Pete Ashby

I've dealt with Auto sparks for many years they provide a one stop shop for all vintage wiring needs including looming and complete harness manufacture for a number of WW11 MVs Pete

Your welcome Nick, after you've done a few it gets a bit easier, but the swearing is just the same. Glad you got the box out OK the moral of the story of the half shaft is never throw anything away!!, that probably explains why I have a barn full of junk that one day will come in useful if only I could remember where I put it. Putting the box back in is the just the reverse of what you did to take it out, remember DO NOT push the clutch pedal down before you get the main shaft spline engaged or you will lose the alinement the on the clutch plate, more swearing I'm afraid. To aid the spine through the clutch plate put the transfer case and gear box into gear and turn the rear output flange backwards and forwards while pushing the whole lump forward, don't try to twist the gearbox/transfer case to get the main shaft to engage you will end up distorting it or wrecking the front bearing. The main shaft spigot has to be in line with the fly wheel bushing the splines have to be in line and engage with the clutch plate you do this by raising and lowering the gearbox/transfer case and the engine using a jack and large packing block under the rear of the engine sump..... oh and more swearing of course. Before you replace the box the smallest amount of cooper grease on the main shaft splines and on the bush spigot will help things along do not be over generous you don't want it grease getting on the clutch plate or you'll be doing this all again in a few weeks time. regards Pete

Nothing to add to this except remember to support the engine securely before pulling the box, a iron bar between the road springs and some wooden packing will do the job and let you move the jeep out of the way. Also be prepared for the weight to shift suddenly to the right as the main shaft clears the clutch splines, keep your fingers out of the way. The cause of this is the transfer case mass is offset to the gearbox centre line. One way of avoiding this if you are working on a hard surface is to use a trolley jack under the centre of the transfer case as well as the lifting strops. You'll need to make up a couple of wooden wedges so that it sits square on the trolley jack plate. If you are not on a hard surface you can use a sheet of 3/4 ply as a runway. Pete

Well done that man!!, good to see standards are being maintained, I have to remind the Butler to do the same some times......you can't get the staff these days. Pete

That's the sort of thing it's a bit posh you can get them cheaper for what you want to do with it. The symbol with the loud speaker (bottom) is the one for sound continuity. Pete

That's the way, three hours spent at your dining room table will save you many more frustrating ones in the workshop. As for your second feed to the other tail and stop these can be made with soldered bullets and double female connectors ie live feed to tail light in one end of the female double then take feeds to tail lights left and right out the other end, just repeat the process for the brake light feeds make the connections where they will not be subjected to road spray, inside the frame rail is always a good place, you could for a couple of pounds buy a closed junction box and locate it on the frame rail, everything stays dry but not very period your choice. Do not be tempted to use modern scotch locks they just look naff. As for your meter there are various types of multi meter on the market have a look at e-bay for price rang for your needs get a cheaper one they all come with instructions that make the various functions clear but I would advise getting one with a continuity beeper as it makes it easier when working in tight spaces. Also buy a couple of mini cocodile clips some meters come with them (e-bay again if not) as it will let you clip your flying leads onto ends of wires/switches ect without the need for 15 foot long arms. Pete

For example if you want to check line continuity clip one flying lead from the meter onto the terminal/wire you want to test, the other flying lead from the meter goes to to the switch/terminal, turn the switch get a beep. The thing to keep in mind is everything needs to go from the power source through the item (light whatever) then to earth via the frame. Use you wiring diagram and trace the line from start to finish if you have a problem connect the meter across each and every junction/switch in turn when you don't get a beep that's the area where the fault is. There's nothing magical about earth return systems it's all about logical thought and actions do everything in sequence and don't be afraid to make notes it can save hours of going round in circles. Pete

Hello Ian no I'm afraid I don't, if the trailer in the photo is the one I'm thinking of Steve sold it on some years ago but I can't remember who to, I seem to remember that it came up for sale again on Milweb a few years ago. There was a least one in Holland and a couple in Norway, the best thing to do is to go on the Maple Leaf Up site and ask around. I have the smaller 8cwt version awaiting restoration in the back of the barn, it too has the hydraulic overrun brake. Pete

If you have the wiring diagram I would strongly recommend that you remove all old wiring first and check and clean all switches and contacts before you install the new loom, that way if you should have a fault/open circuit you have limited the number of options for the fault. I always start by laying the new harness component parts out on a clean board so I can have a look at where the loom branches come this will then dictate how you go about fitting it into the truck for instance you don't want to be pulling a loom with a number of branches up the length of the frame rails when it's better to take it back the other way and limit the amount of snagging and pulling.... obvious... but in the excitement you can end up trying to stuff three branches and a 1" dia main loom through a 1/2" firewall hole... it just wont go!. You'll be fine take your time check the wiring diagram against the new loom colours before you start for each run of wire, also check the connectors/terminals are the same on the new loom as the old, they should be but sometimes they aren't and it's easier to change/modify things on the bench rather than trying to do it upside down under the dash panel. I tend to start with the long runs first as that lets you bring circuits up to the firewall/bulkhead and then join everything up by doing the dash wiring, depending on the type of vehicle your'r working on it can also be the most difficult as you end up standing on your head jammed under the dash, but it's up to you really. Oh one last thing do not be tempted to connect the battery to test a circuit before all the looms are in place, securely connected and you have double checked with the diagram that everything is in the right place, another obvious thing to say but it only takes 3 seconds for a whole loom to become a smoking shrivelled mess when you find that you have missed a live feed that just happens to have earthed out on the bodywork somewhere up under the dash/frame. If you want to check continuity use a meter with a beeper and a couple of spare long wires £10 from Halfords as opposed to £350 ++ for a new loom Pete

