Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2012 9:24 pm Post subject: My Thwaites Orion dumper, caution, picture heavy!
It was in a pretty sorry state when I got it off the ebay, the only thing that was good was the Petter PH1 engine, the gearbox was totally shagged requiring 4 new bearings for the main and lay-shafts and work on the lever 'gate' as it routinely selected two gears at once (which stops you dead!), plenty of new steering joints, the clutch rebuilding and the brakes de-siezing. 4 new tyres also needed and some new rear rims to replace the Landrover ones previously fitted. Finally sandblasting and 3 coats of Vapormatic Vintage JCB yellow. The seat is a cheet I'm afraid as it's from a ride-on mower!
Here's the clutch, it's interesting as it is (probably Triumph Herald) a brake drum and backplate. There's no hydraulic cylinder, but a spring loaded expander mechanism (similar in principal to a landrover transmission brake)
Here's the gearbox (chain driven)
Full of water
And rebuilt with new bearings - the cogs were OK
Chassis
A good view of the chain drive
Finished
I used to mend those for a living! I'll admit to having forgotten how bum-basic they were.
Still got a proper clutch-adjusting tool if it's of any use to you.
Ian
I'm OK for the clutch adjusting tool thanks - I've jot the square drive brake adjuster thingy that belonged to my dad.
I've always wondered what Thwaites pinched the axle from - one or two people over the years have said that it was a Salisbury diff from the heavyweight (twin wheel) Ford Transit. Have you any info?
Also, what would you say was the year of manufacture? I know that the earliest offerings from Thwaites had a belt drive arrangement, the chain drive came along later.....
Joined: 26 Nov 2007 Posts: 178 Location: North Warwickshire
Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 11:28 pm Post subject:
Hi Julian, difficult to accurately date the Orion. I never saw a belt primary driven one, the one's I worked on were all chain drive, from an extension on the end of the camshaft. They ranged from 1966 to 1976 year of manufacture with only detail differences between ages.
The diffs were made by Salisbury Transmissions Ltd, in Witton, Birmingham but I've no idea wether or not the axles were originally meant for other applications.
Injector pump on yours looks newish, I used to enjoy doing the spill-timing on those. NOT!
Is the Thwaites factory at Cubbington still going? That was a pleasant ride out to collect bits, nice leafy lanes back in the early 70's.
There is one of those on the site where I store my caravan, the tipper body is missing and the gearbox is belt driven, it was used for moving caravan's about. One peculiarity is that it steers the opposite way, ie to turn right you turn the steering wheel to the left like some of the old traction engines! Keeps the mind focused!! A nice job, well done.
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