Chris Allen of Professional Struggler has taken delivery of a classic Foden double-drive lorry, immediately facing a backlog of mechanical and pneumatic faults.
Powered by a 350 Perkins engine paired with a 12-speed Eaton Twin Split gearbox, the vintage commercial vehicle arrived with a permanently engaged rear differential lock and seized cab latching jaws.
After freeing the diff lock mechanism, Chris investigated a continuous pneumatic leak at the back of the transmission. Tracing the airflow revealed that internal wear was venting air through the splitter relief valve.
Dismantling the corroded gearbox selector turret exposed seized sliding pistons with degraded seals. Chris measured the components to source specialised high-temperature O-rings rather than standard nitrile replacements.
Further inspection uncovered a viscous engine fan crudely welded solid and heavily corroded exhaust brackets, prompting a complete teardown ahead of a custom show build.
