2008 at the Hammond Barn

[RHClarke]

We got the news today. Chez Marie will be closing its doors in two weeks time. The fellow who owns the house where Chez Marie is located is not expected to bring it up to code, so the doors will close.

Bob, Grant and I had a moment of silence, which was broken by Bob's question: "Now where are we going to get fat?"

It looks like Mike's Restaurant in Bourget will benefit from our presence...fortunately, it is only a few clicks away from Bob's palace.

RIP

[RHClarke]

This morning Ottawa looked wonderful. There was frost on everything. As the sun rose it bathed the countryside in an incredible silver light. Damn! It's great to live in Canada (having fewer liberals around didn't hurt either...).

As previously mentioned, today was a bad news day for the Hammond Trio. However, we worked thru our grief and set about the fall chores at the barn. Bob and Grant concentrated on putting in the wood - I pitched in here and there, but the boys had everything under control, so I played with the HUP. The splitting continued until noon, when we headed out for lunch.



After lunch, more wood was harvested and the HUP got disassembled. The tie-down kit for the HUP is very basic - 12 eye bolts, 24 x 15/16" nuts and six stout metal plates to hold the body to the frame.



The eye bolts are mounted onto hooks on the underbody. The bolts then straddle the frame and the end plates are held on with the nuts (two per eye bolt - one acting as a lock nut). The only fly in the ointment was that the hooks are located in close in areas, such as the end of the frame near the chain locker, and midway on the pax side where the jerry can holder is bolted.



So off came the chain locker and the jerry can holder. As well, the oil filter system was moved further forward to avoid rubbing against one of the inboard bolts. I test fit the two end kits and was feeling pretty good about the fit until Bob and I refit the chain locker. Two of the wooden spacers located at the rear of the box impacted on the bolts. Down came the box - good thing because I forgot to insert the wooden guide blocks in the frame...

After cutting the blocks (which I made on speculation as my originals had turned to dust), we test fitted the box to the frame - voila! It fit. Two Grade 8 bolts were inserted up front and cinched down. That leaves two more to be inserted at the end of the front rails - but I am holding off due to a crack in the metal on the driver side and missing metal on the pax side near the bolt hole. The torture my Metal Mistress went thru in her various roles is still evident today.. I spent about a half hour under the HUP arranging bolts, plates, nuts and spacers. Then I drilled a new hole for the oil filter mount and refit the jerry can holder.

To celebrate the great "mating" I joined Bob for a few more hours of wood splitting. The shimming will have to wait. With the exception of the Chez Marie news, it was a tiring but satisfying day at the barn.

[RHClarke]

Bob and Grant went border raiding on Saturday. The boys will fill you in on that story.

On Sunday, we all went about various chores including more clean up to facilitate snow removal - seems the locals are predicting a good measure of it this winter.

After messing around with a leaky rad (needs to be re-cored), I dragged out the HUP and mounted the front windows just to get them out of the way (a "thank you" goes to John Granger at Speedy Glass in Orleans).



The rest of the day was spent mounting the steering column, which went on with a fight. The HUP steering is held on by a typical steering gear box mounted to the frame. No problems there until it came time to match up holes with the top of the column under the dash. There was no play between the upper mounts, so the lower mount was loosened off. Grant and I aligned the top mounts and bolted them up.



Next step was to attach the steering mechanism to its proper mount. Thin gasket material was used to make up the loss of the original gasket. The arms were connected using one bolt and three nuts - each cinching down a tapered collar and lock washer.



The end result:


I borrowed Grant's Chev steering wheel and gave the system a workout - there was some grit in the upper mechanism, but no binding. All seems well and in the end, I did not use any shims. More testing to follow.

Finally, we can steer the HUP!

[Bob Carriere]

... we were never in Quebec....!

........but did reach the outskirts of OshNahwah.....

Been having a real hard time signing on MLU lately.....!!!

Any ways....... here is the beast in all its beauty....
followed by the former custodian and the new owner..... Bob Gow in green sweater was very helpful in loading the "thing".... it has no name yet...

It was a wet 13 hour drive to and fro..... but luckily the rain stopped just long enough to load....

....more to follow....

[Bob Carriere]

...next batch.....

We towed it to the barn and Grant could hardly wait to start doing some minor facial surgery..... off came the plow harness.....

Cab is a bit crooked but only one boddy nolt is left on the pass. side. Good thing we noticed when loading... the large cargo straps came in handy to secure the cab and box to the frame. Truck is an original... it seems tipper 1943 and so id the Woods box whixh has the brass tag.

Grant had to finally give it a blow job.... correction the mice and wasps nests in the bonnet got blown out......

will probably cocoon the cab for the Winter and store away.....

more to follow.... if the system will let me....

Boob

[Bob Carriere]

.... thar it is.....


...also found in the cab was this piece of shrapnel..... piece of a motor block... it appears to be the camshaft side of a 216...??? showing the rebuilt tag...... not having the Class of Mike in Windsor with his wine glass... we had beer..... Old Milweakpee..... and donated by a neighbour to boot!!!


Finally see what happened to the beer!!!!.... all over the p(r)issteen environment of Hammond......... Mike never did show us what happened to his wine!!!!.....don't Mike we do not want to no.....

Boob

[Grant Bowker]

Generally the new (to me) truck has lots of good features.

The cab is fairly complete, has seat frames, instruments are present (need at lesat some rebuild/replacement), one door only (hinges shot, but the window frame is present on the door). Although the cab looks wonky in the photos, it is mainly because it isn't bolted down properly to the frame (and the springs at the rear of the cab ar in poor shape. The windhield frames seem in fairly good shape, only the left wiper is missing, I forget which matches civilian usage because it depends on which way up they are mounted. There's a solid roof (there was no hatch/hip ring), with less than usual rust at the belt line but with a depressed center that should be repairable. The nose has been hacked to fit the snow plow frame but could be rebuilt as required. Doghouse is there, only missing the round access plate. Data plates are on the dash, shift plates are missing. Steering wheel (wood) is in fairly good shape but a bit weathered. Steering box should be saveable. All panel switches have been replaced with an odd mix of later products.

The dump body still has all of the mechanism (except for a short piece of driveshaft to the pump as well as its data tag. It also has generous quantities of rust (after at least a partial replating of the lower areas) so that it may be easier to make new panels for everything above the framework (some of the braces might be salvageable). The tailgate is also rather beaten up. One tool box remains, needs repair but is a good pattern.

Engine transmission and transfer case are present, precise condition unknown. I think it may be locked into two gears since the shift tower shows signs of removal and we had to detach the rear driveshaft and disengage the front to roll it onto the trailer, but all either turn or should be close to turning. The transmission rear cover has classic cracking.

The frame is pretty well a disaster. Multiple cracks in the area of the front spring mounts with several weld, break cycles visible. I haven't checked all crossmembers for cracks but at least one exists in the transfer case member. One broken front spring, the other has lost its arch. Also a bow is visible in the right frame rail due to loads from the wing blade. Given the number of flaws in the frame I think I should look for a replacement 134" WB frame (the early parts books show the C30 and C60S frames as the same part number). It would be nice to find one with the rails, reinforcements and crossmembers solid, but I think the reinforcements could be fabricated and the frame reassembled if needed.

Does anyone have leads to a useable frame within reasonable drive from Ottawa that might be available?

[RHClarke]

Originally Posted by Bob Carriere

Finally see what happened to the beer!!!!.... all over the p(r)issteen environment of Hammond...Boob

Crikey Bob! I know we like to take photos of each other with a tool in our hand, but this is taking it to another (low) level. At least you got my good side. Good to see you expressing concern for the environment...