Richard Farrant

Bondhook is I think, a corruption of the Hindustani word for rifle which is Bundhook

Hi Bob, it looks like your post has fell on stony ground ....... no takers as yet. I have a suggestion but afraid it might stop this dead, so hope a few others will have a stab first.

That was the point we were trying to convey from the start! Now you can get to enjoy the ride regards, Richard

First off Chris, when I have a transmission to adjust from scratch, I use a hand lever for the busbar, it was a special tool to replace the small arm on the gearbox temporarily. This allows you to cycle the operating gear without pedal linkage inhibiting it, once you know the box is engaging all gears and neutral, then you can connect up the pedal linkage and adjust. Dont forget to engage 1st gear before you adjust the pedal linkage as that has least free play on pedal. I advise to adhere to the EMER's when doing all this.

Chris, I am assuming the transmission is now in the Ferret. It sound like the pedal linkage is not allowing you to push down the bus bar far enough for the Neutral strut to engage. You would be advised to fit it as before, it was fitted for good reason. It is rare to find gearboxes without Neutral struts now as they were modded in and around the mid to late 50's. regards Richard

I seem to recollect, when I worked for the army that the flag decal was only used on vehicles in Germany BAOR. I think Clive has broached this subject before.

Malcolm, This is what we have been saying all along. You have to go straight from Forward to Reverse ( or vice versa) when shifting the transfer box lever, no hesitating or trying to engage from the central position (with engine running of course).

The Churchill Toad flail tank is on its way from the US to the museum I understand, that will be one of his largest exhibits I reckon. Would love to see it doing a bit of bush bashing!

Not unique to a particular vehicle, but used for a particular type, there are a host of numbers for K9's with signals type bodies. Sorry I could not pin it down closer.

I think it would be a sound bet that the FH70 is destined for the new Armour and Artillery Museum in Cairns, Queensland

Not sure about that Clive as it says GS and the photo shows a box body. The nearest I have come is one with a box/cabin body: 314675-01-235 > 3785.0099 Radio station, truck mounted, Type J1 Austin K9

It has dawned on me that some early Ferret pre-selector boxes might have been constructed similar to the early Saracen ones (as well as WW2 Daimlers), whereby they were not fitted with a Neutral strut. If you take the pressed steel inspection cover off, check to see what happens to the bands when you engage Neutral, if you see 4th and 5th adjusters move partially, then this could be a reason for the reluctance to engage. My Ferret EMER's are updated and do not mention this, but my Saracen EMER Technical Description is dated 1955 and stated that approval had been given for a major modification to the selectors. The problem on the early Saracen box (and it is highly likely early Ferrets are similar) was that when the Neutral was selected it reduced clearance between 4th gear band and drum as well as 5th gear clutch and caused drag in Neutral. Something to check. regards, Richard

Hi Malcolm, This is odd as by holding the gear pedal down will release pressure from the bands, but it seems one maybe overadjusted and dragging. Your next step would be to lift the pressed metal cover on the gearbox to inspect the bands and their adjustment. This is the cover with approx. 15 screws in, only remove this cover. Do you know what oil is in the gearbox? It should be SAE30 engine oil.

Just to throw another spanner in the works, during the Thirties, Vickers produced a whole range of light armoured tracked vehicles, called ....... Light Tanks ! The later ones like the MkVI were smaller than a CVR(T) and less well armed than one, still known as tanks though. What is annoying is people referring to SP artillery, such Abbot with the T word.

There are no torques in the wartime Bedford manuals but the data from a 1947 Bedford manual for civilian lorries is as follows: Main Brg. Cap Bolts; 63 - 66 lbs/ft Big Ends ; 38 - 43 lbs/ft Cyl. Head bolts ; 78 - 83 lbs/ft Same 28hp engine regards, Richard

Hi Richard, The numbers will be on the bearing cup and cone, inner bearing is different to the outside one.

As you change from F to R or visa versa, hold the gear pedal down and move the lever smartly without hesitation.

There are a lot of countries not in NATO that use the NSN (National Stock Number) system of cataloguing stores. Others include Australia and New Zealand

Hi Mark, I have gone back to the start of the thread and note that you had lack of power originally. Then later on you mention checking the compressions and getting readings of around 45 psi ........ now that is low, I would expect figures double that at least, and on a cold engine. Also, just to confirm, you have had the engine running since fitting the electronic ignition? Richard

This carb is one of a pair for the Daimler Armoured Car, not a Dingo. If I recall, jetting is different.

Hi Ron, Good for your input here! My working experience of RR B range spans over 40 years now on all types of military vehicles as well as some fire engines. We did get burnt exhaust valves and cracked valve seats, but one recurrent problem with all engines was head gasket failure due to the proximity of the exhaust valve to the narrowest part of the gasket between certain pairs of cylinders. I think on the B60 it was 2 & 3 or 4 & 5. regards, Richard

Paul, I was not implying that about the side exhaust valves, it was from the original Bentley car engine design of mid-Thirties and a necessity in order to get as large an inlet port and valve as possible. They were hampered at the time with the RAC rating formula for bore and stroke. I have to disagree with Ron about the side exhaust running cooler, the exact opposite in my experience with the burnt valves that we used to get on them. This has always been a problem with side valves.

18 in the number denotes it is South Africa

Thanks Degsy! Hi Mark, I would check the rotor arm for shorting first, although I see you say there is a spark, I am wondering if that spark disappears once the plug is in the cylinder under pressure. It is a simple test, that the HT lead from coil out of the dist cap and remove cap, switch on ignition and hold the lead over the brass contact on the arm, and turn engine, if the spark jumps from the lead to the rotor arm then it is shorting out through the shaft. Eliminate this first then we can move on. The higher voltage of the electronic ignition will find flaws in rotor arm or cap. Richard

Paul, Only the civilian versions of the B Range have vacuum advance, the screened ignition military engine rely only on centrifugal advance. If I remember correctly the B range were developed from a Bentley engine design from pre-war (Maybe why they where given B title) and in that period of time, vehicle engines were given a Taxation Rating called RAC h.p., which was worked out by bore area; b2n over 2.5 b = bore diameter in inches and n = number of cylinders To sell vehicles it was necessary for them to be in as low a taxation rating as possible and to achieve this the bore diameters were designed as small as possible which meant the stroke had to be longer. When this happened on a large engine, there was not enough room to get two valves of sufficient diameter in the headspace so the answer was to have inlet over exhaust, ie side exhaust valves and overhead inlet. My recollection was that W.Robotham, a Rolls Royce director was working on this engine in the Forties to develop it in to multiple cylinder configuration for military use as it was an existing design and as we know now, hampered by the RAC rating which was holding back engine development. So in my opinion the side valves were not done to enhance the engine power at all.