N.O.S.

Here's a photo Les Freathy posted back in 2008 on the Heavyweight USAAF thread - truck being loaded at Liverpool docks for return to USA, reputedly came out of Burtonwood Storage Depot.

Wow. Sounds like a solenoid valve (proportional?) is controlling a hydraulic pilot (proportional?) control system for the main spool valves. Out of my depth here I'm afraid. Keep things simple is my motto, and I reckon you're right to try to do the same to make it a good useable worhorse! I'd love to see a schematic of that lot, both hydraulic and electric! :banana: Do you reckon Dave Crouch would have a manual you could copy bits of?

Are you simply trying to check the condition of the spool block before getting a radio remote system fitted? So do the crane spools have manual levers on - if so do they function correctly? If not, can you take one of the remote levers off and wire this up to a spool plug in order to test spool? You could try the terminal notation on the danfoss diagram, the terminals on the lever unit should have some markings on which we could decipher. If you are happy the spool valves are ok the only thing you need for a radio system is a power supply point - I would think the suppliers of the radio equipment will wire spools plugs up direct to their onboard control box so you don't need to worry about any of the complex original stuff. It certainly sounds typically army complex!!!

Problem is, mild steel systems don't like occasional use so they tend to rot up fast. If used very regularly seem to last much better. S/S expensive but fit once only. They do look a bit shiny though! I have one of those s/s kits but not had time to install yet so cannot comment on fit. Keep patching up the old m/s one!!

Funny how an old GMC is so instantly recognisable - this link shows some evocative scenes from a long-abandoned sulhur mine in Ethiopia, would recommend this site for wondeful photos! http://www.artificialowl.net/2008/08/dallol-ghost-town-old-potash-mine-near.html

Are they not current B.O.C. bottles? You're supposed to pay rental on the bottles (annual rental and pay per exchange), so probably best to start afresh with a new bottle set from them. Check out with your nearest B.O.C. distributor. Of course it would be totally inappropriate for anyone, once they had a set of bottles on rental, to return another older bottle for exchange and thus have a full spare......:nono: I'm sure no supplier would fill your own bottles nowadays anyway - all done on bottle exchange empty for full.

Have you been on the beetle (I mean bottle) (I mean Cola) again?

My memory wasn't playing tricks - here it is:

I was thinking of the bogie in Monsieur L****'s yard? Or was that for a seriously big gun?

Ah yes, 4x4s. I should have recognised the rearmost axle was in fact the front axle of the Chev behind. And I'm sure a photo appeared a couple of years back on here of a restored GMC bomb handling truck at a dockside venue meet?

I've not used it before, but the last GMC gasket did have a little silicone around the waterway holes just to make sure. So, if one were to use something like Wellseal, how / whereabouts on the gasket would you apply it? If you know what you don't know, you stand a chance of learning more....

Here is a wiring diag. for the basic Danfoss proportional control unit. The solenoid operates by comparing supply voltage and regulated voltage. Note the solenoid plug terminals - these should be a standard notation. Ignore 3. 1 is supply voltage, 2 is regulated (signal) voltage, E is neg. I don't think if you would get full solenoid movement if you put NEG to E and POS to only 1 as the supply voltage 1 can be 11 to 30v but the signal voltage 2 varies between 0.25 and 0.75 of the supply voltage, with the neutral (closed spool position) being 0.5 supply voltage. So say supply voltage is 24v which appears at terminal 1. Then the voltage at terminal 2 for neutral position would be 12v, full open one way 6v and full open the other way 18v.

What have you got going direct to the spool valve solenoids? A supply from a battery or feed from the correct operating lever? You have 3 wire solenoids suggesting proportional valves - these have to controlled by a compatible proportional lever. It may not be a case of putting the same voltage across two of the wires with the other earthed, this might signal 'no movement'. I've made up a 2 spool proportional Danfoss unit including doing all the wiring and have wiring diagrams for this type - not the easiest of things to get a grip of as I recall :nut:. What make are your spools, solenoids and levers?

Can't argue with that - I'd better get a reservation in for the Matador!! I could imagine the moulding for the Champ body was not the easiest job in the world....

The photos of military and civi vehicles in the GALLERY section are pretty mind blowing too - some very accomplished customers. I do hope nobody will be offended if I say it would be great if you could put the Champ on hold and get the Matador out asap... :goodidea: :cool2:

Some very unusual vehicles there, not seen a truck mounted crane like the 1/2 cab one before, and even the row of GMCs have odd narrow sided bodies. I presume they are mostly ex USAAF? Interesting to be a private buyer, too. Here's an advert for Army surplus trucks in USA - who knows, they and others may possibly have sourced some stock from the UK?

Tootallmike - those twin axle bogies look a little familiar, n'est pas?

Once you've decided what penetrant to use (even plain diesel would work ok), I'd give them a really good soaking, then periodically whack the socket faces of each stanchion with a heavy rubber hammer or hammer and soft wood, including from inside the body, and ease sides up by levering with some 4 x 2 timber and a tall fulcrum inside the body to save damaging the wooden slats. Just keep at it steadily and evenly, topping up the penetrant and whacking away and levering a little more until the last stubborn one gives up. Once on the move you may need to pull sides up and push down a few times to finally free them. Don't worry if it takes a few days - they'll surrender eventually.

Deadline - if you read the post carefully it is quite apparent he's trying to remove the complete side assemblies from the bed, and the problem is pulling the steel uprights from the steel pockets on the cargo bed. And what's with this KROIL? I thought you guys used peanut butter for pretty much everything over there But you're quite right, there are some much better alternatives to WD40 over here - I was put onto a really good one but have forgotten the name of it now. Anyone care to suggest a product?

I would say the GMC is a wee bit more of a struggle than Tony's Dodge due to height, but if you mark each lower corner so it at east goes on right way first time ( :blush: ) and use something like a long broom handle to work each side up onto and along the canvas, you can easliy cover the truck in 5 minutes. They really are light. Best not to do it while there are small children within earshot though ( :angry ).

Nice! I can't make out the faces left and right (centre is all too obvious), or the writing above and below - can you enlighten us please?

Oh no, how annoying. If only the squeak had been loud enough to hide the knocking :cool2: These things can be so frustrating to resolve. I ended up with a few different noises (the run to Hardwick was the first proper 'test run') - all totally unconnected with the work we'd done, must be the truck's way of talking to us :-D.

It is recommended practice for directional treads to be reversed when majority of work is non-driven - but surprising how often this is ignored. The result is excessive wear. Many examples in agriculture.

I've just discovered a commonly used MBC inhibitor is only effective for a relatively short period of time - if the fuel has not been used in that time further treatment is then necessary. What on earth are we doing here - this is costing farmers and others a vast amount of money in product and downtime - quite frankly like a lot of other well-meaning schemes, any supposed environmental gain is completely wiped out by the complexities of dealing with the difficulties of executing it :nut:

How did it go R3? Have you managed to cure the knock? No oil leaks from the sump?