julezee001

I'd recommend anyone who hasn't had a look at their pump recently to do it sooner rather than later, especially after the warnings of how much the 3 bearings cost! It really only needs the rear pump plate taken off and all is revealed. As soon as I come back from France my own Explorer will be checked, as I know the oil needs changing AGAIN, because the old heat exchanger leaked coolant into the new oil put in last year. Doh!!! Jules

Symtoms first noticed were some backlash in the worm shaft. When tightening the diff input flange before W&P this year, the shaft moved in and out about 5mm when turned. Thought I'd look at it after the show. Then at the show in the arena I heard a nasty grinding noise on over run going over one of the dirt humps? I think that was as the shaft was forced to the rear in the casing, and the small grive gear was grinding on the teeth of the large pump gear pictured. I think the old pump will go again, and have dropped it off with a local engineer hoping he can turn a new pump shaft for it, and make a bush for the pump housing which had also been worn by the broken end of the shaft turning with the large gear. The spare pump housing is worn too, as there is a fair amount of play when wobbling the large gear, but hopefully it will do a trip to France without going bang? The last observation is that the spare axle still has OC600 in it, which is like treacle, making the recommended replacement of straight 140 oil seem like 3 in 1 oil? I wish I could get the real thing! Jules

Finally had my export license for the Militant approved and sent to me as a PDF file. Printed it out yesterday, and noticed in the small print that it's only valid when printed if it has an official BIS/Spire stamp on it! I'm probably too stupid to interpret the official language used in the document? Or it could be the officials haven't read and understood it? Anyway I now have what I suspect are 4 worthless, and pointless printed sides of A4 paper for the trip to France next week. Great! Jules

Thought I'd add my troubles to this thread and hopefull repair. I didn't take part in the truck trials at W&P this year cos there were nasty noises from my friend Simons Explorer, PSY 974, whilst driving over the humps in the arena. Finally looked into it on Saturday with Thors blog in mind, and found a broken rear axle oil pump. Luckily the bearings have all survived, but unfortunately the largest spacing washer is badly worn, and the main pump housing is worn too allowing the huge thrust bearing to move back and forth wearing both further! Luckily I have the spare Explorer 01 BD 28 which has a largely complete rear axle, which on closer inspection has a great worm gear, and complete pump. With any luck all will be repaired in the next few days as we're off to Bethune with IMPS on thursday next week! Below are various pics of the work in progress. The socket I had to make to remove the rear worm nut was fun, and the nut is pictured beside a 27mm Landrover wheel nut! Jules

Sadly I missed out on the heavy vehicle trials as the Explorer I was going to use has some transmission "noises", however socoolpaul used mine, and on the drag race did a top handbrake turn at the end following a request (?) from Bernard. Sadly it wasn't captured in its full glory on a clip on Youtube. "War and Peace 2009 308". Next year maybe? Jules

I have no objection to anyone driving their military vehicles around at any time within reason, as long as they are driving sensibly. Who wants a totally static show? 1.30 in the morning reving a Reo flat out on the final Sunday morning was not the best idea whoever it was running close to our area?? Luckily someone saw sense and it was parked up before anything went seriously wrong. Bikes, quads etc, with kids riding them, takes parents, or others to bring them to the show, and put the petrol in etc. These are the ones who need to be targeted, if the organisers are made to feel it's important? A petition maybe? Jules

Sadly that doesn't help with either my 45 year old AEC Militant, or my wifes 48 year old IIa Landrover which are not considered "Vintage". I am still awaiting my Export license for the Militant, fo the IMPS trip to Bethune, with the hold up being an end address outside the UK, cos it's being "Exported". Having supplied the address of the Sports complex which is being used for our campsite on Wednesday last week, I am still eagerly awaiting the final authorisation for this trip! Of course if I want to take either vehicle on another trip, I need to apply for a new license each time, until they are 50 years old. What a load of b######s! Jules

My Scammell Explorer was painted pink by a previous owner, not to my taste, and it's now green again, no problem! I have another Explorer which has been used for spares, but if I won the lottery, it would end up with a large diesel engine, stainless bodywork, polished hardwood body, and a large Hiab, maybe? Otherwise it might be broken up to continue keeping others on the road, either option is fine as far as I'm concerned. Broken transmission on the Pigs is hardly a new problem, and has always been a fault. Fit different axles to cope with a large engine? There must be something adaptable in the States. Jules

Just wondered who is going? I believe about 350 vehicles are booked in, and hopefully should be a smaller more intimate show than W & P, with less civvy motors and caravans, quad bikes etc? http://www.hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/calendar.php?do=getinfo&e=126&day=2009-8-16&c=1 Look forward to seeing anyone attending. Jules

Great, the new "Fowler Guard", can I have a set for mine? Jules

Hold it upright with the thread of the steering shaft on the hardwood block, and hit the drop arm as close to the box casing as possible. If this is attempted on the vehicle without the shaft supported, it can cause damage to the bearings, or make the lower seal leak, neither of which are good options! Proper tool is a hydraulic puller, which fits over the drop arm, and puts force onto the shaft to seperate them. Usually goes with a bang and have had mine broken before now (not by me!)on a TIGHT drop arm. Good luck, Jules

DON'T HEAT IT UP! You'll burn the seal! Take the box off completely. A pain for sure, but often the only easy way if you don't have the proper tool. Take the large nut off. Get a brave and trusting soul to hold the box upright on a hardwood block, while you strike the drop arm with a LARGE hammer. Works every time! Or pop over and borrow the proper tool? Jules

Hi tim, Glad to find another like minded person in the local area. Jules

I think you'll find it was 2 young lads in broad daylight, who were indeed re-enacting the Cockleshell heroes. I believe it was out the back of the Americas field on the Medway. There were people on the banks. One lad had his kit on the canoe, one on his back. The canoe went over and the latter was gone, to be found a good while later by search teams. A tragic accident and loss, which as ever shows how dangerous life can be?

