fryske:
Trev_H:
5thwheel:
I never had any problem coupling to any trailer within the SoM fleet during my service with the 240 powered Big J,as Dennis has stated,the pin distance would have been standard on all UK manufactures chassis’.
Rgds,
David 
We had problems coupling to trailers with a deep pin with the 290 ■■■■■■■ models as the turbo was behind the engine on the catwalk. One had the turbo broken and was off the road for a month or so, as these motors had the American ■■■■■■■ the parts were’nt available here till a few years later.
Not a lot of room!
That Big J looks a “motor and a half” alright!!! Cheers Dennis.
Bewick:
fryske:
Trev_H:
5thwheel:
I never had any problem coupling to any trailer within the SoM fleet during my service with the 240 powered Big J,as Dennis has stated,the pin distance would have been standard on all UK manufactures chassis’.
Rgds,
David
We had problems coupling to trailers with a deep pin with the 290 ■■■■■■■ models as the turbo was behind the engine on the catwalk. One had the turbo broken and was off the road for a month or so, as these motors had the American ■■■■■■■ the parts were’nt available here till a few years later.
Not a lot of room!
That Big J looks a “motor and a half” alright!!! Cheers Dennis.
BNA300M
One of the ■■■■■■■ 290 powered ones - extensively modified by Mervyn Edwards and run until the mid 90’s.
They had ■■■■■■■ 14 Litre small cam turbos. Mervyn wound them up to 335 but they were too fast…
So he fitted Fuller 9 speed direct-top boxes, and a Rockwell SA 180 rear axle . That tamed them a little bit!
Bit of useless info here,but when we bought the Seddons and Guy’s new I had a bloke come and treat all the interior cavities with Waxoil type of stuff.I reckoned it did delay the onset of the Tin Worm for a number of years especially round the rearcorners of the cabs!! Cheers Dennis.
Bewick:
Bit of useless info here,but when we bought the Seddons and Guy’s new I had a bloke come and treat all the interior cavities with Waxoil type of stuff.I reckoned it did delay the onset of the Tin Worm for a number of years especially round the rearcorners of the cabs!! Cheers Dennis.
The guys above did something similar with lots of old engine oil - it must’ve worked as the cab on this is rock solid and their Seddon Atkinsons still look pretty good
Bewick:
harry_gill:
Bewick:
We also used to fix a wooden wedge on the throttle pedals of our 180LXB tractors which made holding the pedal down a lot more comfortable from the “flat” position of the tread.
hiya,
Dennis i expect you did the same for your drivers of the 240 engined Big Js otherwise there may have been unrest in the camp I personally preferred the length of brush handle tailored to suit the sticky out bit and the throttle.
thanks harry long retired.
I’ve heard about that “mod” “H” but but always sounded a bit lethal to me, we wern’t so cruel with our lads as we fitted the “wedge”!!! we fitted “hand throttles” on our Big J 240’s,when the 240s were flying about in clouds the drivers could sit back and read their newspapers and drink their coffee!!! May illicit a response that one “H” from the Big J gallery!! What do you think? Cheers Dennis.
hiya,
My friend i think you could be correct get the tin hat on, just in case those “airborne Big Js” shed a bit of cargo when attempting a loop the loop they was supposed to fly was’nt they.PS Dennis the length of brush stick worked equally on the old Octopus and drag as well but Possie’s Leyland would have been a bit too nippy to need that mod.
thanks harry long retired.
harry_gill:
Bewick:
harry_gill:
Bewick:
We also used to fix a wooden wedge on the throttle pedals of our 180LXB tractors which made holding the pedal down a lot more comfortable from the “flat” position of the tread.
hiya,
Dennis i expect you did the same for your drivers of the 240 engined Big Js otherwise there may have been unrest in the camp I personally preferred the length of brush handle tailored to suit the sticky out bit and the throttle.
thanks harry long retired.
