FourFox

Having battled for almost 2 weeks to restore the gunners night-sight to full working condition I have come to some revealing conclusions. There are at least 4 types of power supply boxes for these sights...and there are 2 distinct types of wiring harnesses for the sight. You need to have the right type of wiring harness with each type of box...otherwise it will not work...blows all the fuses...and kills the power supply. Unfortunately they are all very similar and all the plugs fit! A good tip is to fit the power supply to the hull before installing the sight as it is almost impossible to get all the fixing bolts into the turret wall with the sight in situ. Having just finished the installation for the 3rd time...and now got it working...having totalled 2 power supplies and 1 intensifier element...a total stranger walks into my workshop, attracted by my other Fox parked outside for it's pre-season wash. He turns our to be ex REME and spent his service time working on (you guessed it) L2A1 night sights. A bit late to help me much, but quite a co-incidence! The hull floor plates have now been restored (about half of them are NOS) and fitted. The new seats are now all fitted. This took 2 days to get all the bolts in the right places. I have since just about finished the installation of the turret centre ammunition storage bin, also the intercom amplifier and crew boxes. All now working in the vehicle. (they were previously bench tested to make sure all the bits are working. Most of the boxes are NOS.) I must get round to finishing the other side bin and then it will all look almost finished! More progress pictures later this week. Jon

At last things are beginning to go NATO green. The turret is now finished on the outside and work is well under-way on the interior fittings. Gunners night-sight is now working (that's a long story) and has been installed with it's restored cowl. A few of the fixed periscopes need a touch-up of paint here and there but most are new. RH side bin has been painted and fitted. The fittings for the front outside have all been re-built or restored (again mostly NOS stock) and I now await the delivery of the new bumper. (I can't bend such a big piece with my local machinery). It's the other side bin today and then paint the new wheels next week (now we have some better weather). Keep you posted. Jon

You can remove the right hand panel complete, without disconnecting the steering hydraulics. I have had the panel out of my latest resoration twice now to fix poor electrical connections and some wrong wiring! The two long retaining bolts at the rear only have to be slackenned and not removed. Only remove the small one at the bottom. It is then easier to remove all the plugs. The panel can then be just squeezed between the steering column and the hydraulic pipes on the RHS. It's a bit of a fiddle but much easier than all that bleeding of the steering. It becomes easier with practice. I have now restored 6 Foxes. I still have to remove the panel again on my current restoration as there is yet another wiring mal-function. At present I have yet to replace the prop-shaft covers and I will leave them off until all is sorted as access is much easier. Good luck. Jon

Oh but I do! This one (08FD92) will be for sale at the W&P show (starting 17th July at the new Folkestone Racecourse venue). Come and see it. The Daimler Fox prototype is also still for sale (due to a time-waster at last years show). This will also be at the W&P show, unless somebody buys it before then! Or how about my number one (or thereabouts) prototype Scorpion? This resides at Dunchurch and has been on show for the last 2 years at the Tanks, Trucks and Firepower show. Come and see it (and buy if you want) at this years show on August bank holiday. Jon

Hi Tim After much experience of painting both armoured steel and aluminium I have settled on a simple system that works. 1. Remove any fixtures and fittings that you can. Clean off all the old paint and crap, right down to shiny metal. I use several angle grinders with coarse wire brushes. It's very hard work but does not damage the original surface appreciably. You soon learn to wear the right protective gear and to keep the spinning brush away from your skin and to stop it from forcibly removing your overalls! On 'hard to get at' nooks and crannies I use scrapers, screwdrivers and emery strip. 2. Wipe the cleaned surface as soon as practicable with standard thinners. This removes any grease residue. Blow with airline to remove any debris. Make sure your filter and water trap is effective. 3. Base coat spay with zinc phosphate primer (I use grey Dacrylate). It is most important to coat aluminium surfaces within an hour or so to prevent an oxide layer forming (and the need for an etch primer). You must not thin the primer with more than 10% thinners or it wont stick so well. You can colour the primer slightly with some top coat (say 5 to 10% max) 4. De-nib when just dry using an air orbital sander (240 grit). Rub down any obvious blemishes and re-coat where necessary. Sometimes it is best to do any necessary filling of rust pitting at this stage. I don't do this as a rule because I usually re-manufacture badly corroded tinwork. 5. First colour coat as soon as possible. I even somtimes spray 'wet on wet' system when the primer is only just dry. This ensures an excellent bond between primer and colour coat. On NATO green I use 'War paint', on DBG I use Cromadex. 6. Lightly de-nib and blow clean before final colour coat. Try to keep the addition of thinners to a minimum as this will help avoid too many runs. Remember that the paint will not fully harden for several weeks. You can use a proprietary paint hardener or even a 2 pack polyurethane commercial paint. I find both of these a pain because my spraying is not up to the required commercial standard and fixing runs and blemishes becomes much harder. Gloss finishes like DBG are 3 times more difficult for large areas as you have to avoid the dreaded 'dry edge' effect. Matt or eggshell paints are much more forgiving as you can patch in as you like. Here is my protoype Fox just after finish painting. Jon

