Ford Blitz Restoration/Rebuild

[hrpearce]

Looks good Tony.

[Ryan]

That's just crazy clean. I'd be afraid to drive it.

[Private_collector]

The transfer case shifting assembly is now back on, and with the help of new detent balls & springs, it selects freely. I will remove only the lever, when it comes time to put the cab on the chassis. Where can I buy a new shifter knob? I bought one from Macs some months ago, but it has a thread that is far too small.

I got interested in the wiring harness today, so decided to remove some of the seperate pieces out of the large bag they came in. I wanted to consider installing anything that runs along the chassis. When I removed them all, I found one I wanted, and opened the seal on that particular bag. Got the fright of my life when one of the numbered tags fell off the wire it was wrapped around. I guess over 12 months in a shed which can heat up to the high 40s (celsius) has weakened the gum on the tags! I very carefully reattached that tag, checked all the others on that section, and ever so gently replaced it back into the plastic bag. No further attempt will be made to open any of the bags until I settle on a way to secure those tiny little tags. That could have been disasterous if I had knocked several of the tags off before I discovered the situation. Yikes! Close call.

Gentlemen, I need assistance with some information on two areas.
Firstly, can anyone help me with photos of the part which holds the emergency brake band/shoe to its bracket. I mean the bit on the mid point of the shoe, furtherest away from the opening/closing ends. It can't be much of a mechanism, but I cannot find a diagram or wrawing in the manual. Never had that part, and don't want to try making anything until I know what should be there. Typically, there is no image of this in the manual.
Secondly, I would like to see what the linkage to the PTO looks like. Once again, never had that part, and the info about it in the manual is rudimentary at best. Measurements and closeups of the ends, would be very much appreciated.

Friday I from Mothers house, and brought back a quantity of tools which had belonged to both my Father and my Brother. This morning I arranged them, along with my own tools, into the tool cabinet draws. It was a considerably larger job than I had expected, and was time consuming to say the least. Some of those tools (Dads mainly) are older than I am, some very much older, dating back to the 1930s & 1940s. I hope my Son takes finds them as valuable and worthwhile as I do. Time will tell.

It just occured to me that the rear drive shaft on my junked truck might be an ideal candidate to have shortened to fit the restoration truck. There is always the possibility that it is already too short. Wish I had thought to remove it this morning, but it can wait until Wednesday.

[T Creighton]

Originally Posted by Private_collector

Firstly, can anyone help me with photos of the part which holds the emergency brake band/shoe to its bracket. I mean the bit on the mid point of the shoe, furtherest away from the opening/closing ends. It can't be much of a mechanism, but I cannot find a diagram or wrawing in the manual. Never had that part, and don't want to try making anything until I know what should be there. Typically, there is no image of this in the manual.
.

Hi Tony, Great looking work. Is this pic any help.
Cheers
Terry

[T Creighton]

Hi again Tony, I can take a photo of the other side of the band tomorrow if that helps although there are some details on page N5 in the MB-F1 manual.
Cheers again,
Terry

[Private_collector]

Hi Terry, thanks for the reply.
The part I need to see goes onto the portion of brake shoe backing band which is not visible in the drawing you posted. Section N doesnt show me the detail I need to make a new one.

[Lynn Eades]

Tony,(see the bolt and spring on the rhs of jeep picture) I am not familiar with your truck, but in saying that, the mount is fairly simple. The anchor I would call it, probably has a hole in the side (centre) This takes a spring in the hole. the spring goes in, and then the band slides on the square over the spring (which you have to compress to get the band assy. on)
A bolt with a tie wire drilled head screws in through the band into the anchor casting. when the other end is all sorted, this bolt is adjusted so that the lining is just clear of the... I'll call it the drum. When the hand brake is applied, the band is pulled in onto the drum against the spring. When it is released the spring moves the band back against the bolt head, giving the lining and drum a working clearance (the amount the bolt head allows the spring to push it away) The bolt is located by the tie wire.
The aim When you have the other end sorted out, is to have minimum travel of the h.b. lever while also having the lining clear,and the drum turning freely (which is important from a fuel consumption/ power/happy truck/ happy driver point of view.
Find a Dodge military manual (1/2 or 3/4 ton) or parts book, for a decent picture.
Hope that helps?
Hi Terry and Louise

[T Creighton]

Originally Posted by Private_collector

Hi Terry, thanks for the reply.
The part I need to see goes onto the portion of brake shoe backing band which is not visible in the drawing you posted. Section N doesnt show me the detail I need to make a new one.

