Restoration of Canadian Scout Car Ford Lynx I, Mk.III No.1726

[lynx42]

FINALLY I received word that the sandblaster was ready for the hull.

It was 232 days, or 33 weeks or 6 months and 8 days, since the Lynx was pushed into my shed on the 10th March, but who was counting.



Off the stands and on to the trailer it went and off to Bairnsdale.



A fork lift was arranged to get it off the trailer and into the sandblasting booth.



A large wooden beam was placed onto the floor to sit the hull on. The forklift then went around to the front for the next lift.

Rick.

[lynx42]

The hull had to be turned around to get it into the booth.



It was set up on my saw-horses from home so that it was high enough to get under it for sandblasting the floor underneath.



Strong toms were put each side to hopefully stop an unwanted fall off the saw-horses.



I would not work in there for all the money in the world.



Finally things were happening to the hull.

Rick.

[lynx42]

Sand is no longer allowed to be used as a medium for blast cleaning so Garnet is the common medium now days.



The blaster hard at work.



Down to the left front lifting ring behind the left front shock absorber mount.



Well on the way on the outside. The interior had not been started here.



Rick

[lynx42]

The front windscreen armour is 1 1/4" thick.



This is the drivers hatch with it's protector scope.



The gun door is open here showing the thickness of the metal and that it is cut to a bevel to stop bullet splash from a direct front hit. There is a thin splash shield is also welded around the opening on the outside as it is an inward opening hatch. The outward opening hatches have the splash protection on the inside.



Not only are the hinges bolts with especially shaped bolt heads to deflect hits but are also welded into place.



The crew commanders hatch. You can see that there had been quite a few costs of paint applied over the years.

[lynx42]

Sandblasting uncovers all sorts of markings.



The hulls for Ford Lynx Scout Cars were manufactured by International Harvester Co. and their trade mark is stamped in a couple of placed.



They were then taken to the Ford factory and fitted to the Ford chassis.



1726 is the hull number before sandblasting.



Part numbers are also found in a few places.

Rick

[lynx42]

Two weeks later, 31st. October 2015, I was back to pick up the sandblasted hull.



A couple of blokes carrying it out of the booth. It is not as heavy as you think. (No! they are just balancing it on the fork lift forks.)



The forklift was pretty light on the steer end.



On to the trailer.

The chap near the trailer wheel, leaning on the mudguard, lost a leg in a motor accident years ago. He is in demand for an extra in action movies. In the movie 'The Pacific' he is seen being blown up and his leg blown off. A bit of stage make-up and an extra bit of leg lying nearby and you would swear that he had actually lost his leg.



Ready to tie down and take home.

Rick

[lynx42]

Whilst the hull was at the sandblasters work continued on with the front end.




The front diff was dis-assembled and apart from needing new bearings and seals throughout was not in to bad a condition.



As I said in post #16, the front shock absorber mounts had been cut off and used under the boat trailer. I was lucky to find a set in SA.



Here are the originals on the boat trailer.



The pivot pin cap shims were measured and carefully put away for later.



These are the bearing spacers between the front wheel bearings found in the front hubs. These spacers are important.

Not having tool No.XA-3363-A available, I had made up a pivot pin removal tool and was able to remove the steering knuckle. The tool was made from a piece of 1.5" inside diam. tubing 1.25" long and a large washer bigger than the tubing with a 1/2" hole in the centre. A 1/2" x 20tpi. bolt 3" long was put thought the washer with a nut on the outside. The bolt was screwed into the pivot pin and by screwing down the net the pin was extracted. This idea would work for any Blitz pivot pins but you might have to change the measurements.

Rick

[lynx42]

The bearings were well past their use by date.


Having sat still for so long they had started to pit very badly.



One side was worse than the other. A good lesson here. Do not rely on bearings being any good just because a vehicle has not done too many miles.



New bearings were available over the counter but the felt seals were not. I was able to resurrect the old ones by placing them in hot oil for a few hours. This rejuvenated the fibres and they thickened up nicely.

Rick.

[charlie fitton]

Amazing - a really great post to follow.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by charlie fitton

Amazing - a really great post to follow.

I'll second that - one more reason to come back and read MLU regularly.

Rick: great detail, lots of history and amazing to see how your stamina (with some luck thrown in) see you through completing this project

[lynx42]

Thanks Charlie and Hanno, I will be taking a bit of a break after next Saturday from continuing this story . I had a quadruple back fusion last December and it all went wrong in February. Anyway I go back into hospital next Monday (20th July) for a revision of the December operation. I have been in a bad way since February when the titanium metal work moved and fractured the fusion. This will be my 9th major back operation since I suffered a bad accident at work in 1993. I was not expected to walk again for a while back then and spent 8 1/2 months in a wheel chair. I won't be out in the workshop for a few months after I get home to let things settle down.

