Pete Ashby

You make some intresting points here and I agree whole heartedly with your last point, there has to be some collective memory and that needs to be communicated. By accepting this point there also comes with it a responsibility to do the memory justice in all respects otherwise it becomes a demeaning parody. A number of living history groups I believe understand this and maintain the balance, but it is a very narrow line to tread. There are small factions within both MV owners and Living History groups who take part because it permits them to dislay some form of ultra ego to a wider public. Fortunately experience shows that this type tends to move on to the next ego rush in a short space of time, however they can leave behind them considerable ca lateral damage to both image and credibility that have taken in many cases years to build. Pete

Intersting point Matt and one that always produces debate. I have always been motivated by the trucks however I have worn an appropriate uniform when the occasion required it, but never carried any form of fire arm or edged weapon, drivers on the whole didn't except under front line conditions. A pair of cut off jeans with slogan T shirt, long hair and nose stud can be just as inappropriate. I've never been into re-enactment and in the early days is could be badly and inappropriately executed. I have to say that now on the whole there are some excellet displays but I'm still left feeling just a bit uneasy about the whole thing for reasons that are for me complicated. Some will hold the view that one is a natural progression from the other and this is what we are seeing more of on the show fields of the UK these days. To explore this a little further let me pose a question, do MVs need the presence of re-enactors at events to complete the scene?, in other words is there a symbiotic relationship between the two?. I think there is but it is not a prerequisite and there is a danger that the public and regulatory bodies may not differentiate between the different motivations of both bodies. Do I like the mock battles? no makes me feel uneasy, it is undoubtedly exciting for the public and provides a crowd draw but that is the problem for me it starts to become a just that..... a spectacle..... For me Living History has a place but not always part and parcel of the MV scene. The emotive nature and period of history that re enactors and MV collectors deal with make the need for sensitive management key this is and always has been a fine balance and one I would urge both camps to seek Pete

Mr Wad and I go back further than both of us care to remember, Now then Rex would you like me to fill in some of the gaps !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :evil: :evil: :evil: Pete

Hanno not been to any musemes except a brief tour of the area whilst waiting for the ferry and watched a stunning sun set over the landing beaches. I understand that the cemetery is well worth the visit and the radar station, given our joint interest in things Canadian it should prove worthwhile. Steve and I have have often thought that Dieppe would be a fitting place for a mini tour of the OCMPG............interested ? Pete

Pete, It makes me worry what else your spy has seen Richard Not to worry Richard, nothing that can't be used against the guilty during future business transactions :evil: Pete

Hello Richard my spy has reported details, I understand someone needs a leason in building up air pressure before moving off ??? :evil: Pete

Daren follow this link the world's experts on CMP's hang out here :rtfm: http://www.mapleleafup.org/forums/index.php?s= Regards Pete

Chris what voltage are you seeing form the generator at around 1500 engine RPM ? Pete

Jack Here's my four penny worth on the subject The first concept to grasp is it will happen in the most difficult, embarrassing or dangerous place possible, this law is a derivative of sod. :oops: Vapour lock is just what is says it is i.e. the petrol ceases to be liquid and becomes vapour as a result of excessive localised heating. Mechanical engine mounted pumps are particularly prone to this condition. What happens is the diaphragm cannot handle vapour displacement (it wont pump vapour) very effectively if at all so that in effect your motor starves of fuel. You can have a single or multiple source of vapour lock, eg the petrol pump expansion bowl can have vapour lock or a point in the line between the pump and the carb bowl or a combination of these two. If the problem is in the pump expansion chamber then the vapour pressure can reach a point whereby it pushes the diaphragm down and in effect acts like a full carb bowl and so cuts off the pump. If the lock is in the lines then the pump wont clear the 'blockage' and so the motor starves until the line is cool enough to condense the vapour back to the liquid state. You can get boiling in the float chamber of the carb either on its own or with the other two fault conditions. Boiling will result in lumpy running and black smoke as a result of the motor running rich as petrol is forced via the vapour pressure in the bowl into the main jets and floods the engine. How to prevent it? Ensure the following: The pump is in the fan blast without obstruction Make sure heat shields are in place if fitted Keep petrol lines away form sources of heat like exhaust manifolds or engine blocks Insulate your fuel lines but this should not really be necessary on soft skins although some armour has this due to extreme operating conditions Do like me and fit an in line electric booster pump in a cool place on the frame rail behind the mechanical pump so that it can be switched in or out as required for cold start priming, and hot start boiling problems. If people are interested I can expand on the electric pump option in another post. Hope this helps Pete

