How To: Restoration of Ford M8 armoured car US Ordnance number 7373

[Big D]

Hi all,

Here are a few more pictures showing some more work on the hull.

The ring gear is in its jig just awaiting the water cut parts to be produced which will be spliced into it.

The vertical cuts have been done on the sponson sides on the front part of the hull. This has given good access to the internals and all the rough edges have been tidied up ready for the two pieces to be mated together.

New pieces of plate are being cut to replace the section cut off from the sponsons on both sides of the rear hull piece.

The bolted pieces of steel shown have been put in place to enable the hull to be quickly brought back into the roughly correct position once the ring gear is ready to go back in.

Progress….

[Big D]

The ring gear photos.

[Big D]

A few photos of some parts being cleaned and repaired.

[Big D]

Hi all,

Just a few new pictures of some more work on the hull.

The new sections of the turret ring gear have been water cut and are ready to be spliced into the ring. That water cutting is impressive. The replacement panels for those cut off the rear hull pieces have also been prepared.

I hadn't noticed it until now but I am missing a U bolt off the rear springs. Does anyone happen to have one of these spare?

[Big D]

Hi all,

Slow progress continues with this. Along with cleaning up the brake parts I have been working on the first axle and getting it ready for blasting and paint.

After a long battle with getting the three countersunk slot screws holding the brake drum out, I now have one hub apart and stripped.

I am still working on the other one. This side had no drum and no axle fitted and has been exposed to the elements so the hub locking nut is completely frozen. It is work in progress....

I am also removing the torque rods so that I can eventually fit the new torque rod ends I have. How do you guys normally remove these torque rod ends from the pins on the axle? They are too big for any of the pullers I have so I am looking into buying a hydraulic puller of maybe 5 ton?

Does anyone have any experience with these hydraulic pullers in this application? Will 5 ton cut it?

Something I noticed today was that the two sets of turret seat mounts I have are two different lengths. One set is 3 “ shorter than the other. Was this a change made when the armoured floor was fitted?

[Lynn Eades]

Hi Darryl, are you removing the backing plates to get at them?
5 ton probably won't do it, but who knows. As a rule a nice clean taper releases easiest. Are the joints scrap? if you can get some weight behind them and then give them a good clout on the side, they just might pop off?

[Big D]

Hi Lynn,

Thanks for the reply. Not sure which backing plates you are referring to though?

Yes, the existing joints are scrap. I have NOS ones to replace them, so basically just need to get them off. I was just looking for a subtle way to do it!

I've been lubricating the tapered pins they are mounted on for the last couple of weeks. I've given the joints a wee bit of a 'tap' with a hammer but I guess a cold chisel and a bloody big hammer on the torque rod ends would be worth a go.