Now to buisness

Wait.... where's it gone?... there was a Foden around here somewhere!.... well ok its still around here..Just in more pieces!

so yes the strip down has happened so i have a bench fill of bits and some other bits everywhere!

 So... what have i found... well first off is whoever built this didn't think that pistons need any form of sealing. Valve gear is mostly scrap, apparently eccentric straps are ok to just be brass rings?

Also there is no adjustment on any of the rods. as they are screwed to the ring and soldered in place meaning there is slight .... length issue between them all! (The pen on the rod is from when i took them all to work and measured them) but until i manage to get a set of drawings i can do much because i don't know what size they are supposed to be!

Something else I've done is put the boiler in the sink .... yup in the sink for a good cleaning out, its been left in someones garage for far too long half full of water, So ... The shell if full of rust and muck!...good thing i saved some of the Phosphoric acid! ;)

And just look at the Gunge!!!

But anyway moving on as i should be doing. the first job it so sort the frame and get it back on some wheels,
something that i noticed before is that the front frame member was cracked, so now the boilers out and everything is in pieces, i can inspect the issue...

Hmmm.... someone had a oopsie i think! the entire bottom has been cracked and re-welded.... badly! so that's the first job, make this all pretty and nice again .. then i can strip the frame, and re-paint and hopefully it will look more like a proper frame and then ill start looking at axles!

so that's as far as I've got so far but any progress is a good thing!

*Readers!*
If by any chance you know of anyone anywhere that has a 3" Foden lorry... get in touch!! i need drawings of the Crankshaft- Valve gear- Cylinder block so i can start getting things in order!
the issue I've ran into is Reeves ( the only people who sell the drawings) have monopolized on this, and i cant buy drawings individually, I have to buy the whole set... for £168 !!!!! all i need is enough to get the valve gear right and crankshaft set up!

Anyways .... i gotta get on .. things to build and sort!