Great War truck Posted December 9, 2011 Author Share Posted December 9, 2011 They look excellent. Well done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minesweeper Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 Yes, that is a fine piece of work, Ben! How many hours on those patterns - it certainly does not look as if it was a quick job! Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenHawkins Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 Luckily I don't keep track of the hours! I really don't know how long it took but at least 20 hours and I was in trouble with Sarah over the dust in the kitchen. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minesweeper Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 Luckily I don't keep track of the hours! I really don't know how long it took but at least 20 hours and I was in trouble with Sarah over the dust in the kitchen. Ben That really is no time at all for that job - well done! Do you fancy having some more practice - perhaps doing a Radiator! Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenHawkins Posted December 10, 2011 Share Posted December 10, 2011 That really is no time at all for that job - well done! Do you fancy having some more practice - perhaps doing a Radiator! Tony I need to make my 1908 model radiator first! Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted December 31, 2011 Author Share Posted December 31, 2011 Just before Christmas, Steve finally had a go at the sunken float on the oil level gauge. The screws holding the gauge together had been sealed with solder so these were warmed and unscrewed allowing the float to be removed. He drilled a 1/8" hole in the float and drained the oil before injecting cellulose thinners and shaking it around to wash out the dregs. On cleaning, it could be seen that the whole float is suffering from corrosion and had a variety of pin-holes. After a gentle rubbing down, Steve tinned the surface using solder paint and placed a patch over the hole. He had to have three goes at this before there were no longer any obvious pin holes and the float would sit in a bowl of water overnight without filling. Finally, it was reassembled and fitted back on the engine. Time will tell whether the repair has been successful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 Tim and Steve, If the float were to fail, there is still the one I have here, brand new. Not dug it out yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enigma Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 And another great piece of history restored, well done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charawacky Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Hi Tim If you can't find the new one and need another there is a chap close to here who spins carb floats for all makes and he has made an oil level float for the Staff Car, I can get his details if you want. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rangie Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 As an instrument man, that really floats my boat! I'll get me coat... Seriously though, nice bit of work, I am continually impressed with the standard of work on this and your other restos! Sorting out all the niggly small things can often take as long as the main resto itself!!! Alec. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Bill Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 Tim and Steve,If the float were to fail, there is still the one I have here, brand new. Not dug it out yet. Thanks Richard. You are very kind. Thanks Tom too. Finding a spinner is quite a task. I will have a go myself first though, should I need to. Nothing like a challenge! Thanks Alec. Glad you are enjoying it. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Bill Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 Dip Sticks! All of this fooling around with an oil level float has prompted the thought of who invented the dip stick? It is such a simple device that its use seems obvious. However, the two Autocars have pet cocks on the side of the crank case and the FWD has pet cocks and also a float with a rod indicator coming through the top. The Dennis has this very sophisticated indicating arrangement and yet a dip stick would seem to be a much cheaper and more reliable system. I have been chatting with another old lorry friend who has a 1924 Albion with a pet cock and a 1929 Albion with a dipstick arrangement bolted to the side of the crank case with a cast-in boss for the pet cock but not drilled. We now hold the view that the dip stick came into use in the mid 1920s but does anyone know better? Now there is a pub bar discussion point! Steve :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minesweeper Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 When Tim started this thread some six or seven years ago, we never ever considered that there would ever be any great interest in the restoration of an old First World War Army Lorry - and we have been amazed and pleased that so many people have followed the story and given so much help and advice with it as it progressed. Today, the number of "hits" on the thread has exceeded A QUARTER OF A MILLION. So thank you everybody for your input, your advice and for your interest in it. There are still one or two things to be done, but we look forward now to really getting cracking with the Thornycroft. Steve, Tim and Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon_M Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 Not only that, but as far as I remember only three things were less than perfect too; 1. You made do with the radiator tanks. 