Ford Blitz Restoration/Rebuild

Private_collector · #1 02-06-14, 22:02

Thanks Tony.

Now I understand it.

Ryan · #2 02-06-14, 22:27

It may be that I'm still in bed and it's early, but how is that flathead sitting there in the chassis rails without the gearbox connected? Isn't it only connected by the water pumps?

Keith Webb · #3 02-06-14, 22:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ryan

It may be that I'm still in bed and it's early, but how is that flathead sitting there in the chassis rails without the gearbox connected? Isn't it only connected by the water pumps?

There was a red gum stump or two lying on their sides supporting the rear of the engine as I recall, they are just out of sight. How do I know? I took that picture!

Ryan · #4 02-06-14, 23:06

Thanks Keith. Was it an ok set up for test running the engine? And do you have more pics from that run showing the other sides of the engine?

Tony Wheeler · #5 03-06-14, 13:42

Ryan, these are the only other photos of the motor, also taken by Keith. Unfortunately my own photos from the '70s were all destroyed, however the majority of our photos we're essentially duplicates, as we did most of our blitz hunting together.

The test bed was the original F60L chassis, which as you can see was damaged and bent at the rear. Note the hi-tech redgum stands, all handsawn and nailed together! I chopped the chassis off behind the gearbox crossmember, and looking at those reinforcement plates now I shudder to think how long it took me with a hacksaw! They make an ideal engine stand / test bed, because they're strong and stable and everything bolts straight on, including the radiator and gearbox. When the gearbox was fitted we had some fun loading up the motor, by levering a length of 4x2 against the output shaft flange, which generated lots of charred wood smoke and eventually cut a slot right through! I daresay you could stick an old handbrake drum on there and load up the motor quite effectively, however there's hardly any point to the exercise.

I plan to do the same thing with a busted FGT chassis in due course, and this time I'll make it a tricycle trolley, using a length of rod through the spring hanger eyes for the axle, and a swivel wheel mounted on the front crossmember with a simple drawbar attached. It's a lot easier and cheaper than designing and building one from scratch, and a helluva lot more robust. I may even use inflatable tyres so I can tow it around the yard with the ride on mower, which would be handy when pulling motors out of blitz wrecks, of which I have quite a few in the backyard now! Those heavy duty wheelbarrow tyres should do the job I reckon, although it may need two on the swivel axle.

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Private_collector · #6 03-06-14, 14:03

Good idea. If I had thought to do that with the bit of chassis the crap engine came on it would have saved me a lot of welding to make a trolley. Too bad I ground all the rivets away and seperated the bits.

Tony Wheeler · #7 03-06-14, 16:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by Private_collector

Too bad I ground all the rivets away and seperated the bits.

Too bad I scrapped this whole chassis a while back Tony! What was I thinking?!! It had some nasty fatigue cracks but that wouldn't matter for a trolley, and even without wheels they'd be handy for storing motors and loading onto trailers for transport. In other words - a flathead pallet!

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