Ford Blitz Restoration/Rebuild

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Tony

Though it is not of Ford V8 have gotten pretty good at pulling and installing Chevy in Pat 13 and 12. Here is video of Chevrolet engine installation set to music

https://youtu.be/Rd1IXU0fchA

When I did this and a time lapse of removing did them as strang entertainment but also as a tool to study the most efficient way, for me, to do it again in the future. Cut down significantly on my learning, or relearning curve.

Agree the comment about removing the nose to work more efficiently, time to pull the nose is more than made up in removal and several times on reinstallation.

Question is the cross bar top of the grill on Fords removable?

Cheers Phil

[Jacques Reed]

Originally Posted by Private_collector

The local company I used to do the engraving on Bryces torque wrench (laser etching, actually) are able to work from a range of suitable formats, and it got me thinking about doing a test to reproduce the generally illusive CMP shift pattern plates etc.. If anyone has either a good quality photo of any shift plates OR a black and white scan/image of such plates, I would be very interested to see them. I will then go about seeing what can be done to make an acceptable replication onto aluminium.

Hi Tony again,

Have PM'd you photos and scans of the three types of shift pattern plates that I know of for F15, F15A and F30-F60. They would have been needed to be shrunk too small to post here.
Hope they are of good use to you.

Cheers,

[Keith Webb]

Jacques, the FGT plate is different in that it has 42 gallons instead of 24 for the fuel capacity.

[Jacques Reed]

Hi Keith,

That's cool! Never saw one of those rare ones. Make that four different versions of the plate.

Cheers

[Private_collector]

Thankyou Gentlemen, for the information. It sounds promising to contemplate putting cab on prior to getting the engine in. I have no issue with removing the nose panel for engine installation. Got it on once, can do it again.

I'm yet to hear back from my fellow at the tyre shop. He was to get information for me, with regards to alternative tyres. I'll go see him when I get the chance. When I woke up this morning (0350hrs), I had what I hope is a good idea. I'm VERY reluctant to 'have at' one of my truck tyres with a grinder/sander to the unwanted portion of the bead, but may have a solution. Those tyres are same as ones on my gun carriage axle, and that doesn't carry very much weight, by comparison. I can attack one tyre, hoping to get a suitable result, and if not confident I can swap that one with an unmolested tyre from the gun. That will be my last resort, if all other avenues fail. No rush on that front. Got enough to do now, anyway. I'm heading into town this morning, to buy a small can of body filler for the sunshine roof, and to get another piece of perspex to place more sign cutting examples on.

It was very windy and overcast yesterday, so I didn't get any sunshine onto my green truck chassis. Maybe better fortune today. At least the wind had died away.

Once again, my gratitude to the guys that gave me testimonials on engine installation. Phil, I liked your video! Made me go scrambling for my digital camera, to check if it has a time lapse ability....which unfortunately it doesn't. I assume it IS time lapse that we were seeing on the video. If not, Phil, please consider switching to decaf!

[Private_collector]

With the weather still very windy but no sign of rain, I hitched the restoration chassis to my other truck and pulled it outside for a good dusting off and a thorough check over.

While I had the luxury of some extra working space, I installed the passenger side fuel cell and the hand/emergency brake band. Spiked my damn finger on a sharp bit of copper or whatever the hell is in the brake band! Rotten sod.

This was not only the first time EVER that the rolling chassis has been out of my workshop, it was also the first time I used the winch on front of the grey truck. In fact, it's the first winch I have ever used. Has rather good power on it too. I was tempted to reenact a scene from the sequel to The Gods Must Be Crazy, where the driver of a land rover winches it out of a river by anchoring it half way up a tree. Lord only knows WHY he chooses anything other than the base of the tree, but it certainly made good comedy seeing a LR heading heavenward. I suspect my vehicle would just pull the tree down instead.

I believe I will proceed with putting the cabin on my green truck before the engine is in place. I'll leave the nose panel on the cab until it must come off for engine in. It will look more impressive as the workshop door rolls up.

