Appalling lack of maintenance

[fv1609]

When you buy a vehicle that was last used by the forces, you know it is maybe broken or has stood still for some time or both. When you buy a vehicle that has been in civilian hands it may run ok but sadly there is a real chance it will not have had the proper maintenance it deserves.

 

I know if someone owns a vehicle they can do what they like with it in terms of embellishments, gadgets, paint schemes etc to suit their fancy. Most of these can be corrected by a new owner if they so desire, but lack of proper maintenance can haunt subsequent owners for years to come.

 

I bought a pig 10 years ago that had 3 previous owners who I can only assume knew or cared little about maintaining their vehicle.

 

There are up to 9 lubrication points in the vicinity of each wheel station, but little effort seemed to have been applied to attending to this. I was plagued by nasty steering wheel wobble. I replaced all the steering rod ends which only improved things slightly.

 

Then I realised there seemed to be little effort applied to the lubrication of the shock absorber bushes. You can see why if you look at the freeplay in the bush!

 

 

To the purchaser of my pig don't worry you have had new shockers fitted & the steering is steady! If anyone wants to try re-bushing these 4 shockers then you are welcome to just have them. 2 are worn as in picture, 2 are only half as bad. Any takers? Otherwise they are for the skip!

[toby burnham]

Hi Clive,

 

I think that i should be able to rebush them at work.I will pick them up from you on sunday

 

Toby

[Diana and Jackie]

We recently bought a Ferret - it was in excellent condition, brakes tested etc etc, we had "no need to worry"

 

So far :-

 

All new brake cylinders and cables. One brake on one wheel seized completely both foot and handbrake.

One brake shoe carrier seized.

Brake shoes contaminated with oil

The brake bleed nipples all renewed.

All four new brake hoses renewed as they snapped in my hands!!!!

Master cylinder renewed and old fluid flushed out of brake system

Fuel guage didnt work - fixed loose wiring

Thermostat guage didnt work - new thermostat

oil flooding into driving compartment from gearbox - 4 new oil seals - hidden by jamming old stinking rags under gearbox

Complete new exhaust system as the old was bodged and leaking exhaust gas.

Carb air inlet loose

Headlamps renewed

Sidelight bulb jammed in with silver paper bulb holders rotten with rust.

Internal light didnt work - loose connector

Tacho didnt work - tacho cable damaged beyond salvage and rusty.

At least one grease nipple damaged and others blocked (ongoing work)

Battery boxes loose as were batteries.

Next on our agenda are new tyres this weekend.

 

One of the sellers boasted how he had taken his grandson for a drive - forgot to mention he could have killed him.

 

We are now roadworthy but how many others are not?

 

Diana and Jackie

 

 

 

When you buy a vehicle that was last used by the forces, you know it is maybe broken or has stood still for some time or both. When you buy a vehicle that has been in civilian hands it may run ok but sadly there is a real chance it will not have had the proper maintenance it deserves.

 

I know if someone owns a vehicle they can do what they like with it in terms of embellishments, gadgets, paint schemes etc to suit their fancy. Most of these can be corrected by a new owner if they so desire, but lack of proper maintenance can haunt subsequent owners for years to come.

 

I bought a pig 10 years ago that had 3 previous owners who I can only assume knew or cared little about maintaining their vehicle.

 

There are up to 9 lubrication points in the vicinity of each wheel station, but little effort seemed to have been applied to attending to this. I was plagued by nasty steering wheel wobble. I replaced all the steering rod ends which only improved things slightly.

 

Then I realised there seemed to be little effort applied to the lubrication of the shock absorber bushes. You can see why if you look at the freeplay in the bush!

 

 

To the purchaser of my pig don't worry you have had new shockers fitted & the steering is steady! If anyone wants to try re-bushing these 4 shockers then you are welcome to just have them. 2 are worn as in picture, 2 are only half as bad. Any takers? Otherwise they are for the skip!

[ArtistsRifles]

When you buy a vehicle that was last used by the forces, you know it is maybe broken or has stood still for some time or both. When you buy a vehicle that has been in civilian hands it may run ok but sadly there is a real chance it will not have had the proper maintenance it deserves.

 

I know if someone owns a vehicle they can do what they like with it in terms of embellishments, gadgets, paint schemes etc to suit their fancy. Most of these can be corrected by a new owner if they so desire, but lack of proper maintenance can haunt subsequent owners for years to come.

 

I bought a pig 10 years ago that had 3 previous owners who I can only assume knew or cared little about maintaining their vehicle.

 

There are up to 9 lubrication points in the vicinity of each wheel station, but little effort seemed to have been applied to attending to this. I was plagued by nasty steering wheel wobble. I replaced all the steering rod ends which only improved things slightly.

 

Then I realised there seemed to be little effort applied to the lubrication of the shock absorber bushes. You can see why if you look at the freeplay in the bush!

 

To the purchaser of my pig don't worry you have had new shockers fitted & the steering is steady! If anyone wants to try re-bushing these 4 shockers then you are welcome to just have them. 2 are worn as in picture, 2 are only half as bad. Any takers? Otherwise they are for the skip!

