Richard Farrant

Richard, That is a beacon socket, recognise it from the rubber cover. The beacon is quick detachable. Richard

I am sure there were some new type tracks for sale at Beltring, on Staman's stall, thought it was someone in Europe making them. Anyone else see them? Richard

Mark, You not heard of this scam? It is usually done with vehicles, etc. on web site adverts. Milweb is a big attraction for them, every time you put an ad on there, Nigel puts a warning regarding them. They used to be nicknamed "the boys from Nigeria" or similar, but they seem to come from all over now, going by the web address and time difference on the messages. I know quite a few people who nearly got caught, just luck they mention it to someone and were warned. Definitely not genuine buyers, just want to pass a bouncy draft to you, for more than is asked then for you to send the excess on to another bank. In the mean time, your bank has told you it was a fraud.....too late. Be warned, if you advertise and get an email with odd spelling and grammer, and are very keen to pay by bankers draft, delete it. Kewelde

Matt, I did answer them for a little while, suggesting that if they wanted to buy, they would have to inspect and pay in cash only. No answer on that. Just delete now in case you get deluged in spam. Richard

Probably a scam anyway, he would send a bankers draft for an amount over the price to include shipping then get you to send the surplus to his friend in the USA. Time you have done that, the bank will tell you it was a dud, and you have already sent the money. They are not intereted in the vehicle. The amount of replies I have had like that, selling vehicles on Milweb. They used to originate from Nigeria, but now the emails come from all over. You can always tell by the fact they are so keen to buy but do not ask for photos or more info. Kewelde

XPM actually means Expanded Metal. It is semi sheared and stretched to produce its form. Used on machine guards, etc. Richard

While we are discussing trans. brake testing on the MoT, there is an issue at present with the information given by the new MoT computer system regarding late type Land Rovers with the diff in the transfer box, ie. 90/110, Range Rover, etc. Apparantly, it tells the tester to test the trans. brake at 20 mphon a flat surface, this will do horrendous things to the drive train and when one owner saw and heard this take place he nearly lynched the tester. As LR state, that type of brake should not be used whilst the vehicle is moving. I have seen a trans. brake drum explode on a Bedford MK, the results looked like a hand grenade had exploded under the axle, both tyres punctured and shrapnel straight through the timber board floor of the body and out through the canopy top. Now tell me it is safe and correct to use these brakes whilst in motion, test or otherwise. When testing comes down to it, the manual is only a guide, because different vehicles have to be assessed on their various designs, what it boils down to is common sense and experience, something the younger testers do not have. I took a customer's Bedford MW for testing last year and when it came to the brake test, the young sprog said it was too old for testing the brakes. I told him he was wrong and that he should do it. As the brakes were in top order it came out high on the scale and he was "amazed", and as I said, that is without a servo. Then as I drove off, I realised he forgot to test the horn or wipers! Richard

Clive, Transmission brakes should not be applied while the vehicle is moving. That is why they are not tested on the rollers. The load imposed on the transmission could shear a propshaft. The test is to apply the brake on a slope and check that it does not roll. Cannot of the top of my head, remember degree of slope, but it is not much. As the law is on Construction & Use, I think you will find that road vehicles should have two independantly controlled braking systems, thus foot and hand brake. Richard

Apparantly it is something about armoured vehicles being in the same classification as firearms. I think the French can get around it by clubs or museums owning the vehicles. We were warned about taking armour to Normandy last year, but those that did, had no problems, it may only be French owned ones that come in to it. I understand that vehicles taken to France to take part in an organised event are not a problem. This is from a guy who is a member of one of the French mv groups. Richard

Whats the point of doing that when it is so easy to MoT a jeep? If you had been asked to produce your docs, you would have found it cheaper to have had it tested. The V112G is for heavy vehicles where the only test facilites are Ministry Test stations and they obviously do not wish to get them in the system there. It is all done on trust that the vehicle is kept in good order and safe. Kewelde

In hydraulic pressure guages, glycerine is used to damp the needle flucturations down, probably the same for the compass. Richard

Mad Man, Sorry, you misunderstood my message. The gearbox should NOT have EP90 in it, because I believe there are bronze bushes in it and the additives in EP oil eats into them. The correct oil is SAE 90, what we would call in the UK, a "straight oil" There is a distinct difference between the two oils. Richard

Going by the manual it would be SAE 90 gear oil, do not confuse this with SAE 90EP. The later has extreme pressure additives which can eat into bronze and brass. Often refered to as a "straight oil", SAE 90 is best for jeep gearboxes as the use of an EP oil, hampers the braking action of the synchros, by the EP additives doing exactly what they say on the tin. Richard

Jack, AC was a division of General Motors Corporation, they made dynamos, starters, distributors, filters, thermostats, rad and fuel caps,guages, etc. as well as spark plugs. Richard

I remember on the 1989 MVT D-Day tour, we spent a week in Bagnoles. On the day of the parade through the town is was hot and those tanks with rubber pad tracks were not allowed to continue because they were lifting the bitumen. Those with steel tracks were causing no more than white scratches on the road. Richard

Clive, Would that music be what they call "heavy metal" then? Richard :lol:

Try Philip Bashall at Dunsfold Landrovers, he had a Shorland and stocks heaps of parts for all models, from Series 1 onward. Richard

Yes, one example is a restored one owned by Simon Thomson, in the Isle of Wight. There was an article on it in the MVT Windscen magazine a while ago, cannot lay my hands on it at present Richard

Karoshi, Don't mind me jumping in here, but I think you mean the Belgium MVT, they run the event, check out their website. Richard

Jack, Safety is paramount.......and also abiding by the laws on lighting, Road Traffic act, Construction and Use Act, etc. My interests are WW2 British vehicles, they originally had one tail light, no stop light and one masked headlight. You have to compromise if you want to use it on the road. Flashers are essential, so I position them off the bodywork so they are not obtrusive, but in a correct dimensional position but under the body or wings. Same with tail lights and reflectors. Richard Just seen Clives message, and agree, that a few concession to originality have to be done for safety and self preservation.

Modern Antifreeze does more than just what its name is. It is a year round coolant inhibitor, lubricates the pump, stops corrosion, keeps the system clean and raises the boilng point. I have seen mv's in Australia with cooling problems, brown sludge coming out of the rad when removed, when you suggest that antifreeze should be used, they think you are mad, because it does not freeze (there are some parts of the country that do freeze of course, but this was not one of them!). Richard

Better leave that to Clive, he has the drawings to build them, see Buckets thread :lol:

Richard, don't touch it whatever you do !!!!! I will blow the wheels off.......... No, it is there to test the circuit, so you know the warning light works. I think it is a rocker switch.... Richard

I am sure that the machine shown, is a replica built for display at the Museum of Army Flying, Middle Wallop. Richard