How often to run the engine in a Centurion?

[45jim]

When we restored our Centurion in Calgary (now in Edmonton and still going strong) we asked the very question of our old hats. You see regular army vehicles sit a long time in open storage between exercises and on deployments the vehicles are left with a skeleton crew and often go untouched for 6 months or more. Our museum vehicles would be no different.

In fact, when the Strathconas had Centurions most were kept in Wainwright while Regiment was in Calgary (about 4 hours away). A team in Wainwright performed needed maintenance but the tanks mostly sat for 8 months a year!

In the museum, we found the old maintenance logs and they stated that tanks prior to storage were to be "prepared". This perpetration included full maintenance, oil changes and greasing or oiling of all moving parts. Engines (including the aux engine) were to be run until operating temperature was reached and if the tank was mobile, it was to be driven approximately 5 miles. After parking they were allowed to idle for 5 mins and then shut down. The next morning the plugs were removed and 3 teaspoons of 10wt oil was added to each cylinder and the engine spun to distribute the oil and plugs reinstalled. If the engine was not to be run for up to 1 year or more desicator plugs would be installed in the spark plug holes. I was told no one ever saw a desicator plug during their service.