pressure one as that has what looks like discolouration on the inside of the glass. So I will have to remove the gauge from the vehicle, separate the bezel from the body and then either clean or replace the glass there. Lastly with the aid of Stu we carried out a bit of fault finding on the electrics - specifically the horn which was non-op. Testing revealed we had a 24v feed going to the horn but it remained no-op as it did when we applied 24v direct to the terminals therefore the horn assembly is obviously FUBAR. The horn is off and this week I will be trying to match it to whatever is commercially available now. The investigations into the horn did reveal that the wiring on the outside of the vehicle, together with the protective sleeves, is shot. There was a bare section on the horn feed where the insulation has crumbled away and - worse - the feed to the head lamps has bare spots too. These have temporarily been covered in insulating tape pending wire and protective sleeve replacement. Parking up for 3 years in a damp field has taken its toll I'm afraid. Still have the non-op fuel gauges to sort out - tried tapping the one on the side of the tank and it moved at last. Sadly it jumped straight up to E - possibly an punctured float that has filled with DERV? And the terminals for the one in the cab are virtually inaccessible due to the small gap between the top of the tank sender and the bottom of the load bed. I am wondering if I can get away with loosening the clamp bolts and rotating the tank a few degrees to expose the screws in the cover? Either way I need to use some of the fuel in there first as there is a good 3/4 of a tank full. And there is still the wonky temperature gauge to resolve too. Starting from cold it has a bad habit of flicking across to +200 deg when the throttle is blipped and there is no way its got that hot at that point. The brake pedal valve has been soaked in WD40 as recommended - but I cannot test the air system until I can replace the silencer. Catch-22 there I am afraid.

Thanks John - much appreciated. What will be will be - just got to try and accelerate the work schedule to take this into account. As the army teaches - hope for the best, plan for the worst :) Anyways - good news today is the steering wheel was collected by the firm doing the repair/restoration work on it. The firm is Myrtle Ltd down at Ramsgate in Kent. They apparently have the AEC moulds so it will be interesting to see what the finished product looks like I popped into the local custom exhaust firm this afternoon and showed them the remains of the old silencer. The good news is they can fabricate a new one easily. the only problem is the outer dia is 7.5" or 190mm and the nearest they can get from stock is 200mm. The 10mm difference doesn't sound much but it means the retaining straps will need to be replaced and they think they might only be able to get that size in stainless. Which of course bumps the price up too. They did look at rolling the outer tube - but at 28" long it was 4" too long for their rolling machine. So depending on what they call back with in a couple of days I might have to abandon the idea of keeping it original and have to slice the end of the down pipe off to use a modern design slide-fit silencer using clamps.

Finally the weather (and my health) improves to the point I can get back over to the old girl and carry on working!! We had a dry day a few weeks ago and I managed to get the new rear valve fitted - in the process finding out that what I was told was a pressure relief valve in the body was actually an exhaust valve. So now attention turns to the foot pedal valve. This has been liberally coated in WD40 to see if it was just something sticking. If not then it will have to come out and be overhauled as possibly a diaphragm has gone. Other works today saw the exhaust silencer removed and when it was stood on end a birds nest fell out!! This will go to a custom exhaust fabricator on Monday to see how much it will cost to make a copy. If that is too expensive then I need to look at getting a more modern counterpart which will mean I have to cut the flange off the existing downpipe as the original bolted to the silencer with 4 x 1/2"W bolts. As can be seen in the photo - there isn't an awful lot left of the original. Then the steering wheel came off. This will go away for renovation/restoration and whilst that is under way I will strip out the instrument panel and try to work out why the temp gauge is acting oddly and why the fuel gauge and the horn aren't working at all. Everything else electrical seems to be OK. Hats off to the designers at AEC. Undoing the retaining bolt jacks the wheel off the steering column so removal is nice and simple. Again as can be seem - the wheel is in dire need of repair. Not such good news came from the doctor - apparently my pancreas is failing now and to add fun to the mix the dead zones on my feet as a result of the prang in 2007 are now growing. Doc reckons maybe 5 years and they will have grown to the point where, in conjunction with the type 2 diabetes I will be looking at losing both feet. So my original timetable for the old girl has been somewhat accelerated.

Or - also according to eBay you just made a fivers profit on each! :) http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/British-Army-Vehicle-Dash-Panel-Ferret-Saracen-Champ-etc/192115247121?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D41434%26meid%3D839d67214d5f4340bdb46dbede88feca%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D5%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D262498118787