New bloke with a Thwaites Orion dumper

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gardnerman
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New bloke with a Thwaites Orion dumper

Post #1 by gardnerman » Sat Nov 28, 2009 4:24 pm

Hello everyone I hope this is in the correct place.
I've joined this forum after a recommendation on the farming forum, I have joined in the hope of info and/or parts for this dumper.
I bought it a couple of weeks ago with the steering box worm that connects to the drop arm missing and the end plate, the previous owner seems to have mislaid them and I am not confident he will come up with them any time soon.
I'm hoping that someone will be able to put me onto some parts.
I've just drained the oil from the gear box and my first thought was that it was badly emulsified with water, however it's so clean and cream like I'm not sure if it's how it should be any advise as to what oil the gearbox needs would be appreciated.
Here are some pic's and a vid of the oil consistency
Image
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Richard


Localdiggers.co.uk

Re: New bloke with a Thwaites Orion dumper

Post #2 by Localdiggers.co.uk » Sat Nov 28, 2009 9:21 pm

welcome to the forum! ive got a real soft spot for all of these little old dumpers im sure you would have heard of john lewis dumpers? give him a ring he is the man when questions concern these machines, he will have the parts you need and im certain will be able to advise on the oil, im sorry i cant be of more help, maybe the next poster will


Julian
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Re: New bloke with a Thwaites Orion dumper

Post #3 by Julian » Sat Nov 28, 2009 9:58 pm

Hi gardnerman, I've an Orion too, looked like yours last summer but I've tarted it up a bit!

The gear oil will be emulsified with water, the rain runs down the gearstick and into the box. (is it like mine with a chain driven gearbox and brake drum clutch? Later ones had the box bolted to the engine in more conventional arrangement)

The bearings in my gearbox had worn out completely due to corrosion from water, luckily the gears survived OK, but 4 new shaft bearings and the clutch release bearing cost a fair bit. The best oil would be a 90 grade gear oil, nowadays most stockists seem to have EP80W90 which is fine too. The gearbox is massive and only has to cope with about 6bhp so banana oil would also probably suffice :)

As has been already stated, John Lewis dumpers will sort you a secondhand steering box.

Here's mine, more pictures if you want:

Image

Julian.


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gardnerman
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Re: New bloke with a Thwaites Orion dumper

Post #4 by gardnerman » Sat Nov 28, 2009 10:15 pm

My word that's quite yellow, I didn't buy it to restore but I will "tart" it up a bit as you quote.
I bought it to use for getting large stationary engines from my back yard (backs onto a horse field which is adjacent to a cereal field). http://saddbstationaryengines.co.uk
I have no other access to my back yard and I was looking out for a tractor but they always attract too much money.
As for John Lewis I have no idea as I have never had anything to do with these types of things before, I would be grateful for and email for John Lewis or a phone number.
Thanks for the replies
Richard


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Re: New bloke with a Thwaites Orion dumper

Post #5 by Julian » Sat Nov 28, 2009 11:28 pm

gardnerman wrote:My word that's quite yellow, I didn't buy it to restore but I will "tart" it up a bit as you quote.
I bought it to use for getting large stationary engines from my back yard (backs onto a horse field which is adjacent to a cereal field). http://saddbstationaryengines.co.uk
I have no other access to my back yard and I was looking out for a tractor but they always attract too much money.
As for John Lewis I have no idea as I have never had anything to do with these types of things before, I would be grateful for and email for John Lewis or a phone number.
Thanks for the replies


Here you go from another post:

... is from advert in classic plant hope it helps ! Www.johnlewisdumpers.com mobile: 07860487105. Tel 01885-483658 fax. 01544-260625 :thumbup: Sorry John but seems he has let his domain expire ...

You should restore yours, loads of fun wizzing down the country lanes :D

One thing though is that he is near Shobden in Herefordshire, so possibly quite a way from you. Most stuff on the dumper is used on other machines, for instance someone told me that the Salisbury axle is the same as the old twin wheel heavyweight Ford Transit. I'll bet the steering box is on other stuff - maybe a Series Landrover? Just guessing....

Julian.


Localdiggers.co.uk

Re: New bloke with a Thwaites Orion dumper

Post #6 by Localdiggers.co.uk » Sat Nov 28, 2009 11:37 pm

looks great julian, almost a shame to go and get it dirty now!!


