1964 Alvis Stalwart
Discussion
Shame it's not still there Mikey, I could do with another one... Not 
As you may remember the problem we faced last time was that we needed to separate transfer box from centre bevel box, to do this the driveline must be turned allowing some clamps around the centre drive couplings either side to be removed. Something in our transfer box had jammed and stuck solid.
Unfortunately our storage shed got broken into by some thieving b
ds the other night and they took my big pry bars and variable pressure applicators so that didn't make the job any easier. I've had a think about it over the past few weeks and decided the solution was quite simple, give it a clout with a big hammer.
I hit the casing with a sledge and noticed it had actually 'broke the seal' between the outer and the main body of the transfer box, I then got two big cold chisels in there and kept hitting, prying at the bottom with heel bars and working it off the many studs. Eventually it came free and we were faced with a horrible sight.
On looking closely it looked as if the drive dog for forward and reverse was stuck between gears, no amount of prying or tapping would shift it so we prised the whole assembly out instead, hopefully this should leave the remaining assembly able to turn, grotty though it looks!
As you may remember the problem we faced last time was that we needed to separate transfer box from centre bevel box, to do this the driveline must be turned allowing some clamps around the centre drive couplings either side to be removed. Something in our transfer box had jammed and stuck solid.
Unfortunately our storage shed got broken into by some thieving b
ds the other night and they took my big pry bars and variable pressure applicators so that didn't make the job any easier. I've had a think about it over the past few weeks and decided the solution was quite simple, give it a clout with a big hammer.I hit the casing with a sledge and noticed it had actually 'broke the seal' between the outer and the main body of the transfer box, I then got two big cold chisels in there and kept hitting, prying at the bottom with heel bars and working it off the many studs. Eventually it came free and we were faced with a horrible sight.
On looking closely it looked as if the drive dog for forward and reverse was stuck between gears, no amount of prying or tapping would shift it so we prised the whole assembly out instead, hopefully this should leave the remaining assembly able to turn, grotty though it looks!
Cheers Nick, we tried giving her a tow again today but still no joy! We now think it's stuck in the 'no spin' diff which is like a big load of sprung dog clutches inside. I've tried undoing the middle and can get to all but one bolt with difficulty. Both Matt and I have decided that rather than buggering about any longer with an assembly that is effectively knackered, we're going to put a grinder through it either side of this and remove it out the equation all together. It's the very last thing it can be and it's preventing us from moving on any further with the project at the end of the day. Will be interesting once it's cut out to actually take it apart and see what's inside
Witchcraft is all I can say!
Quite right Wizard, it's bloody frustrating this not being able to turn the assembly lark, I was going to use a bit of M8 bar and some nuts to slowly back it off and release it. Unfortunately the very last bolt is right at the bottom and I can't access it for love nor money
Had the day off work today so in between other jobs had a look at the Stalwart. In the end it turns out the clamps turned on their own and weren't splined to the inner shaft! With these knocked round and separated it then leaves the drive sleeve linking bevel box to transfer box free to pull back. Or in theory at least!
This is what it should look like in there!
This is the other side of that, the transfer box side of the bevel box, the drive sleeve poking out.
The internal spline of the sleeve then meets the splined shaft out of the transfer box.
So. These are what the ones on the truck look like
I tried for hours to get them to pull back into the bevel box, but no joy! I'm thinking possibly fill it with diesel for a while and then see how I get on after it's been left to soak
This is what it should look like in there!
This is the other side of that, the transfer box side of the bevel box, the drive sleeve poking out.
The internal spline of the sleeve then meets the splined shaft out of the transfer box.
So. These are what the ones on the truck look like
I tried for hours to get them to pull back into the bevel box, but no joy! I'm thinking possibly fill it with diesel for a while and then see how I get on after it's been left to soak
Hurrah! Success of sorts. Tried a crowbar in there and pushed with feet and bang! Not the skinned ankle I expected, just a broken lug off the spline. Wait a minute... That's a tiny gap. Chisel in there and much whacking and it's started to move at last. Dosed in lots of WD40 for the night as my torch battery died.
That's right the drive from the gearbox comes into the transfer box via that, the dog in the middle is for the forward and reverse, controlled by a small lever in the cab. Exactly the same setup on my Ferret too.
