Clark CA-1 Airdozer restoration

[welbike]

So to make a start here, some pictures of the Clark I bought 15 years ago, and was running on and off, but no hydraulics whatsoever!
Then I bought more wrecks and acquired parts over the years, and finally started work on a lot of things!

This will be mostly a picture thing! I will start at the beginning, so about 15 years ago, and then the slow proggress.

This Clark, CA-143878  Date: 2/8/1943    Engine # 572635       USA # 963949  was found in France, and probably used by the British in the South of France landing, with "Operation Dragoon"

Some years ago I needed to remove a treestump, and started it up again, worked well!!

But found out later the startermotor nose cone had broken off!!

More later.

Lex

Edited February 12, 2021 by welbike
Updated pictures

[welbike]

 

This is another Clark I bought in California, just to get more parts!

This red one was sold on again, and is now semi restored in the United Kingdom.

Then there was this orange one, got that from a museum in Holland, who got it from the UK, no further history known.

It was in a really bad state!! and only used for parts, but had a dozerblade, so happy with it, as it did not cost much.

Then there was this yellow Clarkair, all in parts, that I bought in Georgia, and a friend kindly transported to TX for me, and I needed only some big lumps from that one, including the dozer blade, that I used for my own restoration.

More later.

Edited February 12, 2021 by welbike
Updated pictures

[Alex van de Wetering]

Excellent Lex, I will certainly be following this thread. I have always liked these....and the pictures with the tree trunk shows that every MV collectors needs at least one.

Out of curiousity....how much does one of these weigh?

 

I remember seeing a Clark 2 or 3 years ago during the Race to the Bridge, shown outside the Airborne museum....was it yours?

 

Alex

[welbike]

Thanks Alex, yes, that was 2018, and 2019, but we'll get to that!  fully operable it weighs about 2,2 tonnes.

Lex

Edited February 13, 2021 by welbike
additional info

[peter75]

This is a vehicle I've always liked. I look forward to more pictures.

Peter.

[welbike]

So, that is the start out of the way, I restored the ballast boxes about 10 years ago, I used the ones from the red Clark, as they were the best.

They were later powder coated, seemed like a good idea at the time, not so sure now....

Also the Hydraulic rams were overhauled, and I don't know what parts they used, I had it done by a friend of a friend, time will tell if they're OK.
The the supports for the rams were restored, the tracks had worn through half of the metal!! so a lot of welding and grinding was done there.

Also around that time NOS gasket set and a generator was aquired, and a NOS Zenith carb, more about those later. Also new ignition parts were acquired from the US.

Lex

[welbike]

Then, in 2014 when the last parts from GA were shipped to Holland, I thought I had enough parts to make one good one, and another reasonably complete to sell, so I sold one to some friends in the UK, who promptly assembled it, and had it running (with a lot of defects), and was roughly painted over, but still a good result! 

With perfect hindsight I should not have sold it that quick, as my own machine had more problems that could have been rectified easily with the parts from the sold off project! oh well!!

Anyway, in 2016 I started on the dozerblade, cut out the rusted sections, and welded in new material, still needs a final sandblast, and painting, but will be OK now.

So far so good!

I left the dents and stuff, as it's part of it's working life.

Lex

Edited February 13, 2021 by welbike
wrong picture

[welbike]

Then beginning of November 2016, we loaded it on a friends truck (Thanks Xandre!!!), and transported it to another friend, Dennis, who runs a sandblasting and painting firm, to properly restore this one, as all was working OK technically I did not expect many problems, famous last words!!

After unloading, I took more and more parts off, till not much was left!

Then the sprockets, were on very tight!

But in the end got them off, no problems there!

[welbike]

Then most was steamcleaned, a lot of dirt had accumulated everywhere, as the oilseals were not that good anymore, and then carefully sandblasted:

Primered:

And painted o.d.:

Frame rails added:

Then all oilseals replaced, with modern ones, with double lips, no pictures of that, and not very exiting, but very necceserry!

Lockwire on the bolts!

More to follow, Lex

Edited March 10, 2022 by welbike

[welbike]

More parts were done, so far so good:

There was some welding required on the roller support rails, this thing had a working life!

Luckily the winch was there, as these are very dificult to find, it's a Braden, similar to a Dodge, but different castings.

Lex

Edited February 14, 2021 by welbike

[G506]

Hiya Lexy,

really enjoying this, keep it coming!

Mark

 

[welbike]

Yes Mark! still a lot to post! (I'm cheating, this is also on another forum, so only have to copy/past and adapt a little)

Now on to the engine, when I had it running previously I noticed the head was cracked, so an NOS one was sourced, (after trying 2 other used ones, that all were cracked in the same place!) and is on it's way, the rest was cleaned inside and out, bores were found OK, so just removed the sump, and cleaned everything by hand, and rotating steel wire brushes. New freeze plugs were also fitted, and the cooling cavities cleaned out, was a lot of loose rust in there!

Degreasing and cleaning

Ready for paint!

Sump, flywheelhousing and valve covers added.

Some primer.

And the top coat, grey, as no o.d. was found on the engine, and it is a 1943 model, I did not make it o.d.

Front engine support.

And the other side.

