How To: Ford CMP "Blitz" miscellany

[Jacques Reed]

Originally Posted by Lynn Eades

Jacques, my 41 to 47 Canadian commercial parts book lists casings at:
60.8"
103"
54"
92"
68"
and lastly at 61" long
How any of these match up to CMPs, I have no idea.
The LP2 and LP2A Australian carrier used a 51F-17261 case and a 51F- 17262 shaft. I can't find a length.
Any part numbers on your cable?
Not sure this helps you in any way, but I wondered.

Hi Lynn et al,

Just jumping back to getting a speedometer cable length and route for my F-15A I think I may have a solution:

I tried running the longer cable through various parts of the chassis and along the chassis rail. Nothing seemed satisfactory. Either the bends were too sharp or it ran very close to clutch, brake, or handbrake rods and levers. I went back to the idea from the sketch of running it along the handbrake to transmission bracket.

I found only one unused hole in the transmission crossmember was large enough to allow the speedometer end nut to pass through and it was the one closest to the handbrake bracket. It allowed a sweeping bend from the transfer case to it and well cleared the handbrake rod that runs above the transfer case.

I noticed holes in the same place on three floor assemblies and thought there must be a reason they were factory drilled there. Putting a chassis clip there held the cable well away from any rods and allowed a gradual bend along the cab floor rails. The cable now passes well above the rods.

On a spare cab I bought were the two clips on the back of the engine cover clips. I carefully repositioned them on this truck at the time not knowing what they were for. Assumed it was for the wiring. They work out well to guide the cable to where it penetrates the cowl.

Finally measured up the long cable up and it is about 14" too long. I have teed it up to have it shortened to 105" by Flexible Drive. I have read 84" was the length of a F-15A cable but I cannot see how it can be done without very tight bends and straight runs between points.
This may or not be all correct but it seems like the best solution unless some other info is forthcoming.

Hope this is of some interest.

Cheers,

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Jacques Reed

This may or not be all correct but it seems like the best solution unless some other info is forthcoming.

Jacques, I was trying to catch up with your tread, so only just read this otherwise I would have responded earlier.

If it is of any use to you, I would glady make some pictures of the speedometer cable routing on my 1943 F15A. I has the civilian instrument cluster, but I'd say the routing for the later speedometer would be the same.

[Jacques Reed]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Jacques, I was trying to catch up with your tread, so only just read this otherwise I would have responded earlier.

If it is of any use to you, I would glady make some pictures of the speedometer cable routing on my 1943 F15A. I has the civilian instrument cluster, but I'd say the routing for the later speedometer would be the same.

Hi Hanno,

That would be great! I've been trying to find the original routing for a long time now. Never found an existing one on any paddock vehicle I have looked at or found anything in a publication. The route I took was the best I could make to clear transfer case linkages, handbrake rods, clutch rods, brake master cylinder rods, and electrical items like the battery cable and chassis wiring.

I haven't taken it to be shortened yet so that information would help greatly to get the length right. Still cannot see how it can be done in 84" but always willing to keep an open mind.

Many thanks in advance.

Cheers,

[Jacques Reed]

Good Day Hanno,

I may have answered my own question. Revisiting my various publications and studying the diagrams I noticed what could be the speedometer cable passing over the engine. See attached.
I am now thinking 84" may be the correct length but will wait until later today to check it out. Seems unusual to have it go above the engine, but when I was researching speedometer cables I read they should be kept away from hot exhaust manifolds. My route in the previous post puts it very close to the right exhaust manifold. A photo on the engine and transmission colours thread shows an open engine bay from above on a Polish CMP truck but I could not see any speedometer cable. As the truck was under maintenance perhaps it was removed for access.
The other thing I noticed was the clips on the ignition wire conduits. I saved them off some other conduits but don't really know where they are used. Perhaps they are to clip the speedometer cable to the conduit? They have the right diameter opening for the cable. Would make sense not to have it flapping around on the engine.
Anyway we are back to Covid19 lockdown in Melbourne so more time to go back over things like this. I cannot legally go to a different area so going to get the cable shortened will just have to wait 6 more weeks.
I will still be interested to see how your cable is routed Hanno.

Cheers,

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Jacques Reed

I will still be interested to see how your cable is routed Hanno.

Jacques sorry to keep you waiting, hope to take the necessary pics this week. Remind me after the weekend if you don't see anythng posted here!

[Jacques Reed]

Hi Hanno,

No worries. Will look forward to the pictures. Hope I am on the right track now with the cable over the engine instead of beside it.

As I mentioned, Melbourne is in lockdown for Covid19 so I won't be venturing too far from home for the next 6 weeks. The speedometer cable company is on the other side of town for me. Even a trip to an adjoining suburb, without a good excuse, could result in a large fine under our emergency laws.

Thanks, and stay well too.

Cheers,

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Jacques Reed

I may have answered my own question. Revisiting my various publications and studying the diagrams I noticed what could be the speedometer cable passing over the engine. See attached.

Your manual diagram indeed shows the speedometer cable.

Originally Posted by Jacques Reed

I will still be interested to see how your cable is routed Hanno.

Well Jacques, I finally took to time to crawl under my 1943 F15A. I can't vouch for the routing to be the orginal one, but this is how it has been routed for the past decades and it works.

Behind the speedometer:

P1040007_resized.jpg P1040011_resized.jpg

Coming through the engine cowling it dives straight down past the engine in between the 2nd and 3rd cylinder.

P1040016_resized.jpg P1040038_resized.jpg

And then dives past the cylinder head into the chassis:

P1040041_resized.jpg

[Hanno Spoelstra]

The speedometer cable somehow snakes in between the clutch and brake mechanism:

P1040037_resized.jpg

And then passes through the cross member:

P1040034_resized.jpg

On the other side of the chassis cross member it snakes up and then into the speedometer cable attachment on the transfer case:

P1040030_resized.jpg


Taking a close look for the first time I wondered about how loosely fitted this is. And I wonder how it manages not to get snagged by the clutch and brake mechanism? So not sure this is the orginal cable routing, though it is the shortest route from speedometer to transfer case.

I hope this is of some help.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Jacques Reed

I am now thinking 84" may be the correct length

I have NOS shaft-speedometer C29Q-17262 for the F15A.

I unpacked it and measured it up. From tip to tip it measures 216 cm = 85 inches.

IMG_6176.jpg IMG_6198.jpg