Pete Ashby

An option I have used is to search the web for the required font style then size up as required and print off and tape together into the required sequence. Use masking tape to tape onto stencil card ( oiled manila) and then cut through using a scalpel and steel cutting ruler, curves can be cut free hand with care. If a sign written finish is required the holding bars of the stencil can be cut as small as possible and the gaps touched in using a fine brush after the stencil is removed. Pete

Have just looked into this a little bit more and found this in Mike Starmer's excellent book 'British Army colours & disruptive camouflage in the UK France and Europe 1936- 45'. Reference as follows: ACI 465 issued 15th May 1940 'Disruptive painting and numbering of vehicles' "the War Department number will be clearly painted in white on both sides of the bonnet and on the rear of the vehicle. The dimensions of the letters and figures will be:- Height 3 1/2" Overall width 2 1/2" Width of every part of each letter or figure 5/8ths" Pete

Interesting Wally. I think the best thing to do RR is a bit of original photo research as the size and styles did in reality vary depending on theater and period. As a guide 3" or 3.5" high by 1" wide in white lusterless enamel seems to be most common for serial numbering, however if you check out period photos you can see that both stencil and sign written fonts of various styles were in use. As for the speed restriction again original photo research is your best option. In the early war period there is some evidence to suggest that the number was in red at 5" enclosed in a red circle. Mid war evidence suggest white 3" numbers and MPH in smaller 2" letters in a straight line across the tail gate. Pete

I think that will the case Mel as the contract group are listed as GS trucks there are other contracts that are clearly listed as 'Ambulance' so I think your contract is all for GS K30's. Pete

The Chilwell lists record contract 3903 as 'lorry 30cwt 4x2 GS reg numbers run 4474336 to 4475035 Pete

Good question,...... photographic evidence is very thin on the ground with regard to gas patches on jeeps, the usual configuration for wheeled transport was an irregular patch or 'sploch' of a yellowish compound that turned a greenish hue in the presence of mustard gas. The specified positioning was to be in a location that could be observed at all times by the driver while the vehicle was in motion. The logical place on a jeep therefore would be on the front half of the bonnet but photo evidence suggests this was seldom if ever done. Pete

Yes indeed Richard, pump of choice for me if required . Does the job,.... reliable......well as long as the contacts are in good condition...... but a sharp tap with a medium sized spanner will fix most problems :cool2: Pete

I'd go for a Lincon large choice of power and physical size. Pete

A few points to ponder perhaps, you say you replaced the mains and big ends with the same size bearings as you took out because the journals were good; 1 did you check for ovality of the journals ? it is unusual to need to change all bearings and not require some degree of turning on the journal surfaces. 2 what torque did you use on the the caps and rods, did you take them down in three stages equally? 3 Did you replace the front cam shaft bearing ? 4 did you check the crank free play when the mains were fully torqued and what torque have you put on the bottom pulley nut 5 If the neoprene rear seal is that tight it will burn out very quickly and score the crank in the process 6 There is nothing wrong with rope seals as long as they are the correct diameter, fitted correctly and the ends are cut absolutely square ( I always add a dab of silicone sealant to the ends before placing the cap on. 7 I would not recommend slackening of the bearing caps, you can and will induce stress in the components, if you need to do this to get free movement it is indicative of ovality in either the crank or the rods/caps or both. 8 what were your journal and big end measurements at strip down ? Pete

From your photo it certainly looks like a war time skid plate one piece with side rail tab part No A1253 replacing the two section plate A5415 + A1253. The machine cut bolt holes are correct the extra ones would seem to have been added for some reason, the small piece of angle iron is also an add on for some reason. Pete

Needs must Gordon I guess , On the whole if you want your nearest and dearest to collect the life insurance don't do it that way....... it would be considered suicide. Use a frame, you can knock one together from medium gauge box section, make it so you can move the cross supports around to take different types and positions of mount and a couple of brackets for oil and temp gauges on the side rail, keep it wider rather than taller for stability, you'll be surprised at how many other things you can use it for. Pete

Yes your right Richard I'm sure Ive seen this one before I thought it was a recovery truck for a bus from company up north? From what can be seen I would guess it may be a fairly early production truck possibly 1938/39 as it's fitted with the 'Lorry' radiator, the scuttle is original as are the wings but the cab is custom made a common civilian post war mod. Has it got the original engine? if so it will be magneto ignition ( a war office requirement, don't ask why)late 1940 and all 1941 models went back to the conventional distributor system. Do you have a clear photo of the makers plate it will give the model number and frame number it may be possible to date it more accurately then. Nice find well worth saving Pete

