Ryan's M3 medium

[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

Hi Ryan - firstly the seized track. Depending on how much room you have on your property, you could dig a tranch to accomodate the track. Line the trench with heavy duty plastic sheeting and then immerse the track in the molasses solution. Ensure the plastic wraps across the top of the solution to stop it evaporating. It would be better with the tracks off the tank but you could do the same if they were still fitted. You would need to dig the trenches underneath the tank and then lower it into the trench. This however would only do the lower portion of the tracks.

Secondly the rubber donuts. If you need new ones, the industrial rubber factory I get my Carrier wheels re-rubbered should be able to manufacture new ones providing they obtain a template. The only problem I envisage is whether the donuts were inserted between the links when the tracks were assembled or whether they could be inserted after market.

Bob

[D Ellery]

Hi Ryan. Awesome project you have there. I visited John Belfields Museum early 2000 and fell in love with his M3 as with all the M3 parts out the back, actually I think I spent more time out the back climbing over all the rusty steel than inside the museum. My great uncle trained on these in Egypt prior to the Italian campaign so please continue with the posts and plenty of pics when you can. Cheers David.

[tankbarrell]

Originally Posted by Bob Moseley

Secondly the rubber donuts. If you need new ones, the industrial rubber factory I get my Carrier wheels re-rubbered should be able to manufacture new ones providing they obtain a template. The only problem I envisage is whether the donuts were inserted between the links when the tracks were assembled or whether they could be inserted after market.

Bob

The pins are pressed into the links after the rings are moulded onto them. However, at the risk of becoming repetative, it's all academic as the track will not be seized......

[Ryan]

Thanks Adrian for the ID.
Alex, thanks for the tips, will post your pics when I get it home.
Bob, thanks for the idea, hoping it's just the brakes.
David, plenty of pics will come, I enjoy posting them as much as I enjoy seeing other peoples pics.

[Ganmain Tony]

Mein Gott!! Ryan ..... that is a project and a half. Very best of luck with it and hope it brings you lots of joy at the end of the frustrating bits.

Looking forward to this thread as regular entertainment for the next 4 to 5 years.

[anthony urek]

Looking forward to this thread as regular entertainment for the next 4 to 5 years.

Now thats funny! But True!

[Ryan]

Originally Posted by ganmain tony

mein gott!! Ryan ..... That is a project and a half. Very best of luck with it and hope it brings you lots of joy at the end of the frustrating bits.

Looking forward to this thread as regular entertainment for the next 4 to 5 years.

........lol!

[Ryan]

Grant no.2 arrived today on the back of a truck from NSW ( border raid complete ) and a crane was brought in to lift it off as it was thought at the time to be immobile.

[Ryan]

Some of the links are tight and kinked and combined with it not being able to be moved by two 120hp tractors where it had been sitting lead to the false seized belief. The Grant it turned out had been sitting in its spot for up to 25 years. The owner spoke of it being a training tank for the Army before it was purchased by a neighbouring farmer post war.
A crane was used to load the tank in NSW and a further crane organised for my end.