I will continue the restoration story when I am able to after the op. Still got to Saturday to keep updating at present.

Glad that you are enjoying my story.

regards Rick

[Big D]

Hi Rick,

Yes, great story. Good luck with the operation.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Rick,

Good luck with your back operation. Get well soon!

Hanno

[lynx42]

I continued on with the steering. New bearings and seals were the order of the day for the box and a really good grease for the universals.

I carefully removed the shims under the worm adjusting cap and luckily put them away carefully as I needed them when I reassembled the box.



The steering sector extension shaft was a right mongrel to get out of the housing. It has a flange on each end and it goes through the right front spring hanger. Fortunately the bush was in good condition and after cleaning up the shaft, it all went back together.

With the steering box and extension shaft ready, I started to re-assemble the chassis.



I had painted the chassis as soon as it came home from the sandblasters and was quite pleased with the colour match. Overall the Lynx is just a bit shiny but will soon dull down as the sun gets onto it.



I started to fit the parts that had been removed from the chassis including the spring packs, fuel tank protection armour and a myriad of brackets and clamps.



The fuel tank hold down straps spent a few weeks in the molasses tank and then I had to re make the hold down bolts as the originals were rusted away. The hinge pins were also rusted solid in the mounts but the molasses cleaned them up.



I found that there were many captive nuts which meant that I had to make up quite a few holders and weld them into place before some things went back on.

The steering wheel was really hard to remove from the top shaft. I say top shaft as there are two steering shafts connected with a small universal joint. The top shaft was seized in the tube and I had to work it for hours to free it up. I then made new top and bottom bushes for the tube. Five new woodruff keys were made for the 4 uni brackets and the steering wheel as I was not able to buy them. To do this I machined down a shaft to the correct size and using a 1mm cutting wheel split them in half. That worked well.

Rick

[Peter Duggan]

Rick,

Very sorry to hear about your back problems. You impress me as an individual who overcomes roadblocks in life. Therefore I will wish you a speedy recovery and look forward to your updates. You have created quite an inspirational story.

Fellow Lynx owner, Peter

[lynx42]

Thanks Peter, Hanno and Daryl for your thoughts. I am not looking forward to it but hopefully this op will be the last one.

Back to my story.

I continued to refit the restored parts onto the chassis. I had painted it but most of the parts I had pre-prepared were in some kind of primer.



Front and rear axles and spring packs were refitted and as I said earlier, with new bushes in the springs, the shackle bolts being ok.



New transfer case insulators were cut from neoprene and the transfer case re-fitted. Here the universal flange nut is not on. Why? Because I could not find it. It took me about 3 days off and on to locate where it had been carefully put away. Eventually it was found, thanks to the little lady, and bolted up tight.



Next was the gear change tower and then the gear linkages.



New welsh plugs were fitted to the front of the gear change tower to keep the dirt out and oil in. Here two still have to be fitted.



This is the fulcrum refitted before the linkages were connected up. I do not know if I have the rods adjusted correctly but that can be done later.

The colour top coat was painted on to the primed parts mostly in place. I used a long handled paint brush where the spray gun couldn't reach.

Rick.

[lynx42]

The steering was all connected up, well not all, as the steering wheel, steering tube etc cannot be connected until the hull us bolted on.

The bearing adjustment of the front wheel bearings is the same as for a Ford or Chev Blitz it is a trial and error job. This adjustment involves the use of a 8" long spanner so that not too much torque is applied. The axle nut is tightened with this spanner and one corner of the nut is marked. The nut is then backed off 3/4 of one flat and the nut marked on the nut opposite the mark on the hub. The hub is then disassembled again and a thin shim fitted. The hub is then re-assembled and tightened up with that 8" spanner once again. If the mark on the axle is within 1/4" either way of the mark on the hub, then the bearings are set correctly. If it is not, you have to do it all again putting in thicker shims until it is correct. Good Luck.



One thing that surprised me is that the steering tie rod between the two front wheels has a gentle curve. I thought that it needed straightening but no, that is how it was made. You would think that it would flex when a bump was hit. It is bent to curve past the front diff.



The clutch master cylinder brackets were next and what a mongrel they were to fit. You need about 5 hands to locate the bolts and the master cylinder to the brackets which bolt to the cross member and the steel cross brace which helps keep the fuel tank armour in place.



Andy Seymour at the Berwick Brake Place located the front and rear axle flexible brake pipes and here one is hanging out of the left front brake fitting.



Here the chassis has been painted, the new tyres fitted and sitting on one of the most handy tools you can have in your shed.Go Jacks. With these I was able to move the chassis around all over the workshop when I needed to. No effort or lifting required. These ones have hydraulically lifts and are so simple to use.

