harry_gill:
Hiya,
Who the [zb] wants a crap 240 Percy anyroad giz a big Roller or a big
Chummie any day of the week.
Nobody actually WANTED to drive a Percy, H, except if they were penny-conscious owner drivers. They were foisted on us by unscrupulous employers who didn’t care how much their poor chaps coughed in the fumes or developed corns on their right feet! Incidentally, it was possible to modify the Gardner’s throttle in order to make things a little more comfortable for the driver but I could count on the fingers of one hand the number of bosses who were willing to pay a fitter a couple of quid for the drivers’ benefit.
harry_gill:
Hiya,
Who the [zb] wants a crap 240 Percy anyroad giz a big Roller or a big
Chummie any day of the week.
Nobody actually WANTED to drive a Percy, H, except if they were penny-conscious owner drivers. They were foisted on us by unscrupulous employers who didn’t care how much their poor chaps coughed in the fumes or developed corns on their right feet! Incidentally, it was possible to modify the Gardner’s throttle in order to make things a little more comfortable for the driver but I could count on the fingers of one hand the number of bosses who were willing to pay a fitter a couple of quid for the drivers’ benefit.
Was a sawn off brush handle too technical down country ? While you were inhaling the obligatory Percy smoke you didn’t need to light another Woodbine until you stopped coughing . It made men ( and cripples )of you .
harry_gill:
Hiya,
Who the [zb] wants a crap 240 Percy anyroad giz a big Roller or a big
Chummie any day of the week.
Nobody actually WANTED to drive a Percy, H, except if they were penny-conscious owner drivers. They were foisted on us by unscrupulous employers who didn’t care how much their poor chaps coughed in the fumes or developed corns on their right feet! Incidentally, it was possible to modify the Gardner’s throttle in order to make things a little more comfortable for the driver but I could count on the fingers of one hand the number of bosses who were willing to pay a fitter a couple of quid for the drivers’ benefit.
Surely the drivers paid the fitters to sort that out, after all it was for the benefit of the driver and not the gaffer? I never had a problem though, maybe my legs were strong back then. I hated the throttle on the first ■■■■■■■ engined Haulmasters we had, you only had to breathe on the pedal and they screamed up to maximum revs! They did need a stronger spring.
harry_gill:
Hiya,
Who the [zb] wants a crap 240 Percy anyroad giz a big Roller or a big
Chummie any day of the week.
Nobody actually WANTED to drive a Percy, H, except if they were penny-conscious owner drivers. They were foisted on us by unscrupulous employers who didn’t care how much their poor chaps coughed in the fumes or developed corns on their right feet! Incidentally, it was possible to modify the Gardner’s throttle in order to make things a little more comfortable for the driver but I could count on the fingers of one hand the number of bosses who were willing to pay a fitter a couple of quid for the drivers’ benefit.
I spent a short period, of a long and ultimately unrewarding career, driving a slow lorry with a pedal that became inordinately hard towards the bottom of its travel. In other words, the difference between slow and slower was pain. It wasn’t the plodding, it was having to suffer for it, that made it horrible. A wedged plank would have been a bit dangerous, which would have meant concentrating on the road, which would have been almost as stressful . Nicely-weighted controls are 90% of the battle. Who cares if the countryside passes at walking pace? No one moans about the top speed of walking.
IIRC in order to alleviate “the ankle and foot ache” on many of our Gardner engine units our Fitters attached a wooden wedge to the throttle pedal and this altered the angle to a comfortable position and I can’t recall any Driver complaints once this “mod” was fitted ! Cheers Bewick.
Bewick:
IIRC in order to alleviate “the ankle and foot ache” on many of our Gardner engine units our Fitters attached a wooden wedge to the throttle pedal and this altered the angle to a comfortable position and I can’t recall any Driver complaints once this “mod” was fitted ! Cheers Bewick.
Yes we had some of those made for drivers short in the leg, plus of course by just loosening a clamp bolt you could alter the angle on some pedals anyway. You needed the linkage to be all at right angles to each other, easy enough with rod linkages but of course many later ones were cable operated so slightly heavier due to cable drag. Keep the ball races well lubed on the engine cross shafts, and also make sure the governor damper friction cork isn’t over tight either. Otherwise, if all that fails, just ‘man up’ and stop bloody wingeing!