Tony
Here are pics of the other side. It looks like it's made of high tensile steel.I can give you the dimensions if you decide to make one. The little pressed in gussets on each side might be a bit tricky to get right to your high standards.
Regards Terry.
ps The pic don't seem to want to upload. Will try later on. Also a PM to Lynn.

[Private_collector]

Cheers to Lynn & Terry!

From info supplied, and photo/s to come, I think we are in business. I have never actually seen that particular part......in real life. If I had the forethought to do so, I could have asked to peek under the skirt of any number of Ford CMPs at shows, but I never gave a moments consideration to the topic. It's hard to think straight when salivating at well restored MVs anyway.

Must be about time I filled the master cylinder and bled the brake system too. Buying brake fluid is on my to do list for this Saturday. Also spoke with a lubricants supplier a number of weeks ago, about a higher viscosity substitute for diffs & gear cases that he recommended. He feels it may be a better proposition for older applications where parts have some wear. Not cheap stuff, but could be a good option, particularly with added benefit of quietening any whine. So they say.

[T Creighton]

Good Morning Tony,
I found my camera was set at max resolution and the files were too big to upload.I think I have it sorted now.
Let me know if you want any measurements.
Cheers,
Terry

[Private_collector]

Hmmmmmmm, very interesting!

I can make something that looks like that, I think.

Thanks Terry.

[Private_collector]

Cleaned up the radiator today.

I bought this one from my Late friend, Paddy. He only asked for the scrap value, $60.00. It had been recored a long time ago, and not really used since that was done. Still has a light oil inside. Well, it DID have a light oil inside. I flushed it out when checking for any gross leaks.

The lower water necks are a nice piece of work. Whats with the screw heads on each corner? Surely they are not functional!

After a lick of paint. The wind came up jast after applying the last coat, so I may knock the top off, and give one more spray, next weekend. There is a small plate attached to top tank, which says Maryborough Radiator Services, or something like that. If you look at the very left of the radiator hanging upside down, you can make out the plate. An aluminium sticker with business name was on the very top panel too. I removed it prior to scrubbing, and will reattach it later. The recore must have been done a very long time ago. The phone number had 4 digits in total. There would now be 8 digits. The business has either ceased trading or changed names & address.

Even the drain taps are OK to re-use. I cleaned them prior to this shot.

I will buy a new radiator cap and hoses, when I get a chance.

[Ryan]

The freshen of that radiator can only be described as sexy.

[Private_collector]

I am keen to hear of any experiences members may have with using DOT5 brake fluid. That is the silicone fluid. It is not compatable with systems which have previously run on Dots 2,3 4, or 5.1 unless the entire brake system is flushed entirely free of the others. It doen't mix well with others. Bit like me at school, all those years ago.

I have put a lot of time into researching the pros & cons of all options, but would like to hear first hand reports of satisfaction.......or disappointment for that matter. I intend to replace the fluid regularly, and was thinking 2nd yearly would suffice. Because my entire hydraulic system is brand new, and has never had any fluid through, now is the time to commit to one specific type. I am particularly pleased that DOT 5 does NOT damage paint. While that is not sole motivation, it sure is a desirable attribute. I know at some point there will be leak/s. Maybe sooner, maybe later. I am about to discover exactly how well the flares on the steel lines actually are. A bit nervous about it too.

Here is a VERY informative dissertation on DOT 5: http://www.buckeyetriumphs.org/techn...luid/Fluid.htm The author seems very pleased with his choice, and has even done a range of 'tests' prior to making the selection. A bit overboard really! And I thought I was bad, jeeeeezus!!!



