Pete Ashby

Thanks for sharing the photos lovely restoration, good to see another early MW restored Pete

PM sent Pete

West Wales Llandysul I can post by courier if that would be easier for you and unless you live west of Swansea I think it will be much cheaper. If you are interested I'll get a price including p&p in the morning, .I can take payment by Paypal or cheque or choice Pete

Yes still on the shelf here Pete

You may find this publication will supply the answers for you, 'The GMC Truck in US Service Historical Reference' author David Doyle ISBN 9780897477246. This is the definitive work on the subject and can be obtained from the usual web sales outlets, put the title into your search engine and shop around second hand copies are now available. Pete

As others have said the 6x4 353 was rated at 5 US tons for use on metaled surfaces, it also differed from the 6x6 variant by having only a single speed transfer case the low range being blanked off. The 6x4 was quickly listed as limited standard by the US Ordnance department and most of the 23.5 thousand produced went to Lend Lease contracts a large proportion going to Russia . Pete

Try Paul Beck www.vintagecarparts.co.uk or any of the other vintage car or motor cycle part suppliers on the web Pete

Clip posted by Jordan Baker on MLU Forum for those of us with Tankers here on HMVF it's worth a look Pete https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1060015406

I used this https://www.frost.co.uk/millers-vsp-e-power-plus-250ml.html last winter during a 4 month lay up with only 50 miles covered by way of short road runs once a month to turn the oil round with 5 gallons of fuel in the tank. I used to use for a number of years Castrol Valve Master and this was intended to combat valve issues associated with unleaded fuel this is no longer produced and is not readily available except at eye watering prices from what I suspect are withdrawn stocks. My comments should not be seen as an endorsement other than to say that during the period I used the Millers product I saw no evidence of fuel fouling and the truck started when required and functioned without issue I would not pretend this is a definitive test in any shape or form. Some time ago when I tried to find definitive answers to the long term effects of high ethanol fuels I found a lot of smoke and mirrors, conflicting and miss information on subject coming out of the web from all branches of the vintage vehicle scene. Some would have you believe that the stuff will turn to jelly in the tank in three weeks while others claim their fuel delivery systems have all but melted over time, still others had no physical ill effects except that apparently the engine just would not start after over winter lay ups. You will have seen already I suspect that various manufactures will quote a range of protective properties for their individual products ranging from the barely credible to plausible....... none of the above has really answered your question, I'm afraid the best I can suggest is do some web reading but exercise caution with interpreting the results and also bear in mind that manufactures want you to buy their particular brand of liquid gold. Pete

Nice work Jon the truck is really starting to come together, what I know about Morris's can be written on a very small business card but I have seen a number of first class restorations by people who do know there stuff and they seem to paint their engines a mid green shade rather like the old 'A' series engines in Minors and early Minis see photo below Pete

I thought it was I remember it well sat in the bush, during one of my regular parts hunting trips it was pulled up just short of the weigh bridge while I was looking round (like you I'd never been able to see it properly before), Raymond came out of the office and said "it's no good wishing boy it's been sold to a bloke up north he's picking it up next week" and then the legendary and oft repeated statement followed " just wants a battery and a drop a petrol and she'll be good to go" . I can remember looking at the remains of the civi hard cab hanging off it and still draped in most of the bush and thinking that even for Raymond that was a little optimistic. I didn't know who had bought it until I saw your Before and After slot in WT some years later. From a thorn bush and the oil soaked mud of the yard in Oxfordshire all the way to Japan via the USA 34 years later quite a journey it may be the most traveled CS8 in history....... pleased to see it's still being looked after. Pete

Is that the one that originally came out of Mains Bob ?? Pete

That is a very real problem Clive relevant both in the workplace and in outside activities I've just had my boiler serviced recently by a small family run local firm and the owner was saying he has exactly the same problems when he takes on school leaves they just can't handle tools and he has to start from scratch with them. For nearly two generations we have turned out school leaves who have not had the opportunity to do hands on workshop practice. For those of us who went to Technical Secondary schools prior to this we did focused courses and sat national exams at O level in wood work, metal work and technical drawing as a standard part of the curriculum, the work shop training included operating lathes, mills and basic welding brazing and soldering skills in the metal shop in wood working we operated planners, lathes, handled all forms of chisels and cutting knives, saws and learnt to keep your fingers out of the way, all of those things taught exactly the aptitudes you list above.. Most of this now would not happen either as result of safety concerns or through lack of funding. The world has changed and maybe the likes of us who restore and collect old machines have not changed with it so perhaps the next collecting boom will be collecting Old Farts like me and putting them on display in hermetically sealed glass cases displayed in authentic stained overalls and greasy hands clutching a tea mug in one hand and fist full if Whitworth spanners in the other while reading an engineering drawing exhibited as a stuffed curio from a by gone age........"mummy did they really get that dirty??".. Grumpy of Wales

You make some very pertinent observations here it's not an easy call and can be an uncomfortable truth. I guess for all of us of a certain age although we were not old enough to fight in the war we grew up with the effect it had on our parents and on the shadow it cast on our up bringing so to us it was a very real and tangible thing ranging from family conversations , war films that proliferated on big and small screens and of course not forgetting our comics plastic guns daggers, bayonets and hand grenades all openly on show in every toy shop and branch of Wollies in the country and yet we didn't feel the need to do it for real. Odd to reflect on that last point now in this world of Political Correctness where real knife crime and real shootings are at an all time high....... Perhaps collecting old video games will be the thing to get into as it will be such a scary wild world outside of those tightly drawn blinds and curtains in the next generations air tight Eco houses Take no notice it's just me.... it's getting dark outside already and it's raining and I've got my pre- Christmas grump on as usual so my wife tells me Pete

