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#1
03-07-12, 11:22
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Rear chassis member photos
Tony,
Thankyou for the photos. I will copy them for now and print them to give to engineers when the chassis is sent in for work. I have requested and been granted a week of annual leave for the week starting 23rd this month. That is when I plan to deliver chassis for the blasting & rear member. If the new piece is placed in the same position as your photos (location of rear spring hanger), there should be enough chassis rail behind so that the end looks correct...........ish! I do have a tow pintle assembly, with all pieces complete and unmolested. It mustn't be off this truck originally, as EVERYTHING on this poor old thing has been buggerised some way! Thankfully not irretrievably buggerised for the most part. At first glance.............and possibly second glance as well, this vehicle looked like just a collection of junk, but it does have a number of redeeming features, in that some parts that would normally be difficult to find, were present and part of the sale. For example: Pintle assembly, Very good spare wheel carrier, tool box (not perfect but very restorable), wheel hub nut removal tool (and others as well), Near perfect grille and of course the door top canvases that were a good starting point for patterns. When I started this rebuild, I had intended to return everything to original specifications, but over time it became apparent that this would greatly delay many stages of the process. In some instances, originality was forsaken in preference of functionality and safety. E.G: Seatbelts will be installed, 12 volt electrics being considered, stone guard used in several places including inside rear lower cab panel, and of course the addition of insulation for heat and noise where possible. In other cases, this was simply a matter of convenience. Some of the fastener hardware would be a good example of that. These changes are regretable on one level, but for longevity of the vehicle and to increase productivity (mine, not the truck) these decisions were arrived at. I would expect that the new rear chassis member will also look different to how it should, because the height of chassis rail will be increased at new location. Even though it won't be a surprise to see the finished product, it will be unfortunate to see that happen none the less. Still, at least it will be sound and presentable. front end off 2.jpg front end off 1.jpg front end off 3.jpg I did get the front end off last Sunday. No problems in doing so, but the very front cross member didn't want to be changed, and I still have one or two of the rivets to remove, before I can change that for a better one I have. crossmembers small.jpg It came with the portion of chassis that was attached to the engine I bought about 100 years ago now. Will need to swap the nose panel attachment point, because the good member has the bad point, and the bad member has the good point (well better, at least). Doesn't the chassis look ridiculous with the smaller diameter wheels and axle on front! As you can see from the photos, steering is off, as is the steering box mount itself. Next week, the plan is to go get the second axle that will replace the rear end, and swap them over on Sunday. I'll finish getting the front cross member off also. The 'new' one will be bolted in place to keep as much of the chassis strength while it is being transported, in several weeks time. Still not found the chassis number anywhere, and I have been looking!
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Ford CMP, 115" WB,1942 (Under Restoration...still) Medium sized, half fake, artillery piece project. (The 1/4 Pounder) 
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#2
04-07-12, 16:42
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Hi Tony,
Good to hear you have a pintle hook assy, they can be hard to come by. So many blitz wrecks have had the rear chassis chopped off, a lot of them have gone for scrap. Likewise the rear fairlead assy on winch trucks. As you say there were some very handy parts with that chassis you bought. Spare wheel carrier and tool box were especially good pick ups. I agree with you re originality, particularly in this case, where the chassis has already been irreversibly modified. But with the chassis plates and pintle hook assy in place it will be very hard to pick, so it's hardly worth worrying about hole patterns in the rear crossmember. There's not much point drilling holes if there's nothing to put in them! On the general question of originality, I think it all comes down to how the vehicle will be used. If it's a "museum piece" which only gets driven to MV events, then originality is the whole purpose. But if it's a "daily drive" blitz, then comfort, safety, and performance on the road are more important. Why not make a few improvements in these areas, if it can be done unobtrusively like the ones you mention. They can always be reversed later on if some future owner wishes (I'm conscious these vehicles will outlast us by a long way!) Therefore to my way of thinking, these kind of improvements don't detract from the basic integrity of a blitz. On the "improvement" of 12V conversion, I personally don't see the point, except perhaps for headlights if you plan to do a lot of night driving. And maybe wipers in heavy rain. Other than that, why go to all the trouble and expense of fitting an alternator (or rewinding your genny if you want to look original) and changing your regulator and getting all your gauges recalibrated? Is there some reason I'm missing here?
__________________
One of the original Australian CMP hunters.
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#3
04-07-12, 16:50
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Quote:
__________________
One of the original Australian CMP hunters.
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#4
05-07-12, 10:14
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The ongoing debate between 12v VS 6v power.
12 volt decision chosen for several reasons.
