Zero-Five-Two

Thanks, PM sent

I'm in need of a couple of head lamp shells for the Tanker, If anyone can help. I don't need the actual lights as I've got shiny new Zenon chrystal ones to fit. Did start cleaning them up, but this one has quite a few holes in it, it's partner fell apart completely. Thanks in advance, folks

Well, having got a wiring diagram, courtesy ruxy, I set about fitting new cables to the thing. Didn't get very far though! Got the back ring off to get this far Anyone know how to get the terminals out, so I can put new cable in?

If all else fails you could try these guys. I've used them in the past, good service and reasonable prices PSS Steering and Hydraulics, North Walsham, Norfolk. 01692 406017 or https://www.pss.co.uk/

Lot of fuss about nothing. Scaremongering, as suggested by terryb. They are talking about the same green cards etc we used to require before the open borders policy. No problem then and no reason why there should be a problem now. Especially in these days of instant communication, you would simply email your insurance company when you intend to travel, they email back the green card, and off you go. Where's the issue?

Thanks ChrisC. I've done a bit more research since my earlier post, found an even cheaper source of tubing. £5 at time. Works out at about 6p per label, once you own a printer. Which doesn't sound too bad. So I can see an investment going on here, could end up with a nice little business opportunity happening, printing tags for other people too

Thanks for the replies, simple ideas are always the best. Heat shrink sounds ideal because once shrunk on it wont slide up the cable. Not sure about my scribbly hand writing using a sharpie, but the dymo printer could be the way to go. I presume you feed the heat shrink into the print cartridge somehow? Any idea how permanent the finished lettering is?

Thanks ruxy, that's perfect.

Knew they'd be available somewhere, thanks for the info, Gents

Anybody know where I might get something like these? Metal Cable Ties, what they used to use before they invented the modern nylon zip tie. Need a good few for the Tanker. modern ones just wont look right

Anybody know if you can still get these yellow cable tags anywhere?

Quick question for the learned members, has anybody got a wiring diagram for the standard NATO 12 Pin Trailer Connector. Took the one off my Tanker last week, 12 cables and all yellow. Some had tags on but most were blank. I did make notes on which went where, but, as there didn't seem to be much semblance of order to the rest of the rear light wiring, it got a bit confusing. All the cables were well rotten, and are in the process of being replaced, which is the easy bit. Reconnecting the lot and making it all work will be the issue. At the moment, I've no plans for a towing a trailer, but I would like to have the socket connected up just in case. That said, the Engineers had 1000 gallon Thompson Bowsers on ox cart chassis and one of them would look rather good hanging off the back! (dreaming again)

Another week and another round of pretty good progress on the old Tanker. Got a colleague with a steam cleaner to give the chassis a once over during the week. 300 degrees steam at 60 bar pressure apparently. He said I should stand well back! Started well, looked good to me, bits of crap going everywhere. But, he decided it wasn't going well enough. Needed to get a bit more up close and personal with it He was right underneath it at one point. Did strip off all the muck and loose paint alright. Quick whizz round with the wire brush in the grinder on Saturday, and on with a coat of underseal Just done the chassis rails so far, bit more cleaning required on the axles etc, then a coat of DBG will finish the job. Well pleased with the result. Back at the home workshop, started looking at the number plate and convoy lights. Both well rusty, and looking past their best. But with replacements being advertised at £80 a throw, I was keen to try something So, strip out and try and make a good one out of the two Doesn't look promising, but with a good deal of patience, loads of penetrating fluid and a bit of gentle heat, I got enough serviceable bits to make up one good lamp, complete with an original War Department 5 watt bulb that must be older than I am! All cleaned up, ready for refit, and a coat of green next time there is one passing. One down, and one more to find.

Looks excellent, I remember eating this sort of stuff back in the day. All you need is the Cheese Possessed to go with the biscuits (LOL!)

Parts cleaning can get to be mind numbing and time consuming, but the job satisfaction of a good before and after picture makes it worthwhile. I clean my nuts and bolts with a bench mounted wire brush, I find it quite therapeutic if you only do a few at a time.

