Nathans F15A Resto

[Nathan O'Malley]

Hi all,

Thought id introduce myself to the forum. I have recently purchased a little F15A from a farmer in the Mallee, Cant wait to get started on it this is my first Blitz restoration so I'm sure ill have lots of questions any input regarding the old girl will be greatly appreciated.

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Nathan

Hope you enjoy your CMP as much as I have enjoyed mine, much easier to get information on CMPs today with the internet than nearly 40 years ago when we were mailing letters around the world to ask questions. Wanted to mention the doing things by mail because when I got started sent a number of letters to CMP owners around the world asking questions, and the Australian's who beat everybody in the speed and detail of their letters responding to my questions with photos and detailed drawings.

So ask away on your questions, though the search feature on MLU works pretty good, lots of times it is matter of how to phrase the search, if you got a question about a part or how something goes together post a photo. Sometimes you will get a response and sometimes somebody may direct you to a thread on the topic that has already been discussed.

Cheers Phil

PS- Before you start disassembling things take lots and lots of photos, my photos have helped me lots of times on things like whats this part or what order does it go together.

[Richard Coutts-Smith]

Welcome Nathan, double check with the farmer that you got all of it, all the hard to get bits (doors, engine covers etc) are hard to get because they are removed for convenience, then left behind a tree on the back 40, or chucked in the old dam because it was a pain, or,we use that bit as a chicken coop, and that bit is in the shed as a paint shelf OR (my favourite)that bits hanging on the wall 'cause it's history that is; the grandkids might want it.
Very hard to ask a stupid question on this forum, if you don't get a reply, it is not lack of interest, it is because no one knows the answer.
Have fun!
Rich.

[Jacques Reed]

Hi Nathan,

Welcome to the forum also.

Good advice from Richard and Phil. Bits are often left behind especially doors. I found one in a loft in a suburban workshop in Moorabbin Vic.
the crane truck was in the yard and the door was an inconvenience to open and close for the operator so into the loft it went.

Photos are one of the best tools. When I started my restoration there was only 35mm film around and at 50 cents per print one was judicious with the use of the camera.

Now thanks to digital cameras I take stacks of photos of everything I do, plus the date on the photo's file information is a good automatic log. It is amazing what you can forget even after a few weeks away from a disassembled part.

Nice little F-15A. Small enough to work on in an 18' x 24' shed which is one of the reasons I chose that model to restore also.

As you proceed with the restoration enjoy the ride!

Cheers,

[Robin Craig]

Welcome to the friendly forum

[Mike Cecil]

Welcome, Nathan, and ditto to all the above.

A couple of points about your F15A. It has an Australian '44 pattern cab, meaning the 'hard' doors were not fitted, but demountable canvas doors covering a flat steel frame. You can tell by the inserts in the leading edge of the door opening, and there will be a flat across the bottom edge to prevent objects on the floor vibrating out through the door openings as you drive along.

As you disassemble, try and locate the chassis number stamped into the top flat of the right side chassis member adjacent to the front (engine) cross member. Probably begins with '3G' or '4G'. This will be the key to locating your particular truck in the vehicle registers in AWM126, which are now online - hours of amusement ahead of you looking for your vehicle.

NO question is too elementary or simple - we are all glad to help a fellow enthusiast, so ask away.

Mike

[Nathan O'Malley]

Thanks for the advice guys

Have checked with the farmer he has only had it for two years he was going to use it to tow field bins but his son was killed in a truck accident and the farm has gone to pieces since he did manage to find the other half of the front right wheel in the farm dump at the moment its wearing a tipper front rim I think.

the rest of the truck may be spread over 3 properties so just as well we know all the farmers it belonged to we may still be able to track down its missing parts.

[Nathan O'Malley]

Finally got my Blitz home a couple of days ago and work has commenced so starting a thread for its restoration.

first question I have is I have noticed working away on it that there is cloth wrapped wire straps all over the place connecting panels to panels body to chassis parts to chassis would it be safe to assume I'm looking at bonding for a signals truck or do they all have these straps?

You can see one of the straps in the attached picture of the starter motor, sorry about the quality I was pulling the starter out so I was focusing on that.

[Tony Smith]

Nice start!

The bonding straps aren't cloth wrapped, they're braided copper. They do reduce radio static and the vehicle will usually have an "S" painted on it to indicate "supressed". It will not necessarily mean it was a radio equipped vehicle, but used around radio-equipped vehicles or other installations.

Do you know anything of the history of the vehicle? I only ask because you are in SA and the Blue paint is similar to another vehicle with significant SA History in THIS THREAD, the Bonython Lake Eyre Exploration Party (BLEEP) jeep.

[Mike Cecil]

Hanno,

Can both Nathan's threads be linked, please? That way we get to see all his F15A images and the comments about same, in the one place.

Mike

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Mike Cecil

Hanno,

Can both Nathan's threads be linked, please? That way we get to see all his F15A images and the comments about same, in the one place.

Mike

Done, threads merged.

Hanno

[Mike Cecil]

Thanks Hanno.

