Nathans F15A Resto

[Nathan O'Malley]

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 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

[Nathan O'Malley]

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.

[Ken Smith]

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.

[Mike Cecil]

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

[Keith Webb]

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.

[Jacques Reed]

Originally Posted by Keith Webb

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

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.

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,

[Nathan O'Malley]

Gday Jacques

Thanks for the info mate ill have a look at the diffs over the weekend and see what's on them

[Nathan O'Malley]

Gday Keith

May very well have been rebuilt at some stage, it would certainly explain the excellent condition the mechanicals are in and the C69 Flathead

unfortunately I know very little about the Trucks history other than my mother recalling it sitting in the local mechanics yard for some 30 years. knowing what he was like as a mechanic it could have been cobbled together out of whatever he found to keep the tow truck running however the mounts etc are far too factory for his handiwork.

[Nathan O'Malley]

Gday Ken

The blasting gun I'm using is a little $50 Blackridge kit that I found at Super Cheap Auto, I have it hooked up to a fairly substantial Clisby Air Compressor.