What could possibly go wrong?

Keith Webb · #1 14-07-11, 11:35

A post by Mike Kelly on the C15A running down veterans on ANZAC Day has inspired this thread about disasters or near disasters involving collecting, rebuilding or operating old military vehicles.

Quote:

Around any machinery we all have to be extra carefull. Some of us have had close calls while restoring vehicles and even at work . I've had cutting discs fly apart ( the ones you buy at the warehouse ).

Many years ago, I pulled into a petrol station in my restored WW2 Jeep, filled up , went inside to pay . As I walked out, my Jeep was rolling across the court towards a busy road. I ran after it , jumped in and saved the day . 10 seconds later and it would have been disaster time.

I had a c15 wireless van . Trying to move it , we pointed its nose downhill and it took off .. Off it went into a creek, at high speed ! The front springs sheared off , a clean break.

Be carefull .

I've heard stories of tanks rolling sideways off ramps, and was almost killed myself many years ago working under a car on timber blocks. I went in for a cuppa and came out to find the vehicle had slid sideways off the blocks and would certainly have flattened me had I been underneath. I learned a lesson that day.

There are many good recovery stories - I can think of one where an enthusiast (no names no pack drill) decided to salvage a 6X6 ACCO in the outback. He thought he had worked out the ownership which was disputed as he towed it a long distance in low range first gear using a Land-Rover.

Not to mention the stories like Mike tells of disintegrating cutting disks.

So think of this thread as sharing your experiences to help others avoid the same mistakes.

So what's your story?

Howard · #2 14-07-11, 11:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keith Webb

...I can think of one where an enthusiast (no names no pack drill) decided to salvage a 6X6 ACCO in the outback. He thought he had worked out the ownership which was disputed as he towed it a long distance in low range first gear using a Land-Rover...

We could fill pages with stories from this one "Annonymous" enthusiast alone, couldn't we?!

Ganmain Tony · #3 14-07-11, 11:51

Ford 5000 Tractor we were trying to jump start yesterday. Battery had been in it since Moses played fullback for Jerusalem.

Crank it and cranked it and cranked it. Bastard would not fire. Took the inadequate leads off for a moment to let them cool off. Noted funny smell coming from battery on tractor.

Shouldve known better, as the song goes...but we tried to put the leads back on the battery didnt we???

One small spark and BOOM!! Not just a small one either...a real, ringing in the ear boom.
Not to mention myself and the bloke that attempted to put the leads back on got hot acid in our faces. Washed that off very very quickly and had a look at the battery.

Half the top completely blown off!!!

Lesson learnt...wont be doing that again in a hurry...

Mike Kelly · #4 14-07-11, 12:49

I may be shot for this but:

A enthusiast playing with a Centurion tank in NSW got into strife . On a hill top, he missed a gear . It became a 50 ton billy cart and this chap was alone . It rolled down the hill and hit a small farm bridge over a creek at high speed . The driver was knocked out . He recovered .

warren brown · #5 14-07-11, 12:57

You can never be too careful - the older I get the more paranoid I've become.
A lot of you will remember Bob King, who was the president of the Australian Military Vehicle Collectors' Society - on a particularly rainy night while trying to negotiate the road into his property, his Landcruiser became stuck on a log (from what I remember) - Bob jacked it up and the Toyota slipped and killed him. It was a serious shock for everyone - Bob, ex ARES Major, owned a whole host of MVs - Studebaker, Acco Tipper, Land Rover Fire tender, Haflinger etc. been the club president for years, always led convoys on his army motorbike (Triumph I think - maybe even a WLA) and he'd be the first person to get stuck into you about vehicle safety. He chiaked me about not having flashing indicators on my jeep - his death has always stuck with me. How bloody terrible, awful and unlucky...
I love my vehicles - but there's a lot of metal in them...

lynx42 · #6 14-07-11, 13:24

My father had a rear wheel bearing on a 1954 'R' type Bentley seize up and after removing the rear axle, placed the axle in a press and proceeded to try to press the bearing off.
He had the press up to 60+ tons when the phone rang in the house. Mum answered it and called Dad to the house to talk on the phone.
As he walked back to the shed across the back yard, there was a massive bang in the shed and bits of schrapnel came flying through the steel walls.
The bearing cup had exploded into many, many bits and would have killed the old man had he have been there and not called to the phone. He was very lucky.

