Richard Farrant

Hi Heath, Welcome and good to see you on here. cheers Richard

Interesting to see film of the Churchill Flails at work, although very brief.

You describe problems with pedal, then say the box is out. With the length of the arm, there is no way you can compress the busbar spring without more leverage. When we operate these out of a vehicle for setting up purposes, a handle is used. Is there a problem with the box, or are you just checking it? you will need to fully understand its workings and adjustments before going any further.

Robert, I think you will find it was only the British War Office spec vehicles, ie WOA and WOT that were Negative earth, this was because of the CAV charging equipment used, as it was common through a lot of vehicles, inc. Austin and Bedford. As a rule, Fords tended to be Positive Earth and 6 volt on other vehicles.

Hi Nigel i think the problem is that pushing on the solenoid button manually operates it and not enough pressure causes arcing and welding contacts. Wire in a starter switch and this will cure it. Clean up contacts first. I have seen this before.

Hi Tony, I was approached at W&PR this year by the Director as he was interested in my Bedford. regards, Richard

'Tels' is Telecommunications, or radios/wireless and related equipment

They know full well when our vehicles go out from UK and return, the rego numbers would be checked, so why ask, and why leave it so long? Email addresses come and go and people lose passwords and create a new one, so they are unlikely to get a good return on this initiative they have created. Sounds like a way of creating work for their department!

Hi Wally, I thought that I recollected seeing the body contract plate on one, giving Austin as manufacturer. According to Bart's book on military Vauxhalls and Bedfords, Austin produced about 1,700 QLT conversions by the end of the war.

I had to get one of those at the time, a few days before leaving for Normandy in 2009. Never heard a word since, definitely not in my email, checked the trash folder as well.

Wally, Didn't Austin make the trooper body for the QLT as well?

Well said Clive. I agree with you on all points :thumbsup: Looking forward to July, and hope for better weather as well.

The plate was covered in a gas detector paint, so it was visible to the driver. Not used after the war, so often not fitted now.

Hi Mike, These CAV regulators can give problems, related to age and its construction. I have even had nos ones give problems. The electrician who did my work found a way of substituting a more modern Lucas regulator internal workings into the CAV box, and with it set up on his test rig with the dynamo, performed perfectly. Had quite a number of them done successfully. regards, Richard

If you have the yokes, both shaft end and flange end, then that is all that is need for sizing, any good motor parts supplier should be able to match them, normally internationally recognised sizes. Basically, all that is needed is diameter of cups, and width of the joint including cups, this is from circlip to circlip in the yoke.

Hi David, Would your father own a few military vehicles? cheers Richard

Clive, From what I read on the website, the £10 is to pay for attendants at each group of toilets through the night. Apparently there had been complaints. I have to say, in the last two years the toilets have been excellent and the cleaning contractor, which is staffed by ex-Gurkhas is to be commended. The guy doing the toilet and shower group near our camp was walking up there at 7am and I think they finished a 6pm. I cannot see why it needs staffing after show hours. If there had been any problems, I sure someone would have mentioned it on here.

Clive, Are you preparing yourself for Mastermind ...... chosen subject, HMSO publications through the ages ?

Sounds like the classic driver error, put gear lever in neutral but forget to engage it. The flywheel is trying to drive the gearbox but brake is on, oil overheats, cooks seal and emits a fine white mist like smoke. The unwritten rule was, if it takes more than a pint to top up flywheel, pull the gearbox out. It is best to dismantle flywheel because I have seen them where the driven member has got so hot it has expanded and picked up on the periphery of it. Also the gasket may have suffered with the heat. If we were just doing the seal, it was not necessary to remove the engine, but if you want to go further that is your choice. regards, Richard

Any vehicle with a worm and wheel drive axle would have had to remain using OC600, as we continued to do right through into the 1990's for certain vehicles and equipment in the Army.

Looks like they call the airfield rolled trackway, Battle Damage Repair Mat (BDRM) now, I think it was made by Laird (Anglesey) Ltd and it appears that Faun now own the business; http://fauntrackway.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/RRR_guide_to_airfield_damage_repair.pdf

Don't think there is much money in scrap currently, not looking good for some yards apparently.

Now I come to think of it, it could well be correct for a master switch to be fitted to a Mk1/2, as years ago, I used to drive a friend's one, I have certainly come across them fitted to certain types. There is no mention in EMER's, but it could have been a Modification Instruction and sometimes these never made it to an EMER update.

There was a particular Mark of Ferret that was fitted with a master switch, the type with a T handle, same as Saracen, Bedford MK, etc. I think from memory it may have been the mine protected one, don't think the 1/2 had one, but not dealt with one lately so could be wrong.

Looks more like a Fordson WOT6 to me