Nathans F15A Resto
 

Hi all,

Thought id introduce myself to the forum. I have recently purchased a little F15A from a farmer in the Mallee, Cant wait to get started on it this is my first Blitz restoration so I'm sure ill have lots of questions any input regarding the old girl will be greatly appreciated. :drunk:

Welcome Aboard
 

Hi Nathan

Hope you enjoy your CMP as much as I have enjoyed mine, much easier to get information on CMPs today with the internet than nearly 40 years ago when we were mailing letters around the world to ask questions. Wanted to mention the doing things by mail because when I got started sent a number of letters to CMP owners around the world asking questions, and the Australian's who beat everybody in the speed and detail of their letters responding to my questions with photos and detailed drawings.

So ask away on your questions, though the search feature on MLU works pretty good, lots of times it is matter of how to phrase the search, if you got a question about a part or how something goes together post a photo. Sometimes you will get a response and sometimes somebody may direct you to a thread on the topic that has already been discussed.

Cheers Phil

PS- Before you start disassembling things take lots and lots of photos, my photos have helped me lots of times on things like whats this part or what order does it go together.

Welcome Nathan, double check with the farmer that you got all of it, all the hard to get bits (doors, engine covers etc) are hard to get because they are removed for convenience, then left behind a tree on the back 40, or chucked in the old dam because it was a pain, or,we use that bit as a chicken coop, and that bit is in the shed as a paint shelf OR (my favourite)that bits hanging on the wall 'cause it's history that is; the grandkids might want it.
Very hard to ask a stupid question on this forum, if you don't get a reply, it is not lack of interest, it is because no one knows the answer.
Have fun!
Rich.

Welcome to forum
 

Hi Nathan,

Welcome to the forum also.

Good advice from Richard and Phil. Bits are often left behind especially doors. I found one in a loft in a suburban workshop in Moorabbin Vic.
the crane truck was in the yard and the door was an inconvenience to open and close for the operator so into the loft it went.

Photos are one of the best tools. When I started my restoration there was only 35mm film around and at 50 cents per print one was judicious with the use of the camera.

Now thanks to digital cameras I take stacks of photos of everything I do, plus the date on the photo's file information is a good automatic log. It is amazing what you can forget even after a few weeks away from a disassembled part.

Nice little F-15A. Small enough to work on in an 18' x 24' shed which is one of the reasons I chose that model to restore also.

As you proceed with the restoration enjoy the ride!

Cheers,

Welcome to the friendly forum

Welcome, Nathan, and ditto to all the above.

A couple of points about your F15A. It has an Australian '44 pattern cab, meaning the 'hard' doors were not fitted, but demountable canvas doors covering a flat steel frame. You can tell by the inserts in the leading edge of the door opening, and there will be a flat across the bottom edge to prevent objects on the floor vibrating out through the door openings as you drive along.

As you disassemble, try and locate the chassis number stamped into the top flat of the right side chassis member adjacent to the front (engine) cross member. Probably begins with '3G' or '4G'. This will be the key to locating your particular truck in the vehicle registers in AWM126, which are now online - hours of amusement ahead of you looking for your vehicle.

NO question is too elementary or simple - we are all glad to help a fellow enthusiast, so ask away.

Mike

Thanks for the advice guys

Have checked with the farmer he has only had it for two years he was going to use it to tow field bins but his son was killed in a truck accident and the farm has gone to pieces since he did manage to find the other half of the front right wheel in the farm dump at the moment its wearing a tipper front rim I think.

the rest of the truck may be spread over 3 properties so just as well we know all the farmers it belonged to we may still be able to track down its missing parts.

Nathans F15A Resto
 

Finally got my Blitz home a couple of days ago and work has commenced so starting a thread for its restoration.

first question I have is I have noticed working away on it that there is cloth wrapped wire straps all over the place connecting panels to panels body to chassis parts to chassis would it be safe to assume I'm looking at bonding for a signals truck or do they all have these straps?

You can see one of the straps in the attached picture of the starter motor, sorry about the quality I was pulling the starter out so I was focusing on that.

Nice start!

The bonding straps aren't cloth wrapped, they're braided copper. They do reduce radio static and the vehicle will usually have an "S" painted on it to indicate "supressed". It will not necessarily mean it was a radio equipped vehicle, but used around radio-equipped vehicles or other installations.

Do you know anything of the history of the vehicle? I only ask because you are in SA and the Blue paint is similar to another vehicle with significant SA History in THIS THREAD, the Bonython Lake Eyre Exploration Party (BLEEP) jeep.

Link the threads?
 

Hanno,

Can both Nathan's threads be linked, please? That way we get to see all his F15A images and the comments about same, in the one place.

