Carrier Engines

Max Hedges · #1 09-05-03, 02:59

On ANZAC Day l gave an old digger a ride in our carrier. He drove them druing the WW 2 in Australia.

AS soon as he arrived for the parade he asked if it had a Ford V8 or Chev 6 engine. Apprantley carriers were fitted with the Chev 6 engien in his unit. Dose anyone elese know of this?

He said that they prefered the Ford engine Though.

Max

Hanno Spoelstra · #2 09-05-03, 13:53

Quote:

Originally posted by Max Hedges
AS soon as he arrived for the parade he asked if it had a Ford V8 or Chev 6 engine. Apprantley carriers were fitted with the Chev 6 engien in his unit. Dose anyone elese know of this?

Max,

All universal carriers were fitted with Ford V8s, so I think your digger was mixing things up - all very understandable since we're talking about stuff that happenend well over half a decade ago!
I had the same sort of experience with a Canadian veteran - after digging in his memory, he was mixing up all sorts of details about his Ram Kangaroo. Most of the veterans I have met tend to remember much more about their mates and certain events than details about vehicles, markings and uniforms.

Hanno

Stewart Loy · #3 09-05-03, 21:18

Perhaps another reason may have clouded the olde timers recollections of his Carrier days.

Perhaps a memory of a crushed finger, or jammed knuckle, or bruised or burned hand had filled the veterans memory banks.

I bet, if he had worked on the Carriers, he wished they HAD a straight 6 - then a fellow might be able to change a sparkplug without it taking 3 hours

. Or be able to change the oil without an act of parliament.

Stewart

Max Hedges · #4 10-05-03, 01:48

I was aware that carriers came out with ford engines and that baffled me when he said he drove them with Chev engines. I wonder if Chev engines were fitted in the field? I'll try to talk to him again. You are quite right in saying that they remember their mates the most. Iasked father's mates on what signs were on the Blitz's and they all came up with a different answer.

Max

Rob Dyba · #5 11-05-03, 06:05

i was talking to a carrier owner in broken hill in febuary- he had an english carrier for decades & he has carried out some mods to it over the years, he had changed wheels, sprockets & track to aussie stuff & he also said he had removed the six cylinder & fitted the v8 engine from another carrier.......perhaps english export carriers were 6's????i will investigate. the few english carriers here in australia as far as i know were shipped here for the pacific & diverted to australia early on when the japanese were on a roll. i know of 2 others in storage, will investigate...

rob

Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP) · #6 11-05-03, 22:57

Quote:

Originally posted by Hanno Spoelstra
Max,

All universal carriers were fitted with Ford V8s, so I think your digger was mixing things up - all very understandable since we're talking about stuff that happened well over half a decade ago!

Aside from sticking my tongue out at you, I'd like to point out that Rex Fendick in his book A CANLOAN OFFICER states catergorically that carriers were "usually fitted with flat-head Ford V-8 engines, although some had a Chevrolet six-cylinder engine".

While I don't doubt that the old boy's memory may be a bit duff, he DID go from Normandy to the end of the war in command of a carrier-mounted Vickers machine gun platoon with 2 Middlesex.

Nigel, can you comment? Were indeed any carriers of any manufacture either engined or re-engined with Chev motors?

Nigel Watson · #7 17-05-03, 00:18

Sorry for this belated reply, no excuses just have been too busy buying carrier parts on ebay!!! Just kidding!!

Carrier Engines.
I have not come across any documentation or manufacturers details on the fitting or refitting of engines in carriers other than the Ford V8 and Mercury. Apart from all the manuals and the details of the engines fitted to all the makes of carriers, I also have the original specification drawings for the engines for the carriers as well as other documentation dealing with carrier. Loyd as well, mechanics etc. I also find that veterans are fairly sharp when they talk specifically about some item. It usually means something happened which made them remember the fact, like difficulty in setting the points! oh I've been there!! or skinning your knuckles as the plug spanner slips.

So I believe that all carriers were fitted with the Ford V8 when manufactured, and more than likely would have been refitted with the latest Ford V8 when they were being upgraded to a different mark. This way the spares backup is kept efficient.

Now the replacement of engines in the field is a different matter all together and I am quite sure other engines would have been fitted into carriers when there was a more readily available supply of spares or even engines other than the Ford V8s. (It would be great to know which ones were fitted I must admit as the idea of my carrier sitting on its tail as the power goes down from its Beaufighter power pack is fairly exciting a thought!) This seems to be backed up in a DME Modification Circular which concerns the fitting of Ford V8 identification plates. Dated early 1944 it states that "If an engine is replaced by one of a different type from that removed, the identification plate and vehicle records will be amended accordingly." This implies that the mechanics could expect to find engines in carriers other than Ford V8s.

Not much help really but my way forward is to speak with some carrier mechanics. No not present day ones!! The real ones!! I mean the experienced ones!! The Veterans.

Anyone found me a nos pair of sprockets yet? or am I going to have to come over to Canada to find them myself? Now there's an idea! Geoff? Stewart? Clive? Alex?

Nigel

Tony Smith · #8 27-05-03, 06:53

New Zealand built LP2 and 2a carriers were made by the General Motors plant in Wellington. They still had Ford V8 motors, Ford gearbox and Ford axle assemblies. Bet that must have grated on the GM workers! Perhaps these were described as GM carriers and others as Ford carriers?

Max Hedges · #9 27-05-03, 11:51

Spoke to Bruce today he recalls carriers arriving to his unit with the Chev engines fitted only a few were issued and he said they were fairly gutlessand were sent back.

Max

Hanno Spoelstra · #10 11-06-03, 15:35

Over on the CONVOY Magazine/ CMP / LGA Forum, Harry Moon noted a Carrier located in Canada up for auction at eBay. Interestingly, it is fitted with a Chev 6 cylinder engine. No doubt a post-war replacement, but who knows, this might have been inspired by wartime conversions...

Bob Carriere · #11 11-06-03, 16:35

I am obviously not a UC expert...but the ebay listing describes a 2 speed rear axle... is this typical.... in fact the picture shows a bango type GM axle... from memory the back end of UC I have seen always had a split Ford axle....

Am I wet or is it just the rainy conditions here in Ottawa today!!!!

Stewart Loy · #12 11-06-03, 18:01

Bob,

I just reviewed that picture again - it is not the same rearend housing that is in my Carrier - althought this one for sale is a MkI.

The rearend looks to be a Chevy - think of all the work that went into converting this contraption - and the guy will never sell it as construction equipment or CMP!

Stewart

Quote:

Originally posted by Bob C.
I am obviously not a UC expert...but the ebay listing describes a 2 speed rear axle... is this typical.... in fact the picture shows a bango type GM axle... from memory the back end of UC I have seen always had a split Ford axle....

Am I wet or is it just the rainy conditions here in Ottawa today!!!!

Ledsel · #13 14-08-07, 00:31

I know this is a reply to a old thread but I just saw it. My father was in the 71st general transport company, R.C.A.S.C.. ( He didn't go over seas. Health) But I remember him saying that there was some U.C.s with chevy engines but they were no good. No power and you had to rev them up, and they would throw a rod. (too long a stroke). So they must of tried them here first. I remember him saying that there wasn't many.