Robert Pearce Starts to restore

[hrpearce]

The steering column has been repaired in the distant past and the switch panel has a combination of round and ovil holes.

[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

Hi Robert - your switch plate is a new configuration to me. Is the scripting embossed on the plate or are they the remains of small switch plates?
Bob

[hrpearce]

Bob, It is a brass plate painted black and the letters are embossed into it.

[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

Hi Robert - thanks for the information. To save me trawling back through the thread, exactly what truck is this plate from including year. I see there is a hole where the speedometer should be, do you have one?
Bob

[hrpearce]

the fuel company rep stoped by yesterday and left a gift as a thankyou for spending 90% of my income with them should come in handy

[hrpearce]

Another day of breaking floor studs and I am close to being able to remove cab frame. It's amazing what you uncover this pin in the accelerator linkage was a disaster waiting to happen lucky I haven't had to walk home. The twist of tie wire was about half worn through.

[hrpearce]

At last all of the cab is off Next I will have to hot wire it to drive it out into the paddock for degreasing. A few new seals are needed and the back of th gear box looks like it will need repairing with putty steel, I'll have a better idea after the muck is washe off . I now have three months to get it back together for club rego day so I may have to abandon the farm

[hrpearce]

I managed to salvage a small piece of canvis seal from the cab frame to look at all the stiching is gorne and while the windscreen had rope sown into the fold the frame seals apear to have a thin strip of canvis spiral rolled and sown in. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

[hrpearce]

The piece of timber from under the back of the cab is in good condition considering how many years the blitz sat in the bush, a good clean and a soak in linseed oil and it should last forever

[hrpearce]

With the return of almost normal weathr, nine days of rain and still overcast, I've resorted to spreading sand over the floor of Vicki's garage to get it dry. Vicki is looking forward too me finishing she claims I'm starting to push the boundries of friendship.

[hrpearce]

All dressed up and no dance partner Cleaned a couple of pieces with first full tank of sand, will defenatly need the second aircompressor from Dad's shed to keep air up. I will have to get a suply of tips in as the creek sand is wearing the first one fairly quickly.

[Col Tigwell]

I do not need to tell you are a lucky man.

Lovely wife and children, lovely shed and view, and all those lovely trucks you will be able store in the shed in due course.

I presume you will concrete your ladies garage floor, and how kind of her to let you share the space.

That sand blasting outfit, I do not how she resists you with that on.

Seriously you have done a great job, unless one has built a shed you cannot understand all the detailed work, thrills and danger involved.

Regards

Col

[Mike K]

Looking good Robert , I mean the Blitz, not you . Just a kind word on the sand blasting. I had ago at it when doing the C8. I blasted most of the bits , but I wouldn't do it the same way again EVER. It's probably the most hazardous thing for a restorer to do in many terms . The loud air noise from the nozzle can damage your hearing permanently . I had a similar setup to yours , with 50 cfm a VW powered compressor .

For larger bits like chassis, axle housings and stuff I am going to the local chap here. By far the best bet, is a cabinet , for the smaller fiddly items . You can knock a large cabinet together from cheap plywood , or whatever you like . There are plans and ideas on google .

http://www.ford-trucks.com/article/i...g_Cabinet.html

http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/buil...net-44167.html

One guy lined the inside with canvas, this helps to absorb the sound and the blasting media tends to not bounce around off the canvas . You can use those long welding or gardening gloves and PVC plumbing rings to make the 'hands' . Some of them have fancy dust exraction devices . Another guy , used an old fluro light sitting on the lid , for lighting .

The little single phase compressors , are generally not up to it, waste of time . Its just physically not possible for them to make enough air .

Mike

Mike

[aj.lec]

Hello Robert
Congratulations on your progress

Be very careful using straight sand when blasting
make sure you have a very good respirator under your helmet and a good air supply
natural sand has a high silica content and when broken up and the dust breathed it can lead to silicosis (very nasty respiratory problem)

[hrpearce]

Yes Col I am lucky and the shed will be cemented as funds become available. I still have to dig out 500mm of red clay out of the top bay and build a retaining wall on the house end. Power points and lights will most likely be next.
Mike I am working on an almost non-existant budget so I will plug along with what I've got. Late this afternoon I added a two cylinder compressor from Dad's shed to my sngle cylinder they are connected to a 60L air tank and this setup is keeping up with me. Another problem with using a profesional besides the money is distance 120Km to the nearest reliable one. Dont worry about my hearng 25 years on chainsaws before I bought my first set of ear muffs means I hardly hear the air.
Andrew thanks for the warning I'll grab the resperator out of the chemical shed before I start again.

