mazungumagic

Try all the advice above, but I'd also do a compression test, just to eliminate the possibilitiy of things being awry under the head. I'd also be paying close attention to the ignition switch wiring as that seemed to coincide with the start of your difficulties. Could also be a carby problem - you might have some uninvited foreign matter in the jets. Jack

Tony, I think you are right in electing to refer your problems to a mechanical doctor. However, a backfire through the carby suggests strongly to me that the timing is well out. I would also have another look at the firing order. Sorry we've been of so little help. Jack P.S. I'd be very interested to know what the diagnosis/remedy is.

Tony, Unless the problem is something really unexpected, like one of your newly installed parts being unserviceable, it seems to me that the carby must be at fault somewhere. As you say, take it off and disassemble, blow out all orifices wih compressed air and try to divine how that particular carby works, so you can identify any blockages. If fuel was leaking out of the inlet manifold tube when you turned the motor over, were the plugs wet as well ? In other words, was fuel getting to the combustion chamber ?

Tony, What do the business ends of your spark plugs look like ? I know you have replaced the points, so they should be OK. Are you sure you have the plug leads in the correct order ? Jack

Surprisingly, I don't have a pipe coming out of the bottom of my inlet manifold and making its way to the crankcase breather. Wonder why not ? The only pipe going anywhere from my manifolds, is the one to the vacuum wipers. My sump breathes through the oil filler tube. Sorry, I can't put up a pic as my motor is still out - should go back in tomorrow. Anyway, I suspect that if you have fuel dribbling out of this pipe , your carby is flooding, or at the very least, providing too rich a mixture to the cylinders. Jack

Tony P, Not sure what you mean by the "... pipe that goes from the inlet manifold to the block". Any chance of a picture ? Jack

Had these in the Australian Army as well - may well still have for all I know - though I suspect the OH & S netherworld might have had them on the agenda. They were called "choofas". I think the name originated from the sound they make when first lit. Jack

Tony, White (tending blue) smoke makes me think that your rings may not be the best. Have you done a compression test - apart from your 'head gasket leak test' ? As said above /\ it may be old fuel. Have you checked your inlet/exhaust valve gaps ? The missing could also be due to a burnt valve, but a compression test should narrow that down. I know how frustrating these things can be but keep at it and we'll find the problem. Jack

Hi Tony, You might want to look at the dedicated WW2 Dodge site http://forum.ww2dodge.com/viewforum.php?f=5&sid=b7b723e9dd2c643d941fb68e611bda12 There's quite a bit of detail there. I've got my WC 52/55 motor out at the moment - it had a collapsed piston. I've had it rebored/ crank re-ground and am fitting new pistons (+.020), rings, big end and main bearings etc. It'll go back into the vehicle shortly. Can you provide a little more detail on your problem and what has been done to the engine that might contribute to your difficulties ? It's a little hard to make any sort of intelligent diagnosis at the moment. Jack

The Australian Army used the L1A1 from around the early 60s through to the late 80s. We also had some of the AR (automatic rifle) version with the heavy barrel. While not recommended - and for fairly obvious reasons - it was a simple fix to switch the trigger mechanism from the AR to the SLR and voila - a fully automatic SLR. Jack

MM, If one headlight is dim and the other functioning normally, I'd suspect a faulty earth as the culprit. Jack

Here's another pic of the Diamond T and the Inter. Jack

We recently conducted the annual inspection for our Club's military vehicles and among those presenting for inspection were two wreckers - a Diamond T and an ex Aust Army International 6x6. The inspections were carried out at an Army Reserve barracks so we were able to round up a current wrecker to pose for a group shot. From left to right, they are the Diamond T, the Inter and the in service Mack. Both the Diamond T and the Inter have Holmes recovery gear on the back - the Inter has some hydraulic refinements and the ability to operate from the rear of the vehicle. The Mack is all hydraulic and is devoid of any Holmes type boom. Jack

Madman, If you are experiencing electrical problems connecting your headlight wires to the terminal block, it seems to me that a previous owner may have buggered up the sequence of connections on the reverse side. You will need to find out what is connected to the other side of the terminal block. It may well be wise to start again with the connections on both sides of the block. Good luck Jack

Attached are a couple of photos of military vehicles at a car show east of Perth last weekend. First is a Stuart M3 at speed in the vehicle parade, while the second shows a Diamond T wrecker about to be unloaded from its carrier.

