Buried Mk 1 Bren carrier restoration

[derk derin]

George,
There is a difference between the Mk 1 and the Mk 2 plates.The Mk 1 plate is one plate bent into shape.I have looked at Gords Mk2 plate but not exactly sure of it's construction.I do remember there is an extra plate that attaches to cover the hole when not in use.Anybody out there with a Mk2 able to tell us the construction of their plate?
Derk.

[derk derin]

Terry,
You guessed right but Colin beat you to that assumption.It's probably better that way as I would have been divorced pulling off using a living room for a workshop but it was so nice and warm and I could sit on the couch and watch TV while I worked!

Dave,
The carriers in the picture were dug up in June of 1998.The first 2 were the year before and the 5th carrier was the year later.
The valve and tube you were asking about is to drain the block.The brass valves were on both sides and the tube had a little funnel underneath the valve which shaped into a Y and drained down to an opening in the bottom of the hull.Here is a picture of your carrier in it's grave,this is the No #4 carrier,you can see in the mud behind the No #4 carrier,the plate of the 5th carrier;


And this is the no #5 carrier;

Derk.

[Ron Pier]

The plate on my MK2 is of folded construction. The second picture shows the stowage of the seperate plate.

Ron

[Lynn Eades]

I think the stowed plate was to help facilitate the waterproofing when wading ashore.

[super dave]

Thanks Dirk, I was wondering on those valves as my block does not have them, Did all Carrier blocks have the drains there as I am assuming my block is a carrier block as it came with the tubes out of the back for the oil cooler and was overhauled in 1952 by the military by the data plate on the bell housing.

[derk derin]

Dave,
As you can see from the photos of the carriers,I was lucky enough to get the most complete carrier of the bunch with the engine still there.That gave me alot of items still on the carrier that the others did not as the engines were removed.The valves were on the original block in my carrier and the tube with the funnels are mounted by two straps bolted on with the oil pan bolts so it would be easy to mount this system to any engine,carrier or not.I don't know if there are tapped holes in all blocks to thread the drain valves into.I could try and look in the spring but here is a picture of where my carrier is right now.Picture taken Monday!


Derk.

[rob love]

Derk
That is quite the sandstorm you have going there. We get sandstorms over here in KAF as well, but they do not usually form drifts as high as that.