[hrpearce]

I drove the Blitz out of the shed yesterday for it's first degreasing, one or two more needed . It's quite tricky using your left foot on the accelerator rod beside the water pump and your right foot for clutch and break, next time I think I'll strap the 20L drum seat too the chasis as it was a little unsteady in the paddock . With over half the muck off I have located loose bolts and some missing screws on the engine but the worst is the back of the gear box it's going to take a lot of fixing The old muck covered some nice suprses so more skills need learning

[hrpearce]

Some more parts arrived n the mail today, that finishes looking for secondhand parts for now, a fiew new seals when I go to wagga next and work can recomence.

[hrpearce]

I fitted new plug leads today making it look a little tidier I also soaked the timber from under the cab in linseed oil. Thee is still a trace of paint on the timber.

[hrpearce]

I had a free afternoon after a late lunch today so I painted the piece of cab timber Next I gathered samples of the seals and bolts I need to replace as we go to Wagga on Thursday. Last I tried out my new toy, a poor mans pressure cleaner, it works quite well. I sprayed the part with degreaser then turned it on it uses a lot of air but verry little water. Hopefully it will work even better when I can use the higher pressure water line from the creek, just one more tap to fit now the weaher is worm enough to play in water.

[John Stokes]

Hi Robert,
I notice in your photo the part of the gearbox is broken,i had one the same do you know why they break here? Maybe it is the tail shaft bolts comins loose?

[Keith Webb]

Originally Posted by hrpearce

Some more parts arrived n the mail today, that finishes looking for secondhand parts for now, a fiew new seals when I go to wagga next and work can recomence.

Robert

They look like Ford clips. The Holden made ones have a wider curve. Still they will fit.

[hrpearce]

Hi John both my gearboxes are the same it's caused by the studs holding this part on coming loose and being wacked by the flange. I think I can repair the stud holes with QuikSteel. I'll give it a go next week anyhow.

[hrpearce]

I had a CMP day today The spare cab came in fore stripping, I want the top of the cab the rst is a pile of spares. Once my blitz is running again visitors will be permited to brouse the leftovers. I also got the transfur case washed read for reseling. Bought seals last week will need to buy quick sleaves this week as all flanges are badly groved.

[hrpearce]

I get Tuesday and Wednesday to work on the blitz. Today I cleaned up ready for the sleaves and seals.

[Harry Moon]

Originally Posted by John Stokes

Hi Robert,
I notice in your photo the part of the gearbox is broken,i had one the same do you know why they break here? Maybe it is the tail shaft bolts comins loose?

It's because the ring gets left out. there is no part # or picture in the exploded view in the manual. 3 of 4 transmissions that I had broke that way. You must put a 3/8 wide steel ring which can just be a strip of bar steel welded together, you put it on the out put shaft before you put the out put flange on the back of the transmission. without it you won't be able to tighten the center bolt with out pulling it up to tight and interference between the bolts will shatter it again. I wrote an article in convoy magazine specifically about it. Can anyone scan the article and send you it?

[Harry Moon]

you must have this ring.

[Harry Moon]

This is the ring, you might find it if you look around but since your transmission was broken it is probably missing. Just bend a piece of 3/8 steel strap around the shaft and weld it together. thats all the original is anyways.

[hrpearce]

Hi Harry,
Thank you for the advice, I checked and I have the ring. I plan to make locking tabs to tie the bolt heads together.

[Harry Moon]

The original seal on the rear had a metal flange that covered all 4 bolts and held the seal. I'll try to get you a picture of it.

[hrpearce]

Harry as you can see the flange is a reck after the bolts were bent . The seal with flange is listed as discontinued so I had to buy modern seal and a bottle of 609 to stick it in with