hi from OZ

[RoadsterA]

Welcome from down the road Bargo

[Henry/Kokomo]

Welcome to the "Barn. Always good to meet new people. Hope we can be of some assistance with your projects. Good luck and stay in touch!

[37coop]

welcome...I imported a truck recently to the u.k from Illinois and needed advice ,this forum has helped me so much ,it looks like you have some work to do there ,don't be afraid to ask ,good luck....jim.

[Old Col]

Originally Posted by Walt Dupont--Me.

I know I'm not very smart but I cain't figure out that oil pressure fed coil, or what ever it is. Is that some kind of an oil filter? Don't we talk funny up here in Maine? That's what everybody tells me when I go south. lol Walt

...dunno about talkin' funny..... you should hear us ....but that odd thing is a by-pass type oil filter peculiar to the Thames trucks ,the Pilot cars and also our locally assembled BrenGun Carriers of WW2. It's fed from the oil gallery and drains back through the fuel pump housing , some I've seen drain back through a hollow stud in the manifold for the pump mounting and others have a threaded hole in the side of the block above the pan rail and I've also come across the die cast oil dipstick lug with a drain hole cast and threaded in it from the factory......the engine itself is the English version of the 21 stud '37 style engine which was used right up until the end of the Pilot production in about 1952 . The main differences seem to be the firing order being cast into the heads and a large lug at either ends of the head that looks like it may have been intended as a heater or temp sender outlet but is just blank,not threaded. The block also has small freeze plugs behind the rearmost cylinders at the back of the block, and they all had dual sheave crank,w/pump ( pumps are roller bearing too) ...and generator pulleys and Lucas distributors and electrics. The Lucas starter is also shorter than the regular Ford and has a different tooth count on the pinion , and the flywheel ring gear is also different to regular Ford V8.....as well, the recess in the oil pan for the starter to locate in is a different size too. Gets a little tricky if you start swapping things around,assuming the US/Canadian and the English V8's are all the same.....not quite , but nearly! ....what Pilots do have that are extremely useful and fit the US V8 are neat matched dual exhaust manifolds with a unique upswept design that is much more efficient than the US manifolds that everyone would be familiar with.....but they didn't appear on the trucks as far as I'm aware. I can probably scare up a picture if anyone's interested , and as long as the original poster doesn't mind .....regards, Colin.

PS, Hi also from Oz

[pauly250]

Originally Posted by Old Col

...dunno about talkin' funny..... you should hear us ....but that odd thing is a by-pass type oil filter peculiar to the Thames trucks ,the Pilot cars and also our locally assembled BrenGun Carriers of WW2. It's fed from the oil gallery and drains back through the fuel pump housing , some I've seen drain back through a hollow stud in the manifold for the pump mounting and others have a threaded hole in the side of the block above the pan rail and I've also come across the die cast oil dipstick lug with a drain hole cast and threaded in it from the factory......the engine itself is the English version of the 21 stud '37 style engine which was used right up until the end of the Pilot production in about 1952 . The main differences seem to be the firing order being cast into the heads and a large lug at either ends of the head that looks like it may have been intended as a heater or temp sender outlet but is just blank,not threaded. The block also has small freeze plugs behind the rearmost cylinders at the back of the block, and they all had dual sheave crank,w/pump ( pumps are roller bearing too) ...and generator pulleys and Lucas distributors and electrics. The Lucas starter is also shorter than the regular Ford and has a different tooth count on the pinion , and the flywheel ring gear is also different to regular Ford V8.....as well, the recess in the oil pan for the starter to locate in is a different size too. Gets a little tricky if you start swapping things around,assuming the US/Canadian and the English V8's are all the same.....not quite , but nearly! ....what Pilots do have that are extremely useful and fit the US V8 are neat matched dual exhaust manifolds with a unique upswept design that is much more efficient than the US manifolds that everyone would be familiar with.....but they didn't appear on the trucks as far as I'm aware. I can probably scare up a picture if anyone's interested , and as long as the original poster doesn't mind .....regards, Colin.

PS, Hi also from Oz

Thanks Colin for a much detailed replie.

In your opinion are these motors any good compared to other flatheads??
were these engines made in the UK ?? This motor has an alternator fitted and a electric fan but it sure revs hard and smooth.

It would be interesting to see the pilot manifold pics as i would think that the US guys would also be interested.

Thanks

Paul