Hello Neil looks like all the old reprobates are signing up to Jack's flag, nice to see you hear and good to hear your going to get another truck again :-) Pete

Hi Richard I'll PM you Pete

Hello Richard I thought it looked familiar, Mmm, nice body will he miss it?? :-D Pete

well it shouldn't take you very long, a half day at tops but this assumes that the lower harness (and by this I am guessing you mean the loom from the bulkhead junction block to the rear lights including the stop light switch ) is compatible with your rear light sockets etc. This is where the trouble can start, the connectors may not match, the wiring colour codes may well be different, the harness may not be converted for things like indicators and duel brake lights for example and so the time and pain increases. :cry: I know that chopping the lot out and starting again sounds pretty drastic but it really is the cheapest quickest option unless you can get an exact match for your current installed loom and the rest of your loom i.e. bulkhead to dash and wing looms are in good condition, otherwise you will end up joining some half decent wire onto a set of fencing wire. I once had a commission to rewire a WC 51 that the owner said just needed the headlights seeing to. When I stood on my head under the dash I couldn’t find a single piece of insulation on any of the wires under there it did really look like rusty fence wire. On questioning him further it transpired that he had had a bit of a problem coming back form a French tour, like all the lights had gone out accompanied by a burning rubber smell and white smoke from under the dash. :oops: Needless to say this job required a full loom it only took two days to remove the old burnt out stuff install the new and test all systems. Pete

Joris I've done a large number of these for myself and other people over the years and the only way to do it is to chop the lot out and start again, anything else will be a waste if your time and money and could result in a burnt out truck. :-o There are some good reproduction Dodge harness on the market via the dealers or make your own. It's straightforward earth return with no frills stuff, I would recommend putting a modern in line fuse box for your lighting circuts, this can be discretely hidden it's just safer than relying on the thermal cut out on the back of the light switch. Pete

My WC 21 has a 6 volt system. The problem is it turns over sloooowly when starting, 1 rev. per push on the starter. :evil: Sometimes a few revs and that's it A few observations, for you to consider. The condition may be due to a number of individual or interconnected problems these are in no order so do the easy stuff first. The starter commutator could be damaged and need facing up, The mica segments may need undercutting The starter dog nose shaft could be bent. The starter switch contacts on top of the motor could be burnt and arcing this will cause heat and a high resistance after a couple of seconds The starter motor bearings could be worn, you can check this by looking for 'striking' of the armature against the pole pieces in extreme cases, The brushes could be sticking in the carries or worn down, The starter earth needs to be really good on all 6v systems, run a jump lead from the starter motor body direct to the battery neg terminal and see if the cranking speed improves, keep it well away from the pos terminal on the starter or you’ll have fireworks !! Check the starter motor is mounted in line and the mounting bolts are tight on the bellhousing Check the battery terminals are in good condition and your cables are making good contact Check your main starter leads are in good condition at both ends Leave the ignition off and all ancillary items switched off, disconnect your battery and jump a good 12 volt one onto your leads, stamp on the crank pedal there should be a marked improvement on cranking speed, if not some or all of the above may be the problem. A few more thoughts but this is getting into the scary expensive zone other than the new engine bit. Has your engine been rebuilt recently ? could be tight bearings and or rings You may have a misaligned fly wheel starter ring gear You may have a distorted fly wheel but this would be extreme If possible I use someone to press the starter (my 6 years old nephew or brother) and apply I the handcrank which works. :roll I would not advise this at all, this is a very good way to break your wrist I suggest you give this a miss from now on. 4l of engine and a steel starter crank can snap your wrist like a twig not good don’t go there. My battery is 120 AH This should be is ok, Hope this may be of help, at one time or another I’ve come across all of those problems above, the big thing is don’t panic and go for the big problems it’s usually the just a bad earth Pete

Hi Just joined so thought I'd better introduce myself I'm interested in WW11 MV's of British, Canadian and US manufacture. I have been restoring and collecting for 33 years (MVT No 555) the list includes the following : Owned and restored: 1942 Ford GPW, 1943 Willys MB, Dodge WC52, Ford F8 FFW 11 cab, Dodge D3/44pt, GMC 353, Leyland Retriever Workshop, Chevrolet C15A 12 cab, FFW 109 Series 111 Land Rover Trucks pending restoration : Dodge WK60, Chevrolet C30 LAA 12 cab Dodge D15 water bowser Trucks restored for other people : 1943 GPW, 1944 Willys x2, Dodge WC53, Austin K2 ambulance, White Scout Car, Dodge WC51 Pete.