stephenellis

Day four has been great. It started with the two front tires being inflated and holding air which after 30+ years being flat was a surprise. We had a huge list of jobs to do and we got them all done in great time. The prop shaft came off with no problem. All the nuts and bolts were nice and free. May have something to do with the hydraulic crane leaking oil all over them. As I have never worked on anything this size or age before I was not sure if I was going to need big tools but so far I have managed with 1/2 inch and 3/8 inch sockets and a rather large hammer. With the air in the front tires the ground clearance was greatly improved. My 3 ton jack slid in no problem and raised the nearside front (drivers side but here in the UK that is the nearside) and without even adjusting the brakes the wheel spun free. So that's all the wheels turning freely. The tree stump was next on the list so it was out with the chainsaw. We cut it flush with the ground so the truck will roll over the top of it. And we dug out some more roots to clear the front axle. Almost ready to bring home with all the small jobs done and the loose panels removed. The bonnet came off in a few pieces and has been kept so we can fabricate a copy. While we had the bonnet off we took the chance to get the engine cleared of leaves and years of rust, moss and birds nests. The motor looks quite daunting but I am sure it will spring into life with a little TLC. Tune in next time for the gripping installment of the return of the Mack. Same Mack time, Same Mack channel.

just a quick update on my progress. The front tires are holding air and I have only one more wheel to free off and a little bit of a tree stump to remove and I can bring her back home.

just to let you guys know that the truck is around 7.5 ton. the gross train weight is 6.1 ton. think I may chance my luck and pull her home. What's a few tons between friends?!?

thanks guys. I have lots of photos on my profile and my blog. will make sure I take lots more as the adventure continues. ....

thanks, trying to figure out how I am going to get it home. Will need a spec lift. any problems towing them?

could anyone please tell me how heavy my truck is? It's a 1949 lfsw with nothing on the rear. Thanks. Stephen Ellis

http://youtu.be/4L0AZVWroYk

http://youtu.be/UUIN1Yjdrss http://youtu.be/qbjjZvppIXQ

Day three of the recovery: It was a fairly early start for day three. The mission for this visit was to remove tree and clear underneath. The tree put up a brave fight and was much taller than we thought but armed with only a bushman saw and a length of rope (needed to make sure the tree didn't fall through a building) we set about it. I decided to take the top off first so started just above the radiator cap and took out the thinner of the two trunks first. With this coming down with no deaths or damage to property the second and much thicker trunk was exposed. All went well with this apart from blocking an access road with the fallen tree so we cut it into smaller lengths and cleared the road. Once the top was removed (all those hours watching the discovery channel paid off) I went to the trunk that was below and growing through the bumper. Cutting through was a bit tough but the use of a ten ton jack helped with the last bit. Next on the to-do list was trying to get the rear axles in the air and clear under the wheels. The first wheel in the air was the passenger rear most wheel. I decided to give the brake actuators a bit of a bang with my little hammer on the off chance that it may budge. To my surprise it looked like it moved a little. Then came the larger hammer and a bit of brute force. After a lot of sweating and a few choice words I thought I would stand on top of the wheels so I could get a bloody good swing and to our surprise the wheels budged. I felt like I was on the log roll and we got it going a little bit, then a lot and finally doing a full 360 with movement in the prop shaft. With this we were spurred on to try and see if it was a fluke or if the other rear wheels could be freed. Considering this truck was last moved in the early 80's I was not holding my breath. But the luck of the gods was with us and we managed to get two more sets of wheels moving with the exception of the drivers rear most wheels not budging. I think this may have been caused by a newer looking brake actuator and a lack of access to swing my hammer. But we decided to call it a day and head home. Knowing that the back end is pretty much rolling and we could recover it with a spec lift truck or a home made A frame we are quite happy. Looking forward to day four...... will keep you posted. Stephen Ellis. P.S thanks to Vlad and Lucas for all their information.

Day two and it's time to dig ! After being parked up for more than 30 years (estimated by staff on the estate) we knew it was going to be a challenge to free the truck from it's resting place. With a car full of picks, shovels, hammers, saws and other assorted bits of kit we headed down for day two and starting to remove some of the things that had been placed on, under and inside the truck. There was a 1 foot mound of dirt that had built up along the length of it and we got the use of a mini digger to start us off. Once the digger had ran the length of the truck (almost tipping over a few times) and moved most of the muffin top that had built up we were able to get in with the shovels. We were digging for quite some time when we found what must have been the original road that the truck was parked on. As I cleared the sides my partner was on the inside throwing out all sorts of rubbish including a BMX. She was clearing under the bunk and came across some documents including the operators report of motor vehicle accident and the operating instructions from the Detroit Diesel Engine Division which had to be tied to the motor. With the inside starting to look like a truck even if you could see daylight through almost every panel and floor. We discovered the 3 pedals, two sticks and many other bits and bobs of which I have no clue what they are but I'm sure in time all will become clear. The underside was quite a task but hitting concrete spurred me on to get as much cleared as I could before my back gave out. I started at the left front tire and worked my way back. Putting a 3 ton jack under the bottom arm I tried to lift it but the tree growing through the front bumper had other ideas. Next time I must remember to take my chainsaw. Giving up on that we worked along the side and exposed the tires (front two are flat) and the bed it sits on. On the rear is a small crane which over the years has dumped lots of fluid down through the truck and working from the front there was lots of oily sticky mud to clear. The blacksmith on site said he will take the crane off if he gets a chance before we next go down. Looking at the drive train it all seems to be there even tho it is rather rusty and by the looks of things seized. I may have had a moan about the oil but it has kept the chassis in good condition. My next trip down will hopefully be in my restored ex MOD land rover with my nice new 10 ton bottle jack, a couple of axle stands and a big hammer to see if we can get the rear wheels rolling. Wish us luck. Will keep you up to date on our progress. Stephen Ellis, Scotland.