Austin and Morris FFk

[jimbob11]

Hi everyone, I have just bought a 1960 Austin Lorry but i dont which model it does'nt say on the log book just that it is an Austin 2 Axle Rigid Body with a 5.1 Diesel Engine 6 cylinder vertical
The Chassis Number is 46592139.
The Tyre size is 8.25 x 20 Tubed.
It started life as a Tipper but previous owner changed it to a Beavertail flat to transport his Tractors.
Any Help or Advise would be gratefully recieved.
Thanks.

[Wheel Nut]

What a beautiful lorry

Some more info from BLB

http://www.roadtransport.com/blogs/big- ... ser-i.html

[Trev_H]

Hi, I may be wrong but I thought that the numbers after the FFK designation was the bhp output, I have driven an FFK 140 which had the 5.7 upright, I thought the 5.1 may have been the FFK100. I would like to see the inside of the FH model which had the inclined engine, we never had any of those, as I think they may have had a lower bonnet.

[Dave the Renegade]

Hi Trev,
I drove an FFK 140 with the underslung engine,they had a flat floor with a double passenger seat,a good lorry.
Cheers Dave.

[Trev_H]

Hi Trev,
I drove an FFK 140 with the underslung engine,they had a flat floor with a double passenger seat,a good lorry.
Cheers Dave.

Dave, wouldn't it have been an FFH 140 with that engine ?

[Dave the Renegade]

Hi Trev,
I drove an FFK 140 with the underslung engine,they had a flat floor with a double passenger seat,a good lorry.
Cheers Dave.

Dave, wouldn't it have been an FFH 140 with that engine ?

Could have been Trev.I always thought of it as an FFK,but Pete Windrush will be the man to put us right.

[Dave the Renegade]

Hi Trev,
I drove an FFK 140 with the underslung engine,they had a flat floor with a double passenger seat,a good lorry.
Cheers Dave.

Dave, wouldn't it have been an FFH 140 with that engine ?

Could have been Trev.I always thought of it as an FFK,but Pete Windrush will be the man to put us right.

FF-series/FH-series cab

Morris FF 1958-1961
Morris FH 1961-1964
Also sold as Austin 45

Launched in 1958 to replace the upper end of the FE range, the FF came in 5-ton, 7-ton and 8-ton variants. While not as innovative as the FG cab (which would appear within a couple of years to sit below the FF), it did at least have a more up-to-date appearance than its predecessor. While the lower front panel was carried over from the FE cab (see above), the rest of the cab was new, with a contemporary wraparound windscreen taking the place of the FE's old-fashioned two-part screen with separate quarterlights.

The FH cab looked identical to FF, but used a modified floorpan in order to accommodate a six-cylinder diesel engine. The FF/FH cab — and its Austin equivalent, the 45 — also formed the basis for a variety of coachbuilt conversions by independent companies: in Asian countries, it proved a popular with bus and coach constructors, while Scottish company Halmo Engineering stretched the basic cab to produce a crew-cab. In 1964, the FH was repalced by the all-new FJ cab .

[ubym344]

that brings back memories we had an old one in my cousins breakers yard about 1966 or 67 it was a petrol scammel coupling unit we used it to move cage trailors around the yard so we could load them with light iron I. E. car body panels incidently these trailors were collected by "jones" scrap company which was based right where the new Arsenal football ground is now, in those days we set light to cars just before we went home so we could cut them up in morning (no environental agency then) this would entail cutting off the doors boot lid and bonnet the roof and cut the remaining shell into 4 pieces my job as a kid was to get all the copper wire out of the car and any other metals like brass and with some more expensive makes such as armstrong siddely gunmetal the austin morris we had was the first motor I drove albeit only in the yard and I learnt to reverse it my cousin was the kind of guy who would push you into the river so you would learn to swim so he never told me how to reverse an artic he would offer the odd derogatoray remark but really he knew how to get the best out of you, these vehicles are really not talked about much on this forum we all know about f88s scanies aec,s fodens and all the other great makers but there was a whole load of smaller vehicles which did as much work as all the glory models nice to see one of these on here sorry if I have gone on a bit but it brought back some very nice memories for me of people who are no longer with us plus I have spent the day painting so ready for a rant , have a nice evening all my ole girl is now glued to "strictly come dancing" so will have to watch brucie or do what harry gill does and get the malt bottle out cheers fred m

[Basilbrush]

That's a lovely truck, you were lucky to get hold of one loking like that. i remember driving an Austin & a Morris, in one of them you could easily smack your elbow on the back of the cab when engaging a gear but i can't recall which.

A farm close to here had one sitting in his yard for years with a nice Drews cattle body on it but I see it's gone now. Probably scrapped.

