N.O.S.

Yes, thanx for pix Marty. A good range of vehicles, and what a great camping area. And the usual gmc clutch change going on..........:cool2:

:bow::bow:Wow what a shed !

OK then, Andy, you have the shed, I'll have the trucks, that way we'll both be happy :n00b:

If only................dream on

Well, 6X6, I'll be glad to stand alongside you (well, just to the rear ever-so-slightly in case there's a load of incoming....:-D) in singing the praises of Scammell.

On the other hand, that rear axle drive is iffy.

I do not agree that 3 U/Js has much to do with it - the first one behind transfer box drives pretty much level with axis of box (is the slight angle towards the centre line of chassis compensated by angle of rearmost prop? I'll have a look some time, but they weren't daft in the drawing office).

But note the rear prop has U/J angles equalised by tilting the rear diff upwards, i.e. away from axis of gearbox (unlike other vehicles as in Landrover, Bedord etc where the axis of diff is the same as gearbox). This in theory is fine as each U/J still takes an equal angle and constant velocity ensues, but I believe that propshaft/joint balancing then becomes critical.

I do not know of any other vehicle where the U/J angles are equalised in this way - PTO shafts on agricultural tractor / trailed implements go like this when turning, as do the drive shafts to trailer on the Multidrive set-up. But these cases are only when turning, normal use is straight drive.

I reckon that any dynamic forces caused for example by unbalanced propshaft, would to some extent be compensated between U/Js at each end in a normal set-up (eg Bedford MK or Landrover)(i.e. when prop is pulling one U/J it will be pushing the other). However in this case the prop would be trying to "escape" in the same direction at each end, so U/Js would have their work cut out to contain the substantial forces.

Scammell's ploy of 'rotating the whole propshaft assy one bolt at a time until an acceptable state was reached' only serves to alter one set of out-of-balance forces in relation to another (the propshaft assy to second axle). If the drive to second axle was perfectly balanced then altering the relative angle of U/Js on rearmost drive would have no effect at all.

The reason I'm interested in this is that PGK888 came home with a thrown rear prop. It had even destroyed the substantial frame cross member carrying the centre bearing :shake:. Fortunately the sale included a full set of replacment parts (including cross member) so I have no excuse not to get on with the job. But I am anxious to understand WHY it happens, and will be getting all rotating parts fully balanced before installation.

Having said that, I cannot believe Scammell would not have done the same to try to resolve the problem:confused:

I'm in total agreement with you on the subject of gearboxes - but nothing is perfect and possibly the achilles heel was the lubrication system maybe?? so many oilways to get blocked, and as you say, it does need oil as well to work! But what a wonderful bit of engineering, says someting for the boys from Watford.

Also, CONSTRUCTOR was a purely commercial design, not a post war MV design complexity :cool2:

Mis-matched tyres? Well yes, be sensible. But keep it in context too - if you put a toally mis-matched set of tyres on a 6 wheel tipper and drove around all day empty I think you'd just wear some rubber out, but stick 16 tonnes on frieght on board and something might just 'give' :-D On the other hand, I would not like to run an old GMC 6x6 empty without a matched set, those props and U/Js are not over big!

My dad once put a high speed diff in the front of a Matador dumper (10T cap) by mistake, and the driver brought it round after a few loads complaining that the rear kept jumping up when empty and the front bucked when loaded. Just think of the wind-up on that! (I watched them driving it around the yard to check :shake:).

BELZONA! Now that was a wake-up call, Richard.

We used it up until 18 years ago for all manner of "super bodges" and I can testify to its ability to do the impossible. First application was to rebuild a badly worn torque converter input shaft as a tempoary fix until a full rebuild, but that was going 10 years later when the loader was sold. It had a very short shelf life, so unless you were a regular user most got wasted, and you couldn't trust old stock. www.belzona.co.uk Still going strong.

Never tried complex repair stuff like the Leyland block, but why not? Just need a material with a similar expansion coefficient to C/Iron and you have yourself a chinese vase and the right glue.....

Aplogies to Tim, I thought this was a ploy to get opinions before you posted an "after" picture, knowing the sort of work you are capable of!

If the photos in some adverts are to be believed, Runflat, there are some highly skilled welders out there who would relish the challenge!

Ok folks we are just discussing this now.........

I only asked if anyone else thought the same about Doc, didn't want to distract you away from important matters discussing the naval section........

Anyone else think that Catweazle's avatar is slowly morphing into "Doc" from Back to the Future?

Oh, boats (especially Assfarts) - yes, good idea. :thumbsup:

I was requested, via my weegie board, to post this rebuttal by Scammell craftsmen who have passed on to the other side and are pretty irate at this unfounded slur. I'll go back on there tonight and try to calm them down a bit.

While you're at it, see if you can find out which one of them left a spanner in the box section chassis of 10580 when tightening up the body bolts.......(April 1960)

Yes Tim, fascinating stuff, but that guy has his work cut out!

A great shame so much here has been lost to scrap in recent years - that's environmentalists for you.......

I was driving on the M25 today (Friday 2nd May) heading towards Kent, and saw 2 Ward La France wreckers going clockwise, heading West. Was it anyone from the HMVF? One was towing a trailer.

Sounds like the Ward bothers, Mark and Mike. They weren't connected by a rigid bar, were they? :rolleyes:

Hadn't thought of it quite like that before, but reckon you've summed it up beautifully, 6X6 :thumbsup:

Great, now before you relax Joris - any chance of having Post War topics DEEP BRONZE GREEN (gloss of course), American ones OLIVE DRAB, etc etc?