Edited February 15, 2021 by welbike
additional info

[welbike]

OK, here's the generator, I thought I had found the right one NOS, but it is a different model, but a shame not to use it! they are very difficult to find! same for the starter, but more about that later.

So while looking things over, I managed to use the original generators end plates, and the NOS armature and main body, together with the new bearings and brushes, some shims needed to be made, but nothing serious. New dataplate was also made and stamped. (not fitted here yet)

Hope everything will work OK!

Edited February 15, 2021 by welbike
additional info

[welbike]

So, here we go with putting the engine in, don't think it's possible without a forklift!! the engine has about the same capacity as a Jeep engine, but a longer stroke, and is heavier too.

Couldn't resist this! (still have to check valves etc.)

So this is where it was at the end of 2016, and waiting on cylinder head, and trying to locate the starter nose cone.....  more later tonight maybe.

Lex

Edited February 16, 2021 by welbike
spelling

[welbike]

OK, one more thing, the starter, an 6 volt Autolite  MAJ 4064 that was broken, I found pieces under the flywheel, could be welded maybe, but if it gets beween the moving parts, when it breaks again, it might do a lot more damage!

Lex

Edited February 15, 2021 by welbike
Updated picture

[welbike]

Not done much, it's now 2017,  but the NOS head arrived, that made my day!! (although it cost me some!)

Let me know if anyone desires an NOS cylinder head from the US. 

I just realized I forgot the whole process with the valves, I was able to use all the originals, just had them ground, so they had a nice contact surface again, some had been open for a long time, and some rust had formed, nothing serious though. the guides were good, so only the seats were all recut, with a tool I half borrowed, and half made myself on the lathe, this was quite straightforward, and after lapping/fitting the valves and springs, the engine runs very smooth. Also pictures of the NOS gasket set I had aquired with the very first wreck I got.

Lex

Edited February 16, 2021 by welbike
additional info

[Ron]

I love these pictorial restoration records. Looking forward to the next episodes. Ron

[welbike]

Thanks Ron, will post some more, but when I come to the present time, there will be questions, as I'm stuck with one part! I hope there's more people following this when that time comes, as it's rather difficult, and I'm not confident about it.

Some people asked me where I got the manifold from, luckily this is the original one that was on the engine, one little part was broken off, but I managed to weld it back on, and is still OK. But for those not so lucky (I have seen some real butchered ones! see picture below)  they are now available again in the US, for a Case tractor, that used the same Waukesha engine, model FC. Model "RC" Case Archives - Rosewood Machine & Tool Company

Lex

 

 

Edited February 16, 2021 by welbike
additional info

[welbike]

So, after two years of searching I found a starter on Ebay, for $35.00 incl. shipping to a US address, so I took the gamble, as the casting numbers were different, and eventually it got to my place, and guess what, it was the right one. (only the bendix was for opposite rotation)

So very happy, but I had also commisioned the foundry to have two cast, so they were ready at about the same time! typical!!

Have not done anything with the castings, but maybe one day they will be machined.

Now need to get a battery, anyone knows the size??

Have started the Clark last week, a couple times with the  handcrank, and runs very nice!  had the ignition out 180 degrees at first!

Repaired the radiator and shroud, so that is next to add, and to find the leak in the fuel tank, and we're getting somewhere!

All painted:

Thanks,

Alex

[welbike]

Here the distribitor, I found some NOS ones, but postwar, and needed to be machined, otherwise they were too tall, so about 1/2" was machined off, and all holes etc. lowered, also correct dataplate fitted, mine came with a French Ducellier distributor, so not correct, although it worked OK.

This job was quite difficult, and I had it done by my machinist, who did an excellent job!

 

 

 

Edited February 16, 2021 by welbike
additional info

[welbike]

Forgot the carb stuff, bought an NOS Zenith one many years ago at the Malvern jumble, for next to nothing, it was a different model, but with the aid of that one, I could swap all new parts over to the old body, that had new bushes fitted to the throttle shaft, and one jet was so stuck it needed to be machined out, and painted in old fashioned petrol resistant "dope" paint, it came out very nice, together with the NOS cadmium plated hardware. And it works very nice!

Edited February 16, 2021 by welbike
additional info

[Zero-Five-Two]

Fine job of work you're doing there, and very interesting write up.  Looking forward to the next instalment

[welbike]

Thanks Rob!

Here's some more!

Here the radiator, after cleaning and some soldering, painted the cooling block black, rest will be OD.

Found two little leaks, and soldered them, time will tell if the radiator is falling apart or not. (still OK now!)

In primer:

OD:

And fitted, just saw I left the cardboard masking, beter remove before starting!!

Lex

Edited February 18, 2021 by welbike

[welbike]

Also think I found the fuel leak, rewelded the whole bottom edge. I bought another fuel tank from the US, and had it shipped over, but was unusable, as there were thick steel plates welded  over it on all sides! Also more stuff sandblasted and primered, only tracks, oil tank, and more small brackets left to do, so finally getting somewhere.

Also need some measurements for the towing bracket at the rear. (Found one in the meantime.)

Grtz,

Alex

[welbike]

So, done some more work, fitted radiator and shroud for good (hopefully!) and fitted winch, and making a winch handle from a forward/reverse lever, now some more welding on it, and another headache gone.

Mudscrapers also fitted.

More in the next installment.

Lex