Regards Rick

Mike Kelly · #7 14-07-11, 13:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by warren brown

You can never be too careful - the older I get the more paranoid I've become.
A lot of you will remember Bob King, who was the president of the Australian Military Vehicle Collectors' Society - on a particularly rainy night while trying to negotiate the road into his property, his Landcruiser became stuck on a log (from what I remember) - Bob jacked it up and the Toyota slipped and killed him. It was a serious shock for everyone - Bob, ex ARES Major, owned a whole host of MVs - Studebaker, Acco Tipper, Land Rover Fire tender, Haflinger etc. been the club president for years, always led convoys on his army motorbike (Triumph I think - maybe even a WLA) and he'd be the first person to get stuck into you about vehicle safety. He chiaked me about not having flashing indicators on my jeep - his death has always stuck with me. How bloody terrible, awful and unlucky...
I love my vehicles - but there's a lot of metal in them...

It was a Harley WLA and he used to always wear those horsy riding britches or Jodpurs . I recall him driving his M37 Dodge with a 318 Chrysler V8 in it . It was the test M37, imported for evaluation in the late 1950's. He was a character for sure . We heard that he was coming home from bush fire fighting when the incident happened .

hrpearce · #8 14-07-11, 14:10

Mine is simmilar to Ganmain Tony's, I was modifying a front end loder from a Fordson to fit a Nuffield when a spark frim the angle grinder flew straight across the top of the battery, all the caps blew out and some of them ended up in three pieces. Fortunately the bonnet caught the flying parts and Dad and I escaped injury.

Hanno Spoelstra · #9 14-07-11, 14:25

"Why 8-year olds should not drive a tank!"

http://youtu.be/i7PgpcvHvYs

Max Hedges · #10 14-07-11, 14:48

a simple test we should all do is make sure that the brakes work
many a time I have jumped in an old vechile that has sat in the shed for a while and drove off to find out the fluid has drained from the master cylinder
one I recall was when we needed to jump start a car so a mate went and got the blitz from the shed and drove down our driveway to fast (ford ya see) and then no brakes, he took the corner at speed with the front wheels hiting a bump and then he managed to bounce around the corner we rushed over to him he was white as a shet but ok

Bob Moseley (RIP) · #11 14-07-11, 15:09

Hi all - the above procedure results with hydrogen gas being emitted. If this is not vented it can easily explode from a spark from one of the battery terminals. I know it to have happened, not me but another person who is lucky to be alive.

Bob

hrpearce · #12 14-07-11, 15:12

This is a good thread for farmers.
Over the years I've had several close calls,
I had a straight grained tree slab on me while falling it for a log.
Broke all the wheel studs and lost the rear wheel on a tractor.
Spun a rock out of the ground with a tractor that left me un two wheels for a frightening moment.
Almost had a dozer vertical climbing a creek bank fortunately the weight of the blade brought it back down with a bone shaking thud.
I now have a bad back as a result of falling 16' when the hay bale I was standing on rolled off the stack, I was 12 at the time.
And I have three pieces of metal and six screws in one finger after jamming it in a wood spliter.
After all this I'm still a farmer

warren brown · #13 14-07-11, 15:17

Max, you're so right about the brakes. Recently my brother and I towed my Willys MB out of storage with my Land Rover Defender - all very gentle and proper etc - to put on a trailer. Checked the jeep for everything, air in the tyres, made sure all the red back spiders were comfy - all good until we dragged the jeep up the hill, over the crest where despite my brother's best efforts the brakes had gone on leave, stopped only by Solihull Birmingham steel. Ouch. Defender okay but the jeep needs new bumper gussets - they're now a kind of steel/origami creation.

As for the '8 year old driving the tank' clip - apart from someones MV crunched - all those people wandering around as if it was some jolly funniest home video scenario. Lucky it happened to be an MV in the path of the 8 yo driver rather than someone's family...

warren brown · #14 14-07-11, 16:32

That's right Mike - Bob was captain (I think) of his local bushfire brigade.
Warwick Lord when he had his property up at Lue near Mudgee had a kind of tourist military-vehicle-experience operation where you could ride tanks and other MVs (before public liability insurance went to infinity and beyond) - he had two Centurions amongst other things, a Saracen, Blitzes, Studebakers, L Rovers etc. and whenever he had a group for a tank ride ride, beforehand he went to great pains in explaining how to correctly board the tank, the dangers in being out of sight of the driver and crew commander, how bloody finger-choppingly dangerous hatches and doors were on all the vehicles - I remember him saying something about 'while they look like big toys - they're anything but'. He did all this without losing his sense of humour or instilling fear - but everyone had a profound, newfound respect for the vehicle and somehow that made the whole experience that much more special. I rode on a Centurion - not a toy - kind of thing...