Not seen that picture before very nice, 327 glider Inf. One of my old school teachers back in the 1960's won a Bronze star at Bastogne with that unit. He married a local Newbury girl and returned to the area to settle down. I'm guessing the photo is taken in the Alps at the end of the war? Pete

Yes I saw that as well Nick, very rare, dare I say unique and just on the cusp of being feasible as long as the frame is still mostly there, my son David was showing interest but his workshop and some of my barns are stuffed full of similar projects so it will have to go to some other brave soul I think. As a matter of interest am I right in thinking that they arrived from the US as chassis cabs and were bodied at Dagenham like Woc 1s? Pete

I think this trailer was ex John Marchant ex Steve Stone, it was very original. As Runflat noted Canadian manufactured and not too common here in the UK, there was another restored example in Holland Hanno may know more about this one. They look a little big behind CMP 15cwts but are ideal behind 30 and 60cwt's. On a technical note the over run brake system is hydraulic operated by a Ford CMP master cylinder mounted under the A frame. Pete

Jules Copper mesh was used before semi flexible clear celluloid was invented/became commercially available in this country. I suspect with the British war office's reluctance to change (even thought some pre war cars with hoods were using a form of celluloid) the specs were not changed. I would hazard a guess that clear windows did not come into common use with British MV's until late 1942 early 1943 but I stand to be corrected on the exact date. Pete

Nice work Rob some good engineering practice being used, like Father like son I'm thinking. I remember the truck being saved by Roy etal back in the late 1970s good to see it come out of hibernation at long last. Keep posting progress. Regards Pete

Iv'e used Slinden Services (look them up on the web) with good results, it will cost you £50 to ship your block to them and they will undertake a free feasibility study and give you an estimate before undertaking the work then they carry out a full pressure test and arrange shipment back to you. I would not recommend you try to weld the block yourself, the cast is very thin and without proper temperature stabilisation both up and down you will set up all sorts of stress in the block. Pete

Thanks for that Ken, at some stage we have to tackle of very corroded T122 Dodge engine and we'd like to try and save the pistons if we can. Pete

Iv'e just read this thread and felt moved to say what a star you are Phil, Tony's right when he says 'a whole life consigned to the bin' very sad indeed, well done for saving the documents and the memory. I have my Fathers pay book and papers from WW11 and they mean a very great deal to me, and I will pass them onto my son in due course. I can't think of a better justification as to why we all spend years of our lives (in my case virtually a life time) and tens of thousands of pounds of our own money to restore and show our vehicles. In some small way it keeps the memory of these guys alive and the scarifies that were made to enable you and me to live the lives we do today Pete

Nice work, How did you manage to free and save the pistons ? Pete

I wonder if the bike could be an Indian 741B?, the RAF had a number of these bikes under lease lend for message and general duties, the army for some some reason were not keen on them , as Gordon says a sprinkling of D60s and the Leyland crane is indeed a Retriever and in the same shot a Fordson WoT 1 makes an appearance. Nice set of pictures Pete

I had exactly the same reaction many years ago with a series 3 FFW, the bloke came running out and refused to believe that the tank was under the drivers seat even after I lifted the other seat and showed him the other tank. He insisted that it was some form of illegal modification and refused to turn the pump back on. A somewhat heated discussion followed as I suggested that his knowledge of motor vehicles was not as good as he thought things were getting nicely warmed up when a bloke at the other pump leaned over and told the the officious little s###t to stop pra##ting about and turn the pump back on and let me draw fuel, he refused I questioned his parentage and left in a cloud of blue smoke. Funny now but raised the blood pressure at the time. Pete

Clive thank you very much for this information another very significant piece of the jigsaw has been added with your information regards Pete

Gerry good for you, there seems to be a significant number of us on here with YH series jeeps follow the thread down there is some useful information appearing Pete

Thanks for the heads up Mike I'll see if I can get a copy Pete

Fords are a little more difficult because of the dash instruments, Chevrolet are all mechanical with the exception of the tank gauge. You will need to get a 12 volt coil, and voltage droppers for the instruments and of course change all the bulbs, the starter motor will be fine and the generator will have to be changed for a 12volt British one, not so easy to find these days but they do turn up look on the classic car sites. Pete