Bewick:
IIRC in order to alleviate “the ankle and foot ache” on many of our Gardner engine units our Fitters attached a wooden wedge to the throttle pedal and this altered the angle to a comfortable position and I can’t recall any Driver complaints once this “mod” was fitted ! Cheers Bewick.
Yes we had some of those made for drivers short in the leg, plus of course by just loosening a clamp bolt you could alter the angle on some pedals anyway. You needed the linkage to be all at right angles to each other, easy enough with rod linkages but of course many later ones were cable operated so slightly heavier due to cable drag. Keep the ball races well lubed on the engine cross shafts, and also make sure the governor damper friction cork isn’t over tight either. Otherwise, if all that fails, just ‘man up’ and stop bloody wingeing!
Pete.
Those of us a little more advanced in years will remember the throttle pedal in the middle , a horrible driving position with the right leg twisted inward and a pedal worn smooth with age , a wooden wedge was a must to prevent the foot sliding off . I bet Harry will remember .
Bewick:
IIRC in order to alleviate “the ankle and foot ache” on many of our Gardner engine units our Fitters attached a wooden wedge to the throttle pedal and this altered the angle to a comfortable position and I can’t recall any Driver complaints once this “mod” was fitted ! Cheers Bewick.
Yes we had some of those made for drivers short in the leg, plus of course by just loosening a clamp bolt you could alter the angle on some pedals anyway. You needed the linkage to be all at right angles to each other, easy enough with rod linkages but of course many later ones were cable operated so slightly heavier due to cable drag. Keep the ball races well lubed on the engine cross shafts, and also make sure the governor damper friction cork isn’t over tight either. Otherwise, if all that fails, just ‘man up’ and stop bloody wingeing!
Pete.
The 3 OCL contract Guy Big J’s that SoM Manchester all had Gardner 150’s,right plodding machines and all 3 had to be returned to Maddiston for annual certification.
This meant they were driven up on night trunk,occasionally I drew the short straw and drove one up,thankfully with a lightish load,usually Boots or Kodak box van,I used to keep a timber scotch in my bag and some tape and attach it to the throttle pedal,others used to have a stick and wedge it in,the things we had to do to earn a crust!
Bewick:
IIRC in order to alleviate “the ankle and foot ache” on many of our Gardner engine units our Fitters attached a wooden wedge to the throttle pedal and this altered the angle to a comfortable position and I can’t recall any Driver complaints once this “mod” was fitted ! Cheers Bewick.
Yes we had some of those made for drivers short in the leg, plus of course by just loosening a clamp bolt you could alter the angle on some pedals anyway. You needed the linkage to be all at right angles to each other, easy enough with rod linkages but of course many later ones were cable operated so slightly heavier due to cable drag. Keep the ball races well lubed on the engine cross shafts, and also make sure the governor damper friction cork isn’t over tight either. Otherwise, if all that fails, just ‘man up’ and stop bloody wingeing!
Pete.
Those of us a little more advanced in years will remember the throttle pedal in the middle , a horrible driving position with the right leg twisted inward and a pedal worn smooth with age , a wooden wedge was a must to prevent the foot sliding off . I bet Harry will remember .
Still driving one now, my old Albion, mind you it’s petrol so throttle’s light enough. You’re right about the twisted leg, makes the old right hip ache and go to sleep after a while, my answer is to alternate between right and left foot on the throttle for a while now and again. Clutchless gear changes though, (or swap legs back).
Bernard
We serviced BMC FFK road sweepers with dual control for Hampshire County Council, the offside driving position was exactly as BMC made them but the nearside had the throttle in the centre. We also repaired a left hand drive BMC FHK sweeper, that had the pedals as normal though. Yours truly managed to burn the wiring loom out on it when changing its engine, I couldn’t disconnect the battery, the manager wasn’t best pleased as a left hand loom wasn’t easy to find! Apparently the first vehicle mass produced with the pedals in the ‘conventional’ position was the good old Austin Seven.