I’ve heard about that “mod” “H” but but always sounded a bit lethal to me, we wern’t so cruel with our lads as we fitted the “wedge”!!! we fitted “hand throttles” on our Big J 240’s,when the 240s were flying about in clouds the drivers could sit back and read their newspapers and drink their coffee!!! May illicit a response that one “H” from the Big J gallery!! What do you think? Cheers Dennis.
hiya,
My friend i think you could be correct get the tin hat on, just in case those “airborne Big Js” shed a bit of cargo when attempting a loop the loop they was supposed to fly was’nt they.PS Dennis the length of brush stick worked equally on the old Octopus and drag as well but Possie’s Leyland would have been a bit too nippy to need that mod.
thanks harry long retired.
The Gardners were always the worst for having stiff throttles “H” no matter how well you oiled the linkage! I think there must have been a little geezer inside the pump,pushing the linkage back at you!! Thats why Gardners did so well on juice I think! No such problem on the Octopus “H” the main job was stopping it once you got rolling!! Especially so when you had 27/28 ton on its back!! Happy days,Cheers Dennis.
That Mervyn Edwards unit is ex. BRS, he found them too fast? We had the overdrive box in ours, to this day I’ve never driven a faster lorry, the speedo ended at eighty and the needle would go to the main beam warning light at the bottom of the clock. there saving grace was that they had good power steering, the brakes were superb and best of all they had a fantastic heater (unlike the Gardner!). This machine you did definitely not take out solo in the rain!!!
Some trailers we had to cut the front rope hooks off under the headboard as they caught the turbo if you spun it round, we also had to fit a bigger guard to keep the susies off the turbo !
Bewick:
harry_gill:
Bewick:
harry_gill:
Bewick:
We also used to fix a wooden wedge on the throttle pedals of our 180LXB tractors which made holding the pedal down a lot more comfortable from the “flat” position of the tread.
hiya,
Dennis i expect you did the same for your drivers of the 240 engined Big Js otherwise there may have been unrest in the camp I personally preferred the length of brush handle tailored to suit the sticky out bit and the throttle.
thanks harry long retired.
I’ve heard about that “mod” “H” but but always sounded a bit lethal to me, we wern’t so cruel with our lads as we fitted the “wedge”!!! we fitted “hand throttles” on our Big J 240’s,when the 240s were flying about in clouds the drivers could sit back and read their newspapers and drink their coffee!!! May illicit a response that one “H” from the Big J gallery!! What do you think? Cheers Dennis.
hiya,
My friend i think you could be correct get the tin hat on, just in case those “airborne Big Js” shed a bit of cargo when attempting a loop the loop they was supposed to fly was’nt they.PS Dennis the length of brush stick worked equally on the old Octopus and drag as well but Possie’s Leyland would have been a bit too nippy to need that mod.
thanks harry long retired.
The Gardners were always the worst for having stiff throttles “H” no matter how well you oiled the linkage! I think there must have been a little geezer inside the pump,pushing the linkage back at you!! Thats why Gardners did so well on juice I think! No such problem on the Octopus “H” the main job was stopping it once you got rolling!! Especially so when you had 27/28 ton on its back!! Happy days,Cheers Dennis.
hiya,
Dennis the BRS used to put 14 ton on the Octopus’s / Bristol’s and 6 ton on the trailer but when working private i’ve had as much as 18 ton on the legger but a 2 axle single tyred trailer i always thought 6 ton was plenty and kept to that but as you say stopping the Leylands took a bit of doing the Bristols was’nt bad compared.
thanks harry long retired.
Trev_H:
That Mervyn Edwards unit is ex. BRS, he found them too fast? We had the overdrive box in ours, to this day I’ve never driven a faster lorry, the speedo ended at eighty and the needle would go to the main beam warning light at the bottom of the clock. there saving grace was that they had good power steering, the brakes were superb and best of all they had a fantastic heater (unlike the Gardner!). This machine you did definitely not take out solo in the rain!!!
Some trailers we had to cut the front rope hooks off under the headboard as they caught the turbo if you spun it round, we also had to fit a bigger guard to keep the susies off the turbo !
Once the ■■■■■■■ was wound up to 335 spec, I imagine it was a bit hairy - I think there might’ve been problems with the durability of the back end so they played about with the springs and fitted the axles from the Seddon Atkinsons.
harry_gill:
Bewick:
harry_gill:
Bewick:
harry_gill:
Bewick:
We also used to fix a wooden wedge on the throttle pedals of our 180LXB tractors which made holding the pedal down a lot more comfortable from the “flat” position of the tread.
hiya,
Dennis i expect you did the same for your drivers of the 240 engined Big Js otherwise there may have been unrest in the camp I personally preferred the length of brush handle tailored to suit the sticky out bit and the throttle.
thanks harry long retired.
I’ve heard about that “mod” “H” but but always sounded a bit lethal to me, we wern’t so cruel with our lads as we fitted the “wedge”!!! we fitted “hand throttles” on our Big J 240’s,when the 240s were flying about in clouds the drivers could sit back and read their newspapers and drink their coffee!!! May illicit a response that one “H” from the Big J gallery!! What do you think? Cheers Dennis.
hiya,
My friend i think you could be correct get the tin hat on, just in case those “airborne Big Js” shed a bit of cargo when attempting a loop the loop they was supposed to fly was’nt they.PS Dennis the length of brush stick worked equally on the old Octopus and drag as well but Possie’s Leyland would have been a bit too nippy to need that mod.
thanks harry long retired.
The Gardners were always the worst for having stiff throttles “H” no matter how well you oiled the linkage! I think there must have been a little geezer inside the pump,pushing the linkage back at you!! Thats why Gardners did so well on juice I think! No such problem on the Octopus “H” the main job was stopping it once you got rolling!! Especially so when you had 27/28 ton on its back!! Happy days,Cheers Dennis.
hiya,
Dennis the BRS used to put 14 ton on the Octopus’s / Bristol’s and 6 ton on the trailer but when working private i’ve had as much as 18 ton on the legger but a 2 axle single tyred trailer i always thought 6 ton was plenty and kept to that but as you say stopping the Leylands took a bit of doing the Bristols was’nt bad compared.
thanks harry long retired.
I think about 9 ton was as much as we put on the Crane drawbar “H” It was shod on 1000X20s and the Octopus was on 900X20 Dunlop RB6’s We carried a 1000x20 spare.
Dave the Renegade:
Aye it were a grand old lorry was the Gut Big J with the 8LXB engine.I can remember when I were a lad pushing my bike up the cobbled streets of Milnthorpe with a basket full of Hovis,who it were grand .
Mr Baker.
Aye, and I can mind when you could go out on a Saturday night with a Ten Bob note and go t’t fust house flicks,then have 5 or 6 pints of th’ale and then int’t chip shop for a whale and tatie pit to eat on’t last bus w’omb! Wake up in’t morning and still have 5 bob on’t bedside table!!! Aye them wer’t day’s oo argh!!!
Bewick:
Dave the Renegade:
Aye it were a grand old lorry was the Gut Big J with the 8LXB engine.I can remember when I were a lad pushing my bike up the cobbled streets of Milnthorpe with a basket full of Hovis,who it were grand .
Mr Baker.
Aye, and I can mind when you could go out on a Saturday night with a Ten Bob note and go t’t fust house flicks,then have 5 or 6 pints of th’ale and then int’t chip shop for a whale and tatie pit to eat on’t last bus w’omb! Wake up in’t morning and still have 5 bob on’t bedside table!!! Aye them wer’t day’s oo argh!!!
And listen to the Zeppelins flying over looking fer ta lakes thinking them were dams,those were the days with bread and drippiing,by eck what a lovely time,and all for a bag o scratchings.Makes one reet glad tha got a memory.
Master Baker
Dave the Renegade:
Bewick:
Dave the Renegade:
Aye it were a grand old lorry was the Gut Big J with the 8LXB engine.I can remember when I were a lad pushing my bike up the cobbled streets of Milnthorpe with a basket full of Hovis,who it were grand .