[Jason Linders]

That's really looking good Tony well done

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Tony

Always good to be able look over a project out in the sun, find stuff you can not see in shop light. How did you get it back in the the shop? Push or do you have a winch point in the shop?

The truck looks great, all the detail work shows.

Cheers Phil

[Private_collector]

It went back in fairly easily, Phil. For most of the distance it's down hill, so I just let the winch out slowly, and the last little bit, Mrs B and I grabbed a chunk of bar tread each and coaxed it into place.

[David Dunlop]

Nice looking work, Tony! Will it be out under it's own power next time???


David

[Private_collector]

Probably yes, David!
It has taken 3 years + to get to this stage, so another 3 should see that done. ☺!

[Tony Wheeler]

Originally Posted by Phil Waterman

Question is the cross bar top of the grill on Fords removable?

Not until mid-1945 production Phil. It was one of several cab design improvements introduced by Ford at that time:



It was also post-war Australian Army practice to modify the cross bar during engine replacement, by hacksawing it off and refitting with countersunk screws. Several of my vehicles have undergone this mod:

[Keith Webb]

My FGT has an identical mod to this, I think I'll keep it as part of it's story.

Originally Posted by Tony Wheeler

It was also post-war Australian Army practice to modify the cross bar during engine replacement, by hacksawing it off and refitting with countersunk screws. Several of my vehicles have undergone this mod:

Attachment 78532

Attachment 78533

[Private_collector]

I attended a new years eve party at a neighbours place, and another guest was a fellow from across the road a ways, who happens to have a light truck with a hydraulic crane that can reach 7mts. I had expected to leave the party and retire to bed around 2230hrs, but approx that time three of us got to talking about restorations, and I invited them over to see my green truck. Personally, I didn't think we were in the workshop for that long, but apparently we almost missed midnight for looking over the contents of my shed! The ladies weren't impressed with our absence. A long story short, my near neighbour has offered use of his crane truck to put the cabin in position, so that is now the plan. I did a quick measure up, and found that once cabin is not taking up it's own floorspace, I will have room to put the sewing machine in AND still have enough room to move the gun inside as well. That's very good news. I had been wondering where it would go. By that time the trails will be plated with steel and attached to the axle/wheels, so it will take considerable space from that stage onwards. The neighbour with the crane is also a master boilermaker and can weld anything, so he may get some of the welding as well.


Speaking of the gun, I cut and shaped most of the brackets and shield attachments yesterday, and got those in place this afternoon. I am yet to make one piece that holds the upper part of the dial sight box in place, and possibly another two pieces on the back of the shield (though I dont know what they are for) Also don't know how I am going to make the curved section the telescope viewing door slides / locks onto. It will be metal, that much I know. Probably aluminium. Probably a pain in the backside to make, I shouldn't wonder.

[Tony Wheeler]

Originally Posted by Keith Webb

My FGT has an identical mod to this, I think I'll keep it as part of it's story.

Indeed it's arguably "standard" on Aust pattern FGTs as they remained in service so long! I have 4 FGT front shells and they all have this mod, as opposed to only two of my numerous other wrecks. It's a definite improvement and worth considering for any resto. I've found the most useful aspect is ease of radiator removal/replacement.

[Private_collector]

Even with the nose panel modification, wouldn't it be more likely to scrape the sides getting the engine in? It's a pretty tight fit, isn't it? Naturally I ask this from a restorers point of view, as I would wager a couple or bits of missing paint while in military service wouldn't lead to anyone getting demoted!

[Keith Webb]

Originally Posted by Tony Wheeler

Indeed it's arguably "standard" on Aust pattern FGTs as they remained in service so long! I have 4 FGT front shells and they all have this mod, as opposed to only two of my numerous other wrecks. It's a definite improvement and worth considering for any resto. I've found the most useful aspect is ease of radiator removal/replacement.

Quite true Tony, I'll be keeping the mod partly because it's a part of the truck's history and also for practical reasons.

