Ford Blitz Restoration/Rebuild

[Private_collector]

Yesterday I got the truck out for the first time since it arrived here around nine months ago. A solid tow link has been made to enable me to shunt it forward & backward using the car.
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This is the engine block that came with the truck. Previous owner (a mechanic) left it out in the weather for years without covering it. This is the result. Engine had been a nuisance, just sitting on the cab floor, in the way and a dead weight. It isn't the original engine from this vehicle. Original engine had been 'rebuilt', but got cooked when it was run. He had bought this engine to rebuild one day. Did I mention he was a mechanic? After I got the engine block down from the cab floor, I had a play around practicing swearing, bruising & valve removal. It now rests (rusts) peacefully at the Gympie dump!
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More to follow, once I find out why attachments are not loading as they should!

[Private_collector]

After I got the cab floor off, I had the first real opportunity to examine chassis properly. I'm happy with the condition. No rust outs or serious damage, and it is quite straight. You might notice that in the third & fourth photos that right chassis rail is sitting slightly higher. This is due to it sitting on a higher part of rear axle case than the left is. Also visible is the strange way rear chassis has been modified to form a short section of closed box at the very back part. I will remove the additional steel plates when I get a chance. Someone has been playing a tremendously successful game of Silly Buggers with this poor old truck!
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[Private_collector]

The cab floor & framework has no rust holes, but all the flat head screws are rusted solid. No doubt trying to remove them without breaking would get me in more trouble than Flash Gordon, so I will grind or chisel caged nuts from underside of floor frame. Some of the diamond pattern floor is starting to lose definition of the pattern from corrosion. I am giving serious thought to having new floor plates manufactured, unless I locate a new set of originals. Is this pattern of steel still available????? I have access to a new rear floor plate, but it is the checker pattern. May have to change all to checker pattern, and i'm ready for that if required.
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While out in the sunshine, I thought it was time to try removing the steering wheel nut. A spanner was quite out of the question, but a cold chisel wasn't! It came off without damaging the thread further. With the steering wheel now off, I attempted to remove the outer tube of steering column. Imagine the lovely surprise I got when I had removed the clamp at column base, to be met with a flood of virtually black, watery, oily mud. 15 minutes to clean up! The outer column tube wouldn't come off anyway, because it hit on the keyway where steering wheel locks into. I suppose that means it has to come off after steering box is disassembled!
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I gave the chassis a good high pressure water blast to remove a lot of the grime from 70 years, replaced steering wheel and then shunted it back into the workshop.
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You may notice I welded a pair of supports onto the engine trolly yesterday as well. I was concerned that over time the box section where front mounts bolt onto might bend. Because it will be sent with engine to any outsourced services required, it will get bounced around on my trailer during the trip. Anyone who knows the Bruce Highway in QLD would know it can remove teeth fillings in some parts, it is that uneven in surface.

[Private_collector]

Today I received a set of Ford rear hub inner seals from USA, made by Felpro.
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They are NOS. The leather is firm but not unusable.
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I'll just do as the instruction says, and they will be fine. In all honesty, I didn't really need these at this point in time, but saw them on ebay & struck while the proverbial was hot. They cost $21.15 AUD for the pair. Shipping was not expensive at all.
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The purchase was basically a 'fishing trip' to get a close look at them as an alternative to other brand types & seal numbers which are previously known. By having a close look at the first photo, you can clearly see what other makes of vehicles they are compatable with. I notice they are described as "Rear Outer Retainer" which is curious, because I know them (and used identical ones) on rear inner wheel hub!
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Hows this for a box!!!! Isn't the corner strengthening brilliant?
Tell me ONE place where this still occurs!!!!
Ah, the nostalgia.

I will add these to the archives of "Modern Part Nos for CMPs" on this site, though they are not really applicable but may assist someone.

