N.O.S.

Radios - :rofl::rofl::rofl: Tyre noise regulations? What a complete and utter load of b*ll*cks. Bring it on, let's burn all the rubber and guzzle all the fuel and go out in one glorious party (classic MVs only mind you) :nut:

Can you smoke that? You have to admit the Stalwart is a pretty impressive vehicle!! :-)

Yep, looking at it again I reckon you're right Degsy. Very similar effect though! Box of frogs, box of frogs - I'm sure I had some of them somewhere....

They didn't even break out the fishing tackle! If anyone thought wire rope breakages are quite safe, it's worth replaying that bit and pondering how one guy managed to keep his head...... There's another whacky one on the bottom set of clips, Bernard, where a Stolly leaps off a high bank into the water :banana:

I was planning to keep quiet about this, but since the word recently got out (thanks, Huey :n00b: ) - When unloading a vehicle which you know you will shortly be moving, do not lean items against said vehicle especially where they cannot be seen. I unloaded new jeep canvas side doors and other bits from back of 4x4 having just offloaded newly collected jeep from trailer. I took one handful of stuff, got distracted, then returned later and shunted backwards and forwards on the shingle drive to park trailer - only to discover the doors (which I had leant against the truck) had been driven over about 6 times, the stone cutting the canvas and clear screen like loads of sharp knives, and bent the metal frame. Now awaiting a pair of new doors :blush:

Don't take what I said about brake lines as gospel - don't have my manual to hand tonight! I'm certain the front axle disconnect shaft is on detents, but not 100% sure about the high/low lever without looking at manual. Best way is to disconnect rod and play around to see where the lever wants to sit.

Just a couple of ideas to keep you going until the pros come on line : Brakes - the brake servo has two reservoirs, one for each of the two lines, one line operates front right and rear left, other front left and rear right. Is one short of fluid? Transfer box - if you are really lucky (:cool2:) the actuating linkage may not be adjusted correctly, preventing detent ball on actuating lever on transfer box from engaging. Try removing pin from control rod / lever going into transfer box and see if you can move the lever into a detent position, then adjust linkage to suit.

Critics? Plenty of leg-pullers here, but no critics (mind you it has got pretty close at times ). Wishing you every success in your new venture! p.s. for $%£" sake make sure the next one has banjo axles :cool2:

Welcome Chris. The DUKW pond at the clubhouse is suffering erosion on the south bank caused by all those jetskis replica VW 166s whizzing around - I wonder if all your Nato hitches might make a good breakwater maybe? Would be more cost effective than making one out of GMCs :whistle:

Each foot of WW2 U.S. nylon glider tow rope of the type pulled by C-47s would make 117 pairs of stockings :yawn:

That original one looks like the rim is coated with a rubber / plastic looking / thick enamel type of material, same as much later wheels. I've had several wheels re-coated with a very thick black powder coating paint finish - looks very effective and is durable. Any idea what the original coating material would have been?

Why not try something along the lines of: Guy answering to 'Dennis' seeks companion with GSOD (direction) to keep him headed up the right street - waist measurement of 59.7" would be ideal but hey, I'll take anything I can grab with 5 spokes!

I'd forgotten all about the Fairy Liquid effect, Richard!

I put multigrade in 20 years ago because I liked the fact that when cold, a 15W40 behaves like a 15 weight oil (thinner than 30) so allows quicker spread of lubrication and easier starting (especially with 6v!!), and when hot, the 40 weight (thicker) properties give better load carrying in bearings. My decision to change to straight was based only on the realisation that the straight grade oil is better suited to the type of filtration found on a lot of these older engines. With bypass filtration the oil might circulate many times before a visit to the filter, so anything it can offload in the sump in the meantime must be good for the engine. If this thread had not been started I would probably now have fresh mutigrade in there. And as you say given the use, I'm sure I wouldn't notice any difference either way for 20 years or so :-) If an engine is generally worn and has worked fine for a long time with a particular grade of oil I wonder if it might be better to stick to that grade rather than change, as bearings will have bedded in to suit the lubrication pattern of that grade - changing might alter the lubrication pattern which could cause accelerated wear and premature failure. If it works - don't fix it :cool2:

Crikey - I see you and the tank had to be towed in by a Champ, Mark. What was the problem this time? What?

