Richard Farrant

I have heard this method called a "jack rabbit start".

Thinking about it, those concaved pistons are for an overhead valve engine, ah, a thought, perhaps the parts are for a Morris Commercial MRA1 ........ 6 cyl, ohv !

Ian, You cannot guarantee that all these parts are for the same engine type. The filters do look a bit like Morris ones, but I would still get him to send you details on any labels on the packets. The diameter of the pistons will also give a clue.

Difficult to see from here, a clue as to what it says on the labels of boxes would help. Are you think Austin K5? I can tell you for a start that the manifold gaskets are not for Austin.

John, The QL with single 28 gall tank was issued with a dipstick, marked BEDFORD FWD, not got an angled bottom end like sticks for side tanks

WOT was the drivers name, Mr Chad ?

Hi John, Yes the bracket is on the back panel of my cab, but doubt the jack handles would fit in there as the flange between upper and lower cab halves is above it and it would not allow them to drop in, where as the dipstick fits a treat!

Hi John, On my QL there is the same bracket, behind the gear lever. It has held the dipstick for about 25 years and I am sure somewhere I have seen a picture to confirm this what it was for. Could be proved wrong though Richard

Clive, you should fit one of those shockers like they used in NI, you could have some fun there, wait until they knock then a quick burst of volts and wait for the bad language, that'll sober 'em up!

Hi Bob, You cannot remove a mechanical blower and replace with an exhaust gas driven turbocharger, the engine would never start. It needs positive pressure to compress the intake of air in to the bottom of the cylinder in order to fire. This talk of exhaust scavenging....... it is only really a by product of the compressed intake air entering the lower cylinder and pushing any dirty air out before the exhaust valve closes.

I will have to go back 45 years to my initial training ...... the four stroke cycle, Suck, Squeeze, Bang, Blow. The cylinder fires every second revolution, so has and induction stroke, piston going down, inlet valve closes, piston rises, injection of fuel at top of stroke, piston goes down with the firing pressure and so on. Now to use a two stroke motorcycle engine for an example, that uses the lower crankcase area as a primary compression area to compress the intake before transferring it to the upper cylinder for further compression and firing. With a large diesel such as a Foden or GM Detroit, this is impractical so the supercharger or blower is there solely to compress the intake air, when this is blown in through the lower cylinder ports it does push the waste gases out, but without this blower the engine will never run. Another misconception is people think they run faster, but as the two stroke fires twice as often, this is where they are mislead. To increase power, it can have a turbo charger fitted to the exhaust manifold. Hope that is clear? regards Richard

I was there on Weds and Thurs and it was excellent, ............. much better than last year when I was soaked to the skin

Hi Wally, I do believe I have a Frog kit made for me by my Dad in the mid 50's, it is a Sabre jet, a bigger scale than Airfix at the time.

and Bandiana Army Museum is close to the Hume Highway as well ....... that is worth seeing. Actually I know a couple of guys in the trucking business from Sydney and if you are interested, PM me.

Graham, Have you seen this website; http://www.austinmemories.com/page74/page74.html scroll down to the part on the Twin Moke

I am looking for someone who has a WW2 British 7 1/2 ton Light Recovery trailer, the ones built by Cranes of Dereham. A contact is after reproducing a dataplate for one and needs a good photograph, dimensions and letter height so that he could get one cast in brass. Being overseas makes this a little difficult for him. Hope someone out there can help please. regards, Richard

The US military had a couple of Mokes on trials and evaluation, one was the twin-engine example. Would they have been supplied straight from Austin or be one of those that went to Chertsey?

This afternoon saw the Dutch B25 Mitchell fly over on its way to the Shoreham airshow ............. and also saw a Fox on a lowloader

Looks like the first 432 has broken torsion bar(s) on nearside

Hi James, you can use silver solder on steel, for more info, check this out ; http://www.cupalloys.co.uk/best_practice/

Ian, the small brass plate denotes it had a Class 2 rebuild at a Southern Command REME Command Workshop, but I cannot confirm which one.

I think P&A Dept was Parts & Accessories Dept and having worked for a company that also had a Bedford Vauxhall dealership in their group, I seem to recollect these boxes coming in on the regular stores delivery, they would then return empty, hence the serial number.

You could try Stevson Motors, 0121 472 1702. They specialise in rebuilding these types of shockers.

What does it say in the handbook? Some of the old Luvax lever type have brake fluid in them, with is not mineral, if you use a mineral oil it can effect the seal on the arm.

Hi, I wonder if these numbers were stamped on during a rebuild as the cab with dataplates would have been detached and the numbers were applied in order that it was all identified.