Perhaps talk to these guys the company has been around for a long time, I've never used them but they might be worth a try http://www.vintagewingsandrads.co.uk/pages/home.html Pete

Many thanks Mike for that full explanation with the bonus of photos, much appreciated I'll dig the spare out from under the bench and see about changing it over. regards Pete

Well done Jeff thanks for coming back with the result always useful to know the outcome of this sort of problem, pleased you have had a positive result It's a good example of trying the easy to do stuff first before getting into the hard core rip it all apart phase. regards Pete

The reason I asked is I have an SRM 4 on the Leyland that I think is giving me problems and I suspect it is condenser related and wondered if you had found a reliable company to service your unit. I v'e found a number of firms on the web with prices that seem to vary considerably and I always like a 'happy customer recommendation' if I can find it. I'm interested in your comment about reversing the rotation of the mag, I too have a spare unit with the wrong rotation for my engine could I ask how did you go about changing the direction ? Pete

Real progress looks very good couple of questions is your mag a Simms SRM4? and have you had it serviced ? Pete

Hello Kevin, yes I am lucky to have the space to work it's one of the reasons we moved west but it is a truism that no matter how much space you have there's never quite enough room for that next project. I'm always in awe of people who turn out really high class work working under a sheet outside all power to them. Not a problem regarding the towing kit when I take the hook, spring and brackets off I'll send you a set of photos with measurements by PM OK? regards Pete

Found some time this week to do a bit more on the D15T . Last bits and bobs to clear the frame included the removal of the main wiring harness which has been stored away ready to make a new copy and then the removal of all the original brake piping from the frame each pipe run was photographed, removed and marked up to be used as patterns for new piping when the time comes. Main wiring harness and brake pipes to left front Main junction for brake pipes front and rear Brake pipe flex to rear axle Next was the removal of the front axle and springs, the weight of the frame was held on the crane so that the shackle and anchor pins could be knocked out using a brass drift, this can sometimes be a real struggle involving the hot spanner however all the pins tapped out easily. There is no sign of ware either in the pins or the spring eye bushes this helps to confirm my previous assumption that the truck has seen comparatively little use and had been well maintained. The pins and the shackles were put into separate marked up pots for left and right hand sets so that the same pins go back into the same bushes on reassembly. Slotted nuts and split pins removed ready for drifting out with a brass drift Pins on the move Axle out and frame held on the crane With the front axle free from the frame the springs were removed again marked for left and right hand fitting for now with a splash of paint but will be punch marked before disassembly and cleaning. The frame was lowered onto a trestle and the same procedure using the crane was used to remove the rear axle and springs the only difference being the rear front spring eye pins are blind fitted and cannot be drifted out from the rear the workshop manual quotes a ‘special drawing tool’ that screws into the pin after the grease nipple is removed, I made my own from a piece of scaff tube a length of UNF threaded bar a nut and a washer as with the front everything came apart easily with no need for additional heat and no ware on the pins or bushes. Home made tool for drawing blind pins the grease nipple is removed and the threaded bar screws in it's place by tightening the nut at the other end the pin is drawn out of the bush into the scaff tube. Rear axle and springs removed from frame The bare frame was then lowered onto another trestle, the last job will be to remove the pintal hook, spring and mounting brackets then stack the frame against the workshop wall ready for media blasting and painting in the New Year. Meanwhile effort will now be directed towards getting the Leyland Retriever rear axle cleaned, inspected, painted and installed. Pete

This is a complete set of 42 magazines published in 1938 covering every aspect of World War 1 each issue contains many unseen photographs and full text covering each phase of the conflict, issue 42 contains maps relating to the areas of conflict during the war. Their condition is virtually unread, all pages are intact, with no torn, stained or frayed pages or covers the staples are showing some rust as would be expected after 80 years. For those interested in 'The War to end all Wars' this is a rare opportunity to own a highly detailed account of the conflict produced while the storm clouds were gathering once again in Europe. To be sold as a complete collection, I am open to sensible offers plus p&p ( weight 6.5Kg) and can either post or take to Malvern for collection. Pete Sample of the collection below:

Nice straight early type valve chest cover for the L134 engine ideal for factory restoration of engines prior to Feb 43 for MB and a month or so later for GPW with road draft pipe clips this has been cleaned and etch primed ready to top coat it retains the factory red oxide on the inside face, sorry chaps I did check but no 'F's' on this one . £30.00 postage at cost to anywhere. Pete

Ford GPW transfer case no sheared bolts threads are all good, all mounting lugs in perfect condition, I have left it unpainted so that you can see there are no cracks in the case. Ford cases do not come up very often this side of the pond so save yourself a fortune in shipping and import tax, ideal for a factory restoration GPW or will of course fit an MB should you wish £100.00 I can take to Malvern on the 18th or will courier at cost + packing Pete

Just come onto Milweb could be a good project for someone 70 + years on and they still turn up, no connection with the seller http://www.milweb.net/webvert/a3492/94814 Pete