blastermike

Ed fighting with tyres sounds like the same sort of fun im having fighting with rust! had a go at the clutch today had to use heat to get the spring release collar off, but with the outer flywheel piece i just warmed it a bit then have soaked it in diesel, it does look really tight, theres only a very small gap around the edge where its threaded, im planning on making a bar with two bits of round bar or bolts welded on to fit into the two small holes?, it may be necessary to drill those holes out a bit and use a bigger diam piece of round bar or bolt so i can get a stronger purchase on the clutch plate, pictures below Note i took Daves advice and used my little press to hold the spring tension which is actually quiet strong and when the spring when released it is almost twice as long as when in the held position mike

So Dave this is a wet clutch? and those two brass plugs in the side of the rear 1/2 of the flywheel are for filling with engine oil ? mike

Ok dave i understand, i was thinking i didnt need to remove the clutch release, but it is sort of in the way, looking into the holes on the holding collar the threads look clean and im going to make something to fit into the two holes to help wind the collar piece off, i know what your saying about getting hurt, i once was removing some rusted u bolts holding a rusted set of truck springs with a grinder and when i cut the last side off the energy from the built up rust exploded them apart, one hit me under my jaw and i ended up at the dentist with two cracked teeth, could of been worse i reckon, i now wrap a piece of chain around anything like that and use a gas torch so i can stand back thanks mike

Ok Ed, i see on the plate there are two small holes on opposite outer edges, im thinking maybe they are there for a special tool to then be able to wind the plate out or in ? i will take dandy daves advice and use some penetrating oil and taping with a brass hammer, i wont. “gorilla it” today i spoke with an old time clutch/brake bussiness and the owner said the woven bronze type material hasnt been available here for years but has a clutch material he has used on other vintage vehicles this age with no problems, the other thing he said was they will need to drill new holes in the plate and flywheel as the existing ones have countersunk areas, the newer clutch material is very rigid so needs to pull up against a flat surface and they will countersink the linings to keep the rivet heads lower than the linings, hope im making sense?? another factor too is the thickness of the newer linings, the minimum they have is around 4 mm which is around double what the original stuff is but i suppose its had some wear ? im sending it all of tommorow and they assure me it can be done, thanks very much for everyones help mike

Thanks Ed , but one other problem is how does that plate come out?? it almost looks like its threaded? I have tried to punch it through the adjusting hole but its in there tight and if i hit it any harder i might break it, the 2 brass screws on the sides dont go in enough to hold anything not sure what their purpose is? Im contemplating cutting out the paint late on one of the spare clutchs i have with a grinder to see how the plate is held? mike

Thanks dandy dave that will be a great help cheers

Wonder if anyone can advise me how this plate comes out of the rear flywheel section, there is a little brass insert key that holds what looks like gear teeth on the back of the plate, and also there’s 2 brass screws on the sides but i dont think they go through enough to be holding the plate from the edge? any help would be much appreciated, i have 3 clutchs and i really dont want to destroy one to find out thanks mike

Sorry dont know why some pictures end up sideways??

Yeh Ed i agree its all part of the fun owning and trying to restore these old whites, out of the 3 i have the 1918 5 ton model is the most original but i have no sheetmetal for it, at present ive overhauled the waterpump and put new bearings in the fan assembly that was on my engine, im now focussing on the clutch which will need new linings and when i cracked it open it had been wet for a while unfortuately, but it is fixable, got to find the bronze ? woven type clutch material or something similar?

Yeh these whites are a learning curve for sure, the engine im using has a cast date of 1919 on it, the guy i bought this from said there was a small square shaped chemical tank right on the back which from the rusting on the back i could see where it went and it came with a platform which hung down and out the rear apparently for a couple of firemen to stand on, it was all welded to the rear and really overbuilt when i removed it there was a welded date? GR 1933. maybe this was when the white was converted for the firetruck/transport role?? To me the frame looks just too small but as others have said the diff and trans used in most of the mid sized to the smallest were the same, so its probably the heavy running gear making the frame look more car like? ive added some pictures of the trans nos 3D and some other parts, i only have one pedal of this style which has the round removeable pedal and my steering box has had the shaft/tube cut of and the droparm shortened, Ed im not 100 percent what type of body to make for this yet but it is great to have the freedom to make it into what ever you like, on another note i have now found another white like this in spokane wa and can buy the parts im needing, wheels, steering parts etc just waiting for the snow to go thanks to all for your comments and help,