Looking very nice, well done to get this far. Hope you get registration sorted without too much hassle

That would tie up with the 2 cables, one for tail lights and the other for brake lights. Many thanks for all the replies, Gents. Least I know what it is, just got to find where it plugs into the rest of the loom, now

Hopefully the learned gentry of the forum can identify this socket for me. Fits on the back of my Tanker, next to the standard NATO trailer socket. Looks like this under the cover. It has 3 electric cables in the back. One is an earth, and the other 2 run off somewhere in the rear light loom. I say somewhere, the loom is so rotten I can't see where to give myself a clue. Anyone able to help me?

Welcome aboard, Jim. Are you looking for anything in particular, or just something green?

Absolutely, have ticked off quite a few big jobs recently, well pleased with the progress

Well, this weekend happened and I'm pleased to say we nailed it. Took 2 trips, yesterday, with the car delivering all the bits. Bit too much weight carrying both hubs and drums together. Early start this morning and cracked on, took all day but got the right result. Back plates and rear dirt seal first, and build from there. Son Stuart assisting, took a hub each and on we go Shoes next, then hub and drum Had a couple of minor issues, couple of blocked grease nipples, and one pair of shoes that just would not behave, but otherwise things went fairly well. Last job, wheels back on. We've still got to clean the rims, so they will have to come off again later. Haven't fitted the brake chambers or any of the linkage yet, either. I'm leaving them off for now to allow more room for chassis cleaning first. Just one downside! Having spent most of the day bent over in this sort of position, and lifting heavy drums and hubs, the old spine is protesting violently this evening. Don't know about "the joy of movement" the joy of sitting still is pretty good just now, along with some "medicine" to numb the pain.

Did I say that? OK, well, maybe next weekend then!! Didn't get much done at all last week, something else always seemed to get in the way. Still, managed to get stuck into it yesterday and today. All four hubs cleaned and painted, ready to refit. Moved on to sorting out the 2 leaking hub seals. Militants don't have a seal as such, in the sense of a rubber ring affair, they have what is called a packless gland. A metal bellows that uses spring pressure to form a metal to metal seal. Any damage or scratches to the 2 mating surfaces and hub oil just pours out. Packless gland on the right, with the brass mating face upwards. Hub plate, (the other half of the seal) on the left. Spot the damage at 12 o'clock on the hub plate. Having lashed out £50 odd on 2 new glands, I was a bit peeved to say the least when I found this. A new gland isn't going to help that. Part of the cleaning process, is to polish the mating surfaces with fine wet and dry, so nothing to lose but see if it will polish out. Started with 180 grit and worked up Gland getting the works, using a bit of plywood as a flat surface Finished with 1200, and finally cornflakes packet and brasso Rather pleased with the result on the hub plate. Hopefully it will do the job. Still got a whole load of nuts, bolts, clips and things to clean up before actually fitting, but otherwise we are ready to go, next weekend?

After the stripping the brakes, next up, the hubs. 2 of which have been leaking badly, and a pair of NOS gland seals have already been picked up from an AEC supplier on fleebay. End cover comes off to reveal a very large four and a half inch A/F nut (that's 115mm for you modern types) holding it all together. Not exactly Snap-on! Still haven't got round to buying a proper socket, yet. Made this for the Timber Tractor years ago, and it works so don't fix what ain't broke. You just beat it with a sledge hammer. Stripped out and wrapped up to protect axle ends, while the rest gets the treatment at home Hung each one on a wire to keep all the spacers in order All the old oil and muck has now been washed off, bearings and spacers are all stacked awaiting polishing, hubs awaiting de-rust and respray. Hopefully that will happen during the evenings this week ready for refit next weekend

You can power it down, by engaging reverse gear instead of first, but you are straining against the brake which probably doesn't do it too much good. So long as there is some weight on the hook, like when lowering the jib, carefully releasing the brake is the way to go.

Sorry about the unavailability, I didn't upload it properly. Bit of a technophobe sometimes