Nearly forgot to mention that I have ordered a custom made stamp with a small ford logo, to use on items like fan belts, radiator hoses etc, which are hopefully good copies but not original Ford product. There wont be a part number, but the stamps are only a few dollars, so I thought I might have a little 'play' and see how it works out. I hope Ford Motor Co. spell my name right on the legal papers!

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Tony

First question- Have any of your cylinders been sleeved? If so silicone fluid may cause a leak problem. Don't know if this is still true but for years the company that I use would not warranty their sleeved cylinders if silicone fluid was used. Don't know if this is still true.

What I was told was that the silicone fluid would actually leak along the out side of the sleeve between the sleeve and cylinder body.

Cheers Phil

[Private_collector]

Hi Phil,

Good point. No, my cylinders are all new replacements. There is nothing of significant vintage or refurbished.

One of the sources I read (may even be the one I had supplied link to) talks about how persistent minor leaks actually slowed to stop, with use of silicone DOT 5 fluid. I think that could be taken a number of ways. One, fluid may be slightly higher viscosity, not able to leak out. Or two, the fluid caused some swelling to a flexible component such as a cylinder boot. That would be a worry, however I don't recall the event stated in a negative context.

[Bob Carriere]

When I rebuilt my C15a brake system I got new wheel cylinders and the master cyl. was sleeved in SS. All lines are new SS and rubber flex. Going on 4 years .... no leak no problems.

Each Spring after sitting for months in the sea container it only needs one pump of the peddle to bring it up again.

I may actually flush and reset the system this year for the first time.

I use the surplus USA military purple brake fluid.

***** on the flaring of new brake lines may I suggest you buy the best flaring tool you can afford it will save you time, material and a lot of aggravation.

Cheers
PS.... have you heard of the guy addicted to brake fluid...? claims he can stop any time !!!!!

[Private_collector]

Thanks Bob, I like the sounds of that testimonial.

Dont have worries about my brake flaring, I didnt do it. I gave that job to the local hydraulics shop.

I thought I had replied to you posting yesterday, but for some reason it did not appear. I may have had another internet connection problem. Should have checked it came up before I turned the computer off. Sorry.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Just re-did my brakes:

new master and two rear cylinders;
refurbished front ones;
new rubber brake lines;
existing copper brake lines cleaned.

I choose to use DOT-4 brake fluid, have heard about silicone fluid leaking around seals and flared lines because of it's properties. I did not want to risk leakage and I am happy with flushing the system every two years or so.

HTH,
Hanno

[Private_collector]

Hanno,

The guy/s who told you about the leaking, were they the one it happened to, or the heard it from someone else scenario?

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Private_collector

The guy/s who told you about the leaking, were they the one it happened to, or the heard it from someone else scenario?

Tony,

Heard it myself from first hand experience: the guy had to tin-plate his flares so they bedded-in better in the seats of the brake cylinders.

But if you renewed everything you'll be fine with silicone.

Hanno

[Private_collector]

My Ford stamp has arrived.

I want to remove the oval, but fear my eyesight is not good enough to do cleanly.
A jeweller friend will shave it for me if I want him to.

Any tips on rebuilding the 11" Ford pressure plate assembly? New one is only $40USD, but another $70 or more to send. I dont believe mine is bad. I just want to examine all the pieces closely, before I feel it can be trusted enough to go into the engine.

I'm part way through a voyage of discovery with regards to oil flow in the French Flathead block. Because those engines were designed to run a governor and hour/rev meter, there are some openings above oil pump which I will be blocking off. On the weekend I will insert my borescope into the oil passages and compare the French block against an original Ford offering. Internally should be identical, so am just double checking route for the oil lines to & from external filter

[Tony Wheeler]

Originally Posted by Private_collector

On the weekend I will insert my borescope into the oil passages and compare the French block against an original Ford offering. Internally should be identical, so am just double checking route for the oil lines to & from external filter

Looks like you're right Tony, the only difference being the return pipe from the filter. Presumably it's designed to lubricate the governor drive gears before draining into the sump. Also they swapped holes for the oil pressure sender, presumably because it no longer fits in the standard position. Certainly the standard sender unit would not fit in that confined space.

