F60L Cab 12 truck

[Luke R]

Originally Posted by colin jones

Hi Shane, I know the perfect place for that Valentine

It would look good in your shed Colin!

[Shane]

Believe me i would rather it not go to anyone else but Colin.
For one we know it would get restored, it would be undercover and a lot of us would get the pleasure of seeing his amazing work. However the price is $25,000 and the owner already has an offer at the asking price but where are you going to get the chance to buy another. Just for the lovers of tanks here are some more photos...




This is the only good part left on this truck but we brought it back anyway.

[David Dunlop]

Shane.

Any idea where that Valentine was manufactured?

David

[Shane]

Hi David

Im sorry mate no idea where it was made will try and find out more info for you.

I have yet another toy to restore and would like to know if anyone has any info such as year of manufacture or what it was used on?

[Ryan]

Hi Shane,
What is the history of the Valentine tank?
Is it the Belfield one sold in 2006?

[Shane]

Hi Ryan

Yep it is the tank from Belfield apparently. Good news have also located another passenger door for the monkey face,now for the drivers door....... the hunt is on. Have sent these pictures to other members trying to identify if these are parts for the portee but no one is sure. These were found with the Cab 12 door, i understand the wheel bracket is for the portee but what are your opinions on the other items. My thoughts that maybe the rectangle item may be a spare wheel carrier...



Also more news on the tank our museum may be buying it, i really hope so. Anyway lads would really like some feedback on the above. Cheers Shane

[aj.lec]

Looks like you have
3 POW can holders
1 Ford lower battery holder and
1 cut down spare wheel carrier
Don't know what jack suits

[Shane]

Thanks Andrew

Any chance you may have any more information on the portee, as im finding details on the truck hard to find. Is there a web site or a manual i could get to look at. By the way i cant see any cuts or weld marks on the spare wheel carrier are there any pictures out there of an original? Please post anything you may have lads on the portee, not so much ww2 field shots but more detail of specs is what im after. Thanks for your time

[Keith Webb]

Tim Scriven in Kerang has one and so does John Belfield.

Sounds like you might be making a trip to Victoria in the future!

Originally Posted by Shane

Thanks Andrew

Any chance you may have any more information on the portee, as im finding details on the truck hard to find. Is there a web site or a manual i could get to look at. By the way i cant see any cuts or weld marks on the spare wheel carrier are there any pictures out there of an original? Please post anything you may have lads on the portee, not so much ww2 field shots but more detail of specs is what im after. Thanks for your time

[Darrin Wright]

Here's a few pics of Tim's good looking truck & gun.

I have more walk around shots but cannot find them right now

[aj.lec]

Sorry Shane . I don't have any info or know anything about portees
Looking at those pictures again . The possible spare wheel carrier may be off something else or even home made as it looks different to a blitz one with extra steel on side of holder and locator

[Shane]

Thanks again Andrew really am happy to have any info put my way, thanks for your reply. Keith i will go and see Tim , have had a few chats with him and would like to go to his place this month if Hugh and Lenny are free.
Love the photos Darrin(hope to see the others if you find them) gives one a boost to get stuck into the project.

[Shane]

Thought i was getting so close,motor almost done just need to pop in the radiator and all is well............

However there is so much play in the steering box it had to be removed(thought it could be fixed but apparently once she has been wore down its no good.
So the next option was take the steering out of the second cab 12. Could not believe the effort that had to go into get the bloody thing out, six hours later still no cigar. On Monday the welder will be used to cut off four bolts that will not be moved any other way.

The steering wheel is in great condition, however was another challenge, she didnt want to let go.

Still loving the restoration and meeting or talking to people on the phone who share are great addiction.

[Shane]

Hi all.

Have had a few things go wrong with the motor and would really like some feedback. I filled up the radiator and have seen leaks coming from the water pump and also top of the sump Firstly i have been told that the seal in the water pump is no good, is this easy to fix and where do i get a new seal from? Then the next problem i have been told is due to welsh plugs not being done, so are they hard to find? Im happy to buy if anyone has any. Now for the radiator mount...



Uncle Neil and i made up these brackets to fit in a radiator from a cab 13 but have since been told that it is too rigid and would cause damage to the radiator. Any thoughts? Would really appreciate photos on the original radiator set up so i could copy it.



Here are photos of the second cab 12 (is this a Chev radiator?) And is this the correct set up? Do the hoses support the top of the radiator? Anyway lads really need some constructive feedback. Cheers Shane

[Howard]

G'Day Shane,
Yep the radiator is headed for trouble being rigid mounted like that IMHO. The cab flexes a lot over uneven ground, enough to pop doors open, and I think original mounting would be best.
The radiator sits on two rubber mounts at the base.
At the top there should be a steel rod running behind the radiator from one side to the other and through the radiator shroud. Mounting holes for the rod indicated on your photo here:-

I don't have any pics on file, so unless someone else chimes in, I'll take some tomorrow.
H
By the way, I have seen quite a few where the radiator top is supported by the radiator hoses alone. Seems to work OK.
And, no, it's not a Chev radiator, Chev's don't have two inlets & outlets. There are different Blitz radiators (standard vs tropical) as well as Ford Civilian truck being slightly different. I also reckon there is a difference in cab12 vs cab13, despite being told the contrary by more senior enthusiasts... one of these days I will prove my point! (Or be embarrassingly proven wrong!)

