my C60L has come home...finally

Darrin Wright · #1 22-11-12, 22:47

Over the last month or some I have had to move my Chev from Darwin to home in Vic.
It had been in the Aviation Museum in Darwin on public display sine 1999 or 2000, and the museum recently aquired a new larger obsolete aircraft from the RAAF. So they needed the room in their hanger around the B-52, so the other items of interest that were not aviation related had to go. My Chev was one of the items.
So through a friend I utilised the services of a truck driver that does a lot of NT work and backloads items quite often. I managed to get this arranged and in place in about 2 weeks as he was running trailers into a remote part of the NT and potentially coming home empty.
So the time and place was arranged, using the same good friend, we organised a tilt tray to collect the Chev and cross loaded it onto the step-deck trailer at the truck stop for its return trip.
The pics are in the museum and the loading/cross loading in Darwin.

Darrin Wright · #2 22-11-12, 23:07

The Chev arived in Vic about a week ago, and due to loads going to the NT it was put in secure storage for about a week until the truck was free to deliver.
Yesterday it arrived in Wodonga, I had it arranged that it would go directly to Grealy's Towing in Wodonga to be cross loaded and delivered out to my house, all this will working in Melbourne.
Pic are of the Chev being delivered by Grealy's Tilt trays.

Darrin Wright · #3 22-11-12, 23:10

more pics of the unload.

Darrin Wright · #4 22-11-12, 23:20

My wife said to our 2 boys that there would be a surprise in the yard when they got home that night.
We wondered how long it would take them to find it or if they would walk right past it looking for something for themselves.
But they found it and soon got themselves into it and over it, checking it out.
As you can see in the pics they both got into the drivers seat to test it out.
Just have to see if my eldest will ask to drive it around.

But before that can happen I will have to:
re-kit all the brake components as there is no pressure in the brake system
there are a couple of leaking wheel cylinders and leaking hub seals
have to fix the leak from the gear box mounted air compressor
inspect all the fluids for contamination from humidity
check and rebuild the water pump as I think it was leaking a couple of years ago when it came out for a car show
there is a small leak in the front of the radiator core
LH head light bulb requires replacing
pull the plugs out and spray lubricant into the cylinders so that I can slowly turn it over by hand to make sure the rings and bearings are not siezed or grab
rub it back and respray

If anybody else can recommend/advise me on what else I should do prior to starting the engine, or maybe I have missed something?
Please advise.
Yes, this may take time away from the BGC....

Darrin Wright · #5 23-11-12, 01:01

many years ago on MLU and Keith's site I had a bit of history and some pics of this truck that I posted up for all to read, but since then I have learnt more about it and to shed more light on it now.

This truck was given ARN 89134, recieved throught NSW as a C60L Unbinned (whatever that means). It has an Army cargo tray on it, that does not allow the sides to fold down- they are bolted in place.

During its time in the Army it had an engine rebuild, when I stripped the engine down it had the milage painted on the LH side of the block.

It was declared for disposal on 24 Apr 1964, it was sold at MGO/3 BOD/ GPI/ T21. What I know of this is 3 BOD is Seymour military area in Vic.

I purchased the truck from North eastern Truck Wreckers in Wodonga in early 1991, fairly complete. It had been a fire truck in the Urana shire (north of Albury/Wodonga) and had been well looked after. Although someone had stolen the dash data plate from it.
The truck only had 14500 miles on it from new, unfortunatly could not claim any new car/truck warranty on it.

being young with lots of money, I conducted a ground up restoration that took until about 1998 when it was put back on the road with a permit in Sydney. I was then moved to Darwin in 1999 and I took it with me. It sat in my car port for awhile, I went to East Timor for a working holiday for 3 months, then it went into the Darwin Aviation Museum on public display.

Now it is home for a bit of TLC.
The AIF markings on the nose cone are not correct, that was my doing to give the truck some identity & character as my Dad's C15A has all those markings on it. But the ARN is in the correct place as to when the Army applied it.

Enjoy

Col Tigwell · #6 23-11-12, 01:04

A couple of fine looking boys a credit to you and your lady.