There gear box is in place and linked to the gear change tower as well.

Rick.

[Ian Fawbert]

Hi Rick,

This continues to be a wonderful story! Not only am i learning so much about a Lynx, i am learning so much in general! Thanks for taking the time to post it up and i hope that your surgery and recovery goes well. I, like many before, eagerly wait seeing that new post has been made to this tread to see what happened next in the life of your Lynx!

Cheers and thanks!
Ian.

[lynx42]

Thanks Ian, It is good to know people are enjoying my restoration.



Me with the spray gun onto the rear axle.



When I paint, I always think of something one of my old teachers said to me back in 1964. She said, "A coat of paint hides a multitude of sins." She was in those days referring to the fairer sex as I was 16 and pretty keen on the girls.

It is very easy 2 years on to get things out of sequence.



Here is Jill, my wife, my T/A, my nurse, my workshop cleaning lady, my tea lady, etc. etc. painting primer onto the rear springs. This restoration could not have progressed as it did if it was not for Jill.

Rick.

[lynx42]

After painting the chassis after everything was re-fitted the rear wheels were put on and the new brake lines to both the front and rear axles.



The fuel pump and filter was refitted and plumbed up to where the 3 way tap will be situated.



A very short steering column was fitted for a reason. You will see next post.



It was time to move the chassis out of one part of my workshop and into another.

Regards Rick.

[lynx42]

Out in the sunshine for the first time on the 5th January 2014. just 34 weeks and 2 days from when we pushed it into the shed.



If you look off to the far right top of this photo you will get a glimpse of some future projects. Cab11 F30S, Ford Marmon-Herrington Scout Car. Cab 12 F60L with Recouperater body, Ford M-H chassis and just hidden is my Saracen. (The one I drove in the late 1960's with the 4/19th Prince of Walse's Light Horse.)



The steering wheel was to help with the moving.



Stacks of new carrier track in the background. That is for my VicRail carrier No 2250 which lost out to the Lynx when Jill asked what I was taking to Corowa for the "Year of the Ford and WWI".



Doesn't it look good. It looks fast in this photo.

Rick.

[lynx42]

Jill drove my 4 wheel drive and towed me up the drive. What a step forward that was.



The steering felt good and there were no noises to worry about. The original tyres are still on the front axle here, but the new ones on the rear.



Our Nissan Civilian bus motor home is up on the hoist for some routine maintenance. So I was not JUST working on the Lynx.



My short 25pdr. in the carport. I have a long way to go with it but it is coming together slowly.
Can you see the smile?
Next the chassis was pushed back into the shed close to where the hull was sitting awaiting all it's bit.

This then allowed me more room to fit the brake pipes etc.

Rick.

[lynx42]

With the chassis in another part of my workshop I was able to get on with the brake and hydraulic lines. These are in three different sizes and I was lucky to find a local bearing shop had all three sizes.

Unfortunately they did not have all of the fittings and unions so I had to make do with some of the original ones.



I had been very careful to save every rusty pipe from the chassis. These were photographed, labeled and also had the identifying name and direction the fluid flowed painted on them.



The three way fuel tap has to be positioned very exactly as it bolts up under the hull floor when the hull is lowered into place. It has three countersunk bolts to keep it steady in place. It was quite difficult to get it in the right place but patience prevailed.

The hydraulic line to the clutch master cylinder is seen here coming square off the chassis rail.

The A4 sheet of paper is the pipes diagram showing where the many lines have to go. I am luck to have the workshop manual and parts book to photostat and take to the shed instead of getting greasy thumb prints all over them. The pipes cross over and under each other as they go from the front of the chassis to the back brakes. The hydraulic line to the accelerator slave cylinder is one of the others see here as well.



The petrol tanks are fitted in this photo so I had better get on with the story about them.

Anyone notice another couple of projects in the back ground?

In the corned is my Commer (read Humber) FV1600 1 ton 4x4. with 22,384 miles on the clock. Next to that is Bren Gun Carrier No.2250 and on the left is the Hercules JXD engine out of my White Scout Car. We wore that one out and it is there to show people what powered the White S/car.

Regards Rick.

[Mike Cecil]

I seem to remember at 16, it was those painted sinners I was after!!

And Jack O'D was, when I was first starting our in MV restoration, the chief exponent of the 'puff of paint' hiding a multitude of sins!! (I'm sure Keef W can add to that comment!)

But enough of that .... very good job Rick , and some powerful images (of Jill) for us all to show our wives! (and that's me on the receiving end of the frying pan!)

You probably explained this somewhere back along this thread, but what made you choose Light Stone/Portland Stone as the chassis topcoat? Is that the colour you will use throughout?

