Our LRDG Chev

[Ilian Filipov]

Hi Andrew,
Thanks for that, very interesting info. Must be cross-checked with other sources, though. For example I cannot agree the census number position "on the upper third of the right-hand side panels of the tailgate" was standard. Yes, on the upper third they were, but on R5 the W.D. number was in the middle, on S7 it was on the left, etc.
Cheers!

[Andrew H.]

Yesterday we attached the running boards. As we had only one front r/b bracket in very poor condition, we decided to make two new brackets from scratch (painted red in the photo). Another reason for making new front brackets is that the original "top hat" spacers welded to the under side of both running boards, were so badly rusted that they were un-usable. That created a 50mm gap between the running board and the original brackets, so we made our new front brackets 50mm higher. We then filled the gap on the rear r/b brackets with a wooden spacer. We have not yet bolted the LHS mudguard to the running board, but it looks like it will be a nice tight fit.

Purists will note from the photo that our mudguards do not have the correct curve at the front (near the bumper) for LRDG configuration. We may decide to fix this later, but right now it is not a high priority.

[Andrew H.]

Today we made and installed new sills for the running boards from 2mm sheet steel, made new floor boards from 20mm plywood (the original steel floor was toast) and bought four used radial tyres. The modern tyre specification equivalent to the original 10.5 x 16 inch tyres used by the LRDG is 265/75/R16 but strangely that outer diameter is too small compared to the tyres shown in the WWII photos. The second-hand tyres we bought are significantly larger at 315/75/R16 but much better-proportioned (see pic).They are worn but have enough tread for our purposes. We gave up looking for correct 10.5 x 16 sand-pattern tyres with highway speed capability, a long time ago. But we will have to remove that Yokohama brand name!

[Lang]

Andrew

Nice job.

I have a set of 11.00 - 16 NDT pretty worn but still legal and not too old if you want them free in Brisbane.

Regarding oil pressure. I took a 1945 Chev ute with Motto from Istanbul to Normandy and during the preparation was alarmed by low oil pressure. Changed gauges to eliminate error.

Once the vehicle got hot it would run at around 7psi if you let the revs drop say labouring up a hill it would go back to zero. Did the whole trip and it is still driving back here in Australia trotting along now at 5psi 10 years later with no problems.

I started a serious investigation on the 216 motor.

1. Factory recommended hot oil pressure for a new vehicle 13.5 lbs @ 2621 rpm ! I am sure this weird number is a result of the Owner's Manual Editors asking what oil pressure should the driver look for at 30mph and the engineers could not help themselves and converted it to engine rpm at that speed in the more technical specificatons.

2. GM did not want to put oil pressure gauges in the 216 military Chevrolets because people became alarmed but the Army insisted.

3. I have looked in numerous manuals for vehicles fitted with 216 motors and under oil pressure (if mentioned at all) the best I can find find is "indicating"

4. One source discussed the possibility that gauges reading double what they should were fitted to some vehicles to make people happy - great idea but true or not?

People get confused with 235 and Blue Flame motors that ran at normally expected oil pressures.

So, if your new engine sets off at 25 dead cold and drifts down to 12 or 14 hot you are on the money.

The oft repeated myth that 216 motors ruin the front big end because when going up hill the oil goes to the back and it does not get fed by the "splash" feed is just that - an old wive's tale. Many people believe "splash feed" means the cranks going into the oil in the sump each turn. If they did that the motor would shake itself to bits. The big ends are fed by small sprayer pipes directed on each journal, up, down or sideways all the journals receive the same oil. The mains get the benefit of direct gallery oiling from the huge pump pressure and, as Dave says above, a few drops manage to stagger to the top of the engine to oil the cam and rockers..

Lang

[Andrew H.]

G'Day Lang,
Thanks for your tyre offer (pm sent). Coincidentally Motto called in here two days ago on a camper van tour of New Zealand and we gave him a guided tour of our LRDG truck and workshop. Your comments about Chev 216 oil pressure are interesting. Our motor runs at 15 to 18psi when cold and we have not yet run it hot to see what happens then. But as the long-time owner of a Model A Ford pickup truck I have complete confidence in splash lubrication.

[Lang]

Here are the tyres. 9.00-16 alongside for size comparison. They are not WW2 NDT but a sort of cross between NDT and Chevron.

Lang

[Andrew H.]

Our man collected the Aussie tyres yesterday - thanks Lang! All we have to do now is get them across the ditch

We have made more progress with the truck lately and now have the rear body permanently attached. On Tuesday we went for a short drive to test the brakes (see pic) and we are pleased that they work well. We are determined to display our Chev at the annual Armistice Day commemorations at Lake Karapiro on 12th and 13th November. She is not yet road-legal so we will take her over there on the back of a low-loader truck. We still have a lot of last-minute jobs to finish before then and even when they are finished she will still not be complete. For example there is still no proper petrol tank under the seat, no parking lights, no blackout light, no external condenser, no sand channels, bush bar, tail-gate chains, tool boxes, can-holders, folding aero-screens, greedy-boards, gun-mounts - the list seems endless. But we are determined to get her to Karapiro come what may!