croc

We had another show last weekend, the "Kids ride on day" at Grampian Transport Museum in Alford http://www.gtm.org.uk/ this is quite a fun event where various machines are available for rides on the museums circuit. The Explorer behaved really well and got lots of interest. Although billed as a kids event I have a feeling lots of dads were just using it as an excuse...:-D There are quite a few of us with "interesting" motors in Aberdeenshire so we have been talking about trying to organise a regular meet. The first of these was last night in Insch, It didn't quite go to plan as the first choice pub had had a flooding problem the day before and certain vehicles are not running worth a sh*t at the moment. So, although we had a good turnout of owners we only had two motors, my Explorer and Stuart Lees' desert scheme Hotchkiss. We have decided to try and have a meet on the second Thursday of the Month and hopefully get more vehicles out. The next one is planned for the 12th of June. Whilst chatting we realised that if all Stuarts jerry cans were full there still wouldn't be enough to fill the Explorer :shocked:

The engine in my Explorer had not been run for many years, checked oil fuel and water and it started first go. I also have an engine in a Gipsy that had been stored under a tarp on a farm for 15 years, also started no bother. On the other hand if the weather has got into it there could be problems. It all comes down to how it has been stored. Things to do: Check air cleaners and exhaust are clear. Check oil and coolant, the condition of the oil is a good indication of the state of the engine and a radiator full of antifreeze is a very good sign. Check that things that should turn, turn. fan, water pump etc. Check for fuel at injector pump. If dubious about it, maybe remove the injectors and turn it slowly without compression to see if it is free. If everything seems OK try and start it, but make sure it is not in a gear and make sure you have some way of stopping it again.

I have heard from a couple of sources that it should be every 30 miles. It brings up the related issue of using oil or grease. I have been putting oil through to flush any old muck out of the system. Everything was done prior to the show on Saturday, after the 30 mile run to get there I used grease and it was ready for it. I am going to do it again with grease today, now that it is home, so I will report back later. Based on various different opinions my feeling is that oil (140) was specified rather than grease because it would flow everywhere better than greases of the time which could dry out. With a decent quality modern grease I can't see this being a problem, if done and used regularly. I believe this point on using them is important, on an independant suspension Gipsy there are 12 UJs (front and back prop and halfshaft to each wheel) so I seem to spend half my life greasing them. Nine times out of ten they pack up when one leg clogs up and stops getting grease, or too much has been used and burst the oil seals. So little and often seems to do the trick. Once a leg has clogged up or a seal has gone the grease doesn't go where it should and the joint fails fairly soon after.

It is a great example of why it is worth looking round a few examples of something to get to know them. I have a suspicion that the faults were linked. With that spacer there is a greater angle on the front driveline possibly causing extra stress on the gearbox/transposing box, hence the extra support bracket. I was quite keen on this one until I looked at it properly, I am very glad I didn't buy it.

This was the first one I looked at seriously. Engine was a 680 which started and ran quite nicely but there was quite a bit wrong with it so I decided against it in the end. This was the spacer on the front spring. The gear gate was held in place with a rope. An extra frame had been made below the transposing box. This stiffening plate stopped the jib being fully stowed. There were other things but I think that will do.:-D

There were a couple of other things lying about. Specialy for the chassis lovers :-D

Here are a couple of pictures of the Humber 1 ton parked across the road from the Albion CX22 near Fordoun. First time I saw it in 2000. Last week.

I posted some pictures of a "retired" Albion CX22 in another thread. Across the road hiding in a garage we found its replacement, covered in dust but looked to be in good shape.

I was down in Dundee with Adam last week so we decided to have a look for the Albion on the way home, sure enough it was in the same place. Note how much the tree has grown in 8 years! I have a couple of pictures of its replacement to post in the Diamond T gallery.

As it seems all the CX22 pictures went in the crash I thought we could start a new thread in here. I posted these ones a while ago, but here they are again. These pictures taken early 2000.

At the BA Stores show at the weekend Adam Elsdon met the owner of this Fergie tractor, she had approached him to ask about the Ministry of Supply plate and if there was any way of finding more history about it. Hopefully she will find her way onto this forum, anyone into military tractors then?

