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Now that the TANXHEAVEN website is down, I wished I had saved all the reference pictures they had on their website. You live you, you learn.

As I have stated , I have taken delivery of a 1942 DiamondT 969A. The engine color is a grey, or a shade there of. The distributor is black, the air compressor looks like a shade of green found on a Detroit diesel.

Is the governor assembly supposed to be black in color?

Since I was doing a PM and degreasing the engine compartment, I thought I might as well detail it. The body has been painted at least 5 times, I found 5 differant layers in 5 differant shades of OD.

Jny help would be appreciated.

Thanks

john Gott

The best reference for Hercules colors is Jerrybiro and bob Rubino. I have been supplying NOS JXD, RXC and HXC parts to Jerry for years. He will know. Many of the quality European rebuild RXCs are gray, so don't get to comfortable yet. WWII surplus JXD parts I have sent yo Jerry vary as to who packed them, the M-20 castings from Ford boxes were same as GPW Jeep engines in color, and JXD Scout Car parts were light gray. Next time I talk to Jerry I will ask for you.
Jerry is the best Hercules engine supplier and expert in the USA, he has 40 years or better and a warehouse full of Hercules and other NOS industrial spares.

The NOS air brake governors I had were glossy black, NOS oil filter assemblies were grey base with black filter covers - one of the oil filter decals is available from restorer supply houses but not the one which mentions the Military Senior filter replacement.

Despite the multitude of grey engines, I suspect the factory engine colour, at least on early models, may have been a mid to dark green colour as NOS cylinder heads have been this colour as well as an original and probably unrebuilt engine. Other NOS parts were red primer like clutches and water pumps.

Air cleaners were black as I think were the distributor, generator, starter and voltage regulator.

I have already painted the air cleaner black along with the Zenith carb, I am waiting for the black wrinkle paint for the voltage regulator. My oil filter housings were grey but I have seen them all black and as you mentioned with black tops, I just seem to remeber the engine govenor as being black. My air brake govenor is black, got to take it apart and oil it as per the TM. +Will repaint eh generator and starter black. I am also awiting a call back from Jerry Rubio as I need the gaskets for the lifter covers. I thought the oil leak as coming from the oil pan gasket. I tightened the cover whicjh slowed the leak to a drip but the cork has seen better days. I am glad I removed the oil strainer when I changed the oil, as the lower catch basin was full of sludge, as thats what it was designed to do.
I finally go the front winch cable rewound tightly, with the help of my neighbor . We hooked the cable to my pick up truck and winched it. I am using a NAPA product " cable and chain lube" on the winch cables. It goes on as a foam and seeps into the cables.

So everyday, there is something else to do to the truck. I find it very rewarding and relaxing at the same time.

John gott

Say "Hi" to Jerry Biro for me.

will do

John,
Here are a couple photos of a Gov. rebuilt Diamond T engine. I believe it was rebuilt in France in 1967. The engine is OD and most the accessories are OD. The air cleaner is black. The original engine I removed form my Diamond T was gray and all the accessories were black.
Steve

Thanks Steve;
I found black, OD, grey, (2 differant shades) just on the engine. So I am going with grey on the block and black with the accy's

Speaking of colors, and i know you are interesred in law enforcement, the US Constabulary in Germany/France had the Diamond T Wreckers in their motorpools. There are WWII period pictures to back that up. I have none in my files.

Speaking of Diamond T's, they have to be one of the best looking trucks ever made! Soft-top or Hard-top IMHO

PS

I concur

After all the relatives leave today I will take some pictures of my progress. I finally finished the PM, with reinstalling the bearing cups on the water pump and distributor and I installed an NOS cable to the wrecker PTO.

The frame and cab will be soda blasted, but that will happen next spring. I actually enjoyed getting covered in grime and smelling like gear oil. The engine just purrs along

Hi John (42 Chevy),

In a blatant attempt to boost my Post #, I would like to tell you a story. I grew up in London in the '50's. My dad would take us all for a day out and a not uncommon sight (but far from common) was those big Ex-MOD Scammells. As kids we called them "big breakdown lorries." I always thought they looked prehistoric with those big NDT's. One day on a trip to Margate, I saw alongside a Garage in Dartford what I later learnt was a Diamond T Wrecker, just like the one Steve G has. I think my love of Military Vehicles started that day. I look forward to seeing your truck.

Paul

Well the the relatives are still here and it is dark now, but tommorow is a play day for the wrecker. I will be doing some welding and straighting on the right front frame/ bumber area so the tow hook can be remounted again. I think Steve (former owner) told me he was trying to pull his Stuart tank (now owned by Steve Greenberg) and he pulled the tow hook off the bumper.
Also I will be fabricating a new grab handle for the left outrigger.

Pics to follow

John Gott

Did you see the DT G509 PTO Shift Boot on eBay?

A friend bought it.