Pete Ashby

I'm trying to source tube flaps for 600x16 wheels and not having any luck, the last time a bought some there was no problem now it seems they are a rare commodity............. any leads appreciated. thanks Pete

And a dam site faster too, they cruise nicely at 50mph all day long and the ride is good. If you are daring enough and have deep pockets for the fuel bill 65 to 70mph is achievable in short bursts, stopping can sometimes require written notification at that speed however. At current prices you should expect to pay between £20-25K for a clean example. Pete

You make a good point that is missed by many people who own vintage/historic vehicles be they green or glossy. There are a few special applications that were manufactured for specific vehicles, but as a general rule for bearings and oil seals in particular manufactures went to their standard supplier catalogues and ordered the off the self part that matched the load and shaft size specified by the design team. Don't go into your local bearing supplier and ask for a wheel bearing for a jeep, Austin K2, Dodge ect all you'll get at best is 'don't stock those mate, what did you say it was for?' The key is to take the part number off the seal or bearing (both the cup and race they can be different as in the case of K2 front wheel bearings if I remember rightly) or if there is no part number measure the bearing or oil seal inside outside diameter and depth or take it with you if all else fails. You will be amazed what is still over the counter, after all, there are only a limited number of shaft sizes etc for particular load applications. You may well find your 1940 truck has the same size oil seal as a modern fork lift, one particular case I remember was a set of wheel bearings that had been nill stock for 30 years for the particular vehicle only to turn up as a modern application on a industrial conveyor belt system. Pete

Thanks for the info Andy, I look forward to hearing how you find the conversion after you get a few miles on the clock. Regards Pete

Coil robbing can be and often is the problem with jeep hot starting, however it can be a compound issue where the increased compression slows the cranking speed of the starter motor, slow cranking will not clear petrol vapour in the choke tube of the carb so you end up with an over rich mixture and a very weak spark due to coil robbing caused by the starter motor that is now drawing something near it's maximum amps. The windings heat up and the resistance goes through the roof, and so it goes on until that fateful last grrrruf umph from the motor as it finally stalls at TDC. By this time the plugs are fouled and it's time to take the air horn off the carb, blow down the choke tube to clear the petrol vapour gently pull the hand throttle out full and get the handle from behind the back seat accompanied by lots of bad language. I'm not surprised at 3 to 4 volts at the coil, as you say NOS, small surprise at the resulting poor spark. Been there done it too many times, usually in the most embarrassing situation possible. Pete

Thanks for the reply Andy this is all interesting stuff, could I ask a couple more questions please, 1 what is the model number of the Lucus cvc you have used? 2 does the dynamo run hotter with your conversion? I'd be very interested to hear how the conversion is working when you get a few miles on the clock, could you post results please? Many thanks Pete

Andy Your point about modern 6v batteries is interesting, and I suspect you may well be right. I'm just at the point with another jeep where I need to decide between staying with 6v or biting the bullet and going for 12v. The major stalling point (pun intended) for me with 12v has always been replacing the dynamo with something that just doesn't look right. Up to the point of reading your post I have never re used or heard of anyone re using the original Auto-lite dynamo, so I'm very interested what you have done. Did you have to adjust the cvc that you bought to match the Auto-lite output?. Another question if you don't mind, what is the amp hour of the 12v battery you are using?. Regards Pete

6 volt vs 12 volt is the eternal quandary with jeeps. I have had jeeps that started fine on 6 volt and some that I converted to 12 volt to cure bad hot starting, on reflection I suspect it was really a case of worn out starters/ bushes. There is a very sound case in today's world to change to 12volt for convenience of parts supply ect, however part of me still thinks that if 6 volt was so unreliable from new then an industrial might like the US would have changed to 12 volt pretty quickly. I'm interested in the fact that you are still using the original dynamo, what amperage to you see on charging? Pete

