Hello #3 from New Zealand
Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 11:27 pm
A big thanks to Bill Wolf for assisting my registration here. 
My chosen user name is 'Spanner' which is British for 'wrench'. I live in New Zealand where I am a Technician with a John Deere dealership. My speciality is Golf & Turf mowing equipment. I'm 51 years old and lived in UK for 21 years before returning home to NZ four years ago.
As far as my interest in CCKW's - I am a recent recruit to the world of HMV's and am a volunteer assisting with the Military section at the Museum of Transport & Technology in Auckland, NZ. (MOTAT - http://www.motat.org.nz) where my mechanical skills are proving useful.
We have a GMC 352 6x6 in the collection, on which I am overhauling the brakes and prop shafts after repairing the front axle springs shackle bolts since I noticed the Right Hand Side bolts were broken and the axle was effectively loose. That small job has led me onto the brakes (shoes re-lined and drums skimmed, wheel cylinders overhauled) as well as the wheel bearings re-packed and then the UJ's on all the prop-shafts checked/replaced as necessary.
From underneath the truck to underneath the bonnet (hood) - I need to reseal the rocker cover gasket and so the tappets will be adjusted at that time and the ignition overhauled as well.
The truck is nearly complete and needs minor detailing to be totally 'correct' which I hope your forum members can assist with advice etc. (Wiring loom at the fusebox is a 'birds nest'.) Since the truck is a museum artifact we must try and keep everything 'correct'.
At the museum I've also been assigned the rebuild of an Indian 741-B Army Despatch Riders motorcycle. It was dismantled and painted in Desert colours before the engine went missing. (I don't mean running rough. It was stolen apparently some years ago.) I was presented with the 'kitset' as seen in the attached photo.
Also attached is a pic of our GMC during my front axle repair. (Taken at night, in the store shed). Because it is parked in the end bay we can only work on one side at a time. It has to be turned around and jacked up to allow the half-shafts to be removed by withdrawing them out and through the tracks of the neighbouring Valentine tank ! Luckily it had been reversed in so the whole front axle was removable initially to make it driveable before the rear brakes were stripped - one side at a time.
Everything done at the museum is voluntary in our spare time. So everything takes a long time.
My late father served with the RNZAF here in NZ during WWII and I'm proud of his contribution.
Well that's a bit about me and why I'm here. I look forward to contributing and being part of this community.
Regards to all.
John.
My chosen user name is 'Spanner' which is British for 'wrench'. I live in New Zealand where I am a Technician with a John Deere dealership. My speciality is Golf & Turf mowing equipment. I'm 51 years old and lived in UK for 21 years before returning home to NZ four years ago.
As far as my interest in CCKW's - I am a recent recruit to the world of HMV's and am a volunteer assisting with the Military section at the Museum of Transport & Technology in Auckland, NZ. (MOTAT - http://www.motat.org.nz) where my mechanical skills are proving useful.
We have a GMC 352 6x6 in the collection, on which I am overhauling the brakes and prop shafts after repairing the front axle springs shackle bolts since I noticed the Right Hand Side bolts were broken and the axle was effectively loose. That small job has led me onto the brakes (shoes re-lined and drums skimmed, wheel cylinders overhauled) as well as the wheel bearings re-packed and then the UJ's on all the prop-shafts checked/replaced as necessary.
From underneath the truck to underneath the bonnet (hood) - I need to reseal the rocker cover gasket and so the tappets will be adjusted at that time and the ignition overhauled as well.
The truck is nearly complete and needs minor detailing to be totally 'correct' which I hope your forum members can assist with advice etc. (Wiring loom at the fusebox is a 'birds nest'.) Since the truck is a museum artifact we must try and keep everything 'correct'.
At the museum I've also been assigned the rebuild of an Indian 741-B Army Despatch Riders motorcycle. It was dismantled and painted in Desert colours before the engine went missing. (I don't mean running rough. It was stolen apparently some years ago.) I was presented with the 'kitset' as seen in the attached photo.
Also attached is a pic of our GMC during my front axle repair. (Taken at night, in the store shed). Because it is parked in the end bay we can only work on one side at a time. It has to be turned around and jacked up to allow the half-shafts to be removed by withdrawing them out and through the tracks of the neighbouring Valentine tank ! Luckily it had been reversed in so the whole front axle was removable initially to make it driveable before the rear brakes were stripped - one side at a time.
Everything done at the museum is voluntary in our spare time. So everything takes a long time.
My late father served with the RNZAF here in NZ during WWII and I'm proud of his contribution.
Well that's a bit about me and why I'm here. I look forward to contributing and being part of this community.
Regards to all.
John.