The truck looks great I presume that you restored it up there

Regards

Col

Darrin Wright · #7 23-11-12, 08:33

I bought it in 1991 and got it driving where I had some fun with it while at Bandiana, then stripped it down that year and had the chassis blasted and undercoated.
I was then moved to Ingleburn Sydney in Jan 1992, where I got the bulk of the restoration completed. Towards the end I had to move it to East Hills in Sydney (now a migrant facility) as I was posted to Holsworthy.
I managed to finish the truck in either 1997 or 98 and had it on the road in the military vehicle club there.
Its 1st real test drive was down the Hume Hwy to Mittagong for a picnic, and then back.
In early 1999 we moved to Darwin and the truck was transported on a float as part of my move.
Yes I did all the work, my Dad assisted with a few items such as rebuild of T-case, making the overflow tank.

Mike Cecil · #8 23-11-12, 18:45

Darrin,

'Unbinned' means 'Truck, 3ton, Stores, Unbinned', so it would have had a fixed canopy frame with wire mesh on all sides, and no interior fittings in the tray. The other stores truck with the same canopy frame was 'binned', ie fitted out in the tray with stacked bins, fixed to the floor, for small, bulk item stores. Stores trucks had fixed side tray bodies.

3BOD was indeed, 3 Base Ordnance Depot at Seymour. The other letters and figures make up the entire disposal authority (rather than the place it was sold from).

Very nice truck.

Mike C

sth65pac · #9 23-11-12, 21:19

Thanks Mike,
I was not sure what it meant either.
Finally able to get on to MLU again... after almost two years.

Good to see all the pictures Darrin. Nice & easy to look at in the future.

Cheers,

Ian

Darrin Wright · #10 23-11-12, 22:04

Thanks for the info Mike, that clears it up. I may have to look out for the bows and mesh sides, down side to that is that the truck will not fit into my workshop. It will be a tight fit as it is with only about 30mm clearance.
This weekend I will tow it into the workshop and see just how tight a fit it is. If it does not fit it can live outside for a while, the sun will not hurt it over summer.

Ian, glad you finally found MLU again, we expect updates on your Ford.

Washed the truck last night and checked it over, I think I now know what people went through when they purchased vehicles from the disposals, missing nuts & bolts, faded paint, spiders, wasp nests, oil leaks, coolant leaks.....the list goes on.

Checked the engine oil, that is good, engine turned over freely by the crank handle.
Filled the radiator, there is now a puddle of water under the front of the truck form several leaks in the core and top tank. At least I do not have the problem of water freezing in the block and radiator to cause these leaks.

John Mackie · #11 24-11-12, 06:48

Darren. there are a lot of things to check before you start the truck. i feel the most important is ti prelube the enginr. You ca do this by removing the disy and rotating the oil pump with a screwdriver untill you get oilpressure. A better way is to use the oilpump that screws to the top of a 20 ltr drum, renove the oilpressure line and connect the pump to that port. these pumps will produce about 100 psi on a good engine. have someone work the p;ump when you do te first start,
i have always used this system since about 1970 on rebuilt or long stored engines. will try and catch up with you at corowa.

Darrin Wright · #12 17-12-12, 12:19

On the weekend I started going over the truck and looking at what was damaged from people and the road trip south. Also check items in preparation for starting, not sure when this will be, maybe Santa will bring me another 6V battery..

Anyway, I have checked/repaired the following
plugs out and cleaned (and put back in)
cleaned the points
checked all oils and topped up as required
replaced the gear box oil due to moisture contamination
tightened all tray bolts (missed doing up 2 during the restoration)
tightened the spare wheel carrier mounts
replaced the bolts for the spare wheel tyre retaining arm
cleaned out the fuel filter
removed RH fuel tank for cleaning
greased the truck
removed the carby for a look and clean out

That is all for now, will try to complete some little jobs during the week.
Must buy a cleaning solution for the fuel tanks this week.

Duane Leiker · #13 17-12-12, 19:07

B-52? It was parked near a B-25. Dyslexic maybe? lol

Lynn Eades · #14 17-12-12, 19:53

There is a B-52 in Darwin.

rob love · #15 17-12-12, 21:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darrin Wright

That is all for now, will try to complete some little jobs during the week.
Must buy a cleaning solution for the fuel tanks this week.

I just did a fuel tank that had been sitting for 27 years with fuel in it. What remianed looked hopeless...it looked like a mess of gum and rust. But a gallon of acetone left sitting for an hour, followed by a gallon of laquer thinner had the tank looking like new inside. Hard caked on deposits turned quickly to liquid again.