I think it is post war Hanno my guess would be 50's but may be later. Pete

Nick I take it you are looking for the concertina felt type that you pump the case to clean? if you manage to find a source I would be very interested in one for my Leyland Retriever. I have considered making one but I'm not sure how successful that would be. Pete

Clive thanks for the suggestions have a look at the second entry on the form attached Many thanks Pete

Raphel not sure where in the world you are but these people may be worth a try http://www.vintagecarparts.co.uk Pete

I'm doing some research for someone and have come across an entry in a soldiers pay book in the Medical Classification section of 'AFW' my question is what does AFW stand for? Many thanks Pete

Ray makes a good point about checking compatibility first on a piece of scrap. Iv'e found that with most gloss coats using synthetic thinners they must be fully dry and hard (this can be up to 24 hr depending on ambient temperature) before the top coat of drab is applied. If you get a bit eager then some very strange bleed through effects can occur. If you are using cellulose thinner then the surface hardening time can be shorter but the undesirable effects can be more dramatic including complete pickling of the base coat so as Ray says run some test plates using the same primer as on your vehicle. Having tried all sorts of combinations over the years Iv'e come to the conclusion that a good zinc based under coat followed by gloss not flatted then 2 or 3 top coats of drab is the way to go.

Nice job Richard, new wiring and decent fuel lines eliminate 95% of the problems with running vintage vehicles. Pete

You may well remember that BMC later to become British Leyland had a love affair with +ve earth for about 20 years only to drop it and go back to conventional -ve earth systems. I have seen all sorts of explanations as to why the world should adopt +ve earth as standard but none seem to have stood the test of time. Trying to coax positive earth mini's to start on cold damp days was just as difficult as -ve systems. Pete

There is no doubt in my mind that current 'red oxide' is not worth the writing on the can. 30 years ago I was buying 5 gal drums of ex Mod Red Oxide and they were so heavy it took two of you to lift the drum, stuff I painted then has no signs of rust to this day they had a high lead and high varnish content, what it has done to me spraying without the aid of modern charcoal masks remains to be seen.... I can still count to ten and recognise a jeep at 30 paces so I may be lucky although some who know me probably will say it explains a lot !!. Seriously though I think there are now two ways to go either use an etch primer and a gloss undercoat or use a zinc rich primer and a gloss undercoat. Pete

This truck used to be in the NE military vehicle museum in the Turbine house Newcastle. If memory severs me right it is a replica produced on a contemporary civilian car chassis, it was a few years ago now so I may have got that wrong Pete

They turn up on e-bay sometimes but the best place to look is the big auto jumbles and military shows. Pete

How very very true, 40 years ago my father had the same idea and used exactly the same words to explain to my mother why he had encouraged me to buy a rusty old GPW that had appeared on the drive. I guess Pop knew a thing or two as MV's have kept me poor and occupied for a life time. Along the way I have met all sorts of people from all walks of life a number I count as life long friends. Pete

Richard I had a poke about in my pile of 'might be useful stuff' today, I thought I had a diff light but it turns out I only have the bracket and base section with the socket, it's missing the the bulb shield and it's a bit grotty. If your stuck drop me a PM and I'll send you some pictures. Pete

Hello Richard yes it is a nice addition particularly as yours looks in very good condition with the plug and cap still attached. Due to their location they tended to rust away years ago and all you find is the remains of the bracket if you are lucky. I think I'm right in saying that the socket was not a factory fit but was added as and when required but I stand to be corrected on that point. Very occasionally they turn up in auto jumbles as NoS and I've seen several over the years at boot sales in various states of disrepair, if you see one at a fair price buy it some one will want it. Glad your rewire was successful did you find the meter useful? Pete

Thanks for that, I may give them a try Iv'e a couple of harnesses to make up this year. Auto sparks although good quality are not getting any cheaper on their consumables or any faster on turn round. Pete

These people look interesting not come across them before, have you used them at all N.O.S ? Pete