Latest progress yesterday...This side nearly done. I have left the painting of the new tinwork till last as it provides a useful walkway whilst finishing the turret. Notice the NOS grenade box complete with original lettering...a nice finishing touch! I now have to turn the Fox round so that I can see what I'm doing on the other side! In the meantime I have made quite a bit of progress on some of the ancilliaries. Headlights and horn are now restored and fitted. The gunner's night sight has now been re-furbished and fitted together, complete with new image intensifier. More pictures next week. Jon

My wife and I also went to yesterday's press launch for the War & Peace revival at the old Folkestone racecourse. I can confirm that the turnout was impressive, with over 500 in attendance. The 250 seat main carvery restaurant was packed to overflowing for the inaugural speeches, which were very good (and agreeably short). It was good to see so many familliar faces and to chat about latest projects and the 'new venue'. There are so many positive things to say about the site and its facilities that it is certain to be a great (still the best) show for our military vehicle addiction. It was interesting that everyone I spoke to (and there were quite a few) was also very impressed. It looks to be a huge site (about 150 acres I believe) and you can see it all before you from the main stands. Rex and his team have gone to a lot of trouble to make the venue 'look the part' with a range of displays and facilities already in place. The support staff were very helpful and answered our questions with knowledge and confidence, meaning that they were well briefed. On the lighter side...I was not the only fanciful thinker that thought it would be great to bring a horse to such a venue! Jon

A Fox would be very dangerous to drive anywhere without the ability to stick your head through the driver's hatch to give at least some sideways vision (there are no side vision hatches or periscopes like a Ferret). The proper Fox 'route march windscreen' allows a small amount of side view and does serve the purpose of keeping most of the rain out of your lap! I have a couple of them in my stores and will take some dimensions/pictures for you this week. I have plenty of the original bags that they come in! Jon

I have decided to do some of the more boring bits first this time! The driver's hatch is often the last to get restored and is thus usually not quite given the attention it deserves. After thouroughly removing all the fittings and old paint (from both sides) the fittings have been restored using some NOS bits I have been saving. I am very pleased with the result and am now working on the two turret hatches in the same way. When all the periscopes have been re-fitted I shall be able to 'lock down' the hull to prvent any green overspray from ruining my inside job. Jon

The generator cable has a right-angle connector fixed to the cable end. It will not come off! The generator has a soket/plug almost flush with the body. Does this picture help? Jon

Your memory is correct Richard (as always). There is an auxilliary drive on the Saladin engine which does not appear on most of the other B80 vaiants. Here is a view showing a 'non armoured' variant without the auxilliay drive. Jon

Don't forget that you have to change all the belt pulleys on the engine as even the auxilliary drive for the hydraulic pump and compressor has a different pulley on a Saladin. Here is a view of what it should look like just before you put the fans and radiator back on! (This is 06 BB 68 now residing in a museum in Qatar) Don't forget to renew the little flexible oil pipe underneath the hydraulic pump. It's much easier whilst the engine is out! I usually diconnect the bell housing to get the engine out, and then remove the gearbox separately. Again, removal of the gearbox is much easier with the turret removed. Jon

Finally some progress has been made after the terrible winter weather! Engine is now installed and running as it should...with no visible leaks. Power steering works fine. Gearbox has had a change of oil as there was some water contamination. The bands look to have plenty of wear left on them and they have been adjusted to give an even pedal movement for each gear. One rear brake caliper was siezed solid and in poor condition. I have replaced it with a new one, complete with new pads and flexi pipe. Most of the electrics have been sorted and are now working (nearly) as they should. The new alternator control box has been fitted and is working fine. One of the radiators has had a new core fitted..it didn't actually need one but I found out I had 2 right hand radiators. Whilst I was dismantling the radiator to change it to a left handed one, it made sense to put in a new core...as I still have several. I have sorted the wheels and tyres with 3 new rims (the 4th has to be re-furbished as I only had 3) and 3 new tyres. The 4th tyre is nearly new as you can still see the rubber moulding marks on the tread. They all measure the same, within a few mm around the circumference. I have trial fitted the new right-hand tin-work and it fits together very well...nice and straight. Right-hand rear bin and triangular aluminium mud guards have been re-furbished and fitted. Left hand rear bin was in poor condition and full of holes after sand blasting. I just happend to find another early bin (no rear door) that was the correct hand and in good condition. It's now fitted and they both look like new. Work on removing the old paintwork is now 75% complete. Hatch seals have been removed and re-furbished ready for fitting after painting the turret. All the hatch turn-locks have been restored and re-fitted (some needed a good dose of oxy-acetylene). Rear deck louvres have been sand blasted and final painted. Rarden elevation gearbox has been re-furbished and now works very smoothly. Enough of the boring bits...here are some recent photos. The Fox has now moved under it's own power for the first time in over 1/4 of a cenrury! I hope to have it outside during this better weather and give it a good workout round the block before re-fitting the rear armour. It will be much easier to drive when I have fitted the driver's seat! Jon