Do a search on HMVF on this topic and you will find chapter and verse. Morris Oils are very good not cheap but you get what you pay for, I've used them in various applications and grades for over 20 years. Pete

If it's repair to surface rather than strip that you want then an orbital sander is for you, keep it moving around the edge of the area and avoid the low area in the center, then wet and dry used wet and elbow grease to feather down the edges then a coat of high build filler primer applied with a spot gun then more wet and dry at 600 to blend in before a top coat. If you can feel any edges at all they will stand out like a cliff when paint is applied. There is no quick fix with this method if you want a good end result it's down to hard work with paper and block I'm afraid. At the end of the day it's up to you in terms of what quality of finish you want. It can often be quicker and will produce far superior results by stripping all the surface coatings off and starting from there. There are a number of commercial options available for this depending on the metal substrate ie grit blasting, soda blasting, bead blasting, dipping, electrolysis or as has been discussed above do it yourself with mechanical removal. All have pros and cons, maybe go on the web and do a Google search if you are not familiar with the options I always think a little bit of information is worth a lot of hard earned cash and wasted time . Pete

The K2 looks as good as ever David, no carb icing I hope ? regards Pete

Yes you are correct, DoD was stamped onto the glove box plate on the day of acceptance by the Ordnance dept, but that was not always the date of manufacture. There's a lot of information on this topic on the G503 so you will get chapter and verse on there. Pete

Not sure what you are asking there, date of manufacture or Date of delivery (DoD) nearly always not the same thing. I think realistically you have a a pretty close window for date of manufacture, but I suggest you go onto the G503 forum and ask the question there. Pete

Good advice already given I would only add regarding spanners: I would suggest a set of combination AF 3/8 to 3/4 inclusive, these will cover nearly all your needs and a set of sockets to match. Things like hub nut sockets can be bought via e bay or through the dealers already mentioned. Enjoy your jeep :wave: Pete

Change the bulbs, dynamo, CVC box ( these need to be paired up so that output equals control ability) buy a new battery, coil and that's about it. Why do it ?.... no need...... if all the earths are good, battery cables are of the correct gauge and the electrical equipment is in spec and the engine is timed correctly and in good condition and the battery is large enough for the job. It's a personal choice at the end of the day. Iv'e done it in the past if asked to, converting to 12 volt will give faster cranking speeds and perceived better starting, however it can mask any or all of the above issues until the units ultimately fail Pete

It looks like you have have a very complete truck there with a lot of the original fittings still in place very much looking forward to following progress in 2015 Regards Pete

On several Chevs I have successfully fitted an electric pump in line between the the tank change over switch and the pump. You can hide it up under the frame rail and hide the electric switch out of the way in the cab. On first start (or hot restart for that matter) turn on the pump listen for the clicking to stop turn off the pump and start as normal running on the manual pump. You should be able to pick up a suitable 6 volt pump using a web search. Pete

Two options really depending on circumstance, Option 1: make sure the anti freeze is the correct strength, jack all four wheels off the ground, disengage the clutch and block the pedal down remove all canvas items, take the battery off and trickle charge/discharge, cover it up, work the brake pedal 10 or twenty times each month and leave and go and sit by the fire until summer returns Option 2: make sure the anti freeze is the correct strength, top up all lubricants and when you get a clear dry day preferably when the road salt has been washed off the roads start up and go for a drive 10 to 15 miles is best as this gets everything warm and gives the engine oil chance to burn off the inevitable crank case condensation. Starting up and static running is not really the best option here as it can increase sump condensation issues. for the past 40 years I've taken option two every time, nothing better than getting the tank overalls on with hat of choice woolie/santa/deer stalker/USSR fury thing/tweed cap (delete as appropriate) and getting out on a clear frosty morning for a blast with the canvas down...... as my old dad was wont to say 'your a long time dead Boy' Pete

Ian, your truck truck belonged to an early Berks and Oxon MVCG member called Pete Woodage who lived in Pangbourne, unfortunately Peter passed away in the early 1980's. If memory serves me right another stalwart of the early military vehicle scene Phil Passey found the truck for him on a farm on or near to Salisbury Plain. I remember Peter telling me that it had stood in a barn for a number of years however it started up on the handle and they drove it home this would be about 1974/75. Peter and his family were supporters of the local show scene and showed the truck around the local area for a number of years before selling it on. Pete

Thanks for posting the link, very interesting, a huge selection of subjects covered and very few have appeared in print, I particularly like the detailed captions. thanks again for the link Pete

Looks good, nice to see another very early CMP under restoration keep the photos coming regards Pete