gritineye

I took this picture on the day I bought my Explorer so was more interested in those than the part restored Hathi parked next to them in the REME Museum! I can't find the rest of the pix I took that day, will have a look to see if any show it, but that was before digital and I didn't waste much film then.

The first picture is of a pre production military 6x4 Pioneer fitted with a relatively basic winch possibly made by Scammell, this may not have met military needs, being a bit on the small side. Which may mean they bought one in (from Wild?) for the 6x6 experiment, but it was too tall for the military version that needed a load bed above it, look where the rear seats are in relation to the drivers one in this pic. now look at this view of the winch fitted to that 6X6 Pioneer, to me the drive shaft with the brake mechanism and the way it is geared to the drum look very much the same as the Scammell winch. The text describing this pic states that 'the production military version..........had a vertical axis Wild winch.' Imagine the drum made larger in diameter and shorter in length, turn it through 90 deg and what have you got? A design collaboration or badge engineering? Wild were proven winch designers, Scammells may have come up with the idea of a large flattish low profile drum which took some time to get right hence the reported drum failures. I may of course be completely wrong, feel free to pick this theory to bits and comment

This was a feature of a few engines of that era, I first came across it in a Sumbeam S7 motorbike. These had no oil filter fitted and just relied on frequent oil changes, the hollow crank journals acted as a centrifugal filter trapping lager particles in the compressed sludge. They had a reputation for eating big ends, owners would bung in a new set without cleaning the crank out which as you say would often be blocked completely. It seems Sunbeam sometimes license built Meadows engines, maybe shared ideas.

I think he'll like that Jules.

Just to repeat advice given elsewhere on this forum, any old engine should have the sump and mesh strainers removed and all sludge cleaned out before putting modern detergent oil in. Detergent oils will loosen the sludge and this can lead to oil ways becoming blocked. This clean out was a normal service procedure back then. Many engines that were OK before removing from the vehicle and dragged around on the sump have been ruined because of loosening of the sludge.

Hi Steve, we like British trucks here, always room for another one!

Well, they knew what had to be done,:stop: but when they saw who was driving they gave up any thoughts of a chase! Good stuff Nick!

Seems like a stuck pressure relief valve to me N.O.S, this should blow off at a lower pressure than 100psi even with a blocked oil way. Or some one might have shimmed it to try and increase pressure when hot in the past.

Damn! never thought of that, I think Daisy's dad's keeping her close, but he can't keep an eye on her and Miss Piggy at the same time!

Excellent pix as usual Snap, just right this time of year too, as they say keep em coming!

I reckon they're going to be such mates, don't you? Forceful can't wait to teach Floyd some brake dancing moves :cool:

We like these interesting little tales CW, keep em coming!

That sounds good Nick, nice and quiet, bet you can't wait to get out the gate!

Of course I did, it was a possibly humorous link to another post (no smiley for fat fingers/half comatose, mods please note)

For testing purposes, don't know exactly why. This is from a series of evaluation pictures.

A Pinnacle?

Enthusiasm for the ram had got to the police in Denver by 1921, this 90 hp armored car was intended to chase bandits! Any one ever heard of a real one? I like the little seat on the running board, just the place to be when the ram hit home!

Proper job!! what on earth is under there? Or maybe more legroom was needed?

Same missing plug thing happened to mine, not so much damage though. http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/showthread.php?t=7123&page=4

The one resting on the bonnet of the ambulance appears to be a military Humber with a civilian tourer body in 'shiney'.

Jack, I'm sure we would all like to say thanks to you all the HMVF moderating team for many hours of work behind the scenes, well done chaps. :clap:

Some Explorers where fitted with a Bakelite switch on the off side of the rear chassis to switch off the brake lights in sneaky secret stealth mode, could it be to do a similar thing?

Thanks for that link, really eerie images, that must be giving Hollywood some ideas!

Gear Maze is a great name for it, Energumen, do you remember it as being ply or was it rubber covered steel? I ask because if it was ply it must have been a repair, and quite a clever one at that!

Interesting, some one must have been handy with a fretsaw!