I have a tried and tested remedy! A long time ago I sold a 6 cyl Landrover very cheaply because it had a for a number of years had a stuck clutch (and leaky brakes). I gave the purchaser a run round my farmer's shed by starting it in gear...just to show that everything else was ok. Whilst still negotiating the price we left the Landrover out of gear but idling happily in the yard. When it came to loading onto his trailer I left him to it! He left with the parting comment that the clutch works fine now! Apparently running up to working temperature (and probably a slight eccentriciry in the clutch alignment) had solved the problem without major works! Try it! Jon

The elevation gear is often stuck solid on vehicles that have been left out in all weathers. It is caused by rainwater flowing down the side of the mantlet and going down the elevation screw into the gearbox (because the original rubber boot to prevent this is usually no longer effective). The gearbox is relatively simple to remove, complete with elevation screw and nut....its just a few bolts. You can now check that the mantlet bearings are not the main cause! When you have the gearbox on the bench, remove the circlip and operating handle (don't loose the woodruff key!). Remove the chaincase and inspect the chain and tensionner...these can also rust up solid! You will probably find that the upper swinging bearing is solid and preventing the screw from rotating. This can be freed off with lots of WD40 and is often good enough to re-assemble and work fine. That reminds me... I have to do one of mine next week....same symptoms. Jon

Hi Tim I presume these are readings from one of your 'refurb' engines. When an engine has been in long term storage it is usual for one cylinder to give a lower reading than the others (sometimes two). This is because there is always an exhaust valve open and that exposed valve seat and sealing face on the valve will rust. This may sometimes sort itself out, as light rust will be quickly burned off and the seal re-established. But sometimes it just gets worse as the gasses passing the faulty seal are always in the same place and just wear away the seat. The valves seem to be more hardy and severly burned exhaust valves are rare. Having said all that it is probable that the workmanship on these so called 're-furbished' engines, is indeed very suspect. I have found all sorts of horrors when dismantling these engines...all of which must have been performed somewhere in the engine re-building process. I'm just glad that my safety in a critical situation was not dependant on such a process. On the subject of correct presevation for engines going into storage, the following might be of interest. The Rolls Royce B series engines were routinely test run and then heavy engine oil was slowly poured into the carburettor intake until the engine stopped! The spark plugs were then replaced by blanks and the whole engine blanked off with VPI paper and wax! It seems to work well, as the few of these that I have 'resurected' have been perfect. Jon

The main difference is the radio mounting table. The Scorpion one has a 'hump' in the middle and the Sabre has a flat plate. (I have stock of the flat ones). I think the ARFAT/TUAAM mount plates must also be different as well, as I cant find matching holes in my Scorpion turret. Jon

Hi Tim The Icelanders in the engineering unit behind my shed used to have a buisiness re-filling discharged extinguishers. Apparently it is quite a simple process if you get the thickness of the discs correct. (and don't have a heath and safety guy breathing down your neck). You should seriously re-think the strategy of restoring the correct 'on board' fire extinguishers as they can be extremely hazardous. The two external operating handles are irresisable to inquisitive spectators (young and not so young) at shows. The subsequent discharge of a large amount of CO2 into the hull can be disastrous to any inhabitants who do not manage to escape before being overcome by axphixiation. A further hazard can be met by unwary crew who enter the hull after not noticing such discharge. The low level of oxygen (caused by high level of CO2) is not naturally detectable and can quickly lead to death by suffocation! A modern, fixed fire-fighting system would be preferable. Better still, a pair of good, easily accessible portable extinguishers would do the trick.....failing that, just let it burn and be alive to claim the insurance. There are many stories around of CVRT and Chieftain owners who have had their fixed fire fighting systems activated by mischievous (or just inquisitive) members of the paying public. There is also one horrific story of a well known military vehicle dealer starting up a long disused Saracen and only just managing to escape through the rear door before flames engulfed the whole vehicle. I realise that collectors no longer have the added danger of large amounts of HE, propellant and small arms ammunition to worry about in case of fire, nevertheless, the substantial amount of petrol (gasolene), hydraulic fluid and engine/transmission oil still represents a serious fire hazard...not to mention the explosive potential of 3 x 500 psi hydraulic accumulators...all in an enclosed, difficult to get out of, confined space! Jon