Mike

[Nathan O'Malley]

Originally Posted by Tony Smith

Nice start!

The bonding straps aren't cloth wrapped, they're braided copper. They do reduce radio static and the vehicle will usually have an "S" painted on it to indicate "supressed". It will not necessarily mean it was a radio equipped vehicle, but used around radio-equipped vehicles or other installations.

Do you know anything of the history of the vehicle? I only ask because you are in SA and the Blue paint is similar to another vehicle with significant SA History in THIS THREAD, the Bonython Lake Eyre Exploration Party (BLEEP) jeep.

Ah well there you go, the straps seem to be every where connecting everything.

Unfortunately no, we know very little about this truck so far, its data plates are missing and it has been a bit of a ring around to find who the truck may have belonged to but my mother remembers it sitting in the local mechanics yard at Karoonda well back in to the 80's

it's had a life however the truck has been painted several colours in its time

[Nathan O'Malley]

So I was all over the truck taking pictures yesterday before I started pulling things apart so ill have a bit of a photo dump here.

Yesterdays mission was the removal of the starter motor it was getting electricity but it wasn't kicking in the issue seems to be a busted wire in the front of the starter motor so that delays my ideas of firing it on the starter for a bit. The compression in the engine is preventing us from starting it via crank so I've got a job ahead of me to free that up.

as for the rest of the truck despite its appearance & agricultural spec modifications and maintenance everything is turning and there is no leaks beyond what is expected and everything is coming out or apart without trouble.

heading to the old truck wreckers down my way this weekend on the rumour there is a couple of blitzes there, hopefully I can find my missing body panels on them.

[Nathan O'Malley]

Pulled the plugs today to see if I could find any with corrosion seems its previous owner stated it may have a cracked sleeve.

Sure enough number 6 is showing signs of corrosion on the piston head and plug, wont know how bad it is until we open it up so the engine is on hold now, efforts refocussed on cab disassembly and finding the missing panels we need.

[Mike Cecil]

Nathan,

I noticed in an earlier post that you have the drivers seat, and what appears to be the original seat spring base with the curved shape back. It might look dilapidated, but those spring bases are not easy items to find.

Also, the images don't quite show the back of the drivers seat, which, for a late production vehicle with Aust '44 patt cab and round military gauge dash board set, should be the Australian 'wide back' variant - slightly wider at the top to accommodate the shoulders more comfortably, and tapering down to the same width as the seat base. You will be looking for another of this wide-backed type for the passenger side.

Just a couple of thoughts...

Mike

[maple_leaf_eh]

Welcome.

As has been intimated, MLU is a very collegial place to learn and share. No matter what comes to mind, remember you're not the first person to worry or wonder.

The advice about tracking down the missing bits might become a compulsion! These green trucks have a tendency to accumulate in the yards and driveways. Now departed Alex Blair, who limited his collecting to paper manuals, coined the nickname "Rusty Old Truckers" or Rotters, for the likes of us.

You'll find you have to become an amateur metal worker. The Hammond Barn crew are a stellar example of self-taught fabricators. In their professional lives, none of them swung a rubber mallet, sparked a weld, or changed an axle seal. But of necessity, they are now setting a high standard of workmanship.

A professional colleague of mine uses the phrase, move move lose, as the biggest threat to any form of collection or archives. I know my father's example is to spread things out horizontally but my mother's nature was to keep like things together. It saves space, focuses the mind, and prevents over-buying of shiney bits. I find organizing my parts with durable hang tags and some numbering system, tracked in a spreadsheet, makes restarting a project after any length of time, so much easier.

[Nathan O'Malley]

Better image of the seat for you Mike.

base is certainly as you describe, I've got it all wrapped up to protect what is left of it

Spare part search is progressing, I have a truck wrecker on to it for me he has a Chev in the yard but no Fords but has contacts so hopefully that will turn up some of the missing parts I need.

[Nathan O'Malley]

silly question

The steering wheel, how do you get the bugger off? we have been poking and prodding at it for a while now and it seems firmly attached, have removed the nut but nothing it budging.

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Nathen


What ever you do loosen but DO NOT remove the nut all the way while you attempt to remove the wheel. Have seen many steering wheels and steering shafts totally ruined by having the top of the shaft spread from use of a puller.


I would start with using your favorite penetrating solution, I like acetone mixed 50/50 with automatic transmission fluid. Just keep squirting the nut threads and after you have backed the nut off a couple of turns under the nut.


If the wheel is fitted with puller bolt holes then use a puller. With a puller cap spreading the push on the top of the shaft and nut. Tighten the puller up reasonably don't over due it. Then give the puller screw a sharp tap with a hammer. I have also vibrated it gently with an air chisels with a flat punch tool.


If the wheel doesn't have puller bolt locations, I have made a wood collar to go under the wheel, good snug fit around the hub not on the spokes seem work best. When we did this last on a Model A we made it up out of 2 inch thick oak unit was made in 2 halves that bolted together. Couple of long bolts and flat plate on the top side with a spacer to push on the end of the shaft and the nut. Then hit the center of the plate over the shaft a couple of smart hits.


Cheers Phil