1964 Alvis Stalwart
Discussion
Had some more time tinkering with the fine machine today.
Project Manager Ava G planned things out for us so we had a clear schedule of what we needed to get done and how. It's a good job she's a brainiac because her dad is bloody hopeless
The torsion bars have been causing much head scratching but I think we finally got it worked out today. I have asked various groups/people in the know but nobody seemed to have an answer apart from that they were pre set at factory.
The blue marks are punched dots so as you can see there is one on the bar itself, and one on the tube which in turn is splined to the upper suspension wishbone. On the other end of the bar is a splined reaction arm which is adjusted via a big stud and nut, and sits in a holder bracket which is bolted to the side of the hull.
I suspect they should align, but when checking the nearside bars, they looked like this
Thinking about it, where the dots on bar/tube are is irrelevant as effectively that's the starting point, wishbone position and reaction arm position are the most important things to consider. In the end we removed the whole thing from the side of the hull, let the wishbones drop to full 'droop' into the bump stops (2 of the 4 'shocks' on each station are actually bump stops in a tube) then clocked the bar to the middle of its adjustment and bolted the whole thing up again. With some winding of the adjustment nut it's looking good and the torsion actually pushes the wheel station down to its stops with a very slight pressure remaining. It seems to have given us adjustment for more preload or less if required, whereas previously when the wishbone was fully lowered it'd take pressure off completely and throw the reaction arm off the end of its adjustment stud which didn't seem right at all.
It really is quite confusing as you're trying to consider all situations the wishbone could go through and thinking in about 6 planes all at once, especially with it being an off road vehicle. Annoyingly the centre bar can only go one way or the other longitudinally with either front or rear bar removed, so after that we fitted the front bar and adjusted.
Front shocks/dampers fitted with the remanufactured pins. They went in a treat.
Here you can see how the rear torsion bar is at the end of its adjustment. Annoyingly the wishbone pivots are still very very tight so it makes adjustment difficult as effectively it's seized 'up' in place at present despite being regularly lubricated over the past few months. That may have to be rectified using something hefty and torsion bar 'clocked' to allow more adjustment soon.
Finally the front to centre steering bar was fitted. Bloody heavy and awkward, but another crucial step closer to being out in the daylight again!
Project Manager Ava G planned things out for us so we had a clear schedule of what we needed to get done and how. It's a good job she's a brainiac because her dad is bloody hopeless
The torsion bars have been causing much head scratching but I think we finally got it worked out today. I have asked various groups/people in the know but nobody seemed to have an answer apart from that they were pre set at factory.
The blue marks are punched dots so as you can see there is one on the bar itself, and one on the tube which in turn is splined to the upper suspension wishbone. On the other end of the bar is a splined reaction arm which is adjusted via a big stud and nut, and sits in a holder bracket which is bolted to the side of the hull.
I suspect they should align, but when checking the nearside bars, they looked like this
Thinking about it, where the dots on bar/tube are is irrelevant as effectively that's the starting point, wishbone position and reaction arm position are the most important things to consider. In the end we removed the whole thing from the side of the hull, let the wishbones drop to full 'droop' into the bump stops (2 of the 4 'shocks' on each station are actually bump stops in a tube) then clocked the bar to the middle of its adjustment and bolted the whole thing up again. With some winding of the adjustment nut it's looking good and the torsion actually pushes the wheel station down to its stops with a very slight pressure remaining. It seems to have given us adjustment for more preload or less if required, whereas previously when the wishbone was fully lowered it'd take pressure off completely and throw the reaction arm off the end of its adjustment stud which didn't seem right at all.
It really is quite confusing as you're trying to consider all situations the wishbone could go through and thinking in about 6 planes all at once, especially with it being an off road vehicle. Annoyingly the centre bar can only go one way or the other longitudinally with either front or rear bar removed, so after that we fitted the front bar and adjusted.
Front shocks/dampers fitted with the remanufactured pins. They went in a treat.
Here you can see how the rear torsion bar is at the end of its adjustment. Annoyingly the wishbone pivots are still very very tight so it makes adjustment difficult as effectively it's seized 'up' in place at present despite being regularly lubricated over the past few months. That may have to be rectified using something hefty and torsion bar 'clocked' to allow more adjustment soon.
Finally the front to centre steering bar was fitted. Bloody heavy and awkward, but another crucial step closer to being out in the daylight again!
It's OK my toolbox isn't only this 
Most definitely will have a meet, I'd love for you all to come and have a look. A good friend of ours has a field local that he's built up as a private off road course so hopefully a good place to put her through her paces once finished.
My plan in the new year as a change of tune from wheel stations, is to get the engine in and refreshed/fired up on a stand. Think it will be a good morale boost to hear the heart again. From a practical point of view after 5 years or so in a damp old chicken barn I think very much needed too as some of those valves no doubt will be open and potentially prone to seizing it up. Annoyingly engines are hard to come by now as a lot of the vintage Bentley/Rolls-Royce enthusiasts have bought up a vast amount of the RR straight eights available for vintage racer projects etc. Yes they are out there but the prices are astronomical! So fingers crossed this one is still a good one.
If no more updates in the next day or two I hope everyone has a cracking Christmas. All 6 wheels are on now so after festivities all things being well it shall be dragged out! Photos to follow no doubt
Most definitely will have a meet, I'd love for you all to come and have a look. A good friend of ours has a field local that he's built up as a private off road course so hopefully a good place to put her through her paces once finished.
My plan in the new year as a change of tune from wheel stations, is to get the engine in and refreshed/fired up on a stand. Think it will be a good morale boost to hear the heart again. From a practical point of view after 5 years or so in a damp old chicken barn I think very much needed too as some of those valves no doubt will be open and potentially prone to seizing it up. Annoyingly engines are hard to come by now as a lot of the vintage Bentley/Rolls-Royce enthusiasts have bought up a vast amount of the RR straight eights available for vintage racer projects etc. Yes they are out there but the prices are astronomical! So fingers crossed this one is still a good one.
If no more updates in the next day or two I hope everyone has a cracking Christmas. All 6 wheels are on now so after festivities all things being well it shall be dragged out! Photos to follow no doubt
Nothing finer than rebuilding an engine on a nice day, a set of gaskets fresh oil and filters and a torque wrench plus a couple of cans of beer, emptying for the use of, to hold removed nuts and bolts.
Have a merry Christmas and a happy new year Lew, look forward to see pikkies in new year
Have a merry Christmas and a happy new year Lew, look forward to see pikkies in new year
Too right! I really enjoy engines so it should be a good project within the project as it were. I am going more for the if it ain't broke don't fix it approach with that so will compression test it as a start and if it comes back looking healthy will probably just have the sump off and clean it all out, ensure strainer are clear and set valve clearances etc.
It could be possible but I would say unlikely! I did see your ZT-T and it looked cracking, very much enjoyed reading the thread. I keep hankering after having another daft car on the drive again too but really can't justify the expense and time spent on maintenance etc, much as I do miss those days of blasting around in a thirsty V8!
Old Lady touched tyres back onto the concrete for the first time in probably 4 or 5 years this afternoon which was absolutely smashing. Tyler dragged it forward with his RRC and it was a surreal feeling hearing everything creak and groan as she moved off! Mrs G even had the pleasure of reversing her back into place
It could be possible but I would say unlikely! I did see your ZT-T and it looked cracking, very much enjoyed reading the thread. I keep hankering after having another daft car on the drive again too but really can't justify the expense and time spent on maintenance etc, much as I do miss those days of blasting around in a thirsty V8!
Old Lady touched tyres back onto the concrete for the first time in probably 4 or 5 years this afternoon which was absolutely smashing. Tyler dragged it forward with his RRC and it was a surreal feeling hearing everything creak and groan as she moved off! Mrs G even had the pleasure of reversing her back into place
LewG said:
Annoyingly engines are hard to come by now as a lot of the vintage Bentley/Rolls-Royce enthusiasts have bought up a vast amount of the RR straight eights available for vintage racer projects etc. Yes they are out there but the prices are astronomical! So fingers crossed this one is still a good one.
Surprising given how many green things were fitted with the RR B series, between armour and general service vehicles and spares in sheds the total number of units produced must have been getting on for 100k. Scrapped or has someone hoarded them all?
Great photos for the history books. Thanks all.
It does make you wonder hte, I know the B81 in the Stolly/Salamander is that bit rarer but not by much. I did do a bit of research into it as they also fitted the B81 into Leyland Martians and I had the opportunity to buy an engine that'd been in a Martian originally. Decided against it in the end as it was a lot of money and apparently the Stalwart Mk8B engine has quite a bit more power compared to the Martian unit due to a big valve head. Quite amazing considering the size of them! The Salamander airfield fire tender is more powerful still. I suppose in the 80s/90s apart from having a large thirst for little output they were scrapped by the dozen.
It probably would be better to put another engine in as let's face it technology has come a hugely long way since the inlet over exhaust design of the Roller, they produce laughable hp/torque numbers that are outdone by some Fiestas now. As I remember it's 220hp and 335lbft quoted so it's surprising the thing moves at all. The noise however is just on another level, can't wait to see it spit some flames across the workshop
It does make you wonder hte, I know the B81 in the Stolly/Salamander is that bit rarer but not by much. I did do a bit of research into it as they also fitted the B81 into Leyland Martians and I had the opportunity to buy an engine that'd been in a Martian originally. Decided against it in the end as it was a lot of money and apparently the Stalwart Mk8B engine has quite a bit more power compared to the Martian unit due to a big valve head. Quite amazing considering the size of them! The Salamander airfield fire tender is more powerful still. I suppose in the 80s/90s apart from having a large thirst for little output they were scrapped by the dozen.
It probably would be better to put another engine in as let's face it technology has come a hugely long way since the inlet over exhaust design of the Roller, they produce laughable hp/torque numbers that are outdone by some Fiestas now. As I remember it's 220hp and 335lbft quoted so it's surprising the thing moves at all. The noise however is just on another level, can't wait to see it spit some flames across the workshop
Yep that's been done quite a bit, some pages back I visited a chap that had put a 6BT in and it sounded/looked the business. I think top speed is reduced slightly obviously due to less rpm than the petrol, but you can get round that by putting in the transfer box gearing from a Saracen which gives a slightly lower final drive ratio resulting in more top end.
I have seen R-R K60 multifuel used as found in FV432, Leyland 500 and AF Budge who bought masses of ex surplus Stollies in the late 80s tried modernising them with Perkins Phaser diesels.
Was the guy with the 6BT Goddess the one that built the period race car transporter out of it? That was a great project to read about.
I have seen R-R K60 multifuel used as found in FV432, Leyland 500 and AF Budge who bought masses of ex surplus Stollies in the late 80s tried modernising them with Perkins Phaser diesels.
Was the guy with the 6BT Goddess the one that built the period race car transporter out of it? That was a great project to read about.
Edited by LewG on Sunday 24th December 15:46
LewG said:
Yep that's been done quite a bit, some pages back I visited a chap that had put a 6BT in and it sounded/looked the business. I think top speed is reduced slightly obviously due to less rpm than the petrol, but you can get round that by putting in the transfer box gearing from a Saracen which gives a slightly lower final drive ratio resulting in more top end.
I have seen R-R K60 multifuel used as found in FV432, Leyland 500 and AF Budge who bought masses of ex surplus Stollies in the late 80s tried modernising them with Perkins Phaser diesels.
Was the guy with the 6BT Goddess the one that built the period race car transporter out of it? That was a great project to read about.
The very one. He's a bloody crackpot! He's building a 2CV with a Rover Gas Turbine (aka jet engine)!I have seen R-R K60 multifuel used as found in FV432, Leyland 500 and AF Budge who bought masses of ex surplus Stollies in the late 80s tried modernising them with Perkins Phaser diesels.
Was the guy with the 6BT Goddess the one that built the period race car transporter out of it? That was a great project to read about.
Edited by LewG on Sunday 24th December 15:46
Proper job, that's epic! Where on earth did he get one of those from?!
That sounds like a most enjoyable time MD. Hopefully 2024 shall bring a lot more in the way of decent progress.
Old lady was dragged out today with the mighty Rangey, and turned around ready to start again on the other side. Finishing touches on the 'done' side can wait til later, I really am looking forward to getting the bare bones in with the hull interior painted so we can think about putting engine and box back in after all, who needs brakes?
Safely tucked back in the shed now after a lot of shunting. Of course it had to start raining sideways before we were under cover!
That sounds like a most enjoyable time MD. Hopefully 2024 shall bring a lot more in the way of decent progress.
Old lady was dragged out today with the mighty Rangey, and turned around ready to start again on the other side. Finishing touches on the 'done' side can wait til later, I really am looking forward to getting the bare bones in with the hull interior painted so we can think about putting engine and box back in
after all, who needs brakes? Safely tucked back in the shed now after a lot of shunting. Of course it had to start raining sideways before we were under cover!
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