Nice to see my (first) Saladin again. I hope they give them a run every year. They must have some knowlegeable mechanics to keep these old girls going. They don't like being inactive for long periods. Here is a couple of pictures taken at W&P a few months before it was purchased by the tank museum, re-painted in sand and flown to Qatar. It was first displayed on the national parade on Dec 19th 3 or 4 years ago. I don't know if they have been out since. Jon

Here is a picture I have found showing the Fuel tank access hole! (top right) And then looking at a similar view with some more things in the way! The turret batteries and the spent casing bin (and the main gun) have yet to be installed! It gets pretty tight in there. Jon

The restoration of my prototype Scorpion is fairly well covered on HMVF under 'Scorpion Prototype Restoration'. The 'Album' is not easy to find! Go to 'Community' (at the top of the page, next to 'Calendar'). Go to 'Member list'. Select 'FourFox'. Select 'Album'. There might be an easier way to achieve this...but I can't find one! It only took about 7 months to restore as I work at it full time during the warmer months. The Scorpion has been at War and Peace for 2 years 2010 and 2011. Then at 'Tanks Trucks and Firepower' in Dunchurch for 2011 and 2012, where I do the commentary on the firepower and driving demonstrations...Fantastic! And just to proove it did sunshine this year! It is also pictured in the current issue of MMI. It is now up for sale as I have another project 'on the go!' PM me if interested. Jon

Hi Kev I think the fuel bags were pretty reliable in service. It's only us enthusiasts who have dedicated our sanity to restoring long disused, derelict armour that seems to have the most problems. I don't know if the specifcation of the bags was changed for the diesel variants. I suppose it must be different as petrol (especially un-leaded) has unfortunate effects on most plastics and diesel is relatively benign. Incidently I have seen much larger fuel bags which I presume are Chieftain or Challenger. Jon

Yes, a brilliant piece of design! The nice built-in funnel catches all the rainwater and puts it in the tank! (and often into the between the bag and hull area). There is a lock on the outer fuel lid so that it is difficult to steal the petrol. This would be difficult in any case as you have to rotate the turret in order to open the cap. I just hope your'e not in a hurry to refuel! The breather system for the tank must be the most complicated of any vehicle. It looks like you could actually invert the hull without spilling a drop! It's made of stiff plastic piping, which will burn nicely! The fuel bag is impossible to fit (a new one) in cold weather as it is too stiff to fit through the access hole (on the inside of the hull). You have to warm the bag and the hull up to a nice warm 20+ degrees C to have any chance of wrestling the beast into the correct location. Just the right temperature for contorsionist excercising! It is reasonably easy to tear or puncture the bag duing this operation as (in any fighting vehicle) there are plenty of sharp edges and nice studs to catch you out. Never mind...another new bag will set you back another £600 or so (if you can find one). Access is not improved by all the paraphenalia hanging from the rotating turret, such as seats, spent casing catcher, 2 x turret batteries and the rotating turret base itself. The fuel bag, in operation, is not (supposed to be) collapsible. It is held in place by quite a few (semi) captive bolts which almost all have the habit of turning in the 'captive' rubber so that you have to get you head and shoulders inside the bag (with the remaining petrol), to remove them! When replacing the bag it's almost impossible to poke all these bolts through the relevant hull mounting points. It has to be done from the inside of the bag...yes, you guessed it... head first though the access hatch (roughly 15 inches by 9) nice and dark in here... still smells of petrol that's been sloshing around in the hull ...and a wonderful powerful aroma of plastic/rubber....now that my body is blocking off the only breathing hole! It is imperitive to get a good seal on this access hatch as any leaks pours petrol into the fighting comparment! If you want a good lesson in the importance of the 'heath and safety' regualtions, you should experience the thrills of removing an old (leaking) fuel bag! Fortunately my Scorpion now has a new one fitted... and it doesn't leak anywhere! Jon

I have been doing J60s on this make of stand for ages. To be fair I usually only mount the engine once the head has been removed. My total J60 re-build count is now over 30. I also have used the same stand for my Saladin engine (B80) and I can confirm that it is possible but not ideal. The engine is way too heavy for such a small stand and the length of the engine overhang makes moving the engine around very dodgy. A much more sturdy stand would be better (but I already have 3 of these Clarke ones). Jon

When re-building Jaguar J60 engines this is a commom problem. The Jaguar racing boys sometimes use thin grease to pack the oil pump so that it wiil prime OK. I just use engine oil and fill up the pump and the suction and delivery pipes to the pump. A useful trick is to crank the engine with the ignition (or electric fuel pump ) switched off until the oil pressure builds up. This can take several 10 second bursts on the starter. Thus loads on the new bearings will be much less than running under its own steam! It also gives you a chance to sort out any mis-assembly problems before major damage occurs. We all make mistakes ! I also liberally soak all the valve gear and bearings with heavy oil during assembly just to give the new bearings a chance before the oil pressure is primed. Jon