BB

[windrush]

Hi Trev,
I drove an FFK 140 with the underslung engine,they had a flat floor with a double passenger seat,a good lorry.
Cheers Dave.

Dave, wouldn't it have been an FFH 140 with that engine ?

Could have been Trev.I always thought of it as an FFK,but Pete Windrush will be the man to put us right.

You rang? Been at Newark Tractor Show so missed this. The FHK had the underfloor engine Dave, the 100, 140 etc after the model code was the payload in cwt's ie 100 = 5 tons, 140 = 7 tons etc etc. Decent trucks for the price, the later model's suffered with cooling problems but I worked on them for eight years or so and had no real problems. The pic is an FFK, the FH's had the starting handle hole beneath the radiator grille.

Pete.

[Dave the Renegade]

One seen this year at Gaydon.

[Dave the Renegade]

A 1965 model,seen at Carmarthen Truck Show.

[Dave the Renegade]

The same lorry,seen coming out of Kington vintage show.

[mikky55]

Hi, jimbob11 i think you will find your truck is a FFk 140, it will have a 5.1 vertical 6cyl BMC diesel engine and been able to carry approx 7 tons. Regards. Mikky.

[scania82]

Hi, I also own an Austin FFk mine is a K120 which is derived from the wheelbase it relates to 120 inches from front wheel centre to rear wheel centre and so on with the K100 and K140.
The smaller lorries such as the 100 and 120 were usually Tippers or Tankers and the longer wheelbases were for general haulage.

Hope this helps. Cheers.

[cattle wagon man]

Having just noticed this thread for the first time , may I throw some light to the various numerical models of
the FF , and later FH ranges bearing the cab-front badges of B.M.C., and Austin/Morris.

The FF range , with the curved edges of the windscreen replaced the FE range which had a two-piece windscreen.
I think the FF was introduced in late 1958, or early 1959, and first bore the `pressed-metal B.M.C. , then later the
similarly-pressed Austin or Morris cab badge. The larger , plastic Austin (red background ) and the Morris , (yellow background )
were fitted from early 1960 onwards.
The FFK 100 was the 5 ton capacity model ( `100` meaning 100 hundredweights = 5 tons )
The FFK 140 was the 7 ton capacity model ( `140` meaning 140 hundredweights = 7 tons ).

The B.M.C. 5.1 litre diesel engine was the power motive. Later , the 5.7 engine was made available as an option.

In the Spring of 1963 , the FH model was introduced. This was the same 5.1 engine , but` inclined `, and thus allowing an
almost-flat cab floor , and a double passenger seat. There was also the slightly larger 5.7 litre engine available, again `inclined`.

The models were designated as the FF range , but with the new additional FHK 160 , of 8 ton capacity .
The standard engine for the FHK 100 was the 5.1 engine , with the optional 5.7 available if requested.
The FHK 140 and FHK 160 both had the larger 5.7 as standard. In addition , the FHK 160 was equipped with air brakes ,
the other two had vaccuum-powered braking system.

Both the FF and FH ranges were sold simultaneously , and the 5.7 engine was also later fitted in the FF range.

It was at the Commercial Motor Show in 1964 , that the FJ range was introduced , and this was to be the successor to
the ill-fated FH range , which ceased production in 1966. The FF continued to be made until 1968.

How do I know this much ??
My father bought a new FFK 140 in September 1960 to replace a 1959 [zb] 100.
In June 1964 , the FFK 140 was sold , and replaced by a new FHK 140.

I hope this explanation is of use.

Cheers, cattle wagon man.

[windrush]

The FHK's were 'interesting' to work on to say the least! Removing the cylinder head and sump was a backbreaking job, crouching under the nearside wheel arch to get the head between the cab floor and the chassis rail after firstly removing every stud and jacking the cab up slightly it would just squeeze through. We also had a dual steer roadsweeper (steering wheel and controls on both sides of the cab) so removing brake and clutch master cylinders was the first task before any engine work took place. Then drawing the cylinder liners out was even more 'fun' after battling with a three piece engine sump, Bedford TK's were a doddle to work on after that!

One FH that we looked after was a 160 model coal tipper with a Primrose 2nd steer slotted in plus an overdrive gearbox and two speed axle, owned by W.J. Lawrence of Coley Place, Reading, a right camel of a machine but it did good work assisting at the Aberfan disaster in 1966 though. Its driver really put it through its paces between Reading and South Wales (pre M4) but he sadly drowned while sea fishing and it was disposed of shortly after as no one else could handle the thing like Taffy could.

Pete.