Night driving was certainly a factor, as was ease of finding a jump start or auto battery if needed quickly or in remote location where minimal choice may be on offer. I will also want to be able to use 12v tyre pump if situation arises. I do have a gearbox mounted pump, but that mat not turn out to be usable, practical or indeed reliable. I also expect to be running a solid state ignition system. Not sure if I will get 12v generator or change for an alternator, which will (I have been told) remove need for using the regulator at all! Instruments can run through a voltage reducer on the circuits, either individually or there are devices available that can reduce a number of circuits together. In that situation, I don't believe instruments will need to be recalibrated. At least this is the advice of my auto electritian. Finally, for times when the vehicle is on public viewing, I will be mounting a 12v MP3 player circuit, hidden in lower section of the tool box, that will play some of the WW2 news and music. Speakers are to be hidden in an inconspicuous location beneath the truck cab or possibly under rear body. Windscreen wipers are not a consideration because I will continue to run with the vacuum driven ones. They are an item that will be seen, so they will remain original in appearance. In fact, I just received the new wiper blades this evening, so wiper arms and the metal of the blades will be sandblasted on Sunday, in preparation for painting in the final color.
__________________
Ford CMP, 115" WB,1942 (Under Restoration...still) Medium sized, half fake, artillery piece project. (The 1/4 Pounder)
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#5
05-07-12, 11:51
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Tony I used an alternator to get 12v to run my spray rig and you are right you don't need a regulator, and if you add a resister ( the white bar in the exciter wire ) you dont have to add a red light either.
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Robert Pearce.
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#6
05-07-12, 12:06
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Red Light?
Quote:
__________________
Ford CMP, 115" WB,1942 (Under Restoration...still) Medium sized, half fake, artillery piece project. (The 1/4 Pounder)
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#7
05-07-12, 12:29
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Quote:
 My blitz didn't have a red light on the dash that comes on with the ignition and goer out when the engine is running and the generator / alternator is charging. So instead of adding a light to the dash I added a resistor to the alternator exciter wire. 
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Robert Pearce.
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#8
05-07-12, 12:47
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Robert
Ok, thanks, now I get it.
P.S: It may have been Kalgoorlie, my friend was a 'minor' at the time.  Sorry. Couldn't resist. It could be worse. I hear the "God Particle" jokes have already started!
__________________
Ford CMP, 115" WB,1942 (Under Restoration...still) Medium sized, half fake, artillery piece project. (The 1/4 Pounder)
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#9
05-07-12, 14:55
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Quote:
Personally I'd sooner rely on a military spec blitz pump than a Taiwanese plastic one! Unlike electric pumps which can always burn out, they're extremely simple and robust. I doubt you could break one, even if you over-revved it. They can sound a bit rattly though, so you may want to rebush the conrod if it's a bit sloppy. You can even rebore the cylinder if necessary, I have some NOS pistons and piston pins, 20 thou oversize. Let me know if you need one and I'll stick it in the post. I haven't looked for new rings yet but they shouldn't be too hard to source. I'll start with motor mower shops! The only criticism I've heard of these pumps is that they can empty the oil out of your gearbox. I don't really see how, unless perhaps they pressurize the gearbox somehow, eg. excessive blowby past badly worn rings. Like anything on a blitz, I take the view that if it's in good condition, it won't give trouble. Like I say, "proven in war". Not to mention sawmills! I agree however that we do need 12V to run various accessories occasionally. But rather than convert the whole vehicle permanently to 12V, you can run the accessories off a converter, like the one in the pic below. More info here: http://community.pressenter.net/~cmeyer/MES612PG6A.html These gadgets only put out 6 amps, but if you need more you can easily hide a 12V battery somewhere, like in the tool box as you say. The converter will keep it charged as you drive. You can even run your electronic ignition off it, and probably get a few hours of 12 volt headlight use as well. If you want indefinite headlight use, just fit two converters! That will give you 144 watts of power without draining the battery. You can also use the 12V battery as an emergency back up for starting the motor. You may need an isolation switch in the 6V charging circuit, so you don't burn out the genny and/or voltage regulator. And possibly an auxiliary 12V solenoid, just to be fully confident. To me that's preferable to converting the whole vehicle permanently to 12V. In effect, you have a dual voltage blitz, and you avoid having to: a) rewind the genny armature and field coils and replace the voltage regulator, OR fit an alternator and figure out how to run a belt to it and relocate the twin-belt fan pulley and find suitable length belts to fit; and b) recalibrate all your gauges. I believe the gauges do have to be recalibrated individually, because they all draw different currents, and the currents are all variable. Unlike a light globe which draws a constant current, you can't simply stick a resistor in series, you need a voltage regulator as well. I'm not sure it's something an auto elec normally does, I think it's more a specialist job for an instrument maker. I think they generally pull the gauge apart and solder an appropriate resistor in series, and a little solid state voltage regulator as well. There may be ways of doing it externally but it's still a specialist job. That is, if you want your instruments to read correctly and not burn out! Others may have better advice than me on the pros and cons of 12V conversion, since I've never actually done it myself. I see it as something to avoid if possible. One thing I particularly like about 6V is the sound of a flathead cranking over on the starter. To me it's part of the charm of an old vehicle. With 12V they spin too fast, which makes them sound just like a modern car.