[Mike K]

Originally Posted by Shane

Thanks Andrew

Any chance you may have any more information on the portee, as im finding details on the truck hard to find. Is there a web site or a manual i could get to look at. By the way i cant see any cuts or weld marks on the spare wheel carrier are there any pictures out there of an original? Please post anything you may have lads on the portee, not so much ww2 field shots but more detail of specs is what im after. Thanks for your time

There was a chap at Whittlesea , North of Melbourne, doing a blitz portee project . I cannot recall his name but he was the VMVC president for a year, back in the 1990's ? Does anyone remember him? He did attend Corowa a few times . Mike

[Shane]

Mike that would be Tim who has the portee, i hope to see him over the Christmas break. Howard the cab 12 i am restoring had a tropical radiator with shroud but was stuffed. So i went for the radiator out of the cab 13 now knowing hours of work have been wasted. Still need answers to fix the problems lads and parts. Thankyou for the feedback always welcome.

[Howard]

Forgot to mention, welsh plugs from any good parts shop (Repco, Burson etc) or from engine reconditioners.
H

[Mike K]

Originally Posted by Shane

Mike that would be Tim who has the portee, i hope to see him over the Christmas break.

Shane

So Tim bought the Whittlesea portee ? I am confused now !

[Shane]

Hi mate.
Not sure where he got his truck but he has a cab 13 portee, Keith might know. Looking at old photos the radiator is bolted in by two bottom bolts, and no other support apart from the radiator hose. There is a steel rod running behind the radiator but does not offer any support, will having just the two lower bolts sitting on rubber be satisfactory for driving conditions?

[Keith Webb]

Yes, Scrivo's Portee is a cab 13, but a fair way from Whittlesea, he's in Kerang.

And yes, the radiator is mounted on rubber both ends, pads with bolts at the bottom and just by the hoses at the top. It is not secured to the cab so they are independent to allow for flexing between chassis and cab. I think the rod on the cab 12 is for the integrity of the arch bar construction.

This pic of Tim's portee was taken several years ago in Corowa by Hugh Davis.

[Bob Carriere]

Yes the rod behind the radiator does bring a lot of support to the sagging cab 11 fenders.

I reproduced a cab 12 rod from an original and installed it on my C15a cab 11. I was surprised how it pulled the two cast steel parts together and made things fit much better.... you do need to use tapered flat head bolt/screws to allow the nose of the cab 11 to fit.

Also installed the 1/2 plate under the corners of the floor for more cab stiffeness....pirated from a cab 12.

Cheers

[Bob Carriere]

Could only find pictures of Chev cab 12...

I included a pic of the repro rod we made.

But even after thousands of pictures I still need more...just realized that I have no pictures of the repro rod installed....

I really think it is worth having....
Cheers

[Tony Wheeler]

Originally Posted by Shane

will having just the two lower bolts sitting on rubber be satisfactory for driving conditions?

I always use the standard Ford spring mount kit as well as thick rubber, although I'm not sure they were used originally. They don't appear in the CMP manual but they're commonly found on Ford CMPs in Australia. Whether or not they help much is questionable, as the spring is almost incompressible! They're available much cheaper than this mob below but I can't recall where I've bought them in the past.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/1941-1948...item43d462f7bc

[Darrin Wright]

Macs Auto in the USA, $3.95 per kit

http://www.macsautoparts.com/ford_me...passenger.html

I have this on my BGC and can not complain. I don't think the springs would compress either...

[Howard]

Pics as promised. Note- Countersunk bolts not fitted (lost)
First pic is from behind the radiator & rod passing through the shroud

[Shane]

Hi all.

Thankyou gentleman for your posts, very helpful as usual.

Howard that shroud is the same as my original radiator set up. However i didnt have the rubber surrounding on the iron bar is that what they did? The one i have now is from a cab 13 hence the brackets. So how about i cut the top of the bracket on either side so it is no longer attached to the truck and get stronger radiator hoses and mount the bottom brackets onto a rubber base? Does anyone have a right hand water pump for sale that does not leak Have found welsh washers at our local auto pro will try and fit tomorrow and install new steering box.
Thanks Lads

[Shane]

Hi all.

Ok for some reason the water pump doesn't leak anymore(work that one out) Although still have to replace welsh plugs.
Got a lot done today with help from my Dad, he was made in the same decade as the truck hahahaha. Doors on,radiator problem solved, floor in, dash and steering wheel done. Its amazing what you can get done when you avoid doing the welsh plugs.




Thanks for all the help in 2014
MERRY CHRISTMAS MLU GANG (Really hope to post more before 2015 )

[Howard]

Looks amazing, Shane!
Keep it up!
H

[Shane]

Thanks Howard.




I know its not original But it would be if they did it right in the first place anyway out of site out of mind. Still feels a way to go before she roars thanks to a few problems.