Aligning Centurion engine to gearbox

[Malcolm Towrie]

Update: regarding the running a bit hot on a hot day, we repaired a spare rad that had clean fins and tubes but had a bad tube leak due to freezing (I think) to replace the one that I thought was plugged with oil and dirt deep in the core. But on further inspection of the supposedly plugged one, I’m not sure that’s the case. So what else would cause a Meteor to overheat on hot days?
When we bench tested the engine, the thermostat opened around 175 deg F so I don’t think that is the problem.
Running lean? I’ve got a wide band O2 sensor so I can check the air fuel mixture under load on both banks since ihere is a welded boss for the O2 sensor on both exhaust pipes. Damn, I hope it’s not a carb problem since they are a bitch to get access too.
Maybe a restrictive strainer mesh in the long range fuel tank we are using as our supply? Or low fuel pressure at high load?
Due to COVID, we haven’t run the tank for any length of time for more than a year, but with a potential Tank Day coming up in August, I’d like to get this resolved.
Malcolm

[Malcolm Towrie]

On another issue, when I select non-STAB mode, which provides power traverse, and only manual elevation (as it’s supposed to), the turret correctly rotates at a speed and direction depending on how the gunner’s or commander’s controller is rotated, as it should.
But when I select STAB mode, which is supposed to take signals from the traverse and elevation gyros to provide full stabilization for the gun elevation and the turret traverse, only stabilization for the gun elevation works (which is very cool, watching the gun stay level as the tank drives over berms), but the traverse stabilization doesn’t work at all, either from the stabilizing signal or the controller signal.
I know it’s a 70 year old tank and I can’t expect perfection, but it bugs me!
Malcolm