Mike

Done, threads merged.

Hanno

Thanks Hanno.

Mike

Ah well there you go, the straps seem to be every where connecting everything.

Unfortunately no, we know very little about this truck so far, its data plates are missing and it has been a bit of a ring around to find who the truck may have belonged to but my mother remembers it sitting in the local mechanics yard at Karoonda well back in to the 80's

it's had a life however the truck has been painted several colours in its time

So I was all over the truck taking pictures yesterday before I started pulling things apart so ill have a bit of a photo dump here.

Yesterdays mission was the removal of the starter motor it was getting electricity but it wasn't kicking in the issue seems to be a busted wire in the front of the starter motor so that delays my ideas of firing it on the starter for a bit. The compression in the engine is preventing us from starting it via crank so I've got a job ahead of me to free that up.

as for the rest of the truck despite its appearance & agricultural spec modifications and maintenance everything is turning and there is no leaks beyond what is expected and everything is coming out or apart without trouble.

heading to the old truck wreckers down my way this weekend on the rumour there is a couple of blitzes there, hopefully I can find my missing body panels on them.

Pulled the plugs today to see if I could find any with corrosion seems its previous owner stated it may have a cracked sleeve.

Sure enough number 6 is showing signs of corrosion on the piston head and plug, wont know how bad it is until we open it up so the engine is on hold now, efforts refocussed on cab disassembly and finding the missing panels we need.

Nathan,

I noticed in an earlier post that you have the drivers seat, and what appears to be the original seat spring base with the curved shape back. It might look dilapidated, but those spring bases are not easy items to find.

Also, the images don't quite show the back of the drivers seat, which, for a late production vehicle with Aust '44 patt cab and round military gauge dash board set, should be the Australian 'wide back' variant - slightly wider at the top to accommodate the shoulders more comfortably, and tapering down to the same width as the seat base. You will be looking for another of this wide-backed type for the passenger side.

Just a couple of thoughts...

Mike

Welcome.

As has been intimated, MLU is a very collegial place to learn and share. No matter what comes to mind, remember you're not the first person to worry or wonder.

The advice about tracking down the missing bits might become a compulsion! These green trucks have a tendency to accumulate in the yards and driveways. Now departed Alex Blair, who limited his collecting to paper manuals, coined the nickname "Rusty Old Truckers" or Rotters, for the likes of us.

You'll find you have to become an amateur metal worker. The Hammond Barn crew are a stellar example of self-taught fabricators. In their professional lives, none of them swung a rubber mallet, sparked a weld, or changed an axle seal. But of necessity, they are now setting a high standard of workmanship.

A professional colleague of mine uses the phrase, move move lose, as the biggest threat to any form of collection or archives. I know my father's example is to spread things out horizontally but my mother's nature was to keep like things together. It saves space, focuses the mind, and prevents over-buying of shiney bits. I find organizing my parts with durable hang tags and some numbering system, tracked in a spreadsheet, makes restarting a project after any length of time, so much easier.

Better image of the seat for you Mike.

base is certainly as you describe, I've got it all wrapped up to protect what is left of it

Spare part search is progressing, I have a truck wrecker on to it for me he has a Chev in the yard but no Fords but has contacts so hopefully that will turn up some of the missing parts I need.

silly question

The steering wheel, how do you get the bugger off? we have been poking and prodding at it for a while now and it seems firmly attached, have removed the nut but nothing it budging.

Steering Wheel Removal
 

Hi Nathen


What ever you do loosen but DO NOT remove the nut all the way while you attempt to remove the wheel. Have seen many steering wheels and steering shafts totally ruined by having the top of the shaft spread from use of a puller.


I would start with using your favorite penetrating solution, I like acetone mixed 50/50 with automatic transmission fluid. Just keep squirting the nut threads and after you have backed the nut off a couple of turns under the nut.


If the wheel is fitted with puller bolt holes then use a puller. With a puller cap spreading the push on the top of the shaft and nut. Tighten the puller up reasonably don't over due it. Then give the puller screw a sharp tap with a hammer. I have also vibrated it gently with an air chisels with a flat punch tool.


If the wheel doesn't have puller bolt locations, I have made a wood collar to go under the wheel, good snug fit around the hub not on the spokes seem work best. When we did this last on a Model A we made it up out of 2 inch thick oak unit was made in 2 halves that bolted together. Couple of long bolts and flat plate on the top side with a spacer to push on the end of the shaft and the nut. Then hit the center of the plate over the shaft a couple of smart hits.


Cheers Phil

removing steering wheel
 

Hi Nathan,

Ditto everything Phil said.

