restoration Markheliops' Ward La France diesel conversion

[supertrack]

I'm interesting to see the futur picture of the job .

[alan turner (RIP)]

how is mark affected by the London emissions zone with this engine as he lives within the M25 area?

[LoggyDriver]

How about mounting the intercooler horizontally above the engine? Subject to space of course. My Cummins has lots of clearance between rocker cover and bonnet.

Not commonly seen, in fact the only vehicle I can think of with that arrangement is the Mitsubishi Shogun / L200. A horizontal intercooler is more efficient than vertical when standing or only moving slowly.

 

 

The Hilux Surf 3rd Gen intercooler version also has this set up, but you will need a "scoop" in the bonnet for the airflow.

[AndyFowler]

 

The Hilux Surf 3rd Gen intercooler version also has this set up, but you will need a "scoop" in the bonnet for the airflow.

or trunking to the grill as on my 2.5 Pajero !

[TooTallMike]

Thanks guys,

 

Alan - truck is LEZ exempt through old age.

 

Interesting idea about mounting the intercooler above the engine but I think we may have found the solution. With the intercooler turned upside down and some strategic improvements to the hidden lower sides of the original radiator surround the radiator/intercooler unit fits in the hole. The only question is whether the intercooler will work ok inverted? I am concerned that the heat may 'accumulate' at what is now the top. What are people's thoughts on this? I think the volume of air passing through it should keep it cool enough but I'm not sure...

 

Once happy with it we'll put some fine black mesh over the front to hide it.

 

Edited March 3, 2010 by TooTallMike

[gritineye]

Not sure but looking at the area of the inlet/outlet pipes, all the cooling tubes would be needed at full flow, which would purge any collected heat, so no problem it being inverted.

Edited March 3, 2010 by gritineye

[alan turner (RIP)]

sorry I must have misread things in the past ,from comments in the commercial vehicle mags it seemed that it was the engine date of manufacture not the vehicle age that was causing concern.

[Markheliops]

Hi all.

 

I haven’t been able to comment on this thread until now as I have been some what busy.

 

Most of you will know I had the Ward up for sale but the Naughty Nurse (Debbie) was not too happy with me selling the truck for bricks and mortar - (I know I’m a lucky chap - but so is she as I do the washing up!)

 

As I was “forced” into keeping the second love of my life - (take notice Debs) I have been thinking about what to do in relation to the truck.

 

Now I was faced with a simple decision - buy another trophy cabinet for the award winning Ward La France or fit the thing with a diesel lump and let someone else win a prize - (stops him moaning you see).

 

Seriously - I watch Mike taking his Ward to France and all over the country and wanted to be able to do the same. The straw that broke the camels back was when our glorious leader decided to hold an event down his way.

 

There was no way in hell I could consider doing a 400 mile trip in a petrol Ward La France. Mike made me laugh when he realised the miles involved and he said “crikey - that will cost me £100 in fuel.” Well that little trip would cost me about £800 in fuel - and that would be if the 70 year old engine got me that far.

 

I really wanted to go to A&E so it was either a low loader (about £1000 or an engine conversion). Mike has been on at me for ever about fitting a diesel lump so I have decided to do it now.

 

Mike will do the technical - as he’s good at it and I will provide the spanners and tea. Seriously, many thanks to:

 

Tony Goff for locating the engine.

SBS spares for having the engine.

Mike for assisting to collect the engine and everything else he is doing for me.

 

Thanks must also go to everyone else who will at some point become involved in some way.

 

I have started on the work already.

 

Yesterday I started work. I was on my own as Mike was feeding chickens or something!

 

 

I started by removing the gearbox, Brush guard and radiator assembly.

 

 

 

 

 

I text Mike about 1400hrs and informed him the gearbox was out. He replied - what took you so long!!!

 

I thought I was going great guns so decided to pull the engine out although I had to wait for Mike to pop over about 2000hrs. It is far safer to have someone assist when removing the engine as I couldn’t be in two places at one. The engine came out without any problems.

 

 

 

 

Once the engine was removed, Mike made some measurements in relation to the fitting of the Cummins.

 

 

All this done in a day and by myself. All in all, I was rather proud of my achiements for a days work. Thanks Mike for popping over and bringing me a steak and kidney pie.

 

This was the situation today.

 

 

 

Had a poor day today (by my standards anyway).

 

I wanted to get the cab off but have been foiled by a stubborn steering drop arm. I need to get the arm off so I can remove the steering gear which will in turn allow me to remove the cab. I have decided to do this as anyone who has had to remove a Ward transfer box will know what a pig of a job it is.

 

Oh well, dejected and tired I decided to call it a day. I’m back at work for another 2 days and nights now and then work shall resume with renewed spirit.

 

Oh the target date for completion - If I am not at The Bunker Bash in May I shall be disappointed.

 

Markheliops

[42 chevy]

What increase in fuel mileage are looking at with the diesel converesion. I guess the petrol was 2-3 mpg.

 

John Gott

[LoggyDriver]

Please tell me you will give the engine bay some attention, a good clean and maybe a fresh coat of paint to make it look all nice and new?:cool2:

[TooTallMike]

John,

In mine the petrol was around 4mpg. With Diesel it's now 10-12mpg with the C series Cummins. It will be interesting to see how Mark's is with the B.

- MG

[Tony B]

I trust you will lay the original engine up properly?

[N.O.S.]

Please tell me you will give the engine bay some attention, a good clean and maybe a fresh coat of paint to make it look all nice and new?:cool2:

 

No need - that old Cummins will soon coat it all over with a nice coat of sticky black oil :cool2:

[Markheliops]

Please tell me you will give the engine bay some attention, a good clean and maybe a fresh coat of paint to make it look all nice and new?:cool2:

 

Got to be honest Loggy -

 

It's not top of my priority list -

 

It would be nice but I have never been one of the "it's clean and lovely Brigade."