[TIDDERSON]

Hi Just a few from the old BRS fleet

[b.waddy]

HI ,Folks ,We ran many BMC ffks ,they were a good tool for the price tha was paid ,IIRC our first new one in 1959 was UDM 225 ,£ 1100 ,pounds 4 speed box 2 speed axle ,factory dropside body we used to put 9 and half to ten tons on it 3 times a week to london 60 mph ,stoping it was a diffrent kettle of fish it done us proud ,The 5/ 1 engine did abount 100 thous ,miles through an end threw the side, put 3 or 4 engines in it all the engines did between 90 and 120 thous miles ,Ucould put a gold seal unit in for £ 35o pounds ,U got what u paid for then they brought out the dreded F J K that was BMC S DOWN fall ,All down hill after that ,just a bit of usless info ,yours Barry

[windrush]

Your correct there Barry, the FJ was a disaster. I fitted TWO recon engines in one FJ without it leaving the workshop, fitted one and it put the cooling test guage around to 14 psi so took it out and fitted another, just the same! Yet the same engine in the FHK was pretty reliable, all down to the move to Bathgate as the worker's up there had problems maintaining the machining tolerances plus there was 1/8th of an inch difference in engine length compared to the Birmingham built engines. Finally they put the engine back to vertical in the Laird which cured most of the problems, however by then the damage was done sales wise.

Pete.

[diesel dan]

The FHK's were 'interesting' to work on to say the least! Removing the cylinder head and sump was a backbreaking job, crouching under the nearside wheel arch to get the head between the cab floor and the chassis rail after firstly removing every stud and jacking the cab up slightly it would just squeeze through. We also had a dual steer roadsweeper (steering wheel and controls on both sides of the cab) so removing brake and clutch master cylinders was the first task before any engine work took place. Then drawing the cylinder liners out was even more 'fun' after battling with a three piece engine sump, Bedford TK's were a doddle to work on after that!

One FH that we looked after was a 160 model coal tipper with a Primrose 2nd steer slotted in plus an overdrive gearbox and two speed axle, owned by W.J. Lawrence of Coley Place, Reading, a right camel of a machine but it did good work assisting at the Aberfan disaster in 1966 though. Its driver really put it through its paces between Reading and South Wales (pre M4) but he sadly drowned while sea fishing and it was disposed of shortly after as no one else could handle the thing like Taffy could.

Pete.

hi windrush,how many times did you bash your head on the open n/s door when getting out from under the wheel arch lol cheers diesel

[b.waddy]

Hi Pete ,Your spot on we had 6 Fj s BRAND new 2 units 2 flats 2 tippers ,D and E reg ,as u say engines & HEADGASKETS by the score ,they nearly broke us ,My Dad took a load to Oxford then went round to the factory asked to see the top man was told no chance so he blocked the gate off THERE were ructions the top man said ok took him to his office my Dad showed him all repairs and engines we had fitted hesdgaskets ,He wouldnt beleave him dad said we had one in Kennings Bedford ,with another engine blowen up he all he could do was let us have an engine free but we would have to pay the fitting ,Ok all agreed u know the score 6 mohths to the day on the M1 bang went again phoned the man up he said dont beleave it ,dad said its at the same place same deal ok he said ,end of a bad era ,Cheers Barry

[windrush]

hi windrush,how many times did you bash your head on the open n/s door when getting out from under the wheel arch lol cheers diesel[/quote]

Hi Dan, I did it a few times I have to admit and it blooming well hurt but the worst was when I tried to lift a Foden dumper door with my head!! Saw plenty of stars that morning, and six stitches plus a permanent scar as a lifetimes reminder of it.

Pete.

[b.waddy]

Hi Pete , You know what a job it was to take the sump off a FJ was a night mare 3 pieces ,Who ever designed it should of been horse whipped ,And did u ever have the gear leavers snap off at the bottom ,could write a book abount them as i am sure you could ,Cheers Barry

[windrush]

Had a few gearlever's snap off Barry, and yes taking the sump off of both the FH and FJ was a grim task at the best of times. The rest of the truck wasn't to bad though, the gearbox and axle etc didn't give much trouble and the cab was pretty decent for that time. Those twin leading shoe rear brakes were efficient, though the eight return springs took some wrestling with. I think that the FJ was rushed out to compete with the D series Ford but hadn't enough development time, tilting the cab was a major operation disconnecting the steering column, removing the gearlever and then doing battle with those two rear mounting bolts! We had some that sheared the cab bracket while being tilted, suddenly you had the full cab weight on you! The mounting brackets had to be replaced with the cab tilted as well, otherwise the torsion bar wouldn't work. When I began working on Fodens it was a pleasure compared to those later BMC trucks, yet the earlier FF's and FE models were pretty reliable and easy to repair, they definately lost the plot after that though.

Pete.