datadawg

I have searched this topic for days and I have found so many different opinions, I don't know what to think. UK does seem to offer more choices, but I'm in US. And I have to figure out what to use for gear oil inside wheel hub of a British vehicle (Alvis Saracen). The manual specs OEP 220, which is obsolete, and shop that overhauled it in England says use EP90. From what I read, EP90 has GL4 and GL5 designations and GL4 seems to be "safer". I haven't found GL4 EP 90 readily available in stores, it can be ordered via specialty petroleum vendors, but it's a hassle. So I am not sure what to do... Deadline (Paul) seems to say GL5 is fine, but he's talking about an American vehicle, not British armor. He's in Pennsylvania, close to me, so at least I feel like it's not some internet black hole giving out advice! Sigh... I am just terrified of making the wrong choice and then ripping my hair out later when something breaks.

I can see what you are talking about, but do you see this as an odd coincidental visual or something more, like a purposeful subliminal image? I would presume it's the former...

Now, now. I am double the age of the average soldier, but she got my attention too!! Seriously, this was a great video.

I understood very little of what you did and the problems you faced, it's admittedly over my head, but results look good!!!

This is very confusing. I thought EP90 was harmful to yellow metals unless it was GL4 spec, based on this 2015 article: http://www.widman.biz/uploads/Transaxle_oil.pdf You seem to say modern EP 90 is not a problem, but per above it might be. So who is right??

Success: here is a US-based petroleum supplier that stocks EP-90 gear oil with GL4 specification in various sizes. The prices seem reasonable too. http://www.petroleumservicecompany.com/cui-ep-90-gl-4.html

I have been grappling with oil equivalence for OEP 220 specified for bevel boxes, etc. Most internet sites show this equates to EP90 gear oil, which usually shows up as 80W/90 gear oil in internet searches. I am trying to find the correct product to buy in USA and stumbled on an interesting paper on this topic. It is available here: http://www.widman.biz/uploads/Transaxle_oil.pdf Apparently, in USA, almost all 80W/90 gear oil that is sold (Walmart, Pepboys, etc) is a GL-5 spec. This contains too much sulphur additives for yellow metals and it seems like the right oil for the Saracen must be GL-4 spec, which is the EP90 standard. Granville oil has a nice recap of the differences, and their EP90 gear oil specifically shows GL-4: http://www.granvilleoil.com/downloads/Which-Gear-Oil.pdf Problem is, Granville seems to be a UK brand... so I am still searching for an EP90 gear oil -- again SAE 80W/90 oils are all GL-5!! I thought this might be useful to others, there are a lot of cobwebs on this topic!

My Saracen is missing its bridge plate or any markings. I have an MK6, so it would need a 12 ton plate. Does anyone have recommendations of where to source? Assuming nothing is available at reasonable price, what have people done as workaround? I've read on another forum post someone using a lid from a paint tin and then painting it, which I thought was a clever idea. Also considered getting a vinyl sticker, anyone has experience with them, do they fade or fall off? Would a sticker affixed to magnetic type backing work better? If anyone can post a photo of their bridge plate, it would help to see what I'm actually after.

Terry, I wouldn't worry about how our discussions affect the case or investigation. I think discussing this is important, to educate the members and hopefully learn what to do and what not to do. I doubt anyone would be able to use forum posts as evidence in Court, simply because Rules of Civil (and especially Criminal) Procedure have very specific requirements to introduce documents as evidence: typically someone has to lay the foundation for the document and authenticate it under oath. This means that anything off the internet is inadmissible as hearsay -- the "document" can't be crossexamined, whereas if a document is properly introduced, the guy who authored it must be in Court and he CAN be crossexamined. I don't mean to make this a legal debate, but just wanted to point this out, in case anyone is concerned and this chills the discussion. For me, this incident is bad news on many fronts. First, two people who were passionate about this hobby lost their lives. Second, it reminds me how dangerous this hobby can be, even you don't act recklessly -- an inadvertent mistake or fault can kill or seriously maim. This is enough of a worry that I start to question whether having my 13 old climbing on the Saracen or helping out is too much of a risk. Third, these incidents inexorably corrode public's perception of our hobby and can only lead to regulation and legislation that will make it more difficult to enjoy.

Unfortunately, with our legal system being what it is, I am sure the district attorney is sharpening their hatchet and will be hunting for someone's scalp. It will be a shame if someone gets charged with a crime for what looks like a pure accident, but I would not want to be the guy that put together these shells or supplied anything, including fuel, to the Hellcat. There is a famous story here of a teenage girl borrowing dad's car and driving it on rural road with friends to get breakfast. She didn't have a license, crashed and killed 3 kids. They charged her dad, who let her use the car, with multiple homicides and he got 15 years in jail. It was a tragedy, but they needed a scapegoat.

