Alternative to rivets
 

Hi

While using rivits properly installed is the ideal approach, the alternative is bolts. The issue is that the bolt or rivit must be a tight fit in both layers of steel.

When I reassembled the frame of my Pat 12 C60L line bored each rivit hole location inplace through all layers to be attached. Each hole was sized so that it would be a drive fit on the shank of grade 8 bolt. Getting the bolts the right length so that the shank (unthreaded section) extended through the steel was the hard part. In the end I bought many different bolt lenghts. Then torque bolts to 75% of max for the bolt size.

The truck has been on the road for about 10 years with a lot of hard off road work hauling firewood with no signs of any of the joints loosening.

Cheers Phil

The chassis do spring when you take the brace out . usually have to jack or tie them back in to location . Usually easier to bolt in and tighten first with tight fitting bolts and remove as you progress along

I use a LPG oxy kit but just use the cutting head instead of heating tips to get it hot enough . Not as quick as acetylene but don't have to pay dead rent on the acetylene bottle as well as oxy tank

Hi Andrew,

After decades of Cigweld/BOC holding oxy-acetylene users to ransom in Victoria with ever increasing rents you can now buy D size Oxy and Acetylene bottles through Bunnings. The company is called Coregas. Initial purchase is barely one years BOC rental charges. Refills for Acetylene is $99 and Oxygen is $69

As is so often the case I think it varies from state to state.

As an occasional user of oxy, these D bottles are ideal for me. I took great pleasure surrendering my D size BOC bottles last year and closing down the bottle lease after 20 years with them.

Cheers,

Drip Rails.
 

I measured all I had and got them folded up (two pieces per side) at the sheet metal shop near me. They taper in width on the lower (attached to old steel) I have the measurements if people are interested.

cheers,

Ian

More painting...
 

A bit of digression while I make a set and dolly for the rivet tasking. Have the materials but I have to grind a drill bit to the correct taper for the rivet head.

Repainting the cowl and some hardware & the GS toolbox. Now the doors have been re-repaired and the rust sandblasted away (again). I managed to find the RH door bolts too so they will be re-installed.

Some brass hinge bushes purchased nine short years ago are not suitable as replacements so I'll source some new ones through Macs I think.

Sadly the paint shop ran out of flattener for the paint so one day next weekend will be hardware paint day I guess. I found two mirror brackets in the pile.

Nine years in between had caused me to forget what I had wrapped in newspaper :)

Cheers

Ian

Hi Ian,

Just re read this and thought I would offer this suggestion.

A blacksmithing mate of mine said a good way to make a rivet dolly is to heat a grade 8 bolt red hot of the appropriate size and drive a ball bearing of the desired size into it forming a rounded cup.

Drill steel, though hard, is very brittle so may fracture with disastrous results upon heavy impact as would occur in riveting.
It may be worth considering anyway.

Cheers,

paint
 

.................................

All bases covere
 

Thanks Mike,
Hoping by FRIDAY the paint shop has a new 4 litre tin of Flattner in and I can move on.

Yep A ball mill might do the job, but from others' experiences I am going to try a drill first.

On another note my 6 Volt headlights arrived today. One step over the original bulbs to Sealed beams.

Cheers,

Ian

Thanks Jaques,

I'll try a few ways. VMVC had an article a few years back... Technique is different but all good.

Cheers,

Ian

Guard repair Keeping it simple
 

Well I have been busy over the last few weeks I did a guard repair to make it 'rounder' and a smooth arc.

Cutting out the old welds and adding a bit of metal to make it curve. Surprised to learn that this is over-perfection and my 'template guards are just cuts around the arch-way. Ahh well. They are at the sand blasters this week so they'll be in primer in the coming days.

I have fitted the cross member to the chassis with bolts until we get some still winds and I can have a hot flame. Ron I haven't forgotten your offer.

Most hated task
 

Well after a few hours on Saturday I managed to remove the propellor shafts and the transfer case. As usual the bolts are seized so they snap off in the case. The locking wire was intact - all gone on the top two bolts.

Sorry not much detail but a lot going on behind the scenes.

Cheers
Ian.

Out
 

Well now it was out, a small task of removing broken bolts.
Yep, tried the weld a nut on method. Failed.
Tried the drill small and managed to snap a 1/4" drill in the middle of one bolt then two either side of the two big holes. :(
Drilled around the edges on one broken drill and then with a diamond point chisel chipped away for just on 6 hours. I managed to get all of the old metal out and no damage to the threads in either hole.
After getting out the dirt and crap I ran a half cut bolt and cleaned up the threads. Now on to clean the case all up and put in new seals.

Cheers,

Ian

Quick Sunday job
 

Today being Sunday requires little noise for everyone.
I set the task of getting the steering wheel off the shaft. After studying a bazillion techniques which looked dangerous or destructive, I came up with my own. A puller would just rip the arms on the wheel and hitting it at the back was out too.

I spied the steel reinforcing plate in the back of the wheel hub, and found the answer. Hit it with a decent punch on three angles (120 degrees apart) and jar it off the shaft. this made minimal damage to the 72 year old wheel.

