N.O.S.

Is the box fitted to a flatbed? If so the box weight is cargo weight :-) . If not, then :-(

On second thoughts David please give the extra breakfast to Rosie......it might be safer for you.:shocked:

Although I won't be able to get to A&E, I simply cannnot stand the thought of missing out on a free breakfast any longer, so I have subscribed to Pathfinder Magazine. Mmm, I feel better already David - please donate my breakfast to whoever you think deserves a second helping. Have a really great time all of you!

I'm sure the Series 4 WLF will not be required - but would be nice to get it to a future A&E :whistle:

Would that be a spectator jangling a Constructor rubber coupling in his trouser pocket by any chance? :-)

Ooh - broken crankshaft?

I have a civilian workshop manual and the detail is nowhere as good as the extract you posted. There is however a reasonable sectional drawing of the box - do you have this or do you want me to post it? Sounds like shaft bearings are fine, and that a used prop flange with worn bush has been used on installation (probably not part of transfer box rebuild - my manual doesn't even mention the flange in the box inspection/assembly instructions). Can't understand the fuss over measuring end float (regulated by washer wear) - all the extra movement would do is cause marginally quicker wear of the oil seal on outer face of flange. New bush and the wobble should be sorted, so need bush, nut and oil seal (possibly washer too). Good luck!

Richard, those photos remind me (age - memory - seive) that the washer makes little difference to flange fit as the nut holds washer up against a shoulder on the shaft. Also that the nut is locked by punching a thin hard shoulder on the nut into a keyway on shaft, so you'll need a new nut if you remove it as the critical part of the locking shoulder breaks away when undone (since it will stop at the same point when done back up!). Bedford part, not expensive. Loggy - might be a good idea to remove propshaft and check if play is between flange and shaft only, or if the shaft moves around too (:shocked:). Also, while the prop is off stick it into 4WD and make sure the flange becomes locked to the output shaft and how this affects play. I should be able to pick up my workshop manual later today so will have it to hand.

Just back from today's American Memorial Day Service at Madingley, Cambridge. Windy, cold and just a little damp, but you are right in what you say about suffering a bit!! Sadly no 'Sally B' B17 flyover - possibly weather prevented a safe take-off from Duxford. I've been pondered over the question of re-enactment group presence at these services. I think it speaks volumes for the esteem in which your group is held that you should be invited to attend - you should be very, very proud.

I know it doesn't help you in your rush to get to Duxford, but don't be in too much of a hurry to weigh the old box in without first taking a look. I had to fully re-bearing a Chev 1 1/2T transfer box where the bearings had all but turned to silver emulsion. Like you I wasn't hopeful. But amazingly the gear teeth were like new - they were made 'proper' back then, even in the great rush to fill Europe up with automobiles

This one has been respectfully repainted in original LSWR livery if I'm not mistaken? I've been looking for one to put in the garden for quite a while now, so if anyone has a lead on one in a not-too-appalling state, I'd be pleased to hear :-) If I was to be picky I'd say 4 or 6 wheel, and not too far away from East Anglia

Interesting info on the 65 and 100T trailer axles, thanks Mike. Compared to the trailers with fully swivelling bogie fore and aft, that's just about as rigid as you can get Somewhere I have a G.A. of the 100T trailer ex. 'Engineering' Magazine of the time (was I really planning to make a large scale model of it 30 years ago?? :shocked:). Good links to movies chaps!

Don't think so - this one looks to have a rear steering bogie as well as a front bogie, neither of which the 100 Tonner trailers had. They were rigid axle 5th wheel type trailers - must have been fun to turn!! Swan neck looks very similar, but so were several other trailer necks. I guess it is possible a 100T one was re-used in this trailer though. Thinking of it I've seen a set of surviving rear bogies for an original 100T trailer :-)

I just remembered why I decided to get a quality prop made - when I put the NOS one on I couldn't believe the amount of lift on the splines - really poor quality, not surprising it just gets worse

I had that trouble - not excessive, but enough to warrant doing something. ISTR there was a very thick spacer washer between flange and nut, I did get another (yes, from Maidstone Kia!) but it didn't make too much difference. What is your propshaft like? The sliding splines get very bad so you can lift the prop up a fair bit, and it is that constant radial movement I think which trashes the U/Js and then starts on the transfer box flange. I put a N.O.S. prop on last year when I changed the flange washer, and within a year it is getting well worn again! Next time I'll get a quality propshaft made up, but space is very tight beside the 5 speed box for a bigger diameter shaft :cool2:.

And there's a Mechano Matador somewhere on the Matador thread!

That will be fun - I guess the weight of the new rods would have to be identical to maintain acceptable engine balancing without a massive amount of work!

:thumbsup: But I haven't got the History Channel - help!!! I like the description "slightly eccentric collectors"

Published by HMSO 1989, mine was from a 1990 print run. It was £11.25 new. I'd have thought it would still be a good seller in museum shops. S/h prices seem to range from £25 to £56 (!) Well worth getting a copy if you can. Presumably the photos were from Army archives. I wonder if these and other photos are available for viewing, and can copies be obtained?

:rofl::rofl::rofl:

Why can't you guys leave that poor chap alone to get on with his Autocar?

:nono: Series 4......get it right please, John

But basically, in the heavily cratered front lines - if a tank couldn't be towed out by another tank, or dug out by men with shovels and driven/towed out (favourite was a de-bogging beam, a timber baulk chained across both tracks!! - don't say anything, farmer Degsy....), then it was cannibalised for spares and abandoned where it sat. German hand grenades were utilised for straightening tracks and cutting steel plate due to lack of oxy cutting equipment!!!!! Those guys were resourceful.

Doug - you need to get hold of a book - 'BREAKDOWN A History of Recovery Vehicles in the British Army' by Brian S Baxter, published by HMSO ISBN 0-11-290456-4 A good section on WW1. Recovery units set up in 1916, using just about everything from converted heavy staff cars through Peerless lorries with dummy axles and jib, to tanks with crane jibs. Even a couple of tanks with power slewing cranes. But no front line winching vehicles. A good pic of two tanks with wire ropes uprighting an upside-down tank. Interestingly the tank recovery units were set up initially to recover 6" guns from abandoned tanks which were in very short supply - they found many other parts were salvageable and many tanks could be repaired in the field and recovered that way.

Sounds like everyone was distracted - I was cooking a chicken curry at the time :sweat: