Built to Spill...

Well, I finally today got around to doing a job I'd been meaning to do for a while - replacing the oil in the main gearbox. Although it's fairly new, the smell tells me it's probably EP90. Many older gearboxes - certainly those on Land Rovers - don't like this stuff as the EP (extreme pressure) additives can damage phospher bronze components. I've no idea whether there are any in goddess gearboxes, however, looking at the EFS paperwork, it clearly states that the main and transfer boxes need AG90 (no EP additives) whilst the differentials etc need EP90. So with another bottle of Morris AG90 having arrived, I set about changing the oil after a good run to warm it up.

Now, when I did the transfer box in the summer, it was half the capacity. So, when the drain plug was removed, a tsunami of oil shot out - everywhere. Had I used my large drip pan? Nope. So having wrestled the plug back in, I set about trying to mop up lots of by now cold, sticky EP90. Masses of it! With that done, and as it was getting dark, I dropped the remainder and started the slow process of getting the new oil in - finishing in the dark!

Once I had slid it back in the barn, I then had to grovel for some detergent to try to remove the rather noticable oil slick from the concrete pan. Luckily, they had some 'Gunk' on the shelf so with a quick scrub and a hose down, I could go home.

Hopefully, there is no damage to the gearbox as it has been getting noisier. However, there was a good deal of metal residue in the oil as you can see from the picture. I'm hoping I've change it in time!

Window Shopping...

Well, a small crowd of us visited LW Vass this morning to see what they had and what they'd salvaged from the recent closure of Williamsons up in Oldham. They don't usually open on a Saturday but Peter, their fire equipment sales manager, kindly agreed.

We had a good couple of hours mooching through the stores which contain a whole range of equipment and spares ranging from brand new, modern equipment to older ex-AFS green goddess stuff. In the case of the latter they have most normal kit ranging from suction baskets to nozzles to webbing belts and axes to first aid hoze nozzles to brand new featherweight pumps in boxes! They also have a large number of what has been the holy grail in the GG world - ex-AFS ground monitors.

Well worth a visit, although much of this older stuff won't appear on the web so a call or email to Peter is best!

This is this morning's shopping basket - a hydrant key, webbing belts and axe holders, electric gloves, spare seals, blanking cap for the stand pipe, male-to-male and female-to-female couplings, spare hose bandages. Oh, and of course - another ground monitor!

Pop Locker...

I took these shots over the summer but forgot to upload them! Essentially, I took them showing the lockers in their much more complete state with virtually all the kit deficiencies rectified, so the vehicle is almost in the configuration that it was for Op Fresco in 2002/2003.

Locker 5 - the tools locker - now complete with two axes, a shovel, a saw and a pry bar:

Locker 2 - this was pretty much complete when I bought it but a few extra nozzles now:

Lockers 2,3 and 4 - this mainly contain hose including 4 new lengths of Duraline for regular use as this needs no drying unlike canvas hose:

Locker 6 - this now houses the collecting head which is an 'extra' as GGs wouldn't have normally carried these:

Locker 7 - now houses a couple of deck chairs (not original!!) as well as the strainers as these have been displaced from locker 9:

Locker 8 - original except for the nurse valve acquired this summer. These weren't usually carried by GGs but are useful for show purposes when pumping in relay - which is what they were designed to do! The ground monitor is an addition, too - this locker had the storage holes but in the latter days weren't carried. Great for squirting lots of water safely! The hearth kit was a chance find at Witham SV (who sold them off in 2005/2006) - complete, as new and a bargain at £35!

Locker 9 - the gerry cans are still at the back as is the water container. This locker should house the strainers but it currently serves to store the oils and lubricants etc. The correct GG fuel filler funnel is new and was en eBay find.

Forever Autumn

Well, after a significant period of no activity, I finally had the time to get to the barn to run both 326 and 32 (the petrol carrier). I hadn't visited for 7 weeks and 326 hadn't turned a wheel since the end of July!

Anyway, after a few pumps of the accelerator, 326 fired into life and burbled away for a good 20 minutes to blow away the cobwebs and charge the battery.

No real jobs to do other than pop the absorbent battery mat underneath the battery, although that reminds me that the isolator switch still isn't finished! I only started this time last year!!! Hey ho....


Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone on O2

The Bad Oil...

 

I'm sure gear box oil shouldn't be black!

 

 

 Red thing on the right? That'll be the nurse valve. Rare as stuff that is excreted by rocking horses.