There was a story going around several years ago of someone changing a Matador wheel at a show. He undid all the wheel to hub bolts, and the outer wheel rim came off along with the lower half of one of his legs?? Supposedly due to very worn threads on the nuts and studs holding the halves together. Ouch! The rear tyre pressures on my Mk1 Militant are supposed to be 90psi, although I run at 70psi, which on a 1400 x 20 tyre still equates to quite a lot of force pent up. It is definitely recommended to deflate the tyre before undoing the wheel nuts, and vice versa, fit to the hub before pumping up to full pressure. I have a friend who has a crescent shapes scar on the top of his forehead from a split rim coming off a wheel in the early 70's. I think he got away with it quite lightly, but I've always been extremely cautious with split rims ever since knowing him! Jules

Just a quick update on trying to get a export license for my 1964 AEC Militant Mk1. Being less than 50 years old it required a license every time it travels abroad. This can be applied for online, which is an intensely frustrating hour and a half repeatedly filling in the same information over and over again on successive pages until finally it is accepted as correct. Phew! Not yet finished! An email the following Monday takes me back to the BERR site to inform me that the form is not filled in correctly and a different delivery address and end user name is required. I replied that my home address is the end address, and I'm the end user. Wrong!! I'm applying for an Export Licence, so the end address must be outside the UK, and I can't possibly be the end user!!!! AAAAAAAAArgh! I lack the presentable vocabulary to describe the idiocy of this legislation, or my frustration in dealing with those enforcing it. What an enormous waste of time for all concerned. Jules

All tracked vehicles are limited to 20mph (unless driven by the armed forces)on public roads, and so require an amber beacon? I would suggest the speed limit was set entirely with safety in mind, bearing in mind there is no official testing for tracked vehicles outside the military. The responsibility for the roadworthiness of a vehicle rests entirely with the driver. The suggestion that someone in a club will be expert enough in all forms of vehicle to declare them roadworthy or not, let alone spend the time to carry out all these inspections around the country is unworkable. For vehicles used by British forces there are specific inspection standards covering most items relating to road use, and general servicability. Again it is surely down to the driver to be confident that the vehicle is within those specs? Would you have to be a member of a club to buy an ex-military Landrover or motorbike? There are already more than enough rules and regulations covering taking vehicles on the road and as far as I know there are no statistics to suggest the current system is causing any significant numbers of accidents or fatalities. Jules

As the Militant is less than 50 years old it requires a different kind of license! Hence the need to phone to check how to go about it, and how much it would cost? (free as it turns out). I finally received a call from them yesterday lunchtime, explaining that I can apply online, but that it normally takes about 21 days for them to process one. They would try to be as quick as possible?? Jules

The only reason I've stuck with Roadsure for my 2 trucks, is that as far as I can gather, they are the only company to cover anyone over 25 to drive with my permission. This means if someone wants a go at a show they can hop in and have a go, at least with the Explorer. The Militant needs cat C unfortunately, so thats a bit more limiting. The other companies when I asked all required named drivers. Jules

I phoned them on Friday and got a snooty woman explaining they dealt with businesses, so I hung up and checked that I'd dialed the right number. Sure enough I dialed again at 12.08 to be greeted by an answerphone telling me their opening hours 9-12 2-5, nice job if you can get one?? Leave a message and they'll call back! Called again later Friday, same message, left both work and mobile numbers? Called again today, same message, left both numbers again! Luckily the IMPS trip isn't until September, so I can carry on this daily until then in the hope someone can be bothered to do their job as a clearly overworked civil service employee? Jules

I tend to agree with Radiomike, that the RR diff option is better. They are only slightly more difficult to fit than the overdrive (plus the speedo needs re-calibrating), lots easier to find good ones, and far quieter running. The only worry is how well a 2286cc diesel will cope with the higher ratio? Overall I'd think they would be fine in most circumstances, and I've considered fitting them in my 2 litre diesel 109" series 1, mostly for lower revs/noise at higher speed, over fuel economy. An option would be to test it on the road by fitting a RR diff in the rear axle only, and see what it's like on the road? Try to resist putting it in 4wd though! Jules

We'll be there as usual, just along from the NLBA, on the RHS. Hopefully all together this year if someone doesn't nick half our pitch this year, as a bunch of Landrovers did last year?? Luckily our DILLIGAF nature meant they weren't flattened and nudged gently into the ditch! Looking forward to seeing everyone for a fun and relaxing show! Jules