Lauren Child

A CCKW Jimmy, a CVR(T) or Stormer, and a heap of goody boxes still bearing their Withams lot numbers, all heading south down the A1 on the back of a packed low loader. I nearly veered off to follow, such was the temptation of the combined goodies. I'm sure they'll make someone very happy.

Either that or it's been pimped and lowered. Next stop is the spoiler and body kit.

The V8's not complicated, it just knows what it likes and sulks until it gets it

From another non-gent If you are working a lot with 6V then I can recommend the Absaar chargers - I picked up a non-intelligent 6/12/24 version that can do a high current jump start for a 6V motor. Finding a 6V intelligent charger is a bit difficult unless you are dealing with small batteries (like motorbike ones).

If you get one, make sure you chat to a ferret owner about how to drive it, and especially about the ferret two-step. Like any vehicle you need to know how to drive it safely.

The good thing with a ferret is that they are still reasonably easy to work on compared to larger armour. There's also a good community of owners. The maintenance/repair manuals are pretty decent from what I can remember. Check your driving license to make sure you can drive it. If you have a modern license like I do, you may not have C1 which is a pain in the bum.

I may have given you a red herring with the screw strip. Looking at it with fresh eyes I reckon that's probably bullet connectors. Either way, wire 16 and 24 are probably a good start to troubleshooting

This might help. See wires 16 and 24. I notice that wire 16 runs through one of the junction strips on its way between the resistor and the ignition switch, so it maybe worth checking that the screws are tight (if they are still used).

The low tension side of the coil is wired to the coil resistor and circuit breaker board (mounted behind the dash - this thing http://www.vanpeltsales.com/FH_web/FH_images/Igntion-Partspics/11A-12250breaker-resistor.jpg). I wonder if the 12V has blown something on there. If so then bypassing the board and supplying -ve volts to the low tension side of the coil would get you going. You can get a spare from Van Pelt http://www.vanpeltsales.com/FH_web/igntn-partsprices-pg2.htm The connection goes from the coil to the resistor (looks like this - http://www.vanpeltsales.com/FH_web/FH_images/Igntion-Partspics/18-12250R-resistor.jpg ) to the ignition switch, so you could just bypass the resistor if that's what's gone.

Dirk Leegwater at LWDParts has NOS CMP coils which are 100% correct for the vehicle. http://www.lwdparts.com

Check the size of the cabling to the starter. 6v draws a lot more current than 12v so if the cables aren't up to it they restrict the flow of electricity and drop the voltage. I changed mine out with 70mm2 flexible welding cable and some properly double-crimped terminations and it doubled the cranking speed on a charged battery. No need to change to 12v. That was on a CMP instead of a GMC, but there shouldn't be much difference in electrical terms. At the end of the day, the beasts were used in far harsher conditions when they were new. If it's not working properly I'd try and find out why before risking complicating it further with higher voltage and re-engineering.

It works both ways. I've been filling a 432 on a slope not realising the two tanks are linked. Wandered back with next jerry can to see diesel pouring out of the other (lower) filler cap and down the side of the vehicle. It was a carry-on-film moment.

Another ponderance as it's an unfamilliar vehicle. Silly query, but check the fuel tap is on - it's a selector switch on the floor between the two seats. It's in a position where if you put something between the seats, it could get knocked and cut off the fuel supply. It selects between the two fuel tanks, so make sure the knob is twisted 45 degrees towards to the tank that's got the fuel in.

A dash of fuel is a good tip. For normal starting, Ford CMPs have a Holley carb with an accelerator pump. If you turn on the autopulse/electric fuel pump that will get fuel up to the carb and fill the bowl (wait until it pressurises and stops ticking). Alternatively turn the engine over a few times to draw the fuel through. Then depress the accelerator fully twice before each try to start. That will squirt some fuel down the inlet manifold. It makes a huge difference to starting (for me anyway). Personally I'd give it a decent go without a 12v jump first - no sense in risking damage unnecessarily, especially as you mention she's got a good strong ignition.

I think we've got a duplicate thread - perhaps one of the mods can combine the two.

Have you got the autopulse/electric fuel pump? If you can hear it ticking continually then it could be that fuel is not getting through. I had this after the truck had sat for a bit and it was slime on the fuel filter (just behind the cab under the toolbox) and in the Carb. Similarly the Ethanol which caused the slime had separated a lot of water in the fuel tank. Frost Ethomix has worked very well to prevent it since. A quick query - did you check the tank itself or did you use the petrol gauge? Petrol gauges on these things are notoriously unreliable - best check is with a broom handle or similar dipped into the tank. If you've just got an inch or two of liquid in the bottom it could be water instead of petrol.

Amal carb leaflet is now with me - if anyone needs the info, let me know.

On a more serious note, is it a cross-section of some sort of sliding rail? I notice that there are two lines on each diagram that seem to permanently latch with each other.

I can't help but wonder if it's the signs for "Gents" and "Ladies" at the X files studio.

Hope no-one will mind me resurrecting an old thread, but there's a photo of a similar setup on this - http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/showthread.php?40195-What-vehicle-are-these&p=380947#post380947 recent thread.

Thanks, I'll use the opportunity of having drained the system to have a good look at the hoses and thermostats.

On this one I'm not too worried about the cores - they look in good nick from a look inside and out. The tubes on the bottom are more corroded than the rest of the radiator, so I want to stop further damage and repair as needed. A flush is definitely on the cards when she's back together.

Thanks all - will do!

Today I changed the fan belts on the CMP. To get to them I had to remove the radiator and I've found the pipes at the bottom are rather more corroded then those at the top. Not having removed a radiator before, I'm wondering how normal it is and whether I need to take action while the radiator is out. The rest of the rad is in really good condition. Here's the pics - can I get some advice.

Would anyone care to start listing the paint codes here for others to use?