Ford Blitz Restoration/Rebuild

[Private_collector]

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After a full days work, the rear end is back together and finished with exception of new brake lines and brushing damaged paint on wheel nuts, brake line bracket & tailshaft attachment. Brake flaring tools won't arrive until late next weekend so that will not be done for next 2 weeks, so I can practice a few flarings prior. I bought new brake line and brake line nuts, but the nuts are longer than the originals and i'm not sure if I will use them. No luck with replacements yet, but I haven't run out of sources to check either.

Not sure which of two paths I will take next. Plan to do either the front axle/diff or pull the truck out of the shed and strip down the chassis, to start on that. It would be nice to have something to put bigger bits back onto rather than slowly filling the workshop floor space.

Nose panel has been returned from engineering works, and welding repairs are very good. They have left repaired areas with excess weld above desired level but this is how I wanted it to be. Any grinding/filing I want to do myself.

[Mike K]

The split valve guides can be a pain to get out . I had a aftermarket tool that Ryans used to sell ( remember Ryans in the city , Melb., with the overhead cable payment system, a employee sat in a little cubicle in the roof and the cash was sent up by a overhead cable system, the change returned the same way).

You inserted the specially shaped tool down around the valve head ..onto the guide and hit the guide downwards ( after removing the C clip ) . The tool is made from round bar with the end grooved to fit around the valve head ,it's a odd shape..like a C shape at one end , its curls upwards. Don't know if you can still buy them . The bar is awkward to use. MIKE

[Howard]

Originally Posted by Mike Kelly

...You inserted the specially shaped tool down around the valve head ..onto the guide and hit the guide downwards ( after removing the C clip ) . The tool is made from round bar with the end grooved to fit around the valve head ,it's a odd shape..like a C shape at one end , its curls upwards. Don't know if you can still buy them . The bar is awkward to use. MIKE

I have one of those tools, and have seen them in the Mac's catalogue. I am not home at the moment when I am I'll look up the part number.
H

[Private_collector]

Thanks for the information on valve tool.

I have a Macs catalog here somewhere and will see if I can find it in there.

Mike, I don't know of the business in Melbourne, but your description brought back memories of the old pneumatic transfer system used by businesses and large supermarkets in the 60s. The ones that had a plastic or glass capsule with opening to put $$$ inside (or other things I guess), and it was then sent back and forth between checkouts and..........well, buggered if I know, but I suppose it could be the accounting dept or similar.

Ah, the memories! Wish I had those days back for many reasons.

Years later when I worked at a large hospital in Brisbane, they STILL had the same device. Never used it myself, but I believe it was to/from the pharmacy department and was in use at that time. From memory, I think that one was called a "Lampson Tube". Someone told me you could also send a softdrink can but I never saw that done. Wish I had tried it now!!!! Though I am sure you wouldn't have got it back. If you shook it up first then sent it, it would have been funny as hell, even if you weren't at the other end to see the kaos.

[Private_collector]

Engine & gearbox are now out of the chopped chassis piece they came on.
I have been working on the trolley required to have engine mobile within the workshop and on/off trailer.
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It's nearly finished, with just the bell housing mounting plate to be done & a couple of bits of reinforcement.

[Private_collector]

Got a lot of useful bits off the piece of chassis that came with the engine.
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For example:
Front crossmember, front engine crossmember, gearbox mount crossmember, cab mounting brackets x2, axle bump block brackets x2, full set of spring mounts, pedal mounting shaft & bracket, brake master cylinder, brake vacuum booster and associated hardware.

The pieces don't look like much now, but will be good as new once I run the blaster over em.

[Private_collector]

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With engine out, I removed the gearbox and spent a lot of time removing the decades worth of dirt & oil buildup. At least an inch thick in some places. Several coats of degreaser and a high pressure water blaster removed a lot, but not all. Wire cup on grinder is next, this weekend.
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Once the top cover was unbolted and gear oil drained, I flushed the case with petrol. When cleaned out a bit, the gears all looked in very good condition. I couldn't find any evidence of damage. No metal bits in the oil and everything inside is quite rust free.

I plan to replace both main shaft bearings and any seals, but everything else inside can remain untouched. There was obvious signs of considerable oil leakage both fore & aft of main shaft, so seal replacement is a must.

The gear shifter assembly was stuck fast and I had feared what I would find inside the gearbox. As it turned out, the reason was simply that the selector slides were held in place with light surface rust. They are now moving again, thanks to WD40.

The parts manual will be studied this weekend and the desired part numbers will be emailed to Ross Prince at Hervey Bay. He'll have all the stuff I need!

Ironically, the gearbox is NOT the main focus at present. The chassis is next on the list for refurbishment, but until I can find a pair of axles & some wheels to put under it, I can't make it suitably mobile for sending to the sandblasting place in town. I'll call the local scrappy next week, they sometimes get junk trailers & might have some usable axles and wheels.

P.S: What is the deal with the little 'hydraulic' line from the throw-out bearing to top of gearbox case??
Does it carry lubricant to/from the bearing, and if so, is it automatic or does it require maintenance???

[Lynn Eades]

The hose is a grease hose from a grease cup, that you tighten the cap on periodically.
Put a slot filled bearing on the spigot (input) shaft. (6208 or 6308)
Mainshaft bearing 6307 (double check all these)
The bearing between the spigot and mainshaft is a Hyatt 99000
I dont know the numbers for the cluster bearings, but Ross prince will know.

[Howard]

Originally Posted by Howard

I have one of those tools, and have seen them in the Mac's catalogue. I am not home at the moment when I am I'll look up the part number.
H

Just re-read these posts and realised I did not follow this up. Sorry!
The tool is listed by Mac's as being for '4 cylinder Model B" but I found it usefull for freeing stuck guides in my V8.

Link to Mac's
Cheers, HH

[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.