bobs1918

Thanks for checking we are making one as we speak. . 3 out of 4 U joints came apart easily. that left one that was seized and we had to drill out the locking pin. We then redrilled the holes to 5/16 inch. It had been 1/4 inch before the drill out. We replaced the pin with a 5/16th one. As you know plenty of material there to work with .

Thanks Jim we actually we intended to make the original tubes functional but they were so compromised that we plugged them and they are for appearance only

Well to update my repair attempt on the radiator was unsuccessful. Still leaked badly Pulled it out again and brought it to a professional. I wanted to keep the appearance of the core as original as possible. New spiral fin tubes were quoted at $6500 USD for the tubes only.....Not going to do that so we used the best looking original tubes on the sides and front and put a modern tube and fin design behind it. Had to repaint the shroud as the paint I gave the radiator shop was off in color the last picture is the repainted shroud.

A little research found that the owner of this truck Bill Leuer, passed away in 2017. The truck is a Kissel built FWD as is mine. It also has the Machine shop body although I cannot tell which type as there were at least 2 varieties.

Thanks a great looking truck that I was not aware of. Name looks like Bill Carver but I cannot be certain. Yes there is data plate on the body but I dont recall the makers name . Somewhere there is a picture of it. It is about 80 miles from here so cannot easily snap a new foto.

FWD update. We have dissasembled the radiator and repaired 2 leaking tubes. One leaking tube was interior and opted to simply plug it. Reaasembled and installed it. Had a new step cast from a pattern taken from another FWD. Used cast bronze for strength. Have nearly completed reassembly of engine components but a bit baffled by the accelerator linkage. I hope to get some pictures from other vehicles in the US and UK for comparison. We have good spark and compression and expect to have it running soon. I am at the three year mark. The body is ready to be straightened in spots and then resandblasted and painted

Rather than fabricate a new step I had the opportunity to borrow an original step . Used as a pattern I had a had a new step cast in bronze (for strength) using an existing the original as pattern. Cylinder jugs installed Pistons in Rod bearings honed, upper water manifold installed, valve shrouds and clips one side done (Thanks to Terry Harper and Tim Gosling), Radiator apart and to be pressure tested soon the tanks were caked solid with mouse nest but the cooling tubes look good. Exhaust manifold,pipe and muffler have been installed. Good news is I have compression and good spark!!!

went to visit my parts chassis and body today. Removed what was left of the step bracket as my FWD has none. I will fabricate the step with welded steel and not have a casting made.

And they removed the governor!!

Mike it is in new york a bit far for you mate! I could use the spotlight bracket but i am not buying a another truck for a bracket. I told a friend of mine about it a few weeks ago he has a liberty that needs something and the tank would be perfect. Not sure if he ever followed up The seller had no idea how much he wanted for it last I heard

Received the new Carb glass from a Glass company. I will leave the patina as you see it. Also checked the water pump which I bought 18 months ago.Lucky me it was a winner.Shaft and bearing were in excellent condition. You just never know what you are getting and these FWD water pumps are very scarce. Temporarily installed it so I could measure the gap for the rag joint. Used a reamer to refurbish the rod bearings. Did two bearings the other two are at the machine shop while the sleeves are installed in two of the cylinders. Moving along very well. IMG_6721.MOV

Here is a Liberty that surfaced in the States

Hi Jim Some night the dream is more like a nightmare but I am sure when I finally awake, and it is completed , the dream will have been quite pleasurable!

The FWD engine tear down has begun. After stripping down all the pipes manifolds and other components the heads were removed today. I installed a vintage chain hoist which I had purchased a few years ago at the local flea market. Cost me maybe 20 bucks. System worked fine to lift the two heads off the block. realized quickly why it was hard to crank. one of the two heads had been damaged by water freezing and causing one cylinder to bulge internally and the other to crack externally. The bulge was binding the piston. These issues will be addressed by my engine repair shop. One cylinder will need a sleeve the crack will have to be "stitched " back together .The second head with cylinders 1 and 2 was fine. Good news was the original pistons are in wonderful condition as are the valves , guides and seats . These will require a simple resurfacing and lapping. Will also look for a set of rod bearing inserts as the originals show a good deal of wear. They are dated 4-18 and the original pistons are clearly stamped P-1 through P-4. May also need new rings made