It's interesting they stuck with the partial flow filter, despite this being the militarized block. If you have a look in the Ford manual you'll see they designed a full flow system for the CMP, with a bypass valve in case the filter became blocked. A bushing was inserted in the vertical passage to separate it from the horizontal passage, and a third passage was drilled for the oil filter return pipe, exactly where today's hot rodders drill the passage for conversion to full flow filtration. They seem to think they invented this mod, evidently they haven't heard of CMPs! Interestingly though I've never seen the full flow system on a CMP motor in Australia. It's always the partial flow system with the filter return pipe to the oil pan, and the third passage is always plugged. I wonder if they used the full flow system elsewhere, or whether it was abandoned for some reason. Certainly it's not necessary, and of course the rear main bearing and No.4 crankpin are fed directly from the oil pump anyway.

[Lynn Eades]

Tony the CMPs that used that system were the Carriers, not for a full flow filter, but for the oil cooler. (as with Aust. carriers) They had a bypass valve that let the oil by pass the cooler if it was too cold and thick. (later in the war the Canadians added a filter to that system in the Carrier, Universal, MkII*
I am sure you would already be aware, but the "partial' system you refer to is/was called a "bypass" system. The bypass system used a finer media in the element. it was supposedly to catch the very fine particles and was intended to stay in service for longer. Only a small percentage of oil from the pump was diverted through the filter. Often removing the lid, you would find them pretty much clogged up. I believe that any filter housing that you removed the lid to get at the filter was a bypass system. The British tended to use throw away steel bodied filters. Around WWII a bypass system was the standard filtration system common to most makes of the day.

[Shane]

A little off the subject mate, but could you please put up a picture of the fire extinguisher in your truck? Yours looks like the one i have and I would like to know if you believe this was the right one that was used in the CMPS. Cheers Shane

[Private_collector]

Shane, my extinguisher is a period correct piece, but the one which is 100% correct would have "Heavy Vehicle" on the brass plate. Mine does not, thats another reason why I didnt make the effort to paint it the vehicle color. That, and I couldnt resist putting a shine on it!

Tony W., thanks a bunch for the info and posting that French Flathead picture. I have searched the internet a number of times, but not found such an instructive shot that shows the block-off plates and the oil pipes in such clarity & simplicity. Hope you wont mind if I copy the photo for later reference. Tomorrow, I will check for any differences internally. Dont expect to find any, but keen to know for sure.

Lynn, I should have at least one of the bypass filter cans laying around here somewhere. With that, and Tony Ws photo, I shouldnt have any problems sorting out something suitable. I'm really not concered about having full filtration. Lets face it, some of these engines didnt even have an oil filter at all. Something between the two extremes will be acceptable. Oil changes will occur on an annual basis, and I am using a magnetic sump plug to catch what I hope wont be there in the first place. I'll have a look for good filter system parts tomorrow morning.

Thank you Gentlemen.

[Shane]

Cheers Tony. Hope you dont mind if i can ask for a close up shot of the FE as i only have mine on lone and need to make up my mind to buy it or not. Thanks Shane

[Tony Wheeler]

Originally Posted by Lynn Eades

Tony the CMPs that used that system were the Carriers, not for a full flow filter, but for the oil cooler.

Lynn, the system I was referring to is the one shown in the CMP manual, not the carrier system with the oil cooler. It's described in detail in Section C. Lubrication and it's definitely a full flow system. They don't actually use the term "full flow" but the diagram and text are clear. It uses the standard filter housing which is bypassed in the event of blockage, by means of a bypass valve set to open at 10 psi pressure differential b/w the inlet and outlet: "If it were not for this valve any stoppage in the oil passages to and from the filtering element would prevent all oil reaching the engine."

As mentioned though I've never seen the filter configured that way. As you say they're designed as a bypass filter, dating back to the 1930s when they were fitted by Ford dealers as an optional extra. I believe that's the one with the oil return to the top of the motor, through one of the mounting studs on the rear of the inlet manifold for the fuel pump / breather stand. Presumably the drilled stud was part of the kit, which would have continued to be available throughout flathead production. In other words, just like the old NASCO kit for the Holden grey motor, which used the exact same filter housing, and was available from around 1950 until they introduced the red motor in '63. By that time the disposable spin on filter had been developed and it became standard equipment on all cars.