 

I shall attempt to get near the engine bay with a jet wash and I want to re-wire the engine bay as it was all over the place when I done it last time.

 

My main priority is to get the thing completed - the eye pleasing bits can wait!!!

[TooTallMike]

So, today, in between retreiving and feeding new-born lambs, the engine mounts were modified to the correct height, the clutch was fitted and the gearbox was installed for what I hope will be the first and last time.

 

The clutch was aligned using an old gearbox input shaft which I retrieved from the scrap pile.

 

 

Strangely, desite everything else on the Cummins being metric, the pressure plate fasteners are UNF. Presumably this is due to the flywheel's Leyland 'parts bin' heritage. Anyway, 10 year-old engine meets brand new clutch meets NOS 65 year-old gearbox.

 

 

You've got to love standardisation: the clutch splines match, the flywheel housing and bellhousing are SAE3 and go together perfectly. The result being that the engine and gearbox are now one.

 

 

Currently I've used a standard WLF release bearing, but at the moment it is near the end of its useful travel at its point of engagement. This will obviously improve as the clutch wears but I am concerned that there may be a problem with achieving complete disengagement. (This problem has dogged my C series conversion.) I want to rig up a release mechanism to see how far it needs to move to disengage the clutch. I expect it to be in the region of 5mm at the release bearing but I need to confirm this is achievable.

 

 

[42 chevy]

Mike;

The repowering job is looking spot on.

 

John Gott

[N.O.S.]

Well I feel a lot happier about the conversion having seen the photos of the assembled engine/box. My interest here is that I have an identical engine sitting in front of my WLF waiting for me to find some spare time :cry:

 

My main concern was the weight of the WLF gearbox / bell housing hanging off the relatively small B Series SAE3 flywheel housing which also accomodates the rear engine mounts - modern boxes fitted to these engines are far lighter, and often the rear engine mounts are incorporated into the bell housing - thus sharing some of the box weight and taking the overhanging load off the flywheel housing.

 

One option might be to work in a transverse leaf spring support at the back end of the gearbox, although not easy to mount on the box - but I must admit it looks O.K. as it is.

 

Carry on. please! :-)

[Joris]

Wow, when you put your mind to something you sure get things done! Good job!

[Markheliops]

Hi all.

 

Update on the spanner work -

 

In between my night shifts, I met up with Mike and another Mike (Mikes soon to be father-in-law) with the intention to remove the cab.

 

This as previously mentioned was to aid in the removal and replacement of the transfer box.

 

I had been foiled in my previous attempts due to a stubborn steering drop arm. Mike came up with the idea of loosening the steering box mounts to enable us to tilt the complete box so we would not have to remove it. This would be a bonus as I would still be able to steer the truck to jet wash, etc.

 

Well, it worked like a good-un.

 

As the engine and gearbox had been previously removed, removal of the cab involves very little work. A few air pipes, fuel lines, three cab mounts, pedals, operating rods and the electrics.

 

Here is the cab being removed. I'm not in it as someone had to operate the lifting equipment. This is definitely a job for three people.

 

 

 

 

 

You can see from the pictures just how much room we now have to remove the transfer box and fit the new engine / gearbox.

 

 

 

 

 

The opportunity has also presented itself in that I can fully service the crane which is a very difficult thing to do with everything fitted.

 

 

Now the vehicle is in this state of strip down I can attend to all the things I have wanted to do such as a decent electrical wiring job, crane service, etc.

 

Only worrying thing is when I look at all the components of my once Award winning La France - hopefully, we can figure how it all goes back together.

 

Er Mike, Mike!!!

 

Markheliops

Edited March 8, 2010 by Markheliops

[Grasshopper]

Uncle Mark, I Was at Mikes last night and helped load up the drive train for delivery back to you. I just took delivery of a new spray gun if you want anything painted up before re-assembly.

 

(Internet-box just arrived at new house today so should be back on line when i get time to install it.)

 

Vince

[N.O.S.]

Is the gearbox now coupled to the Cummins your original one, Mark, or a 'Beke Special'?

[Joris]

Doesn't look much like a Ward in this state but knowing you it will be all back together before the shows start!

[TooTallMike]

It's a Beke 'box. No point doing all this to put a second-hand 'box back in now is there? :cheesy:

 

As Vince mentioned he kindly assisted in loading the engine into my poor long-suffering Land Rover for its trip to Kent. Now that made the suspension sit down a bit!

 

 

I have to now confess we have not been doing all this work ourselves. We have had a lot of enthusiastic assistance from Curry the two-day-old orphan lamb.

 

[martinsaunders06]

yep hats off to you both!, It really does take committment, vision and confidence to crack on with a job like this.Lots of of talk about doing things like this and talk ourselves out of it.I thought i was brave when i turboed my cummins in the 816 wrecker butthis really is a job.Its amazing how the clutch/transmission/engine mate up so well and that gearbox looks almost identical to the later m series casing/bell housing. One question is what sort of rpm"s did the original petrol run compared to the cummins and will it affect ratios/road speeds etc?

interesting post. Thankyou.

[Grasshopper]

Can't remember the exact RPM but the old petrol was a low revving engine and the Cummins C in Mikes Ward is almost an exact match for RPM.

 

If anything road speed is improved with a diesel as any speed reached with the petrol fitted could not be maintained! It was 5-10 mph on some hills. With the diesel it will cruise at 38mph (according to sat nav) all day long, even if towing.