2. Axle shaft ends pushed out the Dennis hubcap sign. 3. Some swine ran off with your anvil ....... That has to be a pretty good rate, I reckon you should all stand as MPs but you'd probably do too good a job. :cool2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Degsy Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 I've found it totally addictive and have thoroughly enjoyed it, you are an inspiration to all of us. Thank you.:thumbsup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thumpercross85 Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 Inspirational, and so refreshing to see traditional skills researched & demonstrated in such a rewarding way. Modern technology & processes are amazing, but too easily these days the grounding for good engineering design & practice is forgotten. This thread should be required reading for all aspiring young designers & technicians......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtskull Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 Hi I have just read this thread from start to finish, and may I say what a magnificent feat you have achieved in bringing this truck back to life from what was, essentially a pile of scrap. I am following the Thornycroft thread with avid interest... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted April 21, 2012 Author Share Posted April 21, 2012 Here is an interesting thing (well, to me and Steve anyway). You will remember that when we purchased the Dennis parts we got the engine from a water pump which had been installed in a factory and which looked like this: It was the correct engine and the blocks were wartime dated. A radiator and fuel tank had been removed from the frame already. We later acquired the rad although the fuel tank went elsewhere. Our belief that this pump had been assembled from bits left over at the end of the war. I just acquired this photograph: As you can see, it is exactly the same set up. Photograph was taken in a British army storage dump in 1917 on the Western Front. So, our engine possibly has a wartime and military heritage as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8_10 Brass Cleaner Posted April 21, 2012 Share Posted April 21, 2012 (edited) I just acquired this photograph: As you can see, it is exactly the same set up. Photograph was taken in a British army storage dump in 1917 on the Western Front. So, our engine possibly has a wartime and military heritage as well. The 2 wheeled trolleys, one with a muddy wheel to the right of the photograph are trolleys for the larger size of Merryweather Valiant Steam pump. We are looking for the smaller version of this for our 1941 Valiant Edited April 21, 2012 by 8_10 Brass Cleaner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAN THE STEAM Posted April 21, 2012 Share Posted April 21, 2012 Its certainly interesting what they have made and the parts they haved used the wheels are two foot gauge hudson skip truck railway wheels with the treads turned down and still using the original bearings and even the chassis rails that they have chopped short il try and find a pic of one in one of my hudson supply books. DAN AND JEN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redherring Posted April 22, 2012 Share Posted April 22, 2012 Thank you for posting a hi-res image of the photo. I was able to 'blow it up', so to speak, and see a lot more detail than I could on hmvf. Very, very interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C-one Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 Hi all Wonderful to see such a fantastic range of skills being preserved ,as well as the truck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenHawkins Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 An image from a Dennis catalogue. This shows a vary similar pumping set but with the 60hp engine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted May 4, 2012 Author Share Posted May 4, 2012 Thanks Ben Thats another very interesting image (well to people like me anyway). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Bill Posted June 3, 2012 Share Posted June 3, 2012 Regular readers may recall that we have been having some fun and games trying to start the lorry. I put this down to my driving a desk and simply not being strong enough to swing the engine at a good speed. A little while back, Father, whilst trawling the net, found an American magneto supplier from whom he acquired an impulse starter for the spare Eisemann magneto that we keep for the FWD lorry. As this magneto is also anti-clockwise rotation, I have made an adaptor plate to allow it to be fitted to the Dennis engine and today, we tried it. After a couple of pulls over compression, the engine fired and ran on two cylinders. However, even after a couple of goes and a plug clean it showed no enthusiasm for running smoothly so a further investigation ensued whereupon, I realised that I had fitted two of the leads to the wrong terminals. I swapped them over and Bingo! It ran properly after only a couple of pulls. I put the error down to having to connect the terminals from inside the distributor cap so it was reversed. That's my excuse anyway! It was super to hear it running again and have confidence that it can be started. The only downside has been that the vibration has unstuck the repaired oil float and it has sunk to the bottom again! Time for another outing. Steve :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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