Bewick:
IIRC in order to alleviate “the ankle and foot ache” on many of our Gardner engine units our Fitters attached a wooden wedge to the throttle pedal and this altered the angle to a comfortable position and I can’t recall any Driver complaints once this “mod” was fitted ! Cheers Bewick.
Yes we had some of those made for drivers short in the leg, plus of course by just loosening a clamp bolt you could alter the angle on some pedals anyway. You needed the linkage to be all at right angles to each other, easy enough with rod linkages but of course many later ones were cable operated so slightly heavier due to cable drag. Keep the ball races well lubed on the engine cross shafts, and also make sure the governor damper friction cork isn’t over tight either. Otherwise, if all that fails, just ‘man up’ and stop bloody wingeing!
Pete.
Those of us a little more advanced in years will remember the throttle pedal in the middle , a horrible driving position with the right leg twisted inward and a pedal worn smooth with age , a wooden wedge was a must to prevent the foot sliding off . I bet Harry will remember .
I remember but not for being of really advanced age but only because in my early days driving I was driving very old motors… Swapping between the 2 layouts was interesting!
robthedog:
Sleeper cab !!
Wonder what could be hiding under the bunk ?
Nothing of much interest to us, I would think, Rob, But THIS…………………………………………………
I had tried to post THE photo- Richard Stanier’s Big J, completer with Gardner 8 , sleeper cab and grille extension- but moderators wouldn’t accept the post. It occurs to me that Bewick’s pockets are deep enough to…………………………………………
Buzzer:
Maybe this one had a straight eight in her cant see the back of the cab though, Buzzer
No jackpot Buzzer,there is a ■■■■■■■ badge on the front and the grill would need to have the extension in order to accommodate the big Percy,but nice try!
Buzzer:
Maybe this one had a straight eight in her cant see the back of the cab though, Buzzer
That is a most interesting position for the air cleaner so I wonder if this “mod” was done so the unit could pick up 40" king pin trailers ? just a thought Cheers Dennis.
Buzzer:
Maybe this one had a straight eight in her cant see the back of the cab though, Buzzer
That is a most interesting position for the air cleaner so I wonder if this “mod” was done so the unit could pick up 40" king pin trailers ? just a thought Cheers Dennis.
The air cleaner is so positioned so as to get more air to the big 8 cylinders that lurk beneath, the ■■■■■■■ badge is just a ruse to avoid detection from the lesser knowledgeable, Buzzer
Buzzer:
Maybe this one had a straight eight in her cant see the back of the cab though, Buzzer
That is a most interesting position for the air cleaner so I wonder if this “mod” was done so the unit could pick up 40" king pin trailers ? just a thought Cheers Dennis.
The air cleaner is so positioned so as to get more air to the big 8 cylinders that lurk beneath, the ■■■■■■■ badge is just a ruse to avoid detection from the lesser knowledgeable, Buzzer
Ah! so that was the explanation Buzzer who’s fertile mind would have claimed that was the reason for the roof mounted air cleaner? quite apart from the fact that the 8LXB wasn’t launched until late '71 Cheers Dennis.
Bewick:
Ah! so that was the explanation Buzzer who’s fertile mind would have claimed that was the reason for the roof mounted air cleaner? quite apart from the fact that the 8LXB wasn’t launched until late '71 Cheers Dennis.
Blimey Bewick everyone knows that Guy offered the 8 LW and LX in it before the LXB.
We also know that like the LXB the supplies they were all requisitioned and diverted by an unknown ■■■■■■■■ to destinations unknown before Guy got them.
I never had a problem though, maybe my legs were strong back then. I hated the throttle on the first ■■■■■■■ engined Haulmasters we had, you only had to breathe on the pedal and they screamed up to maximum revs! 
They did need a stronger spring.
. Nicely-weighted controls are 90% of the battle. Who cares if the countryside passes at walking pace? No one moans about the top speed of walking. 
Apparently the first vehicle mass produced with the pedals in the ‘conventional’ position was the good old Austin Seven.
who’s fertile mind would have claimed that was the reason for the roof mounted air cleaner? quite apart from the fact that the 8LXB wasn’t launched until late '71