T-36 Iron Fireman Snow Tractor help wanted

[cletrac (RIP)]

Gordon, one site I came across said that the US Forest Service was involved in the Snow Tractor's development.

[Lynn Eades]

Hi. As you would know the WC55 was only built in 42. What would be special about their radiator? Why would they be thicker. Mine looks like a std radiator. Did they have their own part number?
May be with your duel fuel tanks, the plan was to run one out first, and then switch over to the one with the guage? It makes no sense to run both at once( it was frowned on in carriers)

[Richard Coutts-Smith]

The Humber One Ton has a similar Fuel Tank set up. Only the drivers side has a gauge, and even more of a surprise, the change over tap is on top of the tank, ie outside the cab.
From personal experience, running off both tanks in off-road conditions can lead to all fuel being in one tank, and sucking air out of the other.
Most interesting vehicle Gordon, am enjoying your updates.
Rich.

[gordon]

Well I'm thinking that the raditor in a WC55 would be working hard lugging all that metal around, so they may have used a slightly thicker core for extra heat dissipation?

I can't think of any other reason why they would specify the radiator code from a WC55 ( G-121 ) and not just an ordinary 3/4 ton ( G-502 )

I know the forest Service had something to do with the earlier Sno-Motors and that may well have run into the Snow Cruiser and Snow Tractor too.

Ah well, more findings as and when.
------------------------------

Late

I think I've identified the radiator issue.

The radiator core is the same as the standard WC 3/4 ton, but the radiator cap isn't that is the specific WC55 part. The cap part number doesn't match the ordinary 3/4 ton for the system with or without the overflow tank, so all I can think is different pressure rating maybe.

[gordon]

I now have images of four surviving T-36 units on the updated page;

http://www.gwim2.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/t36.htm

Gordon

[gordon]

I had three jobs to do today and struggled the get the time to fit them all in.

First was cutting out and cleaning up the small areas of aluminium roof edge that had rotted out and filled with handfuls of filler. I did the entire front edge above the screen last week, now it was time for the six smaller areas on the side and rear, all six were pretty much the same;

Before;



After;



While I was cutting out the edge above the screen, I noted that the centre pillars and been impacted with something and pushed back, so next job was to rig up a bar and jack those out again - quite tricky as they had been hit in more than one area and ended up a bit Z-shaped;

During:



After;



When that lot was done I had to finish cutting off the rear panel, which had rusted through in several areas. This also involved cutting back the extreme lower corners under the doors as those had been bodged ( read Bubba'd ) with tin and filler too;

After;



I noticed that there was a small rivetted steel plate centred just below the rear window, with no apparent function. I'd guess this was where a trailer socket would have been put in if they had decided that it needed one.

[gordon]

Cab and drivers compartment are now off, so it is time to start repairing the pieces as I need to make up one load of parts for blast and prime.




Fuel tank takeoff pipe with isolator. There's one tank in each track frame with conventional US big filler point. Takeoff point with isolator is at the lower inner corner of each tank, but only the tank in the right track frame has provision for a fuel guage sender.



Right hand cab door ( no point in using terms like ' passengers side ' as the T-36 drivers position is central ) Structurally fine, but a line of rot right across the sheetmetal joint with the lower frame section. There's a suggestion of similar damage on the angled section but it didn't look bad - at this point.



Cut out, ready for piecing in


Finshed edge, which will still need phosphating and undsersealing before being covered up for the next 68 years. Yes, I did have to rework the angled front section too, but only by cleaning and plating behind it so I could spot repair through.