Willanthry Chev Blitz C60L Restoration

[Willanthry]

Well, after some work, the original problem with the Blitz looks like it is on track to be solved. I've had a new engine pipe made to replace the old one which was smashed off many years ago , and it's a beauty. I've also ordered a fuel tank kit from Permanent Painted Coatings to clean out the two fuel tanks, as they are in a fairly lamentable condition.

The Carby Kit i ordered from Chev Parts arrived, and with John Mackie's assistance we reconditioned the Rochester Carburettor in preparation for re-installation. The accelerator linkage problem still needs to be got around, so to speak; the water pump prevents the linkage from going in it's usual place across the front of the engine. Anyone else struck this problem? How'd you get around it?

[Phil Waterman]

Originally Posted by Willanthry

Well, after some work, ....... The accelerator linkage problem still needs to be got around, so to speak; the water pump prevents the linkage from going in it's usual place across the front of the engine. Anyone else struck this problem? How'd you get around it?

Several people have of course done the 235/261 conversion, and the the accelerator linkage across the front of the block is a general issue. In all cases that I have seen it means fabricating a new accelerator cross linkage.

How you go at it depends a lot on which water pump approach you use. From your pictures looks like you are using the 235 stock water pump which is lower than the original 216 water pump, but as the top or thermostat housing is where mounting bolts for the cross shaft connects it is more of an issue of making it fit your thermostat housing. With the lower water pump you don't have the clearance problems of squeezing the cross shaft behind the water pump fitting.

I've fabricated two cross shaft linkages to fit two different engines, I'll dig out photos of both post them and perhaps everybody else who done could do likewise.

While I dig for pictures check http://www.canadianmilitarypattern.c...ifications.htm

Hope this helps

Cheers Phil

[Willanthry]

Thanks to Mr John Brill of Griffith, I now have a pair of Blitz seats that look (to me) as nice as they must have looked when they come out of the factory. Of course, they're too good to put in the truck until I've got the canvas doors, side windows and the windscreen fixed to seal the cabin, but at least i'll have something to sit on when i get the truck going!

As you can see from the photos, the seats have come a long way from what they were!

Thanks for that info as well Phil, that'll be a great help when I get up to it!

[Willanthry]

Well, after acquiring my Chev Blitz back early in 2009, and a fair bit of hard work since then, our efforts were finally rewarded today. Myself, my dad and John Mackie put in two days of work on the Blitz to get her running, and I'm thrilled to announce that after sitting dead for around about 50 years, my Blitz today went for a drive!

It wasn't much of a drive, admittedly, as there's still a few small issues that need to be ironed out, but the old girl astonished me with her virtually thoroughbred quality! After a bit of initial hesitation that we diagnosed as a blocked fuel line, the engine was running magnificently, with the merest waft of the hand over the starter and a touch on the throttle. What an amazing experience it is to bring such a thing back to life!

Thanks very much to you Phil for providing that site about the modified accelerator linkages; that helped us get around the problem of the water pump, quite literally!

As soon as I get the right nuts for the rear left-hand axle, and a missing transfer case shaft to stop the oil leaking out, then we'll be able to take the truck on a much more long-distance drive, which will be awesome!

[Willanthry]

Spent this morning completing the treatement of the two fuel tanks. As you might imagine, both tanks have been accumulating rubbish inside for the last 50 years, and one of the tanks had more holes than a sieve. On John Mackie's recommendation, we turned to the Permanent Painted Coatings kit to clean 'em out and make them useable again. I applied the tank sealant this morning, so the tanks should be ready for use by Saturday. Eventually, we'll strip the tanks back and paint them, and they'll be ready to put back on the Blitz.

[hrpearce]

Toby if your transfur case looks like photo 1 then I will post whats in photo 2.

[Willanthry]

Yeah Robert, that's what it looks like. As i said to you on the phone, I'd say that along with everything else the old Fire Brigade did to the old girl, they've given the transfer case a wallop with something, and taken all the missing bits off and either sent 'em off for repairs and never got around to re-installing them or filed them under "broken" in the junkyard down at "Willanthry".