Another day in the books for the FWD project. Today the ultra rare Stromberg model G carburetor (patented in 1909) was disassembled and all components are now free and working as they should The glass bowl is cracked and a replacement will need to be found. Removed the brass drain plus from the heads and out poured a pile of sand and rust. OUCH. The water system will need to be flushed out. The brass plugs on the top of the heads were removed and the carbon buildup was heavy. A few minutes at the end of the day we fitted the newly made water manifold (original was unrepairable) and the water pump (which was missing) to the engine just to see and greatly pleased as they mated up perfectly. Not at all ready for this but when the time comes I know they fit. These parts were sourced through restorers/collectors of Stutz Bearcat cars. These sporty classics from the 1920s share the same engine as the FWD . The Stutz however has no governor and weighs about 1/3 of the truck and were very quick for their day. Lot of cleanup next few days. I thought the float was cracked viewing through the glass but what I saw was gasket sealer dripping down the side. It cleaned up perfectly well.

Found this picture of the machine shop FWD with the single post mounting an adlake headlamp

Today was a busy day. Removed oil pan , oil pump(has great suction), intake manifold , warm air tube, upper water manifold, governor and carburetor. One stud broken when we removed water manifold. The manifold itself was badly corroded and will not be used. I had already secured a good replacement.A few valves are hanging up and will need attention. There is also a sticky spot when engine is turned which may be rusty rings. That is for next week. Will now have to deal with the mouse nests in the water chambers and passages.

Adlakes were also used on my Dodge ww 1 repair truck so I am always on the look for them especially with the handles still attached. Sometimes ebay sometimes local flea markets.. Those were standard on the FWDs delivered to US Army. Were they also on UK delivered trucks?

Wednesday begins engine work so today I busied myself fitting the two reproduction engine side panels I had made last year. The two larger ones were fabricated at a Southern California speed shop. Hard to get that work done around here . They match up really well with the two smaller originals. Also had two correct Kerosene headlamps. They are the same type as used on my Dodge truck. Began fitting the steering wheel but it will require patience to get it perfectly aligned and secured as it appears to be about 1/4 inch too long in its diameter. Cleaned up the right side of the engine . Glad to have the correct coupling for the magneto Close up of the data plates on the cowl shows that this truck was number 32 of about 500 built by the Kissell Car Company under license of the FWD company who could not produce enough to meet the demands of the U S Army. Note that on the bronze data plate the number matches the number stamped into the sheet metal below the plate. Just noticed that today. Cleaned up the oil pump so that it can be removed before dropping the oil pan.

Tim it was pretty well stripped for running gear. NO axles or drive shafts BUT what it has is like gold to me as you well know. I may use the tie rods. After I determine that nothing else is needed I will pass it along to the next restorer of an FWD. No history although it was found in the mountains of Colorado above 10,000 feet altitude. If that was in the UK you and your team could probably build a full truck on it!!!

Hello No not from Don directly. It had a different owner in the high country although he MAY have gotten it from Don. The wheels on the spare are NOT identical to the ones on my truck. The hole and ring pattern differ. It also lacks its own rings, bolts, and rim wedges so it had possibly used for parts in its past......Maybe Don? In a pinch I certainly could have gotten it to work if a wheel was needed.

Hello all I am in need of the spotlight bracket which mounts to the truck. I will consider the entire assembly with light and yoke if necessary . If in the UK or EU I can provide a UK address Thanks bob

The spare chassis as found in Colorado. I have needed wheel bearing , large bearing retainer nut and lock washers

All four wheels mounted Had 1 cracked wheel bearing so my spare chassis was called upon to give up one of its bearings. Finally brought the truck home after 2 years. Will bring the body home this spring/summer. Now to get into the engine and mechanicals.

front wheels installed today with the assistance of a fork lift. All the wheel bearings were honed to reinstall them. The left front is either a Goodrich or Goodyear wheel. All others are Firestone. There are differences. The Goodyear or Goodrich mounts the tire slightly offset and uses straight roller bearings The Firestone's use a tapered bearing. Almost ready to roll it home!