What I didn't know was that there was a woodruff key of sorts in the shaft. carefully removed its in a plastic bag along with the wheel nut.

I have restored several wheels before so this one shouldn't be too difficult. I am going to do four steering wheels in one lot as the preparation and setting up is as bad for one as several. Enjoy.

Ian

Transfer Case Seals
 

Time to do the transfer case seals. No point in stripping a perfectly good case to the last nut and bolt. I had to replace the input shaft as the splines were badly worn probably due to people dropping the clutch back in the day!!! Thanks to Ross Prince for the appropriate seals.
I don't think that there's any point in explaining how they are removed and inserted. Its already been done before. :teach:

Two of which are soaking in oil to soften the leather lip. A nice treasure to find was the Ford Script on the slinger. Not seen a lot on CMP's, but made me smile. :)

Transfer case DONE!
 

Well after the great seal change I painted up the case and lugged it back to the shed.

I have also bolted in the X member and doublers with Hex head grade 8 high tensile bolts. For now it can stay that way until I have the set and dolly made. It is markedly better than what was there.

Prop Shafts and steps.
 

As is always the way with restoration most wear and tear is significant, and my truck is no different. The universals in the prop shafts were cactus. One had only two steel needle rollers left in the end caps. I obtained several new spiders for the worn props and pressed them in and out. About 16 hours work all up, re-packing the end caps and cleaning out the Zork grease nipples to make 100% sure that they would work.

The original Spicers were well and truly dead. I couldn't believe how good the overhaul did to make the units like new. The impossible bit was cleaining out the old hardened grease on the spline sleeves. NOT fun. they work fantastically now though.

Attachment 94909 Attachment 94910 Attachment 94911 Attachment 94912

One shaft to go.
 

The final shaft is the Small shaft that goes between the gearbox and transfer case is the last one. Its soaking in petrol to loosen the gunk and dirt. A full strip and clean plus a complete rebuild is one of the next tasks.

Attachment 94913

With all the parts being painted I forgot to show what is happening. SO here goes. Outside I have lots of parts in the shed awning.

Attachment 94914

There is also the matter of the spare room. It is filling up at an ever accellerating pace. I have a new locker to put it all in but am yet to assemble it, so the spare room is great :).

Attachment 94915.

Very nice.
 

I saw this on the pintle spring. A nice this to see after years of dirt over the top!

Attachment 94916.

Moving on I have started the steering box test and evaluation. I drained out the nice jam thickened oil. this was fairly easy to do but I was concerned that the worm inside might have damage from water. Nope, it looks quite ok.

Attachment 94917

The shaft had a mud wasp inside and it took me a good hour to remove all of the mud and gunk from inside the shaft using a piece or 1/8" steel rod. Now I can thread the horn wire through the centre in the future.

Attachment 94918

The last picture Steering socket: What have people used to replace the gungy old perished rubber seal? Do you just cut a piece of rubber to size?

Attachment 94919

Cheers,

Ian

Minor points I have overlooked.
 

Well I did try my dash in the cab a while back Thanks to Bob Mosely. I had it done almost a decade ago now.

Attachment 94920.

The fuel tanks are painted and I have purchased a new sender for one tank. They do look great even though they both have dents. (what do you do !)

Attachment 94921

Ahh yes and I bought a tub a couple of months back from Ian Fawbett. Thanks to this I can now set about making a reproduction one. I am very pleased as this particular one has the tool brackets and tailgate. A lot of parts to make but at least they are there.

For once we have showers this afternoon after three months of hardly any rain. So you all get to enjoy my pictures and progress.

Cheers,

Ian

Attachment 94922 Attachment 94923 Attachment 94924

Update on the update ;)
 

The spare room is filling up FAST.

Attachment 94925
:cheers:

Cheers,

Ian

The Yellow felt you find inside old wooden ammo boxes works well.

Rubber bits.
 

Hi Ron,
no felt is no good.
I have found them!!!
Here https://www.macsautoparts.com/early_...rd-382969.html

Cheers,

Ian

Chassis strip blast and paint
 

Sorry folks, been busy with other priorities and so the pictures exceed my narrative.

In November I stripped the chassis and sent it to be blasted and to get an idea of how bad it was (or not). It was epoxy etch primed at the blaster as I request it to protect the steel in humid climes like here!!

Removing the diffs is no easy task in the 35C temps. I have one pin stuck on the LH rear, (you can see it in the pictures) It appears that the pin is worn to the extent that I cant hit it out. Might be a case of reverse press rather than using a puller.

The chassis was then painted in zinc primer and good quality enamel. All of the wear parts have been painted (under the green) in engine enamel black. Its a good epoxy paint and I often use it for protection areas.

The chassis overall is in excellent condition, with the usual rust on the transfer case mounting. - well it is 75 years young!

I have pressed all the old copper/bronze/brass bushes out which was surprisingly easier than I had done on other vehicles. (the bushes are split so that made it easier.