And it's a fairly easy thing to get the engine in and out with that mod even though it's a bit tight. It's still a LOT easier with the front shell off. As for the radiator I fully agree, you can tilt it forward rather than lifting it vertically.

[Lynn Eades]

Doesn't the manual describe the use of a long wooden pole to R&R the motor from a Ford CMP?

[Keith Webb]

Originally Posted by Lynn Eades

Doesn't the manual describe the use of a long wooden pole to R&R the motor from a Ford CMP?

Yes it does Lynn, there are even illustrations of how to do it, with the lifting chain miraculously moving from one side of the top grille bar to the other.

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Lynn

I've used the engine poll to pull the engine out of C60S and the trick around the hanging chain and the cross bar is two chains. One on each side of the cross bar, once the engine has begone to move forward pulling down on the end of the poll allows the chain on the inside to be slackened and remove.

The problem with pulling the Chevy engine is way is the height of the engine. Which means the lever has to be attached so that is basically sitting on the engine top. Might be easier with the Ford V8 which is shorter but wider.

Though given the time necessary to remove the nose is made up in the easy of pulling and installing the engine, that I only tried it once.

The lever poll is does make it easy to pull the engine the real advantage is installation when you can wiggle the engine around to get it back in place. The only really problem is that it is a two man job, one to counter balance and hold the end of the pole and the other to guide the engine. So once my teenage son was off to college had to go over working alone.

In a REME shop with lots of help the poll approach would be the fastest method. Two men on the pole to raise, lower and move the engine side to side and one man to guide the engine would be quite efficient with the nose on or off.

Part of the problem of course is that the center of gravity of the engine transmission combination is well inboard of the windshield and the front roof edge, so that the poll is actually reaching in under the windshield by several inchs.

Cheers Phil

[Keith Webb]

So that's how the chains are done! The main problem with the front shell removal on a 70 year old truck is there always seems to be one or more captive nut which doesn't want to cooperate. Also it's either a chain block or two man lift to remove and replace it too.

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Keith

Agree the first time removing the nose is a pain but if you have it off every couple of years it gets easier. Having the nose off means you are not climbing in and out of the cab every couple of minutes of course if two people are working on the truck that time would be reduced anyway.

Thinking back on it with Chevy engine in the end I think had to remove the oil pan and oil pump to get it out through the opening. But that was a lot of years ago now.

With all of the bolts cooperating it takes something like 5 hours to have the engine out of the truck working alone. Here is the link to the removal time lapse:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tBZN6nn_zk


As I have said before the reason for me doing time lapse is so that the next time, I watch the time lapse and it cuts down on the relearning curve.

Cheers Phi

[Mike Kelly]

Originally Posted by Phil Waterman

Hi Keith

Agree the first time removing the nose is a pain but if you have it off every couple of years it gets easier. Having the nose off means you are not climbing in and out of the cab every couple of minutes of course if two people are working on the truck that time would be reduced anyway.

Thinking back on it with Chevy engine in the end I think had to remove the oil pan and oil pump to get it out through the opening. But that was a lot of years ago now.

With all of the bolts cooperating it takes something like 5 hours to have the engine out of the truck working alone. Here is the link to the removal time lapse:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tBZN6nn_zk


As I have said before the reason for me doing time lapse is so that the next time, I watch the time lapse and it cuts down on the relearning curve.

Cheers Phi

I like the white coat Looks like a mad scientist at work

[Wayne Hingley]

Great time-lapse Phil. Can you post a photo of your lifting crane? Is it a custom design that you came up with...? Looks interesting.

[Phil Waterman]

Originally Posted by Wayne Hingley

Great time-lapse Phil. Can you post a photo of your lifting crane? Is it a custom design that you came up with...? Looks interesting.

Hi Wayne

Yes the one in the video is one I made up, the cheepy ones that most auto parts carry are not worth much. Here is a quick link to it on my web page, will post some better photos and info directly to MLU later.


http://canadianmilitarypattern.com/Tools.html

More on pulling the engine including how overcome the balance point issue (at the bottom of the page)

http://canadianmilitarypattern.com/H...AUL%202011.htm

The unit I built also works with big flathead V8 Lincoln flathead weighs about 1000 lbs (look about half way down the page.

http://canadianmilitarypattern.com/R...%20Lincoln.htm

Will take some more photos and details of the unit I built.

