for sale: Mk.1* Universal Carrier built by Ford of Canada, March, 1943

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Ad found on MilWeb:

Mk.1* Universal Carrier built by Ford of Canada, March, 1943
Running, hull up restoration 1993. 99% complete together with most tools (track jack, adjusting cam, etc.). No.19 mk.II Wireless set with proper aerial mounts and waterproof cover. Deactivated smoke discharger, Bren 'AA' post. All original engine, engine accessories, 6V electrical system. Pictures on MLU web site. $17,000USD.
519 785-9948
Bruce Parker 19 December '05

Source: http://www.mapleleafup.org/vehicles/carriers/uc1.html

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

Holy shit, wuzzup, Bruce?

[Jon Skagfeld]

Originally posted by Geoff Winnington-Ball
Holy shit, wuzzup, Bruce?

Yeah, Bruce, what's goin' on?

I hope that this sale is in order to further finance the resto of the Fox?

Speak to me, buddy.

[Jon Skagfeld]

Hmmm...we didn't get a reply from
Bruce about this, did we?

Wonder what's goin' on?

Anyone been in touch with the Fox guy?

[Stewart Loy]

Jon,

I slipped down to drop an engine off to Bruce a few weeks ago ( is that all I do, you ask? ), and had a peek at the Fox.

The Fox, Carrier and new grey sedan seemed in fine order, as did the Parkers, and all of the pets.

I suspect that Bruce knows what he's doing - and in the fullness of time all will be know!

That having been said - I have a heck of a vacuum leak somewhere on that 216 of mine. The next time you see your mechanic - ask him if there is a secret to getting a tight seal on the intake side of that bolt together manifold. Does he smear any sealant goop around those sheet metal rings that transition from the intake manifoled to the head?


Stewart

[Harry Moon]

Check for a crack along the casting flash of the intake manifold. Very hard to see but gets a lot bigger with any backfiring. They crack easily when warped. also I was told to double up on the intake gasket. Also check carefully that the intake rings sit completly into the steped grooves and there is no carbon or rust getting in the way. check the grooves on both head and manifold. and oh yea look for a cracked vacum fitting to the windshield wipers. how do I know these things??? The hard way as usual.

[charlie fitton]

If it's an alignment problem between the engine side of the two manifolds. IE the exhaust and intake have warped a bit - then I can linish them at work-

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

Originally posted by charlie fitton
If it's an alignment problem between the engine side of the two manifolds. IE the exhaust and intake have warped a bit - then I can linish them at work-

That sounds faintly obscene...

[Stewart Loy]

Originally posted by Geoff Winnington-Ball
That sounds faintly obscene...

Obscene yes, but thats what has to be done sometimes.

Thinking back, I do recall that the intake and exhause manifolds were not at the same height - compared to the manifolds that I pulled from that other 216 that went up North ( that I hear is running sweetly ).

I shall try the off-take manifolds before I go crazy with machining, but I shall not rule it out.


Stewart

[Phil Waterman]

This is a problem that has shown up here in the States over the last ten years with Old Chevy and GMC in line engines. One of the problems is the " new gaskets intake exhaust" are asbestos free and they are of a one size fits all construction mean that they fit the newer engines which had larger intake and exhaust ports and manifolds the result being that instead of having a quarter inch of gasket to manifold match instead of about an eight of an inch contact. The exhaust and even the intake manifold are also being subjected to far higher temperature with the new gas which burns hotter and leaner. Once the warp has established in the exhaust manifold tightening the clamps just results in the eventual failure several people including myself have tried adding extra gaskets to the center ports two even three gaskets to make up the warp-age. One of my CMC friends had had the intake and exhaust manifolds milled to restore alignment. I’ve milled the manifolds as a pair and put on hand cut asbestos manifold gaskets. All of the attempts so far been relatively short lived couple of thousand miles, personally I believe it is higher temperature range that is the problem.

I have found only one real fix for exhaust intake leaks that was to replace the exhaust manifold with a two piece hot rod exhaust manifold. This has worked for better than 5 years now on my C60.

But a question how do you know it is a vacuum leak and not a burned valve?

[Richard Farrant]

I have encountered similar problems with Bedford and Austin manifolds, all of the same principle design. When an exhaust manifold has been refaced, you have to ensure that the bolt holes in the inlet manifold have sufficient clearance for the two faces to align with the head. It is not uncommon to have to enlarge the holes to ensure they both align.

Richard

[Stewart Loy]

Originally posted by Phil Waterman
.But a question how do you know it is a vacuum leak and not a burned valve?

Phil,

I don't know - it could be both : !

I believe the part about the gaskets being one size fits all.

Are those sheet metal rings that go into the intake ports re-useable? There were no replacements in the gasket pack, and no sealant on them - should there be?

Thanks for the advice.


Stewart

[Richard Farrant]

Originally posted by Stewart Loy

I believe the part about the gaskets being one size fits all.

Are those sheet metal rings that go into the intake ports re-useable? There were no replacements in the gasket pack, and no sealant on them - should there be?

Stewart,

The steel rings are re-usable, they actually align the gasket correctly and hopefully the gasket should be a snug fit over them. Although from what you say, if a universal fit-all gasket is the only available then you have a chance of getting a vacuum leak. Another point to watch is if the two manifolds have been refaced as one unit in the past, that when the steel rings are inserted they do not bottom out before the gasket is sufficinetly clamped up. Try fitting the rings and offering manifold to head without gasket fitted to check gap between the two.

Richard

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

While linishing manifolds is a fascinating topic in itself, we've gotten away from the primary subject -- how come you're selling, Bruce? With all the blood, sweat and love that went into that carrier...

[Stewart Loy]

Try fitting the rings and offering manifold to head without gasket fitted to check gap between the two.

Richard,

I spent a few delightful hours stripping the manifolds off of the engine, cleaned all of the parts, then assembled everything dry, without gaskets. The intakes slipped into place very easily with the rings locating the manifold to the ports quite well.

Then the exhaust manifold slipped underneath - again, quite nicely. There was a gap of less that 0.5 millimeters between the head and the manifold - this would have quite easily have been sealed by a new gasket.

Frustrated now, I figured it is time to pull this engine out and see what is going on, I drained the oil and noted that it smelled quite strongly of gasoline. I recalled that there was plenty of gas coming from the recirculating valve when the engine barely ran. I suspect that I am experiencing severe blowby - and need some new bits inside the old motor.

I shall keep you informed ( perhaps in the resto pages ) of what we find inside.

Thanks to everybody who offered opinions about why it ran so poorly.


Stewart

Originally posted by Stewart Loy
I drained the oil and noted that it smelled quite strongly of gasoline.

If. . . . . . . . .its an engine-mounted mechanical fuel pump, then a pin-holed diaphragm is often the culprit.

R.