Thought this was a pretty good diagram at showing the inner layout of the whole vehicle
Thought this was a pretty good diagram at showing the inner layout of the whole vehicle
Sorry for the lack of updates chaps, I've been working bloody hard on everything but the Stalwart so that when the time comes I can devote full attention to her. Got a few other projects pretty much finished mainly in the form of my horrid little Spartan kit car so hopefully I can get an MOT slapped on that before Christmas and get it sold so that it makes space in the shed to put the engine and gearbox from Stolly. Unfortunately my favourite friendly MOT man's boss has gone bust and they're no longer doing MOT tests so it'll have to go somewhere more 'proper' which could cause setbacks.. 
Since installing my two post ramp in the workshop we've kitted out the place a bit better with a press, pillar drill, new bench top, big refurbished vice, tool lockers, a beer fridge and finally a reclining leather sofa. It's funny how many new friends I've suddenly made as a result
As I'm feeling guilty I might head up there this evening and have a look at the last drive sleeve to remove as that's the final step needed to remove that arse of a transfer box. Fingers crossed.
Since installing my two post ramp in the workshop we've kitted out the place a bit better with a press, pillar drill, new bench top, big refurbished vice, tool lockers, a beer fridge and finally a reclining leather sofa. It's funny how many new friends I've suddenly made as a result
As I'm feeling guilty I might head up there this evening and have a look at the last drive sleeve to remove as that's the final step needed to remove that arse of a transfer box. Fingers crossed.
Finally an update worth posting!
I removed the front left hand bevel to shaft drive pinion with the disintegrated bearing. This was in an effort to get an extra pry on the drive sleeve tooth from the side with a crowbar as I was having no luck from above through the inspection hole. As usual it would not budge and after much swearing I snapped the tooth off. Time to get radical.
Borrowed some oxyacetylene and set to work this evening, cutting the no spin differential out of the centre and then cutting the strengthening webs out of the transfer box casing. I expected it to be much easier than it was, the job still took a good 2 hours! It was bloody difficult to cut through as everything kept melting into a big pool in the bottom and gluing itself back together, the molten dirt and ancient gear oil fumes I fear have shortened my life expectancy by at least 20 years
With the diff section out of the way I cut the webs out of the case, the remaining gear and bearing sits in a recess in the case so unfortunately I still couldn't slide the gear back towards the centre. I didn't want to cut the bottom of the casing out for worry of blowing big holes in the floor of the truck. Not ideal on something I'd like to float in the distant future. What I did instead was cut the teeth off of the gear itself and them rotated it so it would clear the recess. Hey presto out she comes!
Interestingly even with all this out the drive sleeve still required about 20 proper wallops with a sledgehammer to force it back into the bevel box. Not a chance in hell I was ever going to slide it back over the splines too with a crowbar!
Now the final steps can be taken toward engine/box removal. Clutch pipes disconnected and starter motor cables. That's about it!
I removed the front left hand bevel to shaft drive pinion with the disintegrated bearing. This was in an effort to get an extra pry on the drive sleeve tooth from the side with a crowbar as I was having no luck from above through the inspection hole. As usual it would not budge and after much swearing I snapped the tooth off. Time to get radical.
Borrowed some oxyacetylene and set to work this evening, cutting the no spin differential out of the centre and then cutting the strengthening webs out of the transfer box casing. I expected it to be much easier than it was, the job still took a good 2 hours! It was bloody difficult to cut through as everything kept melting into a big pool in the bottom and gluing itself back together, the molten dirt and ancient gear oil fumes I fear have shortened my life expectancy by at least 20 years
With the diff section out of the way I cut the webs out of the case, the remaining gear and bearing sits in a recess in the case so unfortunately I still couldn't slide the gear back towards the centre. I didn't want to cut the bottom of the casing out for worry of blowing big holes in the floor of the truck. Not ideal on something I'd like to float in the distant future. What I did instead was cut the teeth off of the gear itself and them rotated it so it would clear the recess. Hey presto out she comes!
Interestingly even with all this out the drive sleeve still required about 20 proper wallops with a sledgehammer to force it back into the bevel box. Not a chance in hell I was ever going to slide it back over the splines too with a crowbar!