Yesterday (Sunday 19 March), the Military Section of the Veteran Car Club in West Australia, took part in the annual Classic Car Show in Perth. Attached are a selection of photos showing a few of the vehicles on display. Jack

Another side Jack[/img]

Lloyd, Back in Western Australia at last (44 hours from Washington DC to Perth in WA - incl 10 hours in LAX !). In answer to your query about my chassis number, it is 81531286. [img://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c83/mazungumagic/DodgeWC_at_Kkatta2003LH.jpg[/img]]http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c83/mazungumagic/DodgeWC_at_Kkatta2003LH.jpg[/img] Jack

Within the last two years here, we have been banned from carrying passengers in the rear of vehicles, which don't have seats fitted with seatbelts. On our ANZAC Day parades where veterans are carried in the back of our ex military vehicles, special dispensation is applied for and given, but these vehicles travel are limited to a walking pace. Jack

Mark, You might have gotten away with it, but for the fact that both Dodges in the photo are RHD. And you can clearly make out that the soldiers in the picture have their chewing tobacco in their left cheeks. Now that's all a bit too much to swallow. Nice pic, but. Interesting that there are no bridge weight signs on the vehicles. Do we go too far on our restorations of working vehicles ?? Jack You can fool some of the people all of the time, etc

MM, I don't know what "dusting" means, but when I need to apply vehicle markings, I make up a stencil and pat on the paint using a sponge lightly dipped in the right colour. Practice makes perfect, but it's not hard and unless you want to use plastic lettering, it is a good alternative which leaves an authentic finish and avoids the possibility of having an aerosol finish blow through and around your stencil. I've only recently put a rope around the bumperettes on my WC55/52, but we don't get lashings of rain here and the vehicle is always garaged apart from its (almost) monthly outings. The rope for me is mostly an embellishment rather than a working tool, but is there and has spliced eyes, in case I need to be towed in an emergency. Jack

The Lend Lease Act may also have had an effect on the quantity of vehicles/spares left in Europe after the War. As I understand it, very few vehicles made it back to the US after the War due to the intense lobbying of Uncle Sam, by the industrialists concerned about their future profit margins. So given the size of the US commitment to Europe, this meant vast quantities of vehicles and components were never repatriated. The same appears to be the case with Canadian Military Pattern vehicles in Canada. They are apparently quite rare there, but I've no idea if it's for the same reason. Jack

The Lend Lease Act may also have had an effect on the quantity of vehicles/spares left in Europe after the War. As I understand it, very few vehicles made it back to the US after the War due to the intense lobbying of Uncle Sam, by the industrialists concerned about their future profit margins. So given the size of the US commitment to Europe, this meant vast quantities of vehicles and components were never repatriated. The same appears to be the case with Canadian Military Pattern vehicles in Canada. They are apparently quite rare there, but I've no idea if it's for the same reason. Jack

Dotty, Have you had a chance yet to investigate the leak/condensation ? Jack

Richard, Tony was there - he was one of those who joined us in Wiluna at the start of the Gunbarrel Hwy. His Bedford was a massive vehicle in comparison to most of the others on the trip and I thought he might have some difficulties when I first saw the size and relatively narrow wheel track of the Bedford. However it performed well and even towed a destroyed Fargo some considerable distance, albeit slowly. I think Tony also owned the trip's only Dodge Weapons Carrier - driven by a friend from South Australia. The 2010 trek is likely to be based in NE Queensland - can't get much further from WA and still be dry. Jack