Richard Farrant

1 hour ago, Aussie said:

Hi Richard

Been down the coast so nothing done today. It has the metal sheet and rubber cowling and I assume the fans blow out to the front but (hopefully tomorrow) I'll reconnect the output hose and run it into a bucket to see if the pump works and which way the wind blows. Will post again with those details. It seems that there are lots of possible causes so watch this space!

Cheers James

Hi James

OK, sometimes owners remove the cowling and then at road speed the hot air cannot get out, as yours is fitted another suggestion then. When you get the engine running, check that you have good airflow through the radiator. It is possible the the fins are blocked as oily residue and dust can be picked up from engine compartment, Ferret and Saladin suffered this as well.

regards Richard 

Hi James

I note your Saracen is an RF version. Does it have it have the sheet metal and rubber cowling over the radiator louvres on the front?

Another question, do the fans blow air out the front?

I ask these questions as have come across cooling issues before with RF Saracens.

regards Richard 

19 minutes ago, mogmaner said:

This may be a stupid question ,when building engines how many parts are taken from there 6 cylinder range ,The manifolds look very much like the ones on the Meadows powers pioneers?

Meadows powered Pioneers? They were Gardner powered. The Meadows petrol engine in the Explorer was actually a converted diesel engine.

Not quite the same, but will give you an idea of what to look for:

https://www.vintagecarparts.co.uk/products/197-door-buffer-wedge

Have you tried Norman Aish yet?

5 minutes ago, David Herbert said:

Chris Wilkinson told me that if he ever had purchaced any Covenantor parts and particularly Meadows flat 12 parts, that he would scrap them as soon as he identified them. There was no market whatsoever for them, military or civilian, so there was no point keeping them. Presumably that would have been a common attitude among the dealers at the time.

It might well be that some Meadows flat 12s survived longer than the Covenantors because the Covenantor power train was used in the British copy of the LVT4, known as the Neptune. These were not exactly successful but did stay in service long enough for the last remaining ones to be driven into breaches in the sea defences in the Fens in the 1950's floods, and deliberatly sunk as a barrier. As far as I know they are still there.

There was a smaller version of the Meadows flat 12, of 165hp vs 280hp, used in the Tetrarch light tank. This engine was also intended to be used in the FV420 series carriers, which would have given a flat load floor like a Stalwart, but a policy decission was made to use the RR B80 resulting in a big bump in the middle of the load bay which was not exactly helpful and resulted in a complete re design into the FV430 series where the (B81) engine moved into the front LH corner of the hull.

David,

The Neptune was I think built by Nuffield Mechanizations, so it is possible that the previous poster had seen crated engines for these, Nuffield might have taken on the reconditioning of them.

Hi Justin

The aligning tool we had in Workshops way back then, was a normal turned up shaft to slide through plates into spigot bearing but it had two splines attached at 180 degs and secured by small countersunk screws.

regards, Richard

45 minutes ago, eddy8men said:

jason

that would help a bit but are you sure they were'nt churchill engines. i seem to remember a load were found on a railway siding a few years back  

I remember many years back at the late Chris Wilkinson's yard, which was the old St. Albans railway goods station, there were Churchill engines in crates laying around, as well as other tank engines, but I had not seen a Meadows there.

The only Nuffield tank engines that I recall were the V12 Liberty, but never come across any in crates.

2 hours ago, justinb said:

While replacing the knackered transfer box on our mk2 stolly I decided to check on the clutch plates ,

both really need changing as there's not much meat .left on them .

does anyone have any tips for aligning two clutch plates at the same time before refitting the gearbox /transfer box combo? 

it looks like the small tabs on the pressure plate had been left in well past the 1\2 wear stage ,is it worth refitting them ?

kind regards 

justin

Hi Justin,

If you can get them, I would advise to use the later ceramic lined clutch plates. These were an army supersession. They do not absorb moisture and tend not to stick like the normal plates and much long lasting. Richard Banister will know about these as I once overhauled the clutch in their Stalwart. The hook washers should be refitted and left in until the clutch beds in. Don't forget to check and adjust the clearance on the intermediate plate.

Re. the clutch aligning tool, use an old shaft, one from a Martian will be the same.

regards, Richard

 Damn it, that was my first thought, but could not work out what the single line was so kept quiet.

This Danish made jack has similarities, they have made jacks since 1946 so it could be a 1950's / 60's one;

http://www.compac.dk/en/products/jacks-4-20-ton/high-lift-jacks-5-10-tons/8t-hc-detail

Clive,

are these plan views of something on the ground? As two have letters against them, have you removed letters from the others?

5 hours ago, Diana and Jackie said:

A firm tried it on my Ferret and they just wouldn't hold. In the end they tig welded them on without filler wire.

Maybe the gun they used wasn't powerful enough?

Diana

Hi Diana,

It was many years ago, and it was not an uncommon job with outside studs on Ferrets, Saracens, with seized nuts. The new studs were special for the job and I recollect they had something like a porcelain ring around them, which was broken away on welding. Don't think we had TIG in those days.

Richard

4 minutes ago, Diana and Jackie said:

A stud welding gun doesn't work but TIG does for the studs.

