restoration project waterbowser C15A 1943

[Guy Verstrepen]

hey all, I'm new here and this is my first message.
we are working on a chevy c15a waterbowser in Belgium. here are some photos already. sorry my English is not that good.

[Guy Verstrepen]

Hi everybody.

I have already stripped the chevy and encountered the following things that I have not seen on another chevy here some pictures.

the canvas flaps were mounted on the bottom of the cabin and thus protected the master cylinder from dirt. so on the other side there was one.

the metal tray has split pins for I think protective felt.
what would it have been for? , does anyone have an idea ?

[Guy Verstrepen]

Hi
we have a silver color inside the cabin, I have seen pictures of English tanks that are also silver inside.

would this be original after a revision, by the English army? The original paint is still under the silver paint.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Hello Guy,

Nice project you have there!

The silver paint on the interior is of a later date, possibly after an army rebuild or when in civilian use. When it left the factory it would have been painted the same colour as the exterior.

Regards,
Hanno

[Guy Verstrepen]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Hello Guy,

Nice project you have there!

The silver paint on the interior is of a later date, possibly after an army rebuild or when in civilian use. When it left the factory it would have been painted the same colour as the exterior.

Regards,
Hanno

thanks Hanno;

I think I am going to restore him as he came from the factory.
in the meantime he has already been stripped almost completely, the car is in a very good condition, he only needs to be cleaned up, no rust; brakes the engine, radiator .are already overhauled.
he once served as a tow truck in a garage in my neighborhood.
the previous owner had dismantled the water tank and sold it to a local farmer in the 1960s. I had seen this water tank per accident under a shelter of a farm and the ball was rolling and so I came to the original water tanker (tow truck).
unfortunately the garage owner has thrown away many original parts 5 years ago.
such as filters and hand pumps that are so hard to find.

[Guy Verstrepen]

the sawn-off rear compartment was mounted on the passenger side instead of a fuel tank. unfortunately there is a piece of 10 "shortened from the top, in the frame there is also a hole, is this hole provided to allow the cardan shaft to continue for the drive of the power pump? Does anyone have an idea? power take or is also present at the transmission, it used to be used to power the winch.
I think the winch is the same as on a ford gtb mounted.

[Guy Verstrepen]

here is a picture of the hole where the cardan shaft goes through the frame that I had previously told about.

[Grant Bowker]

The frame cross-member with the round hole is used as part of the mounting for CMP winches (when fitted) on the Chevrolet frame. The winch normally used on CMPs has a gear casing that looks like a Ford axle differential housing. I have not seen a winch like the one you show as an original fitting on a CMP. It looks more like the winch fitted US vehicles (Dodge WC series, CCKW, M series).

[Lynn Eades]

Hello Guy. Can you advise the dimensions of the un-identified box (tin) please.
Does it have any numbers on it?

[Guy Verstrepen]

Hey Grant,
I mean the small hole next to the big hole that is destined for the original winch for cmp's, see red circle on photo.
The pito output corresponds directly to the small hole,
Therefore, I think that this should be the passage for the drive of the power pump or is it driven by other means?

With best regards
Guy

[Grant Bowker]

I am at work right now and can not check the manual for the water tank body. I will do this later and let you know what I can understand.
I believe I have posted images from the manual to show the PTO in past but I did not find them on a quick search.

[Guy Verstrepen]

Hey Grant,

This is the photo i mean.

[Guy Verstrepen]

Originally Posted by Lynn Eades

Hello Guy. Can you advise the dimensions of the un-identified box (tin) please.
Does it have any numbers on it?

Hey Lynn,
Unfortunately we did not find any numbers, I took pictures with the dimensions. It is presses the same box that I found on another link to MLU forum where you can see such a similar tray.

http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...ad.php?t=20221

With best regards
Guy

[Harry Moon]

Originally Posted by Guy Verstrepen

Hey Grant,

This is the photo i mean.

Given that it looks like a single speed transfer case then there is no running it off the Transfer case PTO but of a transmission PTO. Does the data tag chassis model end with a "T"?

[Grant Bowker]

I see the model as C15-44?-MT.
Harry, do you have a listing of what options might be used in the last part of the model code. I have understood M=military, W=winch but this is based on observation - not period documents. It would be interesting to know what combinations exist.

[Guy Verstrepen]

Harry, Grant;
I have a clear picture of the model plate here.
and indeed they ended on MT.
in the book Drive to victory page 113 you will find the following.

M - military pattern.
W - winch.
P - power take - off.
T - transmission PTO.
and there is a pto on the transmission at this c15a.
the transfer case is one with 2 speeds, such as for the c60 and cgt

regards

[Grant Bowker]

A scan from the SB-7 manual for the water tank body is attached. Only by memory, I think the PTO would be below the level of the hole in the crossmember. I will look at my C15A to see whether to verify whether I have a similar hole.

[Mike K]

That CMP water tank looks to be a Thompson Brothers product, basically the standard oval 15 cwt British tank but without the rear storage compartment . In the CMP configuration the water purifying chemicals and the hoses would have been stored in the outside lockers ?

