Hi Keith,
Yep, had a Ford GPW engine develop an electrical problem once, just before I was to change from 2nd to 3rd, there was a very loud bang and no more go. Looked over my shoulder before pulling to the side of the road (Middleborough Rd, just north of Whithorse Rd heading north), to see a long spray of oil receeeding on the road surface in the distance and bits of metal bowling along behind.
When I opened the bonnet, I saw the generator was hanging off at a funny angle (hence the electrical problem....).
No.1 cylinder had broken the rod just below the gudgeon, and then flayed a hole through BOTH sides of the block, punching off the gennie as well as slicing the sump (shallow end at the front under No.1). Also broke the cam shaft into a few pieces.
It was 2 weeks short of Corowa, don't remember the year.
Called my father, who took a couple of hours before he could come and collect me with the tandem (the one you have) and my Toyota Ute. By that time, I had the radiator and all the peripherals out of the engine compartment. Pulled the engine when I got home, and raced a spare block up to the rebuilder to clean up and bore to match the pistons I had.
Peter G and I reassembled the new engine a day or so before Corowa, and left on time. The engine paint job wasn't quite dry when we reinstalled it. We always joked that it had been 'shovelled together' and had a baked enamel finish: from the engine heat on the way to Corowa!!
That rebuild was the most willing engine I ever had: would wind the speedo off the clock on a straight road (wasn't game to go that fast on curves: jeep handling ain't the greatest!). I still have the section of broken cam shaft on my desk: PG found it wedged in the chassis rail while we were reinstalling the new engine!
Mike C
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