Pete Ashby

I fitted an electric pump to my 12cab C15A in line with and pumping through the manual pump for cold priming(no lift lever on a CMP Chev) and the very occasional hot starting problem. Not very original I know, but in today's traffic it gives a little bit more security. I fitted the pump inside the frame rail and hid the switch inside the cab so the whole set up was invisible. On a hot day after a long run you could sometimes see the petrol boiling inside the pump bowl at idle with that characteristic lumpy idle note to the engine. A flick of the switch and the problem would be solved, turn the pump off and back to normal via the manual pump worked like a charm. Ford Canada actually produced an electric pump modification during the war for fitting to Ford CMP's this came under a series of mods classed as 'Indian army Modifications' for more information on this topic search Maple Leaf Up site where this topic has been discussed in some depth. Pete

Your right Lauren the WOT does run hotter than the CMP, If I remember rightly the Canadian Ford Rad has slightly larger core than the British one. Glen, if the engine gets that hot while just manoeuvring around the yard there does seem to be a fundamental problem, you say that the rad has been re-cored? Richard makes a very sound point that some rad re-builders do not have access to the old specs and fit cores with smaller diameter cores and or less tubes. I have had a case where a CMP Chevrolet rad was supposedly re-cored but turned out to have been done to a fifties car spec and was woefully inadequate for a truck. Before you rip the rad out and start spending a lot of money try looking for some of the more obvious problems so check your static timing, check that you don't have head gasket issues and or a cracked block, check your fan belt tensions, make sure one or both of your water pumps are not defective (I once had a case on a CMP Ford where one pump had sized and the belts were loose enough to slip round without squealing, took some time to find that one :embarrassed:), was the block flushed before the new rad was fitted? if not you may have sludge/shale in either or the block or rad causing localised over heating. The bottom line is that the flat head V8 fuel pump is not positioned in the optimum position for catching the fan blast and it can on hot days after a long run cook itself sitting up on top of the engine and suffer vapour lock having said given the summer we are currently enduring you should not be having a problem. Pete

That is not very helpful is it? Pete

You will find it very hard to make good flares with this sort of tool I'm afraid. The truth is that good double flaring tools are not cheap I haven't bought one for years but would expect to pay between £50 and £100 for a reasonable tool. Sykes Pikavant or Snap on will be double that price but you don't need that standard of tooling. Bottom line is this, brakes and brake lines are the single most important bit of kit on the whole truck so they have to be right. Pete

Just something for information Vulture if and when you should make your own, all brake pipes should be double flared, the reason behind this is single flares can under pressure fail and pull through the union nut. Pete

Duck oil always works well and will eventually evaporate and not leave the gunky residue that clean engine oil in petrol seems to, it's not quite so flammable either. Pete

In view of the discussion going on elsewhere on MoT's that sounds like a very good idea Ray . I do wonder if there is mileage in having a separate section on the forum where mechanical issues/problems can be discussed regardless of origin or age of vehicle. The biggest thing is not being afraid to ask the question in the first place. Pete

Best option Vulture, brakes steering and tyres are the three most important items to keep maintained. If it stops you can always get it started again, but if it wont stop or you cant steer it your b###ed :eek: Pete

It would be worth your while looking at all your brake pipes both steel and rubber while your thinking about replacing this one. Rust formed around the union nut so that its frozen to the pipe may be a indication that you have issues with the steel pipe underneath. I can see from your photo that the rubber pipes have been painted by the previous owner,this is not a good practise as the thinner/paint can attack the hose over time and also it makes it difficult to detect natural deterioration of the hose with time. For the cost of a set of pipes and a days work I'd recommend it, your going to have do a full system bleed anyway when you replace the pipe that's screwed. Pete

I painted a large yellow splodge on the bonnet of my C15A 12 cab (see photo below) and was pleasantly surprised that most people new what it was for, and those that didn't asked and were always interested to hear how it worked. I would do it but make sure you get the colour and position correct is all I would suggest. Pete

There used to be a Crossley Q emergency tender on exhibit at RAF Hendon aircraft museum, I haven't been for a good few years but remember it was very complete might be worth enquiring if its still there it would be good for detail information on frame and drive train. Pete

Good question , don't know the definitive answer, but as troops landed on the initial landings with gas masks and anti gas impregnated uniforms I am guessing that gas patches were still applied to vehicles. Pete