Afterwards, I ran some stale gas through to clean up the residue, but that was not ideal. I would have preferred to use the garden hose followed by some alcohol, but that will have to wait until spring. It's -20°C out these days.

Darrin Wright · #16 18-12-12, 10:25

B-52? It was parked near a B-25. Dyslexic maybe? lol
__________________
Rangers Lead the Way,
Duane Leiker

There are both types of aircraft at the Darwin Aviation Museum.
The B-25 that you see in the pic has the tail section missing, it apparently ran out of fuel between Darwin and Adelaide during the war and landed wheels down, re-discovered about 20 years later and recovered.

The B-52 was given to the Museum by the US Air Force providing they could house it undercover, the NT government built the hanger if they could get the B-52, it all fell into place....

Regards

Ryan · #17 18-12-12, 11:53

What a journey, what a truck. Well done on organising such a long haul.
ryan

Darrin Wright · #18 24-12-12, 12:16

On the weekend I cleaned up the carby, removed the main jet and idle screw, pulled the top off. Blew all the ports etc out with air and wiped out the residue of petrol.
I also removed the fuel pump and cleaned it up, made sure that the pumping action worked, so that meant that I did not have too split the two sections.
Blew out the fule lines to ensure there was no blockage.
When I put the truck together, it was easier to put the fuel pump on the engine and have it all together as a running assembly in an engine frame, this time round, with the cabin in the way it was a bugger. Also, I think the truck may have shrunk a little over time as it was a little tighter to fit between the front wheen and the chassis......

All together now, may use the Command Car as a slave start (it is 6V) if time permits over Christmas.

Harry Moon · #19 24-12-12, 19:05

I suggest hooking up a 12 volt battery to the starter in isolation from the 6 volt to the rest. Starter can handle it just don't keep cranking if it's not firing up.

Darrin Wright · #20 01-01-13, 09:35

Pulled the fuel tanks off today and started to rinse them out and clean them out.
I had the Right tank off and poured about 5-10 Lt of brown stale fuel out of it, also found the pick up was blocked and the sender frozen. So I have washed that tank out nearly 12 times with water and now have a fuel tank cleaner in it sitting overnight. Used wire to clean out the gunk in the pick up.

Pulled the left tank off and put a little water into it with the hose, tipped out a thick brown sludge. So that too has been washed/flushed about 12 times and is reasonably clean. It is drying out now.
I found a plastic 3Lt container and have rigged that up under the tray with a flexable rubber hose off the fuel line into the container, now filled with petrol.
Used the Jeep to wind the truck over to check all was ok and to get fuel up to the carby.
Got the fuel up but it would not start. Checked the obvious to see if/where I had spark. No spark.
Test light out and checked to see where I had power to.
I found that the main lead/king lead into the distributor was dirty/rusted in the cap, so a little emery paper and it was clean. Also good to pick a good clean earth point to check spark

Then the truck fired up, ran it for a few minutes on 12V.
Had to refill the radiator, pulled the 6V battery out of the Dodge and placed it into the Chev.
Started up and ran, so I took it for a drive around the yard, then placed it into the workshop with my dad and wife checking to see if it would clear the roller doors. While on the short drive the radiator leak turned into a gush and I was slightly covered in warm water.
I have 20mm clearance on the main door and 40mm clearance on the smaller door at the rear of the workshop.
At least it fits, so tonight it is parked up inside the workshop sleeping soundly with the rest of the herd.
Some pics attached.

Darrin Wright · #21 17-02-13, 11:50

I have been working on different parts of the truck, trying to fix things up.
I have fixed all the lights expect for the LH headlight (blown globe) as I cannot remember or figure out how the light comes apart.
I also checked the carby and fuel pump. Since getting it running with fresh petrol it has used a lot of petrol (like 3Lt per 10min of running). I eventually figured it out when the oil ran out of the dip stick tube. I drained 18 Lt of fuel/oil mixture out of the sump.
I have heard of this happening on other people. I had a small split in the diaphram which let petrol flow into the sump.
Also had the radiator out and repaired some leaks, rebuilt the water pump. Put a cleaning agent through the system and now have some more leaks. When I fix the fuel pum and get it running again, I will put a sealing powder throught it.
I now have the LHR wheel off checking the brakes as I thought I had a leaking wheel cylinder, turns out that the hub seal is weeping from sitting.

Must get back to the BGC