__________________
One of the original Australian CMP hunters.
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#10
05-07-12, 15:21
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instruments
From memory Ford use a bimetal arm and contact points in their gauges .. Fuel Oil Temp. The Ammeter measures Amps, not Volts, it doesn't need changing , it will work fine on either 6 or 12 V systems .
With the points closed current would heat up the bimetal arm , it would then bend and alter the points gap thus affecting current flow . There are points at each end ie the sender unit and the dash gauge itself . Fitting a 6 Volt regulator to power the instruments is cheap and simple .... most electronic shops will sell one for less than 5 bucks , you need to mount them on a heat sink and use caps to filter any spikes . The TO3 case can handle 5 amps I think ... http://www.ford-trucks.com/article/article.php?id=040 This is a well written article ... step by step . Print it out and take it to any electronics shop to buy the components .. solder it together and away you go ...cheap as chips MIKE
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1940 cab 11 C8 1940 Morris-Commercial PU 1941 Morris-Commercial CS8 1940 Chev. 15cwt GS Van ( Aust.) 1942-45 Jeep salad Last edited by Mike K; 05-07-12 at 15:30.
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#11
05-07-12, 19:22
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Quote:
I'm still not sure I see the point of the exercise though. The gauges work perfectly well on 6V, just like everything else on a blitz, except the headlights. Is it really worth doing all this work on the gauge circuits, plus fitting an alternator and a separate belt system to drive it, just to have brighter headlights? Wouldn't it be simpler to just stick in a couple of 60W halogen globes? That's more than enough headlight power for something that never gets over 45 mph. Besides, how many owners drive their CMPs at night anyway? Likewise for occasional accessories, there's no need to go to all this trouble. You can either carry a 12V battery, charged through a converter, or carry a spare 6V battery, charged by the genny, and hook it up in series when you want to run 12V accessories. I'll probably go the latter route, just to have a spare battery on hand. I can understand objections to 6V amongst hotrodders, who need 12V to crank over their high comp flatheads, and run their high performance ignition systems, but none of this applies for blitz owners. Unless of course you're building a blitz hotrod! Come to think of it, not such a bad idea! I'm picturing blitz drags down the main street of Corowa...
__________________
One of the original Australian CMP hunters.
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#12
05-07-12, 22:22
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Passionate debate
I knew it! I knew it!
I was afraid the 12v VS 6v debate would cause a reaction. How about if I keep an open mind for now? There is still a long time until I must address this in a permanent way. 
__________________
Ford CMP, 115" WB,1942 (Under Restoration...still) Medium sized, half fake, artillery piece project. (The 1/4 Pounder)
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#13
06-07-12, 08:23
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Regards Rick.
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1916 Albion A10 1942 White Scoutcar 1940 Chev Staff Car 1940 F30S Cab11 1940 Chev WA LRDG "Te Hai" 1941 F60L Cab12 1943 Ford Lynx 1942 Bren Gun Carrier VR no.2250 Humber FV1601A Saracen Mk1(?) 25pdr. 1940 Weir No.266 25pdr. Australian Short No.185 (?) KVE Member.
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#14
05-07-12, 11:22
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Gun Tractor
Quote:
It looks a little like a float for a square horse! But I do agree that the alloy wheels don't do much for it's image
__________________
Ford CMP, 115" WB,1942 (Under Restoration...still) Medium sized, half fake, artillery piece project. (The 1/4 Pounder)
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#15
05-07-12, 16:13
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Quote:
It's actually just cradled on the trailer axle, which I picked it up on ebay for $30, complete with chromies and springs! It just happened to fit perfectly, and it's almost exactly under the centre of gravity! I reckon with a couple of bolts and a bit of flooring, I might even get it registered!
__________________
One of the original Australian CMP hunters.
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Hybrid Mode