Best regards

Mike

[Dinty]

I'm thoroughly enjoying this rebuild thread, I also have a T/A wife, coffee maker etc etc cheers Dennis

[lynx42]

When you re-cant a story like this one it is easy to get things out of order or to miss some photos you want to show.

This has happened here. In post #104. the steering box had been refitted but without photos. Well I found some.



One of the three holding bolts had sheared off many years ago below the steering box mounting face. Plenty of heat did no good. I had to carefully centre punch the broken bolt and then gently drill it out using about 4 drills of increasing size until the thread was just visible and then I taped the remainder out. That took about 4 hours to do.



I then was able to pull it all apart and get the bearing sizes for new bearings as mentioned in post #104.



Re-assemble was straight forward. I had to set the box up with the steering shaft in the centre where the steering wheel would have been at mid position. I tightened the adjusting screw just enough to remove any play between the roller and the worm, then replaced the lock plate and tightened up the lock nut.



There is a bit of a trick to remove or replace the roller shaft cover. (The red primed one in this photo.) You have to turn the adjusting screw in the centre of the cover in a clockwise direction until the screw driver slot is clear of the cover. The cover is then slid off sideways off the end of the selector shaft. Re-assembly is done the reverse way.

Regards Rick.

[lynx42]

Post #113 mentions the petrol tanks being in place. The Lynx has two tanks of 12.25 gallons each. These are protected in armoured boxes one on each side of the chassis.

The left hand tank was still in position but there was no sign if the other one. After I had purchased the speed boat at auction, I was allowed to completely go through the storage shed and look for what ever belonged to the Lynx. Almost straight away I found another fuel tank up in the rafters. It was not until some time later that I realized that I had two Left tanks and non for the right side. This tank from up in the rafters was in excellent condition not like the one which had spent the last 45 years+ out in the open.



It had some numbers stenciled on one end, maybe some-one can decipher them for me.



The general condition inside was very pleasing to see. It was nice and shiny inside as well as out.

Rick

[lynx42]

More on the fuel tanks.

The 6 bolts holding the fuel level sender unit came out easily and the sender looked good. Fortunately for me it had a brass float not a cork one.

There is a condenser attached to each sender unit and these were a bit beyond it. I hope the ones I replaced them with will be OK.



The filler cap was still in place and anchored with a snappy little clip and chain.



The bottom of the tank was also in excellent condition but it took me a while to remove the drain plug.

Regards Rick

[lynx42]

It is interesting that the armoured tank covers have a removable cap so the fuel can be drained from underneath. Three bolts and the cap is off. I had to fit captive nuts to both armoured bases to bolt the caps back on.

The right tank as I said was missing, so I had to modify the original left one into a right one. Not a big job?? Well not really. First I had to unsolder the filler cap and reposition it in the correct place up the other end so that the armoured lid would shut cleanly over it. Then I had to solder a patch over the hole left but removing the filler cap. Sounds easy doesn't it. That done, what to do about the drain underneath? It was in the wrong place for the removable armoured cap mentioned earlier. Well I cheated this time as I could not work that one out. I replaced the drain plug with a shorter one but the tank has to be removed to access it.

Why did I choose to modify the original left one to be the right one? Well it had sat outside for many many years and had a good coating of rust building up inside it. With the filler cap out, the new hole drilled and the sender unit removed it gave me a chance to get at the rust.



The sender unit on this one was a bit ornery to get out. Two of the bolts ware sheared of but fortunately there was enough shank to get a pair of mole grips onto them.



Here the right hand tank is floating in the molasses tank to get rid of the outside rust on the bottom of the tank.



The inside was a mess so I covered the holes and sank it into the molasses tank for a few weeks. I took it out a couple of times and after placing about 1kg. of square shaped nuts into the tank, rolled it around on the lawn for an hour or two then put it back into the molasses. I repeated that about 3 times and a lot of rust build up was removed. I left it floating in the molasses to clean the bottom outside and when I was happy with it I gave it a good rinse out.

POR15 is my choice of tank sealer and after soldering on the patch and the filler cap, I sealed the sender unit hole and poured in them metal cleaner/degreaser followed by the metal prep and finally the sealer paint.

I did that with both tanks and they should be good forever.

Regards Rick

[lynx42]

The tanks were completely stripped back to bare metal so I could see if there were any pin holes. I pored methylated spirits into them and sloshed it around and there was no sign of a leak. Why metho? Well it is very fluid and will quite quickly get into any seams and escape to the outside. It then evaporates quickly as well.



The underside of the tank before treating. You can see how well the molasses works No sign of rust anywhere.



POR15 filling the rust pits.



A coat of POR15 was painted onto the outside of the now right tank and then the tank sealed inside with POR15.

Regards Rick.