Aligning Centurion engine to gearbox

[Malcolm Towrie]

So that works out to be 13 (maybe going on 20?).

2 in BC, Canada
1 in the US ( there's gotta be more)
6 (at least) in Australia
1 in England (again, likely more)
1 in Ontario Canada
1 in Alberta Canada
1 in NZ

So the club isn't as exclusive as I thought it was.

I have another question: I backed off the large track tensioning nuts on both sides since the tracks had been severely overtightened for some reason. Neither idler moved back to loosen the track. They were stuck. After reversing and neutral steering, the left hand one snapped back, simultaneously extruding a ton of grease (I think it was hydrolocked with grease), so I can see sag in that track now. But the right hand one is stuck despite some subsequent reversing and steering in the display bay.
The manual says reversing the tank should pull it back.
We may have to wait for the mud hole outside to freeze so we can take it outside and drive it for a bit to see if this frees it up.

Any suggestions on getting the track tensioner to release?

I'm going to try some heat.

Malcolm

[jdmcm]

In the USA there are 2 or maybe even 3 in Minnesota at Drive-A-Tank, and also one more runner in New Zealand at Christchurch, used to be a tank driving adventure, ex-Vietnam vet.

Malcolm, have you counted the links in the track? I know there is an acceptable wear guide which allows for the removal of a link, maybe 2-3, can't remember the exact number. I remember a fellow in Australia who had removed too many links and the track was tight as a piano wire, eventually he ended up tearing off the idler or the final drive.

When we got ours it was new track but loose and it wanted to jump the sprockets...no fun tightening Centurion track without the proper ratchet tool!

Christchurch
314859011.jpg

[Mike Cecil]

John,

Can't quite make out the ARN in your image - is it 169039?

Regards

Mike

[jdmcm]

Mike this is the info on the Christchurch tank that I have:

The tank is now called Maximus I believe but in Vietnam it was "Cromwell" C/S 2 was ARN 169039's last name prior to leaving SVN. 2 troop, C Sqn 1 Armd Reg.Tour date Dec 1970- Sept 1971.

4077557.JPG

314859108.jpg

[Mike Cecil]

Thanks John, interesting to see where 169039 ended up.

I used that period image by Army PR photographer Bill Cuneen on page 301 of 'Mud and Dust'. The tank was named by the crew commander, 2Lt Ian Farrant, who told me during the interview I recorded with him that '...on taking command of 2 Troop, I discovered all four crew members of my tank were born in the UK and therefore thought it appropriate to give it an English name. As an avid military history student I was very much taken by Cromwell as a military leader and thus named my tank after him.'

More from that interview is presented on pages 146-147 of Mud & Dust. Nice bloke: very reasoned in his responses to my interview questions.

Regards

Mike

[Malcolm Towrie]

John,
The tracks came new with 108 links. The users manual says when you use up all the threads available on the tensioner trying to set the correct sag, you need to remove a link. When you are down to 102 links, get REME involved.
That's 6 links you can remove, which surprised me since that's about 2.5 feet of track!
We've got 102 links on one track and 103 links on the other, so we're still good, barely.

The problem is when I loosen the tensioner nut off to slacken the right hand track, which is way too tight, the tensioner doesn't back off, even when I drive the tank in reverse. So it's jammed. Looks like I'll need to get medieval.

Malcolm

[jdmcm]

Malcolm

could you push the track up against some other heavy object? (another tank comes to mind) and just give it a push and see if the idler will budge backwards?



John