Back to working on my Zils.

[paulob1]

So Karls old zil, now a bit tired was shoving fuel out of the fuel pump, a lot, it had a useless Chinese pump, now fitted with a russian pump and working sweet again. Got to get some more hydraulic oil as she has leaked a load out of the tank, very odd as it now has not enough, not sure why it did that but suspect I was driving with the pump working and it pressurized it, only drove about 200 yards but it was not happy.

anyway once I have refilled it I need to move a small container and then use it to help unload a few more containers when the JCB cant lift them..the outriggers fitted are too narrow and she can tip over too easily for my liking, want to get an extension made so that it is at least 2 foot wider either side...

also need to sort the handbrake again, remove and grease it up,,,there must be a more permanent way to stop them from seizing...maybe I have to strip the unit and have it chromed or the pivots made of stainless or something...there must be a bette way because without a hand brake they are really tricky...

[KarlJ]

Thank you for taking good care of her

[Abrs]

Hand brake was a tad sticky on mine when I first had it, you need to take the prop and drum off and pull the cam shaft out, and give it all a good clean then pack it with pin and bush grease(the black stuff not the normal EP grease) and re-fit, mine's been fine since and that was several years ago it got done, even after periods of being laid up it's still nice and free.

Your hydraulic tank got a blocked breather?

[Rob Reznik]

Had the same problem with my original Zil - took it off and apart - cleaned and drilled, tapped and fitted a grease nipple - no problems since, I think they should have put one there in the first place!!

[paulob1]

yes of course, a dam grease nipple, been doing that on some of my antennas and things...thats the next step...good call...i really want to have a go at fitting sprung brake chambers but never done it before and dont know a great deal about the air systems.

i have a couple of old trucks maybe i will take the air systems of that and see if i can get them to work...would really like the brakes to come on when she is out of air rather than the other way round. although the zil way at least means you can keep moving...wonder if you could make the hand brake air operated...that wouldn't be too hard, only problem being that the zil will drive with it on so would need to have a warning light or similar...

[zoltan]

Not just on Zils, the Gaz handbrake cam also gets chocked up with crud all too easily leaving you with no handbrake

[paulob1]

yes damn annoying, but enjoying tinkering again, been leaving it all to staff but now we have no Andy wasting my time and money and Brad is busy running the site and cows, the machines are getting left for a bit too long...am on it now but i will only tinker on the road legal ones...

for now anyway..

[Abrs]

An air operated handbrake would be no trouble to fit, you just need the little lever valve and sprung chamber to connect to the existing linkage, these components can be sourced from anywhere that's breaking trucks, or ebay. They are commonly found on the likes of the older Ford/Iveco cargo, Daf 45 etc etc. The advantage would be a form of brakes should the air run out, but that said you won't be going far if you can't get any air up for whatever reason, in this respect you may also wish to fit a threaded rod to the end of the linkage so you can wind the brake off if no air is available.

Low air warning buzzer/light is also no big deal to fit but it doesn't necessary mean the brake is off, a reversing light switch might be a better option fitted directly to the linkage.

[zoltan]

Lever operated one works well on the Gaz provided it isn't full of gunge

[Abrs]

Agreed, it works well enough when serviced. TBH even with a lever the brake will stop and hold a zil tipper with a full load on a good hill, air is just lazy Besides it's not stopping a zil that I have trouble with, getting the bloody thing moving is the issue

[paulob1]

I like it, yes, I have just broken a truck an old daf...yes I fancy doing this...I do not like the hand brake as it is or do i go the whole hog and fit proper braked chambers on the rear.

[Abrs]

You could do but it's a lot more complicated, but the Zil does have the correct setup if you utilise the trailer brake circuit for the rear spring brake chambers, otherwise you will also need to change the foot valve which means you'll have to go the full hog and fit sprung chambers to the front axle as well. TBH though I think it's unnecessary on the Zil, if you have an air handbrake your rear wheels will stop you anyway should the air pressure drop too low, that transmission brake drum on the Zil is normally quite effective, you shouldn't just be able to pull off with the hand brake applied, if you can I think it needs looking at, but anyway if you're fitting a sprung type air chamber it will most likely be putting a lot more force then you would with the hand brake lever, so if you have a good serviceable transmission brake I can't see the truck going far should the air become exhausted.

[Rob Reznik]

You could do but it's a lot more complicated, but the Zil does have the correct setup if you utilise the trailer brake circuit for the rear spring brake chambers, otherwise you will also need to change the foot valve which means you'll have to go the full hog and fit sprung chambers to the front axle as well. TBH though I think it's unnecessary on the Zil, if you have an air handbrake your rear wheels will stop you anyway should the air pressure drop too low, that transmission brake drum on the Zil is normally quite effective, you shouldn't just be able to pull off with the hand brake applied, if you can I think it needs looking at, but anyway if you're fitting a sprung type air chamber it will most likely be putting a lot more force then you would with the hand brake lever, so if you have a good serviceable transmission brake I can't see the truck going far should the air become exhausted.

I agree - if set up properly the standard Zil handbrake is very good, personaly I wouldn't waste time and possibly money on it?

[paulob1]

well i left the old girl for a couple of weeks, new russian fuel pump, turned the key, no pumping and away she went, lovely...just got to sort that hand brake and see if I can get it to work properly...and then see if I can be convinced that it will hold the truck when needed...also sort the lights and install some extra work lights...

then its get the diesel zil running again..

[Abrs]

well i left the old girl for a couple of weeks, new russian fuel pump, turned the key, no pumping and away she went, lovely...just got to sort that hand brake and see if I can get it to work properly...and then see if I can be convinced that it will hold the truck when needed...also sort the lights and install some extra work lights...

then its get the diesel zil running again..

Re the handbrake. I think you would only encounter problems if the drum has worn oversize, that's unlikely though as the handbrake isn't normally applied until the truck has stopped so very little wear should be incurred, however if the linkage has been sticking and holding the brake on slightly then it might be a different story, you need to pull it apart and check tolerances etc.