[Private_collector]

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Over several hours, yesterday and today, I removed the cab floor plates for better access to what lies beneath. Thought it would take ages with a grinder, to remove all the weld nuts. I was wrong. It took ages with a cold chisel instead. I couldn't bring myself to use a grinder in case I slipped and marred something irrepairably.
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All in all, the cab frame is very good. Worst corrosion is on mates side wheel arch inner, where the mud would have sit & festered! It is pitted but does not go right through. I know this because I ran over it (and the floor plates) with a descaler & then the twisted wire cup.
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This is the typical state of floor plates, but mates side front piece is worse than other side. I had initially reached a decision to replace all the floor plates due to the degree of pitting (no rust through, just ugly appearance). Now i'm having second thoughts. It still looks sort of ugly, but it IS original, and it DOES add a vintage patina (spelling ???). I'll sleep on it. Will go ahead and take patterns from all three pieces for puropses of manufacturing repros in future.
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Can someone please tell me if the irregular shaped hole, second from the right, is original or a bodge job in later life. It does have bolt holes tapped in the floor plate but it doesn't look as 'neat' as the work on the other holes. It doesn't have any support plates or other things underneath it either.

[Keith Webb]

I've done this job several times and have been surprised how many of the countersunk screws actually come out OK with a bit of heat and an impact driver to get them started.

What's the extra hole in the floor? Looks like someone added their own front axle declutch lever.

[Private_collector]

Thanks Keith!

Thats all I need to know. I'll get the engineering works to fill it in again when I take it for sandblasting next Saturday. Thats assuming I have got a 'donor' piece of metal by then. I have an acquaintence with a few Ford CMPs and a good oxy torch.

I didn't give a moments thought to saving the floor plate screws. Some were damaged, some were fine and some were already missing. There is a fasteners supplier in Gympie where I can buy new ones. I bought samples Saturday.

The getting of new weld nuts seems to be quite a trick though!

I'm awaiting return emails from 2x manufacturers with prices.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Private_collector

This is the typical state of floor plates, but mates side front piece is worse than other side. I had initially reached a decision to replace all the floor plates due to the degree of pitting (no rust through, just ugly appearance). Now i'm having second thoughts. It still looks sort of ugly, but it IS original, and it DOES add a vintage patina (spelling ???). I'll sleep on it. Will go ahead and take patterns from all three pieces for puropses of manufacturing repros in future.

Keep the original metal! If you replace a floor plate as good as this one, the truck will loose much of the details which tells its true age.

And keep up the good work!

Hanno

[Private_collector]

Thanks Hanno,

I think you are absolutely right about the originality!

If I could find perfect plates from another truck, it would have been just too tempting and I would have used them instead, BUT if I don't look I can't find, so won't be trying.

Would really like everything to be perfect, but some things should deliberatey be left alone. Think this is one of those occasions. Besides, most of the deep pitting is located where the seat bases go and may even be fairly well hidden....ish.

I have ordered 4 solid wheel castors to put on a simple frame which will sit under the cab base and allow me to work on reattaching the floor plates, rear cab panel (not yet blasted), cab nose accelerator panel etc... With that, I can push the thing around & work where it suits me. Plan is to use steel box section in a way that will allow me to slide an additional tube through the frame, and this will be used to hoist the entire assembly onto chassis when it is ready for the cab. This may take a couple of weeks to complete but I want to have it done before I put the floor plates back onto the cab, because it is just too heavy to manipulate easily afterwards.

Wet weather is now setting in, and if I want to get the transfer case out, I had better strike now. Have to go into town for a large spanner to undo the big t/fer case bolts!

[hrpearce]

Originally Posted by Private_collector;158706[ATTACH

46227[/ATTACH]
Can someone please tell me if the irregular shaped hole, second from the right, is original or a bodge job in later life. It does have bolt holes tapped in the floor plate but it doesn't look as 'neat' as the work on the other holes. It doesn't have any support plates or other things underneath it either.

Tony did you find a patch for the hole. If not a trip to a tractor wreckers might help. The foot plates on old Fiats and pedals on Zetors have the same patern.

[Private_collector]

Robert,

Thanks for that!

I hadn't found a suitable piece for floor plate yet, so you information was very much welcomed.