Richard Farrant

Hi Ferg, Only reason I was cautious regarding converting to electronic ignition was due to having had some failures with them. I did an Austin K2 ambulance and it went superbly and was impressed with the performance, but consumed rotor arms due to the increased HT voltage. There was another problem on a Bedford, which I cannot recall details, think it was the cap that got destroyed that time, by burning. There is a solution with rotor arms now, where new ones have been made to combat the problem of shorting out. regards, Richard

Nothing to do with FMW warehouse tractors! FMW is a service by Geoff Fletcher, contact: FMW, PO Box 6817, Bridport, DT6 9BG

Hi Alec, Good to hear you are involved. When the photos of the vehicles came up initially, it was only of the dubious continental ones, now I hear that Tobin and you have brought some quality to the film set, that is good, just hope yours are in front of the local ones! cheers Richard

Another thought as the engine has been rebuilt, the Bedford 28 hp needs care when fitting the manifolds, to ensure both are aligned and there are no air leaks (leaks will mean weak mixture which could be one of the causes of your symptoms).

Have you got all the HT leads in correct order? Sounds like two may be transposed.

I think you can widen your search a bit as Humber used one like this and at a guess it is the same size. So any Rootes car of the period may have had this type.

I recall at school, in the science lesson they had thin magnesium tape that would burn if you put it in a flame, probably Bunsen burner, it is too long ago to recollect details. Also I knew a guy once who worked for Dunlop during the war producing aircraft wheels made of magnesium. He told me you learnt your lesson when turning the wheels on a lathe, not to take too big a cut otherwise the heat produced caught the metal alight and the only way to but it out was with sand. The cleaning of a lathe of sand was not easy and production time was lost. Sorry for the deviation, but just to say, it might not take as much as you think to burn the magnesium.

Norman has a website, here is the address, http://bygonebedfordbits.co.uk/

It depends where you get your information from, but from experience I know that hardened exhaust seats were fitted. The one I am rebuilding has them as the machine shop remarked on them when I got him to recut the seats. You refer to B81 and regular engines. Basically there is little difference except that the B61 and B81 are 0.25" larger bores to give increased capacity.

BBC was my thoughts when I saw the painted number. They had 9 on these in 1951, see this article in Commercial Motor at that time; http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/1st-june-1951/46/putting-on-the-spot

Hi Jack, I was hoping this bearing would be listed in the wartime LV6MT7 vocab, but no, it would appear to be a special made for the Cam Gears steering box. Further research and I came up with something. Cam Gears Ltd now belong the TRW parts empire, so a search using 'TRW Cam Gears' found the site of a UK bearing supplier with a list of numbers for Cam Gears bearings, and 7712 and 8527 are shown. It is highly likely that these steering boxes or components of, were used in other manufacturers vehicles as well. Here is the list of number; www.ahrinternational.com/oemnames/TRW_CAM_GEARS.shtml and here is the home address for the bearing supplier, I suggest you contact their Technical Dept. as they are likely to be more helpful. www.ahrinternational.com Best of luck. regards, Richard

Jack, I assume you are talking about the Morris Tilly, do you have a parts book to identify any part numbers, either Morris or MT ones?

On the news this morning, a P47 Thunderbolt came down into the Hudson River in New Jersey, USA. More here; http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Plane-Hudson-River-381171841.html

From what you have written you say you marked the chain, it is not the chain you should have marked, but the relation of the sprockets to each other. Best way is to go back to basics. If you have a manual for that engine I am sure it will explain but if not, this is a rule of thumb when no data is available, place No. 1 piston at TDC and set the camshaft so that the inlet and exhaust valves on No.1 are ' on the rock', that is exhaust closing/inlet opening. Then put the chain on. You will then have to reset the distributor timing.

Same here, could only have got it by having copied the IMPS members details.

The way I look at it is it Combined Ops is still very much the IMPS club event and members get free entry, but the club does not have the financial outlay or risk if weather, etc. causes problems. A nice site with plenty going on and very sociable. No doubt many members will still be helping marshal the event as well. See you there Ferg ! regards, Richard

Jim, You should refit those screws. The challis cannot come out of the tracta housing until withdrawn from bevel box as there are shouldered pivot pins retaining it in position. It helps greatly if you study the sectioned drawing in EMER so you are aware of its build up. Richard

They can need some persuasion, especially if someone had used 'gorilla snot' sealer around it. This term comes from when I worked in army workshops and occasionally we would come across this, it was a rubbery compound that let you lever it out a touch then it pulled back in. It was not something in the procedure, and the guy who applied it, probably never dismantled them after doing this. You could rig up a slide hammer that attacked to the flange on the challis.

Sounds more like one of the idle mixture screws on the carb is not set right. Don't forget the carb is in effect two carbs. Two idle mixture screws on the base of the carb.

Considering the comment by the director or producer in the newspaper web link on the making of the film, regarding accuracy, there are a number of bloomers in the vehicles. No MW with full windscreen would have been at Dunkirk and there are some strange bodied Austins, Bedfords and WOT2 with distinctive French bodywork styling. The Morris Commercial LC looks authentic though. Were owners in UK approached about this film are is it all French owner vehicles? The cardboard cut outs are the most authentic ones ! regards, Richard

Hi Peter, I can fully appreciate what you have done as I was taken out to look at this lorry years ago by a friend, but I knew only too well he would not have wanted to pay for all that work to be done, so steered him towards another lorry! Well done, a labour of love.. regards, Richard

Hi Sean, Have sent you a PM cheers Richard

Definitely not, I will going to Combined Ops event at Headcorn aerodrome on that weekend. http://www.headcornevents.co.uk/downloads/Vehicle%20Entry%20Form.pdf

That is probably the Cadillac Gage turret, the Australian's had them on the M113A1

To clarify the types of brake fluids, there are three types, Mineral (specified by certain car manufacturers, eg. Citroen, etc), Synthetic (the standard type of brake fluid) ... and Silicone. If you go by the DOT number you cannot go wrong, up to and including DOT4 is a synthetic man made product (but not containing Silicone). There is a misunderstanding between synthetic and silicone. Look at containers of DOT4 and they often carry the word 'synthetic', because that is what it has always been, but NOT silicone. Years gone by its major ingredient was vegetable based. Refer by the DOT numbers and you cannot go wrong. DOT5.1 is a silicone based fluid, but not fully silicone. I would only use it where specified by the manufacturer DOT5 is fully silicone