[Mike K]

Ah the rear locker is a separate box
A few old MLU threads

http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...cmp+water+tank

http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...cmp+water+tank


http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...cmp+water+tank

[Grant Bowker]

I looked at about 10 Chevrolets today (C15A to C60L), only one had a hole similar to the one shown in post 12 and that hole looked as if it might have been a modification, not on production.

The first photo shows the only crossmember with a hole in the given location. You can see that the winch blocks anything passing through the hole.


The second photo is of a C60S tipper. The transfer case mounted PTO can be seen through the winch hole in the crossmember.


The third photo is of a typical crossmember in the group checked today.


The fourth photo is the same truck as the third photo, taken from below the frame. Again, the upper shaft of the transfer case can be seen in the opening of the crossmember (no PTO, it is a single speed case). The location where a transmission mounted PTO would be fitted can be seen just to the right of the muffler. Although the smaller hole shown in post #12 is roughly in line with the transmission PTO, it seems a little unlikely that a shaft from the PTO would be angled up that high to drive a pump but I do not have a water bowser to compare this to.

[Bob Phillips]

Nice looking project.
I also have owned a couple of trucks painted grey/silver inside, not sure if military or just a deal on cheap spray paint.
Also it appears this vehicle has a ford ( possibly/probably two speed )
transfer case which would be a logical retro fit for an underpowered
(216 engine) tow truck. B.P.

[Bob Carriere]

Hi Bob

Sent you a PM on the trans tower........

can you contact me re delivery.......either in person Mother's day week end or my slow mail or Grey hound......

Bob C

[Guy Verstrepen]

Originally Posted by Mike Kelly

That CMP water tank looks to be a Thompson Brothers product, basically the standard oval 15 cwt British tank but without the rear storage compartment . In the CMP configuration the water purifying chemicals and the hoses would have been stored in the outside lockers ?

Hey Mike

the rear compartment has been removed and has been mounted in place of the left fuel tank; unfortunately they have cut a piece from the top side off

[Guy Verstrepen]

Originally Posted by Bob Phillips

Nice looking project.
I also have owned a couple of trucks painted grey/silver inside, not sure if military or just a deal on cheap spray paint.
Also it appears this vehicle has a ford ( possibly/probably two speed )
transfer case which would be a logical retro fit for an underpowered
(216 engine) tow truck. B.P.

Hey Bob

quite possible, I have also seen a picture of an F22 with the same acceleration shifter, probably a military adaptation after the war.

[Guy Verstrepen]

Originally Posted by Guy Verstrepen

Hey Bob

quite possible, I have also seen a picture of an F22 with the same acceleration shifter, probably a military adaptation after the war.

The red shifter on the photo is for switching the transmission pto

[Guy Verstrepen]

Originally Posted by Grant Bowker

I looked at about 10 Chevrolets today (C15A to C60L), only one had a hole similar to the one shown in post 12 and that hole looked as if it might have been a modification, not on production.

The first photo shows the only crossmember with a hole in the given location. You can see that the winch blocks anything passing through the hole.
Attachment 99306

The second photo is of a C60S tipper. The transfer case mounted PTO can be seen through the winch hole in the crossmember.
Attachment 99307

The third photo is of a typical crossmember in the group checked today.
Attachment 99308

The fourth photo is the same truck as the third photo, taken from below the frame. Again, the upper shaft of the transfer case can be seen in the opening of the crossmember (no PTO, it is a single speed case). The location where a transmission mounted PTO would be fitted can be seen just to the right of the muffler. Although the smaller hole shown in post #12 is roughly in line with the transmission PTO, it seems a little unlikely that a shaft from the PTO would be angled up that high to drive a pump but I do not have a water bowser to compare this to.
Attachment 99309

Grant
I found another thread of a waterbowser here. (Ian Johns)
it is also provided with that hole, and behind it on the frame is a plate support attached to mount the power pump as shown, the holes for this plate support are also in my frame. gradually thanks to your help here I get more and more insight into how he was original.
http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...ad.php?t=19723

[Guy Verstrepen]

thanks guys

thanks to you, I have come a step further.
in the meantime I am talking to a factory that can process all kinds of metal or it is possible to copy the water filters.

I will keep you informed here, but first I have to calculate some sizes because I have no real idea of the dimensions of such a filter.

greetings Guy.

[Owen Evans]

Originally Posted by Guy Verstrepen

thanks guys

thanks to you, I have come a step further.
in the meantime I am talking to a factory that can process all kinds of metal or it is possible to copy the water filters.

I will keep you informed here, but first I have to calculate some sizes because I have no real idea of the dimensions of such a filter.

greetings Guy.

Check out the attached image of the type 2 metafilter. You should be able to work out the size from the dimensions indicated.

Owen.

[Guy Verstrepen]

Thank you very much Owen.

It's going to save me many hours of work.

greetings Guy

[Mike K]

Originally Posted by Owen Evans

Check out the attached image of the type 2 metafilter. You should be able to work out the size from the dimensions indicated.

Owen.

Thanks for that drawing

BTW I've seen pics of the British tanks which have the semi rotate style pumps