Richard Farrant

I had to rebuild a B61 for the owner of a Dennis fire engine a few years ago, it had a cracked block. The owner found another B61 which I used the block from. It came from a Bedford fire engine apparently. The 61 was not used in any military vehicles.

8 hours ago, AmphibAndy said:

It is a Nottingham registration yes.   Dawson’s I had heard of.   I wonder if they are still going ?

I bought several ex-army and navy BSA B40WD bikes from Dawsons in the early 70's they were excellent to deal with, all by handwritten letter!

LMS at Lichfield are showing stock

17 minutes ago, AmphibAndy said:

Thank you Lex.   I have a copy of that key card and I think it perhaps says Sudbury in a different hand.   There is also MAR/1/5(S?)/21 followed by 9 6 61.  All no doubt makes perfect sense if you know what it means.  I suspect the 9/6/61 is a date.   Andrew 

Hi Andrew,

The reference starting MAR/ probably refers to the RAOC Central Vehicle Depot at Marchington, Staffs.

regards, Richard

These types of trailers were used around the Command Workshop where I worked, usually pulled by a Lister warehouse tractor in multiples, when collecting engines in crates from the nearby Ordnance depot railway sidings.

6 hours ago, jenkinov said:

Well interesting no one's suggested dry storage . So I will 'revert to wet storage but with a non ethanol fuel such as BP Ultimate.. It's octane rate is min 97 but up to 99 so just below aviation fuel which starts at 100 octane 

 

Jenkinov

According to the BP website, BP Ultimate is E5. I do not think we can get away without ethanol in petrol now unfortunately.

The Scammell EKA had a small portapak set in one of the lockers, at least the one at our Workshop did.

1 minute ago, Rootes75 said:

We tried the cheap gasless Mig we bought today, absolute rubbish for welding bodywork. Even on the lowest settings you cannot stop burn through on 1mm. We managed to weld a couple sections in but the finish is awful as I had to keep puddle welding burn throughs on the original material.

My old Gasless Mig never had this problem.

I have a Sealey Supermig 160 like 67burwood has. Had mine for 20 years, use it on thin sheet as well as much heavier metal, works a treat. My advice on welding thin sheet, especially if you do not have much experience is to have a piece of copper behind the weld, this will help not to blow holes.

I thought this was a research vehicle from somewhere like FVRDE, MVEE, etc. Recollect some discussion on this in the past.

You have a Zenith, correct one is a Solex 35RZFAIPO

The inlet manifold is a civilian spec as well as the mounting for the carb flange is different.

That carb is as fitted to the civilian spec Bedford engines, the oil filter is likewise. Neither are correct for a wartime military engine.

2 hours ago, caiden5678 said:

Hi Richard did you know what hotel it was? 

All I know was that it was on the coast of Romney Marsh in Kent and they also had a T34 tank there at one time as well.

I remember fitting an engine into this Saracen for the first private owner, it was missing when bought. That was around 1996. Later it was sold and stood outside a hotel next to the sea for years. Next time I heard of it was on this forum where a chap from Wales had bought it.

17 minutes ago, 64EK26 said:

.  Ended up at the intelligence centre prior to being sold at Ruddington on 12th June 1961.

The Intelligence Centre at that time would have been at Maresfield Camp in East Sussex.

Champion J8C plugs are good in Bedford engines. As for electronic ignition you will need to know the exact type of Lucas distributor that you have, numbers and ID are stamped on the metal body below where the cap fits. I say this because I have come across a few different type fitted in the past. I have used electronic kits on several military vehicles and customers have said how much it improved the starting and running, I think they were Powerspark (without checking, may not have the name quite right).

That lamp was made by Flexible Lamps Lrd (Rubbolite)

The Federation Army would likely be the Malayan Federation Army which was set up by the British in the Fifties.

MOA would be Ministry of Aviation

6 minutes ago, Neilmwd said:

Can any one tell me what this actually means please the one with the reg plate 25ra37 its the 6th from the bottom.thanks again

The second column is Chassis number, 3rd is Contract number, 4th is the pre-1949 Census number which will have the prefix Z as it is in the Up to 1 ton class.. Open Cab shows that it is the early one with aero screens and only canvas doors, CVD Ashchurch is the Central Vehicle Depot were it was prior to auction. The auction would have been at Ruddington and sold in 1961

58 minutes ago, AmphibAndy said:

And Richard I shall call you in the next couple of weeks and have a test drive over to see you.   cheers  Andrew 

 

 

 

Hi Andrew,

Will look forward to catching up!

regards, Richard

6 hours ago, AmphibAndy said:

Can any kind soul help me with the RAL Colour codes for the RAF Roundels please?

I also assume that they were in gloss?

many thanks Andrew 

 

Hi Andrew,

I would ignore RAL colour codes as they are European origin. The British Standard colours are still used by paint suppliers in the UK. I am not certain on the shades of blue and red on the RAF roundel, but at a guess would say Royal Blue and Signal Red, both are BS shades.

Just found that on the BS381C colour chart there is 110 Roundel Blue and 454 Pale Roundel Red.

regards, Richard

Last overhaul at 18 Command Workshop REME, Bovington, in 1954

Hi Tim,

If Allison were reconditioning MB/GPW jeeps for a government contract, I would think it unlikely that a different gearbox would be accepted as things like this upset the spares issue. But if these rebuilds were done for general sale, then I suppose anything goes. How do we know that the gearbox change was not done later?

4 minutes ago, tankdiver said:

Hi Richard

When I pull the engine off the gearbox and looking  where the fluid leaked from I found a hair line crack in the aluminium case. Once I investigated further and took off the cover it just broke in half .I have done lots of vehicles and have never seen this before, 

i have seen the odd occurence of cracks in the cover of other vehicles with fluid flywheels, usually through lack of oil and overheating of the flywheel. This is a long shot, but I wonder if this part is the same as the one fitted to a Ferret? I do not have parts lists to hand to check at present.

4 hours ago, tankdiver said:

I am pondering to sell my  Fox polecat for spares . It has only done 153 miles road registered unfortunately it lost drive the fluid flywheel broke in half .

 

 

What part of the flywheel split in half, the internal driven member or the aluminum cover? I would be surprised if the steel flywheel split. I spent many years repairing and overhauling Fox's from the full extent of their service life.

Hi Pete,

Removing the name and location of the manufacturers was done to deter attacks on their factories. A lot of vehicles did not have radiator badges, Morris Commercial stopped fitting them. I have a brass plate for a Taskers trailer and only the T for Tasker, A for Andover and L for Ltd left on it.