The shop restoring my Saracen told me they hooked up the electric wires, but I don't know if whatever triggers the firing mechanism was actually present. I had to deactivate the smoke launchers per ATF (Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms) Form 6 form, which allows conditional approval to import Saracen into USA. One of the conditions was that smoke tubes be bored with hole perpendicular to tube and equal to tube's diameter. So it's totally unusable. I was just curious if the unmolested launchers were operational and if anyone ever used them!

Please update your findings, I am looking for spare seal and would like to know about options available.

Richard, I don't know what's more impressive, all your knowledge or the fact that you can remember and locate a drawing you made 20 years ago! Amazing, my hat off to you, sir!

Slightly off topic, so apologies, but I'm wondering whether anyone has tried using the smoke launchers on their armored vehicle. I had to demil them on my Saracen to ship it to USA, and I don't have any of the actual smokes anyway. But curious how they would work in the theoretical world. I guess they are all electrically activated, anyone actually fire them?? And is the "ammo" available/legal to purchase?

Is there any significance to the different color berets? Were beret part of the standard uniform in 1960's/1970's?

Just stumbled on this link, it is super helpful to novices like me, as I am trying to figure out what helmet/headset will interface with intercoms in my Saracen. The link shows even the plug variants! Thanks for sharing this!

Gents, I know bidding history on the Scorp. Sale closed at 21K. Below 20K, it was showing as not having met reserve, when it hit 21K, reserve was met. I am not sure if this was shill bidding or a real buyer got it. As far as what it's like to deal with Withams, I only dealt with them once and it was about as pleasant as crawling over broken beer bottles. I bought a periscope and other gear at their tender. Mistakenly put in wrong lot # on bid form, so wound up overbidding for the (wrong) lot. They made me pay and buy it. OK, my mistake, I had to eat it. I paid for the other gear, including periscope, but when sent agent to collect it, they refused to release periscope. Claimed I lacked export permit (though miraculously I didn't need export permit for other parts!). Absolutely refused to listen to any logic (like periscope was going to be installed into a CVRW in England for which I had export permit so periscope would be part and parcel of CVRW & covered by permit; or periscope wasn't leaving England at pickup, so no permit was required to release it inside England; and if permit was required only for periscope, I'd get it). I finally managed to get their managing director on the phone, who shall remain nameless, and he was about as accommodating as a prison guard. Basically told me "I don't care what you say, you're not getting the periscope" Then hung up on me. I had a lawyer write them letter demanding periscope (I paid for it in full, but they just issued refund a week later to my credit card). I even got the export permit for the periscope just to see if they would then release it to me. I never got it. So, if you deal with Withams, expect the worst. Unfortunately, they are a monopoly and we collectors are forced to live under their oppressive regime. You may have different experience, but I cringe every time I recall mine.

Interestingly, there are 1,739 votes as of now, I wonder what percent of the membership has voted? It can't be there are only 120 members in USA on this forum (as of today)!?

Interestingly, there are 1,739 votes as of now, I wonder what percent of the membership has voted? It can't be there are only 120 members in USA on this forum!?

Based on these high prices, I am surprised some enterprising purveyor has not gone to China and had a container's worth of gear drummed up as replicas. How would you know the year and genuine thing? I only ask b/c I would like to buy some English military garb to look the part when I drive my Saracen and Fox (when they get here to USA). I have absolutely no idea what would be authentic for the period, but it seems crazy to pay $100+ for a shirt, since the entire outfit would run hundreds of dollars. And only one person in 10,000 would know what you are wearing is or isn't "right".

Commer, welcome to the forum. Please add your location to profile and post some photos!

I'm not even in UK, so my feedback is pretty much useless from standpoint of being prospective customer, but I think it's a good idea. The real issue is whether the service will charge based on "market" rates and how logistics work out. If I break down in London and you are in Manchester, clearly you can't provide service - unless you subcontract someone else or have a network. And in that case, you become essentially a dispatch service, offering coordination as the main value added. If you are essentially a middle man between the ultimate recovery agent and vehicle owner, then you either have to charge the owner more or pay the agent less, in order to feed your overhead/profit. That's the conundrum. Here in USA, AAA has this model for regular vehicles, and they basically pay the towing service nothing. The towing service only does it to have a captive customer for doing repairs, since once they bring you to their garage, you are most likely getting the repair there. And then they recapture their loss on the tow. With MV owners, the AAA model is not likely viable, on many levels. AAA covers the person, not the car, so if you have 5 cars you are covered. It sounds like you are thinking of the same thing, except that with MV you now have multiple breakdown probabilities if multiple vehicles are involved. So the fee structure has to recapture the exposure, else you will go out of business. I think the theory is nice. I would definitely pay to have peace of mind that if I break down, I can call one number and not sweat it out on the side of the road. I'm just not sure it's possible to design a system where both provider and user of the service have a fair pricing structure if it's based on a single pay system.

After a 6+ year hiatus, I figure this project is done (?). Please share some photos and progress!

Ha, ha, may be a reality when Mrs. Datadawg kicks me to the curb, on account of my armored proclivities!:laugh:

What do you plan to do to the engine? Just cosmetics and fluids or more involved?