With new number plates made up, and a tax disk in the window the Explorer (Along with Adam Elsdon in his Pig) made its first show appearance at BA Stores vintage working weekend. This is a fairly new show, now in it's fifth year and quite entertaining as you can move about. It is about 30 miles away on quiet roads, so an easy first outing (although we did have a run to the village for fish and chips on the Thursday night before the show), I was pleased with the Explorers economy, using about a jerry can of diesel for the 30 mile drive. There is a large area of topsoil at the bottom of the field for Plant demos and driving about on, this was enough to get the sticky walking beam to start moving, but it is still not completly free. The Cat Traxcavator in the picture is not a runner but was good for putting a bit of weight on the Explorers winch. Also at the show was Peter Thomson, who also has an Explorer, with his Centurian ARV which makes a meadows look economical!

no problem, www.peterjamesinsurance.co.uk

See second post, page one, of this thread.

It seems to be OK on mine, it is working fine and I have squirted some oil into it, but I will have a look. Thanks.

The "off the vehicle" job has been the registration process, which has been reasonably straightforward. I contacted the REME Museum with the chassis and contract number, and they let me know that the service registration number was 01 BD 98, and the deliverys for the contract ran from June to November 1951. I managed to clean up the date plate on the side of the winch, revealing the date 2.10.51. I have been told this plate was the date the vehicle was finished, but can't be certain. The information I had matched the records of the Scammell Register, and Chris Jones (Scammell Register DVLA Officer) provided me with a letter confirming the year of manufacture as 1951. The next thing to do was sort insurance out. Footman James quoted £112 for the Explorer, I already had my Gipsys insured though FJ and the renewal was due at £195 for three of them. I had a letter through the door from a company called Peter D. James, it turns out the director was involved with setting up Footman James but sold out to retire a couple of years ago, and has now started a new company. I got a quote from them for three Gipsys and the Explorer, unlimited miles, for £190. I have never had a problem with Footman James, over many years, but they couldn't beat this price. So for a saving of £117 I am giving the new outfit a go. Armed with all the information I went through to the local DVLA Office in Aberdeen and the Explorer now has a Tax Disk and a new number, 239 XUE, which arrived last week in time for the Explorers first show at weekend. To complete the process a registration document dropped through the door this morning.

Time for an update. I havent done much cosmeticly to the Explorer, apart from wash it down with a steam cleaner, so nothing new to look at. I have been doing more important things on and off the vehicle. One major fault which is now sorted was that the servo for the rear brakes was seized. After looking at diagrams in the workshop books I decided that the most likely place it for it to be stuck was in the end plate, so rather than taking the whole thing off I removed the end with the servo in place. As I had guessed the problem was where piston runs through the end, I managed to free it off by leaving it boiling in an old saucepan on the stove for a while then smacking it about with a rawhide hammer. With it re-fitted I now have much more respectable brakes.

I had a very good quote from Peter D. James Ltd. you could give them a go. www.peterjamesinsurance.co.uk

:idea: 'cos it took that long to stop being dizzy when they got out of the water? :-D

The gearcase is mounted on the axle tube on two points, the bearings being a bronze bush. The outer bush is splash lubricated from the gearcase, the inner one is fitted with two "grease" nipples for oil. My interpretation of the setup is that the gearcase and bush turn relative to the axle. On mine both inner bushes have turned relative to the gearcase, so the oilways no longer line up. On the one that moves, on full articulation, the oilway can be seen through the hole for the grease nipple. (see picture) My solution has been to drill new oilways through the bush with the beam level to allow oil to pass to the inside of the bush. The general advice I have had from various sources is oil, abuse and heat. I am hoping that once I can give it a decent run and get the whole thing heated up it will start to free off. It will move, but is very tight. The questions are; How common is this sticky beam problem? If the bushes move out of place and the gearcase moves relative to the bush how much damage can it cause? How many people have actually taken out the grease nipples to see what is going on behind them? Extract from the parts book. :-D N.O.S. - boilersuit is normal attire, spanners are always out :cool2:

Has anyone got anything to say on the subject of stuck walking beams then?

Hi Puff. Glad to see you made it here, there are a few GDSF refugees hiding around here.

This one is part of a working collection in Aberdeen, if anyone was at Balado Rally at the weekend they may have seen it.

That seems like the thin end of the wedge, before you know it people will be painting stars on Hotchkiss bonnets and hanging WW2 jerry cans off the back :evil:

You could just buy leaded 4 star (whilst stocks last) http://www.leadedpetrol.co.uk/ I would use it if there was a supplier up here, as it is I try to get a can or two when I am down south. It is more expensive, but as the price of unleaded goes up the percentage difference goes down, I just checked and the average price is around 1.50 per litre but there is no more stock for wholesale at the moment, due to a storage problem. If there is a garage near you with it go and buy some whilst you have the chance.