Julian
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Re: New bloke with a Thwaites Orion dumper

Post #7 by Julian » Sun Nov 29, 2009 12:07 am

Localdiggers.co.uk wrote:looks great julian, almost a shame to go and get it dirty now!!


It's a bit dirty now, bird poo here and there from where they sit up high on the ''Z'' beams in the building roof and also I've shifted a few loads of road scalpings around the place so the paint is well and truly scratched in the skip :cry: But I'm actually pleased because the enjoyment is in driving the thing around and not looking at it, so I'm not scared too much if it gets a little scratch or two! And I'll never let it get back into the dreadful condition that it was in when I first got it.

It is amazing just how capable it is just with a few hp from the single cylinder engine - must have been a god send on the building sites compared to the wheelbarrows....

Julian.


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Re: New bloke with a Thwaites Orion dumper

Post #8 by gardnerman » Sun Nov 29, 2009 9:53 pm

Julian wrote:
gardnerman wrote:My word that's quite yellow, I didn't buy it to restore but I will "tart" it up a bit as you quote.
I bought it to use for getting large stationary engines from my back yard (backs onto a horse field which is adjacent to a cereal field). http://saddbstationaryengines.co.uk
I have no other access to my back yard and I was looking out for a tractor but they always attract too much money.
As for John Lewis I have no idea as I have never had anything to do with these types of things before, I would be grateful for and email for John Lewis or a phone number.
Thanks for the replies


Here you go from another post:

... is from advert in classic plant hope it helps ! Www.johnlewisdumpers.com mobile: 07860487105. Tel 01885-483658 fax. 01544-260625 :thumbup: Sorry John but seems he has let his domain expire ...

You should restore yours, loads of fun wizzing down the country lanes :D

One thing though is that he is near Shobden in Herefordshire, so possibly quite a way from you. Most stuff on the dumper is used on other machines, for instance someone told me that the Salisbury axle is the same as the old twin wheel heavyweight Ford Transit. I'll bet the steering box is on other stuff - maybe a Series Landrover? Just guessing....

Julian.

Thank you Julian
I'll have to ring him tomorrow just hope he has a second hand unit, I suspect a new one would be an arm and a leg.
As you say the link doesn't work presumably because he's not kept up to date, I have found some references on the net but I think a phone call would be more productive.
I think I'll have to strip the gear box as the goo that came out is bordering on the consistency of grease but very sticky and hard to rub off anything it gets on and I must admit when I tried pulling away it sqeals a bit.
It would take so much flushing to get it all off every thing in there, is there anything that's going to require a "special" tool or anything that will spring and take my head off, particularly with the clutch?
Richard


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Re: New bloke with a Thwaites Orion dumper

Post #9 by tctractors » Sun Nov 29, 2009 10:37 pm

If you have the brake shoe clutch (Triumph Herald front shoes) you need a handy bar to hold the release arm after removing the clevis pin , the little gearbox holds no snags and is very straight forward, the parts for these little dumpers are very easy to find, and might be still on stock at Thwaites.

tctractors


Julian
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Re: New bloke with a Thwaites Orion dumper

Post #10 by Julian » Sun Nov 29, 2009 11:37 pm

gardnerman wrote:[]Thank you Julian
I'll have to ring him tomorrow just hope he has a second hand unit, I suspect a new one would be an arm and a leg.
As you say the link doesn't work presumably because he's not kept up to date, I have found some references on the net but I think a phone call would be more productive.
I think I'll have to strip the gear box as the goo that came out is bordering on the consistency of grease but very sticky and hard to rub off anything it gets on and I must admit when I tried pulling away it sqeals a bit.
It would take so much flushing to get it all off every thing in there, is there anything that's going to require a "special" tool or anything that will spring and take my head off, particularly with the clutch?[/color]


Right, you won't get a new one, far too old, dates back to the late 50's or 60's that dumper of yours. But I'm confident JL will have a secondhand one for you.

Don't strip the gearbox yet. The squeal will be that brake drum clutch. (if indeed that's what you have) As it sounds like you don't want too much from this dumper I'd firstly replace the old oil and try it - if it works in all the gears and isn't too noisy then you'll be OK for the next 20 years! My gearbox made a horid sound when I got it so a rebuild was unavoidable!

One thing, the gate wears out on the gearbox and you can sometimes select two gears at once - not good really! If you take the lever out you can remove the gate and build it up with some MIG weld and restore it as good as new. Careful that you don't loose the two selector shaft springs into the bowels of the box when you take the gear lever out!

Julian.


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