VICKERS MK6B's resto

[David Dunlop]

Hi Colin.

Since the complete set of gears are at hand for you to inspect, a simple answer might be a close inspection of the small gear in question.

In theory, if it was nothing more than a gear oil splasher, it should bear no signs at all of the physical kind of wear it would receive having spent it's active life with two other gears crashing back and forth into it.

If it was just an oil splasher, the edges of the teeth should look very much like the day they were first cut, barring any uniform kind of corrosion that would have developed as the lubricant slowly disappeared over time.

David

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by David Dunlop

Hi Colin.

Since the complete set of gears are at hand for you to inspect, a simple answer might be a close inspection of the small gear in question.

In theory, if it was nothing more than a gear oil splasher, it should bear no signs at all of the physical kind of wear it would receive having spent it's active life with two other gears crashing back and forth into it.

If it was just an oil splasher, the edges of the teeth should look very much like the day they were first cut, barring any uniform kind of corrosion that would have developed as the lubricant slowly disappeared over time.

David

Hi David,
see the attached drawing from the MkVIA manual in my previous post, this is not an oil splasher, it is the reverse gear. As the layshaft gears are lower in the oil, they will produce more splash than one little gear.

Richard

[David Dunlop]

Hi Richard.

I don't doubt it in the least.

I do not know how much documentation on these vehicles Colin has at his disposal, and with many parts missing completely, or very badly corroded, trying to interpret what one actually has and can see, in relation to any existing documentation, can be a challenge.

My thinking was to try and come up with a way Colin could inspect what he has and relate that to a gear that was getting physically worked over the years. Don't want him to get a massive headache and stop posting for a while. His great work is way to fascinating!

David

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by David Dunlop

I do not know how much documentation on these vehicles Colin has at his disposal, and with many parts missing completely, or very badly corroded, trying to interpret what one actually has and can see, in relation to any existing documentation, can be a challenge.

Hi David,
The Tank Museum in England have a copy of the manual that covers the MkVIA and will do photocopies of it. I recollect telling Colin about this sometime ago. I needed to see it when reconstructing the electrical system on one of the other Australian MkVIA tanks and it was invaluable.

regards, Richard

[Lynn Eades]

I now concur with Richard having seen the pdf,and looking back, Colin gave us a clue when he said the countershaft gear only meshes with half of the little gear (reverse idler) However the trough under the gear is only there for one reason, a consistant lube supply.

[colin jones]

Thankyou Richard, you cleared that one up. I'm happy to confess I'm no mechanic. I had a look at it today and I can see where it meshed from one side. That said, I will re install it back in the same way it came out so it still has its lead in. I was in contact with Bovington but I already have all the information they have. I am also in contact with a chap in South Africa who is sending me some wonderful parts drawings on PDF so I can down load and print. I now know exactly what the turret ball race and traverse box looks like as well. So some of the guess work has now been eliminated. But I still have a lot to do.
Thank you all for your input.
Colin.

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by colin jones

Thankyou Richard, you cleared that one up. I'm happy to confess I'm no mechanic. I had a look at it today and I can see where it meshed from one side. That said, I will re install it back in the same way it came out so it still has its lead in. I was in contact with Bovington but I already have all the information they have. I am also in contact with a chap in South Africa who is sending me some wonderful parts drawings on PDF so I can down load and print. I now know exactly what the turret ball race and traverse box looks like as well. So some of the guess work has now been eliminated. But I still have a lot to do.
Thank you all for your input.
Colin.

Hi Colin,
Good to hear you have the information, there is very little about. When you eventually get to the instruments and electrical system, I have found my notes from about 12 years ago and can give you a bit of guidance in that quarter. I was hoping you might have been at Corowa as I had a CD with me with external photos of the Aussie one in the Duxford museum. Maybe if you are interested, you could PM me your postal address and I will send it to you.

best regards,
Richard