Forgot to add i know of a r/hand drive white car in Milwaukee i bought some PA truck parts from the man and we talked about trucks when i mentioned i had a couple of whites he sent me some puctures of his white car he was working on, pictures below. mike

Li Bentley. What can you tell me about my trans thats got an aluminium case i was told my truck was originally a 1915 chemical truck, and another thing thats been really puzzling me is the fact the Radiator mounts directly to the top of the frame not the shock type mounts as most other trucks have, all very confusing but maybe a white special or estate truck as mentioned previously, front axle has ornate holes which ive seen before but those trucks have shock mounted rads, appreciate your thoughts

Hi Al , nah the Denby doesnt run but the big leyland is close to running, Yeh the Denby is an interesting truck that came with a known history from when bought new to carry farm supplies wool etc from and to a little railway siding in the central north island, i dont need any more projects but after seeing it at the auction and the fact it is quiet complete compared to what I usually muck around with i jumped in and bought it, i had first seen the denby back in 2009 but it wasnt for sale and the chassis had being used as a saw mill on a farm, the sheetmetal and rad and mechanicals lay on the ground in a farm shed, the previous owner bruce over the last few years had started to put it back together, but he passed away last year and now the farm has been sold and all of the farm eqipment etc was auctioned off, The gibbs family had bought the truck new and some pictures and information came with the truck, ive added pictures of the denby working when based at Utiku mike

Hi Al heres some pictures of the Denby truck i spoke off with the smith wheels, i just bought the 1919 Denby at a farm auction last weekend, they are nice wheels and remind me of my big Leyland cast steel spoked wheels in the 4th picture mike

Steve what state are you in ? Ill need to get a freight price to get the trans to Carrollton VA if im to go ahead thanks mike

Thanks steve, ive now had the chassis delvered and intend to strip off the timber frame so hopefully i can find the chassis nos to correctly i/d the truck, added some more pictures and its in fairly decent shape with remains of some paint and no heavy rust, wheels however are buggered!! Mike

Hi 1917 white, i dont have any spares of the linkage your needing but i could post some pictures of the part if that helps? mike

Alsancle, update ive joined and have spoken to michael w, they are very welcoming and im looking forward to sharing progress with my reo, also a guy from australia phoned me today and he has 2 wheels which i hope I can get to a mates place in victoria to then come back here with some other rusty truck treasures! thanks mike

Thanks alsancle, i have tried several times to join the reo club but when i get to the paying on line section it seems to redirect me back to the start!! A man called steve from the reo club contacted me to encourage me to finish my membership application, i have replied to him but havent heard back yet all a bit frustrating but ill keep trying thanks mike

Well ive striped of the tyres from the reo and turns out only 3 out of the 6 rims are usable im now on the hunt for 3 or 4 rims which are 20” 5 stud, ive also been told federal trucks of the same period used these wheels too, if anyone can help let me know please. pictures of the rims i need, mike

Hi Ed, hey maybe we should swap chassis, my 1915 truck looks more like a car chassis, but it is a truck! all beit a small one, 9 ft 6” w/b and radiator that mounts to the top rails without the shock type mounts ? and Aluminium trans casing etc, ive almost got my 30 h/p white donor engine cleaned up just waiting on a new shaft for the waterpump and sorting out the mag drive coupling, this engine has a casting date of 1919 cheers mike

Hi Walt, loved the story, and just as well im looking for this stuff about 50 years to late otherwise id just want to buy everything !! Imagine a barn full of white truck parts —- geeeez thanks mike

Yeh Ed ive read that white built around 18000 trucks for use in WW1, the french were big users of white and the british army purchased quiet a number too as well as the russians, yes its just a dream to think you could find one in a crate like the picture, still the hunt is a part of the fun isnt it, thanks for the pictures.

Hi Li Bentley, hey thats great that you know details about white trucks, yeh it is the 45 h/p engine GEC, the trans internals look ok, and i found the number on the trans mount 3D and TEF, the engine also has a casting date jan 31 18, ive got a spare engine for this 5 ton truck and the brass radiator plus a pile of other spares in a crate on the back, sprockets /axles / chains / steering box, it all came of another 5 ton truck in chicago that was being scrapped, ive allways thought this truck to be a model TC long w/base ? The overall length is just under 20 feet appprox pictures below of the numbers/tags, id love to find a hood and a set of fenders for this truck, from what ive seen the later 5 ton model 45’s had similar sheetmetal with mesh sidepanels, and fenders looked identical, mike

Thanks Ed and many thanks to the others for their comments, i reckon white must of made a good vehicle/truck as there are many survivors even way down here at the bottom of the pacific, cheers mike