Bob Moseley (RIP) · #15 15-07-11, 06:12

Then there was the time whilst riding our old chain drive ride on mower. At the top of our driveway the chain broke and I started hurtling down a steepish driveway, the end of which ended up on a main road with a paddock and dam on the other side. Not having the presence of mind to use the handbrake, I executed a left hand slide turn on the gravel at the bottom of the driveway. The mower then skidded onto the road ending up in the middle and throwing me off. Thankfully no traffic came along and hit me. However a motorcylist came along, made sure that I was ok and then grinned and said that is why he rode a motorcycle. We traded this mower in shortly afterwards.

Bob

Keith Webb · #16 15-07-11, 10:00

I know your driveway, Bob and I can imagine your feelings as you hurtled down towards that road!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob Moseley

Then there was the time whilst riding our old chain drive ride on mower. At the top of our driveway the chain broke and I started hurtling down a steepish driveway, the end of which ended up on a main road with a paddock and dam on the other side. Not having the presence of mind to use the handbrake, I executed a left hand slide turn on the gravel at the bottom of the driveway. The mower then skidded onto the road ending up in the middle and throwing me off. Thankfully no traffic came along and hit me. However a motorcylist came along, made sure that I was ok and then grinned and said that is why he rode a motorcycle. We traded this mower in shortly afterwards.

Bob

Keith Webb · #17 15-07-11, 10:04

There's another MLU-er who may care to comment on the excitement gained from pouring a greenish liquid from a coke bottle straight into the carby of a Ford CMP whilst being tow started.

Euan McDonald · #18 15-07-11, 15:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keith Webb

There's another MLU-er who may care to comment on the excitement gained from pouring a greenish liquid from a coke bottle straight into the carby of a Ford CMP whilst being tow started.

I remember seeing a clip of that particular incident in the special features of the 2nd year of the Blitz DVD. It looked a lot like 100 octane avgas being used to poor down a carby, when the engine backfired and the flames were coming out of the top of the coke bottle that was still 1/2 full one has little time to dispose of the bottle.

Lesson learnt, don't poor fuel in while the engine is running.

Hans Mulder · #19 15-07-11, 18:49

I was climbing a gravel creek bank in my carrier, fairly steep. On the way up I found out that the gravel was much looser than it appeared on the way down...well about halfway up she started to spin, loose gravel filled the tracks between the horns, and she drove right out of the tracks...then rolled backwards down the gravel slop on the bogie wheels for about six feet before they sunk into the gravel. As the tree at the base of the creek bank were too close I had to pull the carrier up the slop to level ground to reinstall the track...easier said than done.

My Chev 3/4 ton couldn't budge it. Neighbour came over with a giant Fendt tractor and pulled it up the slop onto level ground where I could reinstall the track. Then she wouldn't start...had to jump start it. Then the fan belt disintegrated.

What a day...and worse, my wife who was riding with me (smart enough not to say "I told you so") had to take pictures... And no I won't post them.

hrpearce · #20 15-07-11, 22:52

Post pictures Hans it's part of the fun.
First look at crossings after a flood it will save you a walk

Second it's easier to drive on rough ground if you tie the seat to the chassis

jeff davis · #21 16-07-11, 05:05

c mon Hans post the pics or send them to Me.

Before a parade I needed to adjust the track so I moved the Carrier to Dry Ground but only made it to the deepest part of the Mud and threw a Track ,Great fun putting it back on
Jeff

Yeo.NT · #22 16-07-11, 08:00

This goes with First rule of working on or recovery of any vehicle "Check the Brakes"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmBmZ...3B1C1E1FB26697

Keith Webb · #23 16-07-11, 08:29

But where's the CMP or other MV??

