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

[Big D]

Hi James P,

Sorry. I’ve just realised I missed your previous post.

I think just relying on the welds holding the ring mounts might be asking a bit much. I figure by the time I mount the ring on there and the gun trolley, the turret will be getting reasonably heavy.

I think what I’ll do is put a strop through the back access opening, one around the gun mount between the mantlet and turret and a strop around each side. I’ll then lower it down onto blocks on the turret, remove the side strops, and then lower it the rest of the way. That’s the plan anyway...

[Big D]

Hi again,

Yes, I saw that advertisement. Very interesting. I have a contact who has seen them and he says the hulls are pretty bare. The damage to the hulls though might mean you’d be up for a fair bit of panel replacement. I see some of the panels look pretty knocked around. I’m not sure why one of them would have had the front section cut out. Replacing that might involve a fair bit of work, including on the inside.

From what I can see, individually, most of the hulls would be ‘doable’ without having to buy two, to make one, if you know what I mean. As you can see by mine, anything is possible. There are still plenty of parts out there for them....

[Big D]

Hi all,

After a week away I started work again on the M8. I’ve painted the US star on the engine covers. That was a bit of a challenge with all the different heights on the covers and it is probably good that the finish is not expected to be perfect. I reckon there was about 4-5 hours work getting the preparation on the stencil right. I had to lay the stencil out, mark its location and then cut it into pieces and stick it on the covers. I think the finished product does look effective though.

I folded another piece of hydraulic line for the throttle reservoir. I wasn’t happy with the first one I made up and I was hoping to get the layout of these tubes as close as possible to the throttle to keep the tubes away from the co-driver’s feet. I think I was only partly successful but it is pretty good. Bending the 3/8” steel tube into that tight a curve without kinking it requires patience and time. Next time it will be copper-nickel tube….

The radiator is back now from being serviced. The guys repaired some of the cores and replaced the filler neck and overflow tube. It passed all pressure tests and I am painting it as we speak. I’ve also made a start on building a stainless steel fuel tank.

I had to make up the rods from the transfer case to the levers on the gear change housing from scratch. My local steel scrap merchant had some nice old yokes with the right thread and it was just a matter of cutting some suitable rod and threading the ends. One of the yokes actually came with a bit of rod which I used. This had an eyelet on the end which I left on there, as it seemed a better option than just bending the end of the rod like the original and in the end, I welding an eyelet onto the other rod. I have temporarily fitted the transfer case protection framework while I work out the nuts and bolts required to mount this.

I spent a bit of time working out where the gun firing cables went. These are in place now.

I needed some space in the workshop so I have temporarily put the ring on the turret and the fuel tank cover on the hull.

That’s it for this week…..

[Big D]

More photos.

[Big D]

Hi all,

I’ve been out of action for the last two months while travelling through Europe and catching up with a few people over there. We also took in the 75th anniversary of the D Day landings in Normandy which was great and the parts markets were a good source for a few bits and pieces.

Thanks to Willy, I managed to get hold of the elusive wee bell crank lever for the handbrake. I now need to make up a rod and clevis to suit this. I noticed that the angle that the handbrake cable runs at is a little odd. The cable arrangement does work but I would have thought the pull on it would have been straighter. Has anyone else noticed this? Nothing appears bent so maybe that is the way it is designed – just a little unusual to me.

I received the seat cushions and backs from Jim at Allied Forces. They are real nice and fit perfectly. I found that with the seat cushions on, I had the drivers seat a little too close to the steering wheel so I have now adjusted that. I had no pattern on the floor in the first place so my original fitting had involved some guesswork. I fitted some new dome buttons to the floor for the cushion domes.

With the help of one of the boys in the workshop and a forkhoist, we have the turret up off the floor which gives me more access to install everything else. I fitted the new seat backs and bases to the turret seat towers, and am now installing these towers in the turret. Once I have the seat frame in place and firing cables fitted, that will just about me it with the turret until it is dropped onto the hull. I will wait though until the vehicle is fully up and running before I do that.

The radiator is now painted and ready to fit.

While I’ve been away, the machining on the block has been completed. The valve seats were marginal but will do the job. Next up is to get the engine assembled.

That’s it for this week…..

[Big D]

More photos.

[David Dunlop]

Good Evening, Darryl.

Nice to see the progress on your project continuing. You are going to be purring around the neighbourhood in it in no time!

I was looking at your parking brake fittings and must agree, it does look a bit strange with such a high angle of departure of the cable from the clevis to the cable bracket. It would definitely be worth fitting up the other half of the system to the bell crank, to see what sort of clearances are available. If it looks like everything clears each other, if the parking brake cable were to run horizontally, with the parking brake full on and full off, then you are on the right track and something is amiss.

I would start by checking the bell crank on the bench first.

Find a good smooth flat surface and make sure it is dead level. Then place the bell crank on that surface, resting one end of the large pivot on the surface. It will probably want to tip over towards the end of the large arm so you may need to place a small weight on the top of the pivot end to hold it in place. What you then want to do is measure the distance from the horizontal centerline of the crank arm to your work surface at the end of the crank arm, closest to the pivot casting. Do the same at the tip of the arm at the clevis fitting. Those two measurements will be the same if the bell crank arm is not bent.

While you have the bell crank on the bench, you may need a second pair of hands to check a second measurement. Have your assistant firmly hold the pivot end of the crank to the surface you are using and then you place a spirit level across the top of the pivot opening. See how close to level you get. Then do the same thing with the spirit level on the clevis fitting at the end of the crank arm. The two level readings should be a very close match. If the level reading is off, at the end of the arm, then the arm is twisted and will need attention.

If the bell crank checks out OK, and even if it does not, you should take a look at the large mounting bracket for the bell crank, on the cross member. The upper and lower arms of this bracket should both be 90 degrees square to the vertical face of the cross member. If they are, then place a small spirit level on the top face of the bracket, oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. It should be reasonably horizontal, assuming your shop floor is reasonably horizontal. If the level reading indicates high to the rear of the vehicle, then the vertical face of that cross member may be twisted somewhat. Only a couple of degrees will make a big difference when transferred out to the end of the bell crank arm.

Keep up the good work!

David