Mr Baker.
Aye, and I can mind when you could go out on a Saturday night with a Ten Bob note and go t’t fust house flicks,then have 5 or 6 pints of th’ale and then int’t chip shop for a whale and tatie pit to eat on’t last bus w’omb! Wake up in’t morning and still have 5 bob on’t bedside table!!! Aye them wer’t day’s oo argh!!!
And listen to the Zeppelins flying over looking fer ta lakes thinking them were dams,those were the days with bread and drippiing,by eck what a lovely time,and all for a bag o scratchings.Makes one reet glad tha got a memory.
Master Baker
There’s nothing wrong with a bread dripping sandwich David my boy!! The problem is you can’t get any “reet proper” dripping these days!!Cheers Dennis.
Bewick:
Dave the Renegade:
Bewick:
Dave the Renegade:
Aye it were a grand old lorry was the Gut Big J with the 8LXB engine.I can remember when I were a lad pushing my bike up the cobbled streets of Milnthorpe with a basket full of Hovis,who it were grand .
Mr Baker.
Aye, and I can mind when you could go out on a Saturday night with a Ten Bob note and go t’t fust house flicks,then have 5 or 6 pints of th’ale and then int’t chip shop for a whale and tatie pit to eat on’t last bus w’omb! Wake up in’t morning and still have 5 bob on’t bedside table!!! Aye them wer’t day’s oo argh!!!
And listen to the Zeppelins flying over looking fer ta lakes thinking them were dams,those were the days with bread and drippiing,by eck what a lovely time,and all for a bag o scratchings.Makes one reet glad tha got a memory.
Master Baker
There’s nothing wrong with a bread dripping sandwich David my boy!! The problem is you can’t get any “reet proper” dripping these days!!Cheers Dennis.
You can from the Butchers in Leintwardine Dennis.I will put some in the post,should reach you by July.
Cheers Dave.
Dave the Renegade:
Bewick:
Dave the Renegade:
Bewick:
Dave the Renegade:
Aye it were a grand old lorry was the Gut Big J with the 8LXB engine.I can remember when I were a lad pushing my bike up the cobbled streets of Milnthorpe with a basket full of Hovis,who it were grand .
Mr Baker.
Aye, and I can mind when you could go out on a Saturday night with a Ten Bob note and go t’t fust house flicks,then have 5 or 6 pints of th’ale and then int’t chip shop for a whale and tatie pit to eat on’t last bus w’omb! Wake up in’t morning and still have 5 bob on’t bedside table!!! Aye them wer’t day’s oo argh!!!
And listen to the Zeppelins flying over looking fer ta lakes thinking them were dams,those were the days with bread and drippiing,by eck what a lovely time,and all for a bag o scratchings.Makes one reet glad tha got a memory.
Master Baker
There’s nothing wrong with a bread dripping sandwich David my boy!! The problem is you can’t get any “reet proper” dripping these days!!Cheers Dennis.
You can from the Butchers in Leintwardine Dennis.I will put some in the post,should reach you by July.
Cheers Dave.
Sounds good to me Dave! But is that place in Wales or maybe Luxembourg or Holland? Cheers Dennis.
you can down our way with brown jelly in as well as I still get it as well as tripe which I have had tonight from the market 
sammyopisite:
you can down our way with brown jelly in as well as I still get it as well as tripe which I have had tonight from the market
Now you tell me Johnnie! If you’d given me a bit of notice it would have been worth the trip over “the wrong side” to join you for tea, only if you’d make me welcome of course!!! Cheers Dennis.
Bewick:
sammyopisite:
you can down our way with brown jelly in as well as I still get it as well as tripe which I have had tonight from the market
Now you tell me Johnnie! If you’d given me a bit of notice it would have been worth the trip over “the wrong side” to join you for tea, only if you’d make me welcome of course!!! Cheers Dennis.
consider it an open invitation Dennis and there is usually some decent whisky in for medicinal purposes only