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yeo.NT

This goes with First rule of working on or recovery of any vehicle "Check the Brakes"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmBmZ...3B1C1E1FB26697

Ken Hughes · #24 16-07-11, 10:51

Not disconnecting the power cord to the sander when changing the disc,sander started and cut through the overalls, jersey,t shirt,and singlet AND THEN SKIN,but thankfully not the last layer of skin,got a nice scar now.
Also the time a mate and i were out shooting and we were walking side by side until a narrow spot and he went in front of me ,shot gun loaded barrell closed,NOT cocked and the bloody thing went off,finger wasnt on trigger either!,missed my mate thank goodness,we tried later to set of the shot gun and it wouldnt do it.
Dont shoot now!

guyvapeur · #25 18-07-11, 01:43

I think it was my last year of high school when I went to work for my uncle on the farm. Being a city slicker I got a lot of rubbing from my cousin who worked the farm also. I was always trying to show my uncle that I was alert and could be counted on to find and solve what might be dangerous situations. One day, I noted that I had a good sized rock in my rear dual wheels. This I pointed out to my uncle. He told me not to worry and that the rock would find it's own way out. The next day, we each took a load of grain into the flower mill. Uncle followed behind me all the way. As we entered the weigh scale, I desembarked from my truck and went to the rear. It is then that I noticed a fist size hole through the passenger side windshield of my uncle's truck. He never admitted to me that the rock came from my duals but when I looked on the seat of the cab, I saw a rock sitting there....and it looked much as I had seen it the day before.

Robin Craig · #26 18-07-11, 02:46

I guess I could state once more that there are many old pilots and many bold pilots but very few old and bold pilots.

I am human as is everyone else here. We all make mistakes. Those of us who are lucky get to learn a lesson and our friends are not hurt. Others are not so lucky.

I have had some accidents which were CAUSED by errors I made, they did not just "happen".

Steel tracks on a steel deck nearly cost a friend his life during load up. I had experienced the same a few years before and offered snow mobile tracks for grip. . . . .

Sadly, those of us who have grey hair are not always listened to by others.

That child driving the APC is negligence, period.

Should not have happened.

R

warren brown · #27 18-07-11, 04:08

I bought a whipper-snipper (line-trimmer thing) - fired it up first time, lowered it into the grass and it hit gravel shooting a stone about a quarter inch big through the back window of the Land Rover - smashing the glass to smithereens. They are one dangerous power tool! Very glad it didn't hit someone though - it'd be like being shot with a .22.

My other close call was a hill start with the Blitz - I was in the cab talking to the local copper in the main street, the truck pointing uphill the policeman standing next to me - unbeknownst to me, while we were talking, two friends of mine decided they'd stroll behind the truck (on the hill!) and stop to have a chinwag.
Said goodbye to the copper, revved engine, released the handbrake and moved forward - fortunately I'm not bad at hillstarts - but they jumped 30 feet in the air. Frightened the living daylights out of me too - could have been catastrophic. Note to self - always bloody check!!!!!

We do have to be careful if we wish to continue with our vehicles.
Some years ago the Veteran Car Club went on a run to the NSW Southern Highlands and a 1910 SCAT tourer was cleaned up on the expressway - several people killed. At the newspaper where I worked, there was (naturally, in typical Australian knee-jerk fashion) a call to ban old cars from our roads.
A similar discussion to the Blitz on Anzac Day tragedy.

It's probably fair to say modern traffic is way too fast and thick on our roads now and there are a lot of very agressive drivers out there. The other weekend I happened to catch up with a few vehicles from the AMVCS returning to Sydney on the expressway - slow of course - and vehicles like the M37 Dodge with its high canvas tarp were easy to see. Not so the WWII jeep however - tiny and slow compared with the rest of the flat-out Sunday arvo traffic doing at least 110 kmh. Cars roaring up behind - the stop lights suddenly on the brakes hit hard, swerving into the overtaking lane...Very, very scary stuff. My blood ran cold.

Howard · #28 18-07-11, 04:12

Always make sure the ignition is OFF before trying to free seized ignition points.

Mike Kelly · #29 18-07-11, 09:01

lawn mowers :

When I was a kid in the 1960's a friend two houses up had a very lucky escape .

His old man was mowing in the back yard , as my friend walked out onto the back verandah , a blade flew off the mower ( probably a Victa 2 stroke foot chopper ) , the blade embedded itself in the wooden verandah post about 10 inches from my friend, at head height

Ganmain Tony · #30 18-07-11, 11:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Howard

Always make sure the ignition is OFF before trying to free seized ignition points.

Its a bloody shame there was no footage of that incident.

I still promise H, that will be the only time I will be very pleased at your misfortune....at least it meant we'd found why we had no spark in the old girl