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restoration of a valentine MK5 tank started


monty2

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Recently a client bought a valentine tank MK5. Currently it is restored to new condition over the next period will post pictures of progress.

 

we will re-post the post soon in better sequence

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Edited by monty2
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Yes Rob,

We have been engaged to restore this Valentine. We are starting in 2 weeks time, so watch this space. I have had a long association with the Valentine, which started in 1990, when I started the restoration of my first MK5. This one has been waiting patiently in my shed for 20 years, so now is the time for it to see daylight. Cheers Andrew Rowe

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

We have started in on the restoration . The hull is being gutted out of the existing parts that were left in from when it was

a kids playground feature.

 

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I have started de-studding all the broken off bolts and extracting them out of their holes, followed by re- tapping threads , etc. The drivers roof, hatches and rear transmission doors have been removed, as we are taking the hull down to bath tub level and building it up from there. It is also easier for access when building back up, as many a Tank restorer will know the countless times you have to climb in and out for fitting parts.The Turret has been removed as it's own sub-unit. This just comes off by undoing a quantity of 3/8 BSF countersunk screws, some are screwed into the Hull and others just have nuts on, access is a little difficult in places to get spanners on, but is do-able. Cheers from the Tank Factory.

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Looks like an Ex-playground Valentine ,typically gutted. Anything to do with you Mr Rowe ?

 

 

Rob..................rnixartillery.

 

 

I remember back in the 80s there was a bren gun carrier & M10 tank destroyer at Thorp Arch...near Wetherby...amongst other bits n bobs

 

they`d both been turned into playground stuff for kids....

 

 

wonder if they`r still there?

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I remember back in the 80s there was a bren gun carrier & M10 tank destroyer at Thorp Arch...near Wetherby...amongst other bits n bobs

 

they`d both been turned into playground stuff for kids....

 

 

wonder if they`r still there?

 

No, both removed for restoration. The M10 features elsewhere on here, the Windsor carrier is almost finished after a long and difficult restoration.

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We have started working on the steering clutch units, these consist of a series of fibre , then steel tooth disc's, that when forced together from the pressure of what I call the Heli-hub unit , transmits the drive outward to the final drives. When the pressure comes off the disc's they just free spin. These were NOS units with new seals and bearings.

Cheers from the Tank Factory.

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Either side of the steering clutch units , is the unit that forces the pressure on the drive clutches, and it also has a carbon footbrake band unit attached, this unit I call the Heli-hub unit as the sideways pressure is transmitted via a helical thread in a bronze hub. The turning motion of the Heli-hub is by way of 2 chains rapped around and connected to rods that run to the front of the driving controls . Adjustment pressure to the clutch plates is achieved by a bronze ring, that you rotate in and out, and then very important to re-lock the ring as it can undo itself when the Tank is in motion, and therefore you lose drive. Up front of the Tank in the driving controls are two special little over-centre devices that can increase pressure to the clutch disc's in an emergency , if you are losing drive ,so you do not have to get out of the Tank.

Cheers from the Tank Factory.

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Hi Robert , the Drive System , you have to remember it is a well designed British piece of engineering, for got to say that the clutch units have "Made in USA" stamped on them!

Here is a pic of the drive system, starting with Bevel box behind gearbox in the middle of the Tank, then steering clutch units either side, then heli-hub engaging units either side of these, with flexi-coupling and then onto final drives. All very

easy to get to from the rear.

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This week we have pulled down the gearbox. The box is a Spicer, made in the USA, 5 speed sycomesh in 2nd and 3rd and 4th and 5th. The early Mk2 and Mk3 Valentine gearboxes were British made and were a 4 speed "crash " box. The box we had for this project had done little work, but I was not happy with the secondary main shaft gear, as where the first and reverse gear slides into the spline teeth on this main shaft ,did have some damage from engagement. This required us to pull down a further 6 boxes to get a shaft that had no damage. We are just awaiting the arrival of a couple of bearings from the USA and then we can complete the reassembly. Special attention has to be paid to the in put shaft seal, as the oil pump that pumps oil onto the front input shaft bearing can bypass this seal and leak down the housing that takes the clutch release bearing, which in turn leaks to the bottom of the bell housing and onto the ground. Here we use a high pressure seal good for 140 psi. Cheers from the Tank Factory.

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Edited by Andrew Rowe
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