Presumably the optional filter on the flathead became military spec during the war, and they were introduced into production for the first time ever, with the return pipe subsequently redesigned to the oil pan. Once again of course it was a standard bypass system typical of the era. That's what makes the system described in the CMP manual so extraordinary. The idea of full flow filtration in 1942 was at least 20 years before it came into being on cars, and something even the hot rodders didn't develop as a flathead modification until at least 20 years later either. That's why I'm interested to know if anyone has ever seen it on a CMP as described in the manual. Certainly the third oil passage is commonly present on CMP motors, but it's always plugged in my experience.

Personally I suspect the full flow system was abandoned early in production, possibly including a field mod kit to revert to the bypass system. I can see a number of potential problems with the full flow system, particularly the bushing which separates the vertical and horizontal passages. That would constrict both passages severely unless they were drilled oversize first, which clearly wasn't done, because the thread size is standard throughout production, including CMP motors with the third oil passage. Even the Ford manual emphasizes the danger presented by sludge blockage, and that bushing would be the perfect place for it to lodge. Also as you suggest Lynn they probably required a coarser filter to accommodate full flow volume, which would mean less effective filtration of fine dust particles, which are the main enemy in military use. Then there's the bypass valve, which unlike the one on the carrier has the potential to destroy the motor in a few seconds if it malfunctions during a filter blockage, which was presumably not uncommon with the non-detergent oil in those days, plus the extreme dust conditions in military use, esp. in convoy, and the high dependence on frequent oil change and filter cartridge replacement. As you say Lynn they're invariably clogged when you lift the lid. That presents no problems with a bypass filter, it simply reverts to a standard flathead, and we know they ran for decades without an oil filter.

All things considered I can see no benefit in a full flow system in military use and plenty of potential problems. That's why I find it interesting the French continued with the bypass system on the militarized block, when they had every opportunity to drill a proper full flow system if they considered it of benefit. Clearly they did not, and they were obviously concerned with service life, as evidenced by the governor and hour/rev meter.

Of course, the debate still rages today in the hot rod community about the relative benefits of full flow and bypass flow systems on flatheads. Personally I reckon full flow is the ideal system for normal driving conditions, and the modern automotive industry obviously agrees. However they're producing vehicles expected to travel several thousand kilometers without engine replacement, and even a million kilometes in the case of taxis and transport vehicles, and with extremely long service intervals. That just wasn't the case in the old days, even in the '60s and '70s you were doing well to get 100,000 miles out of a motor, and that was with 3000 mile oil change intervals. All those oil changes kept me in a job for several years!

Therefore I see no point in a full flow system on our flatheads, or even in hot rods for that matter, because we simply don't do enough mileage to realize any potential benefit in terms of engine life, and we still need to change the oil just as often, because service intervals are time dependent as well as mileage dependent, and infrequent use and short trips call for more oil changes, not fewer. Most importantly though, as everyone knows, 90% of engine wear occurs during cold running at start up, and no amount of oil filtration can change that.

[Private_collector]

Shane,

Hope these photos will do. Some of the photos were already posted on this thread.
Could take you a week to find em though!

If you are intending to polish (which is not original finish), do it easier than I did. Use a buffing wheel, but stay away from edges of the label, or you will wear the colors off.

Enjoy!

[Private_collector]

Should have added that if you extinguisher is not Pyrene brand, it may not have Heavy Vehicle written on it. Other guys may know more about this subject, so I will invite further replies for you on this topic. While looking through my photo archives I came across a number of vehicles that had extinguisher which was not painted at all. Perhaps they were not universally painted in military colors after all.

This is an interesting site regarding General brand extinguishers. http://www.vintagefe.com/general.html I bring that to your attention to show there is a fairly broad range of models & manufacturers which made these little gems. Some of these portables are just beautiful pieces. In hindsight, if I had no other hobby interests I would be very happy to collect & restore portable extinguishers.

http://www.vintagefe.com/pyrene.html Interesting Site!

I want one of these pistol style extinguishers from the 1950s. Man they had some cool stuff then!!