Yes I often check ebay USA for that reason Lynn. I'd like to build a complete NOS gearbox if possible, just to see how quiet/noisy they were brand new. Expensive exercise though.

I was very disappointed to find this gearbox full of rust as it's an extremely low mileage blitz.

Keith,

No, not unfair at all: it made me smile when I read it, as was a good question.

Your supplementary - another good one- will require some thinking on the part of our overseas friends.

Mike C

Sorry Richard, I missed your query earlier. No, it's not related to the steering box. Hint: try the other end of the chassis!

You raise an interesting question though. CMP chassis deliveries to India and Australia differed from Canadian production, in that neither country received the heavy duty axles and steering box until much later in the war. I've never really understood why this should be so. Presumably they were prioritized for Canadian production initially, but that doesn't explain why it took years to switch production from light duty components to heavy duty components. It seems to me there must be some other reason for persisting with light duty components for these particular exports, but I can't imagine what it could be. Does anyone else have any clues...?

As far as the siderails are concerned - to the best of my knowledge there's no difference between siderails on early production chassis (ie. light duty components) and late production chassis (ie. heavy duty components). I believe the heavy duty Chev steering box is directly interchangeable, and the steering box on Fords is upgradeable by changing the RHF spring hanger, which is designed to be interchangeable without drilling new holes. The only other change made was to the F60S/L chassis, which was strengthened in the midsection. That is, externally fitted reinforcement plates, and extension of the inner skin rearwards by approx 2 feet. None of this additional reinforcement was done on the Chev chassis as the siderails are much beefier than Fords.

Back to the Vent Question
 

Hi All

I'd noted the rectangle vs trapezoid vents, and always wonder what civilian application they were drawn from. We probably should not be locked to the source being Ford or Chevy given the mix and match approach to the sources of other CMP parts.

Either type requires a fair amount of stamping and fabrication. So who can find the civilian version on a `30s vehicle.

Cheers Phil

Vents
 

Yes
The rectangular vent was used on Holden built trucks, (cars too?) so it was a standard die design for the vents.

Anyone care to have a stab at the supplementary one about percentages?