I went to look at one - it ran really smoothly with good oil pressure. What put me off was that when I pulled the dipstick (after running it for a few minutes) it looked like the sump was full of siver hammerite paint, not oil :shocked: People say you should run them until they warm right through - when any play and slop will become apparent.

The main thing to bear in mind is that the straight oil works by dropping the big nasty bits into the sump where they can lie harmlessly - the bypass filter gradually takes out the finer nasties (it only filters a very small proportion of the oil flow). This is why with older engines they recommend to remove the sump periodically and clean it. Whereas - A modern mutigrade engine oil is formulated to carry the particles around in suspension so everything gets pulled out each circuit by the full-flow filter. Without this filtration (as in older engines) these particles will continue to circulate around through bearings etc. Mainly in the (misguided?) belief that 15W cold behaviour would allow easier cranking for starting and 40W hot behaviour would give a strong oil, I've used 15/W40 in a GMC for almost 20 years. You'd only get the starting benefit in cold winter temperatures when she doesn''t come out much anyway. Until now the truck hasn't done the high the high mileages or long trips that some GMCs do. I've come to the conclusion that for our level of use I don't really think it matters which oil you use. But I thought if they were designed for straight oil, and the modern multigrades give no advantage, then why not use straight oil? So - and thanks to your question prompting me to think about it again - last week I changed the GMC oil to Morris straight 30

Exactly what I was thinking - if you have to abandon a vehicle or it is stuck on the road for a long period before recovery it could be useful. Those rotating beacons pull a big current.

You're looking for a 21BT** number.

I can't answer that, but someone on here should be able to put you on the right track. If you give me the army number I'll see if it on my list for the original RAF registration.

Somewhere in London a guy takes old telephone handsets and cords, and alters them to plug into mobile phones. Now that does look wierd seeing someone talking into an old handset as they walk along with the cord disappearing into their pocket!! I don't mean handset - I mean the thing you listen and talk into on an old land telephone, can't even remember what you call it now!

That is an interesting proposition, LD. I've tried various Zenon discharge beacons and found them quite inferior to the conventional rotating bulb units. These compact LED units look as if they will beat the amps-hungry rotating Halogen bulb units for brightness, and I'm very tempted to try a couple on a work vehicle as the ones fitted are bulky and do get damaged regularly by trees etc. These are nice compact units. Almost twice the cost of a conventional unit blimey, and the rest - just checked prices!! but as you say, probably a case of getting what you pay for!

A service friend did some research for me and discovered that only 8 Constructors appear to have been recorded as being transferred to the Army - 5 in in 1966, 2 in 1967 and 1 in 1968. 6 Crane trailers were transferred in 1966 and 1 in 1968. Of course some vehicles will have been working abroad at the time of transfer and it is possible they may not have been allocated Army numbers, nor received a green paint job, until their return to the UK (and not all did return e.g. Cyprus trucks). It is quite possible these repatriated trucks were simply put up for disposal when returned to UK, instead of being repainted etc. I have a list of the Army registration numbers and their former RAF numbers (with exception of 3 former RAF numbers which are not known) for the 8 known to have been transferred. The new numbers were randomly allocated. I'm not yet aware of any evidence that makes it possible to link the service registration numbers with any certainty to specific chassis numbers, even on the basis that one vehicle is believed to be carrying its original number (the ex Paul Rhodes one, he found a piece of service documentation with the army reg. on, which is quite reasonable evidence to link that particular vehicle). There is not yet enough evidence to be confident that service that original RAF service registration numbers were allocated sequentially in order of chassis number. If anyone can provide evidence of the service number (RAF or Army) for a specific chassis number, let me know and I'll add it to the list and see if a pattern emerges.

I think the secret will lie somewhere in the site below: www.british-army-units1945on.co.uk/39EngineerRegiment.aspx Look at 1966 onwards, as that was the date the RAF Airfiled Construction Branch was disbanded and Constructors transferred to Royal Engineer regiments who took over airfield construction responsibility. If there is any way you can find the Army Registration number that would be ideal. There does not seem to any reliable way of working out which registration number went with which chassis number.

Not got my paperwork at the moment, but the blue RAF Constructors were repainted green when the RAF Airfield Construction units became Army Engineer Regiments. Somewhere I have a list of the vehicles (and Crane float trailers) transferred - it is reasonable to assume that those vehicles not transferred were the ones either transferred to PSA department or sold off at this point, and so never received green paint.