Positive I/D Sort

[Mike Cecil]

Interesting. Big D's link is to Lee images, which show the M3 Lee outside the restoration shed at Littlefields in CA, I'm reasonably sure (and in the shed), so this is a Lee ex-Australia.

Andrew is in NZ: where did the drive you have come from, ie what was your source of that drive? Your source may help to narrow down the likely options.

Mike

[Andrew Rowe]

Hi Mike, we now live in a world wide community, so you can not assume county of origin, if you know what I mean. It came from Europe, probably from Chris Muys , and I understand he had a lot of Sherman based parts?

[Mike Cecil]

No assumptions on my part, just wondering if source might have helped. If you had said 'a bunch of parts in a box from Australia' then Lee/Grant would jump out as a prime possibility. But from Europe, anything is likely.

Mike

[Andrew Rowe]

The cover plate on the top holds the bearing for the gear, there is a horizontal cover plate, but this is only for access to the right angle gear drives. The ring gear , gear pulled out as shown in the pictures, has brass rings almost look electrical and at the base is a carbon "button" ?? There is a cast number in the main body:The letter D inside a big C and the number is 85651, There is also no internal spline on the top gear. Is this electrical over manual?Cheers Andrew.

[Mike Cecil]

You now know this was for an AFV in production in March 1945 (3 45) which rules out Lee/Grant, plus a USA bearing ID number you could try looking up regarding its end use/application.

Mike

[Andrew Rowe]

I am really interested to know how all this setup behind that drive gear works?

[Lynn Eades]

Is that some kind of friction clutch Andrew?