After a few weeks of neglect, the on-going servicing tasks continued apace today! Predictably this involved parting with more hard-earned cash and ordering yet more oil from Morris Lubricants. The target this time was the gear box and transfer box which require AG90 rather than the EP 90 used in the differentials and steering box etc, presumably because of phospher-bronze components which don't work well with the extreme pressure (EP) additives. The main gearbox was full with new oil having been serviced last year when the clutch was changed (although it's filled with EP 90 so I will change this soon). The transfer box, however, was a different story!! The oil (EP 90) was black with an awful lot of fine sediment in. So, this was drained and bottled then replaced with new AG 90. This took ages to pour in - trying to use a straight funnel to pour two litres of thick oil into a filler hole which is vertical takes some time and patience! Anyway, another job done....

I then tried to get EP 90 into the steering box using an oil gun but this proved to be troublesome and I suspect I ended up wearing more than went into the nipple! Hey ho, a job to be completed another day!!

I then dropped the newly-acquired nurse valve into the locker. These were used when 6 inch pumping from machine to machine in the AFS days to prevent too much pressure building up in the pump. I borrowed one at Derby Fire Show but as it is useful to have one, I acquired one from a fellow owner yesterday.


Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

Derby Emergency Services Show

Well, after much planning a good few green goddesses and other ex-AFS vehicles assembled back in mid-June at Markeaton Park in Derby along with their more modern counterparts for the Derby Emergency Services Show.

One of the larger fire shows in the country and equally inconvenient for many RSOLES, it was the aim to get as many of the ex-AFS fleet there as possible including 326 and the new petrol carrier which had been worked on over the spring.

After much juggling, the majority of the vehicles arrived on the Friday with me arriving later in the evening in 326 after being stuck on a course in Birmingham for the day. Great day to have a course there, no traffic problems at all! Tony had already collected the petrol carrier that day.

After camp was pitched, old and new acquaintences were made and remade over a few beers before day one.

Despite the show having a leisurely start, the Saturday started with the road run for local children. So a number vehicles headed for the childrens' hospital to collect the passengers before a 3-4 mile circuit of Derby arriving back at the park.

Gathering for the start of the road run:

Then, the normal show routine began with bouts of eating, sitting and chatting accompanying the demonstrations in the ring. I helped crew the wartime demo, the AFS pumping demo coming at the end. Having never pumped with 326 using the 6" hose, it was good to have a go and whilst aspects of the demo need refining, it all basically worked. After some evening training and more beer, Sunday arrived and took on a similar pattern. The AFS demo went much more smoothely although all too soon it was time to pack up and go home. A good weekend - good company, good fun.

Tony's AFS command vehicle and wrecker:

326 and another goddess with the petrol carrier:

The first outing for the petrol carrier!:

There is another report from David Moore's NFS-AFS site here:

http://nfs-afs.org.uk/2013/07/07/derby-fire-show/

Additional pictures on Flickr can be found here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mj_100/sets/72157634141372659/with/9063277030/

Ancient Oil...

A successful day and another few bits and bobs done. The priority today was to service the main pump at the rear of 326. Although I have used this a couple of times, I have never really paid any attention to it other than to briefly check the levels... So, with the special 'Liquimatic No 6' hydraulic oil and K99 water resistant grease having arrived from Morris Lubricants in the post (these were the oils and grease recommended for use when in service with the EFS), I was all set.
 

With the pump being mounted at chest height, it was either a climb to get into the top of the pump through the top cover or a crawl underneath... Awkward either way! The main pump was drained easily enough - the drain plug was easy to find. The primer was a pain - there was a lot of water in there to start with and it took ages to drain, a torrent then a dribble, then another torrent. In the end, a cloth underneath on the floor and leaving it over lunch did the trick although flushing some new oil through did help!

 Water pouring out of the primer drain tap:

 The 'draining cloth over lunch method' - saves sitting underneath holding a bottle and funnel....:

Once drained, both parts were filled with new oil up to half way up each level glass. Then the pump gland lubricator was removed and the old grease scooped out before being replaced. Once done, the priming handle mechanism was well-greased and now works much more smoothly.

Primer assmbly cleaned and greased:

 

Level glasses filled half way up:

 

Then, one of the outlet taps was re-packed and for the finishing touch, I repainted the drain cock taps front and back light blue as they were originally:

Then, with all the three prop shafts re-greased yesterday (half a tub of grease gone!!) I checked the front swivels (fine) and the front and rear diff; the rear needed about 200ml and the front 250ml. The front looked a bit dirty so that can be changed at a later date although the lack of drain plug did confuse me but apparently undoing the diff cover at the bottom will drain it. Strange but simple I suppose!

A few other odd jobs done such as putting on the height warning above the windscreen and the first aid hose 'on / off' labels (as I always forget) and it was time for home.

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device