Now the final steps can be taken toward engine/box removal. Clutch pipes disconnected and starter motor cables. That's about it!
Beaten to it they are lovely pieces of kit. I don't believe they were ever all that common. Very few survive now, the only one I've seen in the flesh was as a static display down at the RAF Hendon museum. Interestingly the early brochures for Stalwart and prototypes look very similar to a Salamander but with a pickup type body.
they are lovely pieces of kit. I don't believe they were ever all that common. Very few survive now, the only one I've seen in the flesh was as a static display down at the RAF Hendon museum. Interestingly the early brochures for Stalwart and prototypes look very similar to a Salamander but with a pickup type body.Great stuff, it's a museum I keep meaning to visit as it's not too far away, especially with a keen interest for this sort of thing and old Jags
Christmas shopping about sorted today under orders of Herr better half so if I get some time tomorrow I'll get the last engine bits disconnected
Christmas shopping about sorted today under orders of Herr better half so if I get some time tomorrow I'll get the last engine bits disconnected
Max_Torque said:
Yup, you're right, you can always do Christmas tomorrow....... ;-)
Love it Boxing day is here and cracking on, as we speak the clutch is disconnected, starter motor cables off. Final step really is mounts and oil pipes.
The starter cables were surprisingly easy as they're simply a pin in a boss on the motor that the cable is jubilee clipped onto a bit like a hose.
All ready for the big lift now. Removed oil pipes both sides/breather piping, fan assembly brackets and engine mount bolts. I could see the generator being a problem lifting it all out between the two swim jet tunnels as it adds about 3 inches onto the total width of the engine so I removed that. As far as I can tell it seems to be made of lead, it's ludicrously heavy!
Made final preparations today for removing the engine as a chap in the yard with a Hiab crane on a lorry has agreed to help us lift it tomorrow. He mentioned he may want to sell it soon as it's not getting the use anymore. Very tempted as it'd come in really handy for doing big stuff like this and he doesn't want a huge amount of money for it. We'll see about that one.
We may lift it and then roll the truck from underneath so we took the hub gear and bearing out of the wheel that we refitted it to when trying to get the transfer box turning. That was a right bugger of a job as the outer race of the bearing had wedged in the hub. We welded some big lumps on it and used some big crowbars to work it out as grips weren't touching it. Here's poor old Matt welding away in the dark
Anyway hopefully should have a proper post tomorrow if all goes well.
We may lift it and then roll the truck from underneath so we took the hub gear and bearing out of the wheel that we refitted it to when trying to get the transfer box turning. That was a right bugger of a job as the outer race of the bearing had wedged in the hub. We welded some big lumps on it and used some big crowbars to work it out as grips weren't touching it. Here's poor old Matt welding away in the dark
Anyway hopefully should have a proper post tomorrow if all goes well.
Tadaaa! Out it came. Unfortunately where she's sat outside at the moment is like a genuine reenactment of the Somme due to all the crappy weather we've been having, really didn't make things easy!
We separated engine and gearbox with some big bars whilst it was on the deck, then split gearbox and (remains of) transfer box. It put up one last fight, with the gear clinging onto the output shaft of the gearbox. In the mud we strapped it up on engine hoist and then clouted the end of the shaft with socket and sledgehammer.
It let go and then finally we were able to send that blasted transfer box off to the scrappy!
As we lifted it the transfer box drain hose pulled off and only then did I remember the diesel I put in there all those months ago! Welcome to Lake Alvis
After a good sort out of the shed everything is now in and under cover, not easy but ultimately a very successful day!
We separated engine and gearbox with some big bars whilst it was on the deck, then split gearbox and (remains of) transfer box. It put up one last fight, with the gear clinging onto the output shaft of the gearbox. In the mud we strapped it up on engine hoist and then clouted the end of the shaft with socket and sledgehammer.
It let go and then finally we were able to send that blasted transfer box off to the scrappy!
As we lifted it the transfer box drain hose pulled off and only then did I remember the diesel I put in there all those months ago! Welcome to Lake Alvis
After a good sort out of the shed everything is now in and under cover, not easy but ultimately a very successful day!
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