Unfortunately there are no puller bolt holes on the Ford F15-A steering wheel so any pulling has to be done from the bottom of the wheel hub. As shown in the photo the steel insert is recessed into the plastic (Bakelite?) of the hub. For this reason to avoid damage to the plastic hub the pulling force must be spread over the largest area possible.

I recreated, as best I can remember, the setup I used on my gear puller. I reversed the bottom plates so that I would be pulling on the steering wheel hub on a flat surface.

I must confess I didn't leave the nut on, but I was lucky. The flat rotating pilot on the screw spread the load out evenly on the steering shaft so no damage occurred. To do it again I would leave the nut on too.

I did as Phil mentioned and took just a small strain on the hub then gave the screw shaft a tap. I think it popped off on the first tap. Maybe I was lucky.

Another handy hint: if you lose, or want to replace the key they are often available at mower repair shops. Small motors use them. Local shop had drawers of all different sizes.

Hope this is of some help.

Cheers

Thanks for the advice fellas we will give that a go.

Progress
 

Was a busy weekend, got the cab right off now and chopped the abomination of a home made towbar off the truck.

with the cab off it was time to open the engine up and find out if it did indeed have a cracked sleeve as its previous owner had suggested, In a massive stroke of luck the only thing that is wrong with it is that it has spent too much time without an air cleaner on the carby and this has allowed water in to a couple of cylinders through open valves, still needs a clean up and a machinist over it but at least its not cracked!

Update
 

okay long time between updates but I've had a few things happening brand new job on a huge solar farm project has me quite busy at the moment which is brilliant for Oddball because I've finally got a decent pay cheque to sink in to it :thup2:

So a few things have been happening mainly in the field of sandblasting, I managed to find a good little sandblasting kit at the local Auto parts store which works on a siphon hose marry that up with some garnet and I was in business!

So ive been poking away with the sandblaster when I've had time doing a section and priming it.

Ive also robbed the dog of his outside hut as it makes a brilliant blasting booth :yappy: he's not very impressed and took to sulking under the Blitz

so the loose rim is cleaned primed and the nuts painted up just waiting on the Khaki no.3 to arrive

I have also been on a bit of a parts hunt while I can.

New catches arrived today and the grill a little while ago just waiting for the engine cover to make its way over from Victoria just a bugger most of the components I need now are large making transport a bit difficult.

Good day Nathan,
You have a nice little truck that has been reasonably well looked after.
I am very impressed with the sand blasting, would you mind saying where you got the sandblaster and what brand it is? if you don't want to put it on the forum would you mind sending me a pm.
Sand blasting of small items, well any item, is getting very expensive and I would like to get a small sand blasting setup that will work.
Ken

I bought 2 blasting kits not so long ago and neither of them are much good. I know a lot has to do with air supply though.

Sand blasting solution
 

Hi Ken,

Not only air supply, but the gun and nozzle.

I purchased a cheap Chinese cabinet set-up that worked only so-so, then a friend put me onto a US-made gun with replaceable nozzle (either steel or ceramic) and a new 'anti-kink' pick-up hose. It now works really well for short sessions, and for long sessions so long as I keep the air supply dry. I have three small condensers and a condensing chamber in the line, and run the pipe from the compressor through a cold-water bath (5 gal bucket with ice bricks) on its way to the condenser. Works a treat at keeping the air dry over a prolonged period of blasting.

The mob I got the gun, etc from was TPT Tools:

http://www.tptools.com/Sandblast-Cab...-Supplies.html

Nathan: how do you catch the sand blasting medium for re-use?

Mike

An observation
 

Great to see you're getting stuck into your project.

I notice on one of your interior images a couple of curved angle iron pieces on the passenger side of the cab. I'm fairly sure these were only used on the later 3-ton Australian CMPs. Their purpose was to anchor a bracket on the back of the cab into which the spare wheel carrier arm engaged to stop it banging on the cab over rough ground.

The other observation is that all the late F15A trucks I have seen here retained their steel doors; they were not modified to take the lift off canvas doors.

So I think there's a possibility yours was rebuilt at some stage with a cab from a 3-ton truck. That may also be where the 20" wheels came from.

It's worth checking the diff ratios (stamped on the front of the diff housing) to see if they're the high ratio for 16" wheels or the lower ratio for 20" wheels.

Diff ratio stamps on diff housing
 

Hi Nathan,

You may already know this but it may be of use to you and others. the attached photo from an earlier post shows the numbers Keith was referring to.

"639" is 6 teeth on pinion and 39 teeth or ring gear giving a drive ratio of 6.50:1 F15-A

"643" is 6 teeth on pinion and 43 teeth or ring gear giving a drive ratio of 7.16:1 All larger CMP's with two speed transfer cases and 20" wheels.

Hope this is of some help to all.

Cheers,