It is also very useful in picking other CMP parts like axles.

Cheers Phil

[Grant Bowker]

Originally Posted by Private_collector

Hi Bob,

I for one, would like to learn your techniques.

Bob has posted a series of photos with description at:
http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...ad.php?t=25041 starting with post 4 yesterday.

[Private_collector]

Well tie me to an ants nest, and smear my ears with jam! While pottering in the workshop yesterday, I noticed that the nose/front panel on my green truck does actually have the removable upper cross piece. Cool!

Grant,

Thanks. I'm reading through that tyre fitting info now.

[Private_collector]

On Wednesday afternoon I was honoured to have a visit from Mike Cecil. It was excellent to get to meet him in person, and we were able to spend an all too brief couple of hours or so talking and looking over my truck. I had always indicated that the chassis on my restoration vehicle had been shortened by an owner that preceded the guy I bought the wreck from. That is what was told by the seller. Curious, it always struck me, the 'shortened' length was 115" WB, which is precise length of the uncommon tractor CMP that couples with a large trailer. If you refer back to post #55, you will see a reasonable view of the chassis rear, showing a butchered section at very back of both rails. That part of the chassis has obviously been modified. You will also note the heavy-duty springs on rear axle. The H-D bump stops were taken off chassis by previous owner.

While looking over the vehicle, Mike asked about the chassis number. I have checked every inch of the chassis previously, and had to reply 'there isn't one'. Attention then turned to the workmanship (or possibly lack of it) of the shortening. Both Mike and I found no evidence of any modification to the chassis length. No join, no non standard welding, nothing. That is very curious. Mike enquired about what sort of rear body I was contemplating. I'm still not 100% sure, but had given thought to a turntable, based on the 115" wheelbase it is now. In the absence of any visible mods, is it possible the chassis may actually BE one of those tractors???

Mike felt that the rear section of a tractor chassis (behind the spring mount) wouldn't be as long as mine, in order to achieve maximum clearance between tractor chassis and trailer. Now look back to post #55 again. See the boxed-in bodge at back of the rails? Naturally I removed these and had proper profile replacements of same length welded in it's place. In reviewing some old photos, I can now see that badly made box section was in reality an additional portion of length to the rails. The chassis rear used to be considerably shorter. Perhaps too short for some farmer or house restumper, BUT maybe the right 'shortness' for trailer tractor use???

I don't know if the cab is the original for this vehicle, I don't know what other parts have been added or subtracted, except that in removing the rear heavy-duty spring sets I may have contributed to the departure from original specs!

Any thoughts? Do you have any way that I can tell if this chassis was originally 115"?

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Private_collector

Curious, it always struck me, the 'shortened' length was 115" WB, which is precise length of the uncommon tractor CMP that couples with a large trailer. If you refer back to post #55, you will see a reasonable view of the chassis rear, showing a butchered section at very back of both rails. That part of the chassis has obviously been modified. You will also note the heavy-duty springs on rear axle. The H-D bump stops were taken off chassis by previous owner.

Quoted here for easier access:

Originally Posted by Private_collector

Today I made the last trip to my Ford chassis, in readyness for the trip home via tilt-tray, later in the week. Former owner got it to front of his property, and the rope he had used to 'hold' rear axle on reportedly snapped in transit, so he re-roped the axle.

I'm not quite as brave ??? as he is, so I removed rope and chained all together. It only has to last one load/unload on the truck transporting it home, so I am confident it will be OK.

I'm begining to have second thoughts about using this particular chassis, due to former owners efforts in shortening the length. I'm not at all convinced that all the cross members can be reinstalled for a satisfactory appearance. Time will tell and I will take a better look once home.

[Private_collector]

Cheers Hanno,

When I look back at what I started with, it makes me shudder. What the hell was I thinking?