 

You think that's bad ??

 

How about collecting a vehicle from a firm of professional restorers (no names - no pack drill) to find that:

 

• The braking system fluid was totally f*ck*d,

• One rigid calliper line was so rotten it burst during repairs,

• Most of the calliper seals were knackered,

• Fluid unions had been left loose,

• The low pressure air sensing system was almost non existent (which was lucky as the regulators were seized on max pressure else the main air tank could have gone bang),

• The main hydraulic tank was 90% water,

• The winch looks like a birds nest,

• The oil/fuel combi guage does not work,

• Main air operated wiper only worked twice before stopping dead,

   

 

and so forth....

 

:banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

[griff66]

also remember that in the final days of a lot of mv prior to disposal army maintanance was shall we say : that will do a trip:! my ferret can verify that, lots of pipes bolts etc treated with a somewhat cavalier attitude!

[timbo]

I think this is potentially part of the problem with vehicles that don't get used very often and owners who don't know too much. The reality is that some people will figure that a vehicle is 'good enough' for what they want it for..

 

I have some vehicles which, whilst runners, stil need quite a bit of work to get them up to scratch as they've sat around for a long time. Difference is I would not dream of passing them off as anything other than what they are...

[fv1609]

Hi Clive,

 

I think that i should be able to rebush them at work.I will pick them up from you on sunday

 

Toby

 

Well Toby where were you 2 years ago when I needed you?

 

Thank you for the offer, but they have long since gone. Not to the scrapman, but a Humber man.

[simonm]

My approach is that any vehicle I get is treated as if it has had no maintenance.

 

With regard to MV's look at the V5, 6 owners in as many years, each time its bought by somebody with a bright idea, used to maintain a mini, bought something as a challenge and realised it was a bit too much. I omit members of this forum as it is invariably the 1st step to getting things right.

 

I must admit to still going through the process of 1st stage maintenance, I'm sure I've loacted all the few hundred grease nipples and greased, wheel hubs and tracta joints all topped up - with an awful lot of oil! What a game the nearside rear and offside front tracta joints, bet they weren't topped up frequently! (next year I'll progressivelly drain and re-fill) I've mentioned the flywheel elsewhere.

 

By the way, the Hex key that is needed for the Wheel hubs on the ferret is the same as is used to remove the pipe fitting from radiators, any plumbing shop should have them! Mine was left over from an early 1960s socket set.

Edited November 28, 2010 by simonm

[rbrtcrowther]

I visit a few vintage rallys up and down the country as i have more of an interest in vintage stuff than military stuff. I have a few stationary engines an old landy and to be honest i bought the scammell cos i love the shape and the engineering behind its also one of the reasons i will be running it in civilian colours as it think the green is.....well....dull:blush: Wandering round the rally there are stationary engines restored and painted, some just running as found. There are buses and lorrys, steamers, cars, tractors. All in various states but mostly in good mechanical condition. But i have seen the same stuff over and over for many years at various different locations and there is one section that seems to have a a bit of a noticable maintenance issue.:-( The military Section. Don't Get me wrong there are alot of great examples out there but there seems to be more.....errr.... less well looked after examples that turn up year after year. I even find myself looking to see if the owners have repaired any of the things that were wrong the previous year. Some have not seen a grease gun for years. I often wonder if some of the vehicles are just a military accessory to complete the necessary inmage. There is a land rover something that looks aufull and i'm paying to see it year after year I've never seen the owner but honest to god it's about time someone had a word about it. Even the army painted their stuff once in a while :argh:

Edited November 26, 2010 by rbrtcrowther

[fv1609]

wheel hubs and tracta joints all topped up - with an awful lot of oil! What a game the nearside rear and offside front tracta joints, bet they weren't topped up frequently!

 

I assume you're talking Humber, yes I'm glad you put oil in there. Sometimes you see people's well intentioned servicing effort & you can see remnants of grease on those nipples. When you ask they say "Its a grease nipple & therefore takes grease". But it's a lubricating nipple that in this application requires oil.

 

I feel sorry for the Humber & the person who might later buy it who gets a joint failure. People have told me that I am wrong or it perhaps was some later policy. But it's there in the 1953 Provisional User Handbook & continued in all subsequent editions.

[simonm]

Ferret not Humber. The offside front is behind the brake master cylinder with about 10 bolts to remove, not so bad but getting them aligned to re-install, that's the problem. Nearside rear, the oil cooler is in the way, to get to the connection hoses you need to remove the cross brace that holds the engine compartment together, remove the generator connector - fortunately a plug socket arrangement then reach down with the oil tube, 1st quarter pint all over the floor... Then re-assembly, not too bad but that cross brace! A pry bar, G clamps, all for the sake of a bolt which in any sensible world would be chamferred, anybody who has done this will know exactly what I mean.

 

Now a nother complaint about poor design and lack of forethought. Prior to MVs I had a couple of Chevy Blazers, with every single nut and bolt combination the nuts and bolts required a different spanner, ie one set of spanners! Nuff said. (Yes I do have multiple sets of spanners, this is just a whinge)