Richard Farrant

Reckon I may have an answer on this. If someone had removed the front sun wheels to do a front suspended recovery (obviously not REME, they would have known better), it is entirely possible that the handbrake, which is two band brakes on front bevelbox input flanges, were either on or rubbing, and caught fire. This may explain the fire damage in that vicinity. The sun wheels are removed because it is illegal for the suspended wheels to rotate, if they have been removed at the front, this was a no.1 mistake on the part of he who did it. Richard

Colin, Here is a link to the above mentioned photo; http://www.mapleleafup.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4991&perpage=40&pagenumber=2 Scroll down an look for message titled "Fleet Air Arm Fordson tractor and bowser", and dated 22/1/06 Richard

Colin, I saw a wartime colour photo of one recently. It was on a Fleet Air Arm aerodrome, towing a refuelling bowser. I am sure the photo came of the IWM photo library which is accessable on the internet. Cannot remember the colour off hand. Richard

Neil, Although that badge looks similar to SAS, the style is more US forces although something in the back of my mind says that it has been seen before on a private owned vehicle and is something made up. Also the inter vehicle lead and track support bar on the front looks a little to tidy for an in-service vehicle. Richard

Mick, Enots is a pipe fitting manufacturer, nothing "marine specific" about them, their fittings are found on anything from motorcycles to tanks. Richard

Neil, Do you mean the SAS badge below the headlamps? The strut fixed to the flotation collar mounting and the fixture on the front glassis plate is vaguelly familiar. I will go for a FV439, now there is a link with SAS here. Back in the Eighties, I had to go out to a 439 with engine problems, and which was being used as the prototype for Ptarmigan installation. This vehicle had been recently rebuilt to be NBC proof, the engine covers inside were different with better sealing arrangement. We were told it was to be a SAS communications vehicle. I have a feeling the equipment on the front is to support a mast, note the camera on the strut. Richard

That plate relates to the body contract only, and it shows it as being built by Marshalls of Cambridge. Richard

Yes .........and pigs might fly :-D ( not talking about Humber Flying Pigs, Paul ;-) )

Mick, Before you pull the engine apart, squirt a bit of engine oil down each bore and carry out the compression test again. If the pressure rises more than 50, then, yes it is worn bores, but if it makes little difference, it looks like it may be valves leaking. The exhaust valve clearances are rarely checked due to them being difficult to access with the exhaust manifold in the way. Richard

Rick, Just looked in a 1944 Morris Comm workshop manual for C8 and C9/B, they are definitely Negative earth. What was the manual that stated positive earth? Richard

A lot of British military vehicles during WW2 / Forties, were negative earth, but there were some oddities, for instance, the Austin lorries supplied for civilian transport, National Fire Service, etc., were positive earth, where as those supplied to the War Department were negative earth. Difference being the dynamo and regulator types.

Hello John, This was an IMPS member near Canterbury, his friend had already had his GMC done for some time with no reported problems. I do not think these beads are abrasive. Richard

A good number of years ago, the Tank Museum asked if I could survey a Matilda mk1 on a local range in Kent. The museum was planning on having a running example built by Bob Grundy, I think they found some remains on Otterburn range as well. I arranged to view and it was on an old PIAT range that had recently been cleared of ordnance. The turret had been blown off as well as the tracks, but there was still a lot of salvageable parts there. After surveying the area with recovery in mind, I sent the photos off. Apparantly, all three wrecks found had been hit from the same side, but ultimately the Matilda 1 was restored by Bob, albeit with a Rover V8 engine to replace the original Ford V8. Somewhere I still have the negatives, will have to search them out. Richard

Regarding tyre balancing, there is another option which would be good for the heavier vehicles. Weights have a habit of getting knocked off if going off road. While I was out working on a customer's GMC CCKW last year, he had the local truck tyre specialist out to inject a special product like minute beads in to the tube. Once the wheel starts rotating the beads automatically balance it out. As the tyre wears the balancing continues to correct, whereas weights are only good for a certain period. Going back to weights, when we had the Bedford MK in service, it was found that at a certain speed, there would be a lot of steering shake due to imbalance of tyres. We had a large 3-phase electric motor with a roller on, front wheels jacked up, with the drive flange removed from the hub replaced by a dummy one. The roller was used against the tyre to power it up to speed and an optical instrument, which I cannot remeber details of now, was used to view the tyre, similar to a timing light if memory is correct. This not only balanced the tyre and wheel, but also the hub and brake drum. Lead weights were used on the rim. Richard

Tony, That could just be a Churchill Toad flail tank, as far as is known, one survives and is being restored. The bit sticking up at the back, would that be a large box shape running the whole width of the tank? Richard

OK Tony, Seem to think I have seen a photo of one of those somewhere. Richard

John, Let us hope that you can keep your tools in the box this year, and actually get to drive it around. Richard

Tony, I think you will find that there were 12 Cent BARV's built. Richard

Are you going to demonstrate that operation again at Beltring this year? :whistle: :whistle:

Pipe Line Under The Ocean to be correct, because they were also pushing diesel through it. Richard

It could well be an Austin gas turbine unit. There was one being shown a few years ago. they are small units built to drive either a Sigmund pump or Crompton Parkinson alternator. They produced 250 bhp, with the engine unit alone, weighing 1,200 lbs. Rotor speed was 29,000 rpm with the output shaft geared down to 1,500 rpm as standard fitting. This was produced in 1962. Richard

Clive, Is that where Borat lives when he comes to see you, or does he prefer the dog kennel?

Here is another photo from the front, one of the trailers is lurking behind the Leyland Hippo, next to it. Richard [attachment deleted by admin]

Wounded in Action :?

For convalesing servicemen, who have been injured or sick