I’m very disappointed at the reaction here, the underlying message appears to be that the owners of pre 1960 vehicles under 3.5 tons are not to be trusted or judged competent to maintain their vehicles in a basic road worthy state. This is not a message that should be portrayed individually or collectively by the vintage movement as a whole. This is not a logical argument based on any fact that I am aware of. If the argument was based on factual data then vehicles exceeding 3.5 tons (which as we know have been exempt for years) would bear witness to the fact that owners are not capable of maintaining their vehicles, a fact I do not see proven. Indeed it can be correctly argued that this class of vehicle poses a greater threat to road safety due to increased size and weight. We can all sight cases of GMC’s back in the eighties with defective flexi hoses and cracked tyres etc but I can speak from experience that those individuals were and continue to be dealt with by having a quite word with the show organiser and or the club safety officer. It’s your hobby and it’s your responsibility to police it for all of us, it’s not a case of turning a blind eye. Owning a historic vehicle comes with a certain amount of personal responsibility and professionalism. So if this system has worked fine for vehicles over 3.5 tons the same policing will work for vehicles under 3.5 tons, just because it’s smaller it does not become more dangerous. There are elements particularly in Brussels that would be only too pleased to remove all vintage vehicles from the road by bureaucratic and punitive measures. We should not be giving them ammunition by suggesting that hoards of owners will be taking to the roads in unsafe vehicles. There seems to be a feeling in the western world that legislation will cure all ills and abdicate the individual from any form of responsibility. If there’s a law to cover the misdemeanour there appears to be an attitude of……. ‘then I don’t need to bother or get involved….. they will sort it out’….., well ‘they’ will and do and your personal freedom is eroded year on year as a result. No amount of legislation will prevent individuals from committing unsafe acts if they are determined to do it. It is the responsibility of every one of us to ensure this tiny minority, if they exist, are internally policed and reported if necessary to the right authorities. In conclusion the exemption of pre 1960 vehicles from MoT should be seen as a very positive move on behalf of the bureaucratic system to acknowledge the vintage movement as whole as responsible people (there’s that word responsible again). Gentlemen we should rise to the occasion and not wish to hide behind more bureaucracy. Pete

It would be worth checking thrust washers and bearings while the the box is out as end float either in the main shaft lay shaft or both can be a cause of gear jumping Pete

Very nice truck Lauren, Robert's your man for WoT2 information, No you get an overdraft, bad back and Christmas cards from your local petrol station:-D Pete

Very nice indeed, particularly like the shots out in the desert, looks very authentic as the gun motor carriage first saw action in North Africa I believe ? Pete

Hoppy as you can see, ask a question and get a multitude of answers which can seem to contradict and confuse your original question. The fact is there are sometimes a number of ways of doing a job or several answers to a problem, some better than others, some more expensive, some more time consuming and some dependant on conditions of use. None give you a definitive answer and I'm afraid it can be an elusive beast to track down so I suggest you take on board all the comments you get from questions asked on forums such as this perhaps ask the same question of one of the many vintage forums on the web and compare the answers in other words see if there is a consensus, read the manual or advert blurb (in the case of a product) then apply some common sense. Never be afraid to ask the question in the first place... and then have a go.....it's the only way to gain experience. Pete

At the end of the day you can use what ever you want. The different sealants on the market all have pros and cons but in nearly 40 years I to say I have never put sealant on on a head gasket, providing both surfaces are decked correctly it should not be needed and can cause problems when torquing down the head. As for the use of silicone I agree with you it can look awful, however if used sparingly and a good quality purpose made product (not BQ cheap trade bath sealant as I have seen used) is used you won't know the difference. I do hold my hand up to using exhaust paste on six cylinder exhaust manifolds but only as a get you home from tour bodge. Pete

Deadline is absolutely right this isn't a rope around the shoulders job :shocked: you'll end up being pulled through the floor plate the weight distribution is not even. I've done it with a trolley jack, ratchet strap and small engine hoist it gives you the ability to move the box back out of the clutch hub while taking the weight on the hoist then lower away and pull out from underneath Pete

Yes it should be copper but some times you'll find that has been replaced with a fibre washer don't put any gasket sealant on that it also should be fitted dry. Pete

Morris straight 30 is very good it's what I use in both shell and cast bearings and it's used through out the vintage world. Having said that good quality modern oils are far superior in terms of viscosity stabilisation to anything that was available 70 years ago so I suspect as long as its a recognised brand it will do fine, stay away from detergent oils and anything that is recycled. Pete

You need to replace all the removed gaskets with new ones. As for sealants, use either good quality silicon sealant or red hermatite or blue hylamar on both surfaces with the exception of the following, exhaust/inlet manifold to block and head to block these should be fitted dry. Pete

Been trying to source a pair of new 9 leaf front springs for a GPW in the UK without any success any one have any suggestions I've tried the normal sources. I'm not fussed if their are Ford or Willys rebound clips. I keep being offered Indian made springs that are not the same profile as the originals and have very different rebound clips. Does anyone have any experience of using this type of spring in terms of fit and road handling, I can change the rebound clips if need be but I'm more interested in the performance of the spring in terms of road handling and ride. Thanks Pete

To put your question into perspective a brand new split rim is £120 currently Pete

Agree whole heartedly Ray......... it's down to us...... those of us who operate larger trucks should always have been aware that the buck stops with us. When plod pulls you over the first place you will be going to is a ministry test station and woe betide you if you are not road legal. The move to include pre 60s regardless of weight is a very positive one for the preservation movement as a whole. Its up to us as individuals to step up to the mark and police ourselves. Clubs also need to play a part in making the basic requirements clear to members and taking action if breaches are found to be happening. Pete