:banana::banana::banana:

Great pics of the M.O.S. Constructors, Lance Corporal 6 X 6, keep them coming :tup::

dont get me wrong I WANT ONE just the moon and stars have bee rite and my parants on holiday:-\

If only I'd had your attitude when I was your age :-D

Keep looking, a good one will turn up for you - you've missed a real gem with radiomike's old one by a week or so, don't think many of these buyers you mentioned went to look at that one either :???

Know what you mean about cats, though; :argh:

Catwezle's burn a fair bit of oil - what is he doing to them I wonder :whistle:

Wow i would like to see him again.Maybe we should go and find him Stanley.:idea:

:rofl::rofl::rofl:and stop calling me Stanley

That Mr Court has got to be one of my heros ! Would loved to have met him and talked Scammells

You'd have been lucky Andy - I called in on several occasions to the quarry at break time (thinking about it, it always seemed to be break time there............) and Peter's first words were "Here's a seat, here's a tea, now tell us a funny story" - sometimes the conversation never got anywhere near Scammells :-D

He left some years back with a few truckloads of earthmoving tackle and spent a while building roads into the African bush to recover quite a few traction engines and narrow gauge steam locomotives, all of which made it back to the UK (except for one of a pair of ploughing engines which fell off the barge he had built to float it across a river), married a native woman, very nearly died from a snake bite and that's the last I heard.

If anyone can finish the story to date I'd be very grateful. Is he still with us? It was always a real pleasure to meet him.

The noise repellants can be heard by (some) people, a friend of ours has one and we can hear it, and it's very annoying! (Despite me being a drummer and working on big diesels...)

Sounds like my dad, he is quite deaf and has the thing set at far too low frequency. It drives me crazy whenever I sit outside in his garden.

No need to have it set so low for cats.

Reminds me of the bumper sticker seen in New York - "SO MANY MICE, SO FEW CATS"

and the one next to it - "SO MANY CATS, SO FEW RECIPES" :-D

Picture of Peter Courts Constructor found on internet ! Beautifull Beast !

You're not wrong there, Andy - I went to Banbury with the intention of buying it and only just escaped (tin worm in cab amongst other things). But I did return 2 weeks later for the RAF one :banana:

That pic was taken at Crouch's yard - he had it from Peter, but where is it now I wonder?

Never mind all that scribble, what was Peter's other dog's name?

Sorry, that's not fair. So many of these vehicles end up "disappearing" without trace, lets hope it has been saved or is still working like 'Mr. Shifter'.

Any news of Peter Court? He was responsible for saving a good many Scammells from the melting pot.

Now that brings back memories - Peter donated the fifth wheel mounting bracket from this one to complete mine, and a 35t Crusader donated its fifth wheel. I ended up selling it to David Crouch as a flatpack kit including 11 brand new tyres, but he sold it on to a recovery operator in Market Deeping once he had finished it. Does anyone know where it is now? Chassis was 9281, Military reg was 83BL02.

I think you will find Avonhill was Peter's company name.

 

Mike

Never mind all that scribble, what was Peter's other dog's name?

:shocked:Cheat,going off to buy pre war vehicle with solid tyres.We are to old to be up this late go to bed.

Me cheat?

P.S. Washed some clothes Friday after a slight diesel spill. Everything that's been through washing machine and dryer since has a slight "whiff" to it. Have you been there, and what is the solution (other than not going to bed......)

Chubbock never used the Constructor 'cos he was still coping with his 680 powered Explorer. After I mentioned it to another recovery man it mysteriously ended up in his yard for a time...don't know where it is now (it was orange with a home-made underlift).

Some amazing feats coming out!

Here is the artic dragging explanation - sketch attached.

If all wheels locked, it is like 2 trucks having a tug of war. The top sketch shows a Constructor of 30T pulling against an artic of 42T. The artic will win

If the artic was rolling, i.e. brakes off, even Degsy's Lucas service landrover might be in with a chance :-D

With the underlift deployed, 8T from the artic's front axle is transferred to the Constructor rear bogie (4T + 4T) and at the same time the Constructor's front axle is relieved of some weight (say 4T). Whatever, there is now 38T on 3 axles pulling against 34T on 4 axles of the artic, so Constructor wins, even with a bit more friction from artic's extra axle.

I'm still going to let your tyres down, Catweazle :cool2:. Respect to Kewelde :thumbsup:.

Constructor was good for 100T so Scammell reckoned. M.O.D. thought they knew better, hence Antar :confused:

Catweazle and Kewelde so far, interesting - anyone else thinking of poking fun at the Constructor's abilities?

I'll be happy to accept a pint off both of you should you care to post a retract statement to restore the honour of Scammell, but -

should you force me to publish an axle loading diagram (showing the effect of the homemade underlift unit :cool2:), then I'll be looking to let some tyres down..........

How about we have a poll on this one?

Oh, here is another pic (forum crash victim) of Scammell man Peter Court and his dogs, Sammy and (?) standing in front of "AVONHILL", an ex 30T tractor unit and one of his favourites. He fitted the lift arms off a giant wheel loader as a spade - the biggest spade I've seen!

Hi Bernard

 

Strangely enough, my old ex RAF Explorer GSU 510 has just surfaced after going into hiding for many years. See: http://markpeacocklr.co.uk/forecourt/others.htm

 

Mike

Mike - it has now been sold to a collector in Suffolk, it appears to be in really good order, and the cleanest one I've seen for a long while. Hopefully won't be too long before it is seen out and about again.

Tony (who feels sure he has bought something Scammell or GMC related from you in the past......... )