Richard Farrant

Hi, You will have to excuse me as it is 15+ years since working on these wonderful machines. The fact that you have not got all the electrical circuitry connected could be a problem, but .... i think that I have spotted something. You say that all the hyd systems work by using hand controls direct to spool valves, but not electrically. Now I am wondering if one of the emergency taps has been shut. These are there in case of an electrical failure and will allow systems to be operated in an emergency, but without any safety features, ie load cut outs, etc. If you go to the platform behind the cab, looking rearwards, you have a bank of spool valves, (magnet valve block), to the left is a square block with a square tap in it, on the end is a line stamped, showing postion of the tap, normal use it is a through flow (lined up with pipe unions), emergency postion is to shut that flow off. Check this out and if it is shut, turn it to open and try your electrical solenoids again. regards, Richard

Ian, Due to the high pressures, best to replace with steel again. Not safe to use copper in this instance. regards, Richard

I agree with Antar, too many military features, and the Austin badge, looks like the "script" type used on cars in 1950's. The civilian Champ badge was not like that.

I remember when Jack Henley's Matador used to come to local shows, even early Beltring IMPS events. It was pristine then, he also had a WW1 AEC in the same livery.

or more to the point, one tyre is the wrong way around and the rest are correct :-D. Somewhere, I have seen an instruction for directional treads on front wheels to be fitted in reverse, to save tyre wear apparantly.

If I remember correctly, these seals were both rubber and leather, fitted alternately. Many years ago since last stripped an accumulater to reseal. They are not an ideal sealing system, given the pressures involved, it is rather archaic, a double lip seal arrangement as in a hyd. ram would work better as there should always be oil present. A client of mine, some years ago, was a marine engineer and he had his Saracen accumulators reworked by a hydraulic specialists with modern types of seals. The pressurising in days when they were in army service was with Dry Air, we used to have our own plant for re-charging cylinders, to then take out and charge the vehicles. Nowadays, the normal gas to us is Nitrogen ( an oxygen free grade). Problems might have arisen if someone has charged with compressed air, with a high moisture content and rust could have developed in the accumulator bore.

or Esso Blue ? :-D

Hi Andy, It was only the MK (multifuel) that had an electrical fuel pump, not in the tank, but as David says, mounted on the chassis by the tank, there was a separate filter housing not unlike an oil filter, next to it. I cannot scan the picture of the pump at present, but can give you these numbers to check, NSN for pump is 6MT12/2910-99-881-4425, Fuel Pressurising Pump No2 Mk1 and FV342593

To be honest Tony, it is difficult to say without seeing the front end, but with the WD divided wheels, I go for WOT1, which was successor of the Sussex 6x4

It could be a Fordson WOT1 6x4, they had torque tube drive shafts.

Back in '89 on the Normandy tour, we were down south in Bagnoles. The town hosted us and one day, a hot one, all the vehicles lined up in the street, ready for a parade through the town. Guess what ... all the tanks with rubber pads were pulled out and only those with all steel were allowed to run, including a Cromwell (Budge). Those with rubber were lifting the bitumen, while the steel were just sliding, leaving white marks only. Only hope it is not hot in June next year or there could be problems in Weymouth ......... new tarmac and rubber pads

The badges were painted same as the truck when they came from the factory, IRR Green.

The scraper at GDSF is the one that Pip Biddlecombe used to operate behind his D7

Would not have thought there were any AA Patrolmen still working, who had experience of jeeps in army and AA service. They would be getting on a bit now

The rear of the body has been shortened and sides angled. Have pic somewhere of how they were originally. Another was found in Norway a few years ago, as it left the army in BAOR Germany.

Or a geographical reason, or logistical. Leyland DAF being built at Leyland, and Edbro being at Bolton, where as Marshalls are at Cambridge, which was handy for Bedford when they were built at Dunstable, but considering the distance from Lancs, perhaps this was costed out. On another note, when AWD bought Bedfords, there were a small amount of MJ's delivered with AWD badges on, no other differences, but only as cab/chassis, we (REME workshops) were removing bodies from cast MJ's, refurbishing them and putting on the new chassis'.

Not familiar with these, but would be a bit cautious using them on armour plate, due to the stress it might cause.

D & J, Good idea about a mag drill, we did not have these 20+ years ago when drilling hulls. Beauty of an air drill is you can keep the speed real slow.

The studs in question hold the mudguards to the hull and are welded flush onto the hull, not screwed into it.

and was a JAP 2A engine and dynamo on an angle iron frame with a handle at each end.

It is a possibility you could drill right through, and use a bolt, but it depends what is on the other side at that point. my experience of drilling armour, when we were doing mods on Ferrets is that you will have to use a special armour twist drill, and drill very slow with pressure on, not a job for your Black & Decker. We used an old air drill, which was a gut buster. A bracket was clamped to the hull and a pointed screw on the back of the drill located in this bracket so as to apply pressure on the drill bit, as you cut you were constantly putting pressure on the screw. Far easier to find a welder who can stud weld. As for tapping, I think you could end up with ruined taps or even broken ones.

They are normally welded on. When this happened in REME workshops, we had a special stud welder to do this.

Diana an Jackie, Just remembered doing this job some years ago and had great success in building up pitting on the hull sealing surfaces, with Belzona metal repair.This is a professional product used in heavy industry, providing preparations ot the surface are done right, it will work, then face it off with a block and abrasive paper, it will be good again.

I am with you on crane operating Steve. Much prefered to sit in the seat and operate the levers better control than using the remote and a better view of operations. Good as they were, they are a complex system.

Steve, Main relief valve is 250 Bar