Diana

In REME workshops broken studs were renewed with stud welding guns, without an issues.

6 hours ago, naaficook said:

Hello Forum,

I'm looking for inner tubes for my Daimler Dingo, wheel size 7.00 x 18"
They need to have the steel angled valves.
I've googled, but got lost in Alibaba-offers!
Any UK based truck or tractor suppliers  ?

And YES : those are for the NON-solid tyres 7.00 x 18" wheels.
Will need 4 or 5 of them.
 

Hope you can help.

 

Hi,

What tyres are you using? Are they the runflat tyres which were tubed (ie those used during the war before the RFEI was introduced)? If so then a 7.00-18 car or truck tube will be no good as it will be too big, the cavity in the tyre being smaller plus the beadlock ring. Using too large a tube will mean it will crease and liable to fail. There were special tubes made for the runflat tyres.

If you are using truck tyres of conventional cross ply type as I did, then I got tubes from North Hants Tyres, they are up in the Aldershot area.

regards, Richard

Hi Matt,

Good photos, must be a busy life up there, wonder you ever find the time to fit it all in. I notice Neil was missing when the photos were taken !

regards, Richard

This link is regarding the same period of time, they are describing isinglass and mica;

http://theoldmotor.com/?p=134906

2 hours ago, 64EK26 said:

Thanks Clive

Any idea what vehicle other than Combat Engineer Tractor (FV180) ?

 

 

Richard,

As the prefix on the NSN is 9CET, I would say it was a specific part for the Combat Engineer Tractor. I would hazard a guess that these are demountable side markers for the bucket when on the road. Look at this link here and you will see the complete assy. with a rubber strap and hook on:

https://www.thexmod.com/item_detail.asp?id=28131

4 minutes ago, snort said:

You may be right about desperation, I think Military World show is the same week.

That event is the weekend before W&PR

Thanks for the video Dave, brings back good memories!

28 minutes ago, BC312 said:

I have seen many Wickhams motorized trolleys but non of the winch pull ones that just had a flat bed. Didnt know that the motorized trollies had a fluid flywheel. It would be interesting if these winch engines were the same type made and used throughout the UK during the war. 

At Lydd they also had WW2 Ford V8 balloon winches for pulling target trolleys across some ranges, they were still used through the 80's as I recall.

On ‎19‎/‎11‎/‎2017 at 7:23 PM, terryb said:

just looking at the nearest firing ranges to me here in Kent on google earth, and amazed to see Lydd ranges has an extensive narrow gauge railway system!

When I used to go down to Lydd to work on the army dozers and loading shovels, there was an active narrow gauge railway in operation, I can recollect the little diesel engines and side tilt hopper wagons. We used to work on the Wickhams target trolleys as well, these were powered by ancient JAP side valve v-twin engines of about 1300cc with a fluid flywheel.

28 minutes ago, mtskull said:

Richard,

Thank you.

 It is very interesting to know what the engine was originally intended for.

In common with the previous problem which you helped me with, I am being asked to sort issues arising from various other people's efforts, with very little record of what work has been carried out before. 

I was assuming that: a) The carburettor was the same one that was installed on the old engine and b) that it had actually run satisfactorily before. I cannot be certain that this is the case.

The auto choke is currently disconnected; I was working it manually to get it started but the engine had certainly been well warmed up; 170 Farenheit on the gauge and the choke actuating thermostat had moved to the fully hot position.

I don't propose to leave the B81 jets in that carb permanently but the improvement that they made suggests that something was very wrong with the jetting before. 

I'll have a look for the letters you mentioned and also find out the jet sizes that have been/are presently fitted.

Andy

OK Andy,

If you find the RE or UE number on the carb, I will send you the spec for that particular one.

regards, Richard

Hi,

I see you are using a B80 which was set up to power the winch on a Centurion ARV. No problem there. Regards to the backfires, I am wondering if you warmed the engine up enough or that the automatic choke was working for the correct duration. It could be adjusted incorrectly. Depending on the variant of carbs for the B80, it could be an incorrect jet for the carb you are using. There is a RE or UE number on the side of the carb and this will denote jetting and spec. Let me know what it is and I will tell you the correct ones. You should not mix a B80 and a B81 carb as they are wide differences in jetting.

The military engine could well be set up for low grade fuel, whereas a civilian version for a fire engine would have run on a higher octane petrol.

Richard

28 minutes ago, Radek said:

first one is ww2 british mortar or GS trailer

Don't think so, it has a solid axle, no springs and drawbar is different. The channels on the army trailers are further apart.

1 hour ago, philm1 said:

Hi Doug.  yes gear rack cleaning up well.  

Not sure on grease but would appreciate any feedback before I start reassembly.  A maintenance schedule I referred to states 'Turret Raballo Ring" - Ring - Lubricant Solid Film and,  Seal (do not overcrease) XG-279  (Nato Code G.403).

Not sure what Solid Film Grease is but I'm sure someone out there knows?

Hi Phil,

XG-279 is a general purpose mineral grease that was used universally on military vehicles and equipment (unless otherwise specified) and was used in things like wheel bearings or slew rings on cranes and excavators, so a general purpose automotive grease would be fine, it is not as if the turret spins round at a high speed !!

Richard