oily

try a local hydraulic specialist, my one is 'Pirtek', it should work out much cheaper, I'd have thought. A modern 'Dowty' type washer may even be suitable, since they are made to withstand even greater pressures and higher temperatures than those generated in a fluid flywheel..... and I know for a fact these are likely to only be a few pence, rather than pounds.....:cool2:

try a local hydraulic specialist, as they are likely to be much cheaper.... my local one is 'Pirtek', and stuff this small is usually only a matter of pence,.... modern 'Dowty' washers may even be suitable, since they are made to withstand greater pressures than in these flywheels, and at higher temeraturs too......:-D

I'm taking a week off work, 9th - 13th of May, to tackle the replacement of my flywheel in the saracen, -does anyone know if I will need anything other than the new flywheel?, parts/seals etc?,... I'm hoping not, as I gather the seals are not very easy to get hold of. Looking at the diagrams, it is difficult to see whether, once I've split the flywheel from the coupling (in order to bolt flywheel to crank), whether any other seels need replacing..... I have a complete NOS flywheel/coupling unit, all still sealed and wrapped up, which was dated as being manufactured in 1986. I do still need a level plug removal tool, but may be able to make one up. I'm going to replace the whole thing since a) that is how it came, and b) when I lost drive, things did get very hot in tha flywheel area, so I'm gonna strip the old unit and check it for internal distortion/damage, and if all is well, I'll get some new seals and rebuild it as a spare....

:-\I'm aware that all the fastenings (nuts etc,), are AF, but I've found for convenience that an 11mm socket and extension bar come in VERY handy for removing the floor plates in the footwell areas, -I'm not very supple and find them a bit of a struggle to reach! (-some of my bolts seem to have been replaced with M6 bolts, with the threads in the floor having been 'run-through' with a 6mm tap....., in other places there also lurk a few M8 bolts with new looking welded threaded bosses, in the hull and engine bay, the vehicle had a fairly major refit, in 1983, before being sold-off, so I'm thinking there may have been a shortage of the correct AF fittings and fasteners, and the ABRO/REME spanner-monkeys may have used what the had at hand....):cool2:, but thanks a great deal for your wise words, sir!!

you could 'google' our club: -'S.O.E', Military Enthusiasts Club,.... ok, we're not in Andover, or Salisbury, but our members are flung far and wide. Amongst the vehicles owned by our members are a Saracen (mine!), at least 3 Ferrets, some Stalwarts,(inc one of the very early prototypes!) a Champ, some Humber Pigs, various Landrovers, (inc 101's), several Jeeps, some Morris Commercials, a very early Bedford OY, some Eastern European oddities (trucks), and even some German Motorcycle Combinations. We run the famous 'Overlord Military Spectacular' show, at Horndean/Denmead, nr Portsmouth, each year. You'd be most welcome, our club meets on the 3rd Thurs of each month, which happens to be this coming Thursday 28th April.... we are at Waltham Chase Village Hall, 7.30/7.45 start, cheap bar (ales/cider), and light snacks available, some meetings we have a guest speaker,... an easy-going club, full of friends you've not yet met!

...yeah, sorry to pour water on your coals, but if you re-use a copper sealing washer, you should re-anneal it, by heating it till it just starts to glow red, and then let it cool, so it softens enough to allow it to deform and seal effectively when tightened against. A leaky flywheel leads to more expensive/invasive repairs, as I am finding out,... plus breaking down when miles from home, due to loss of drive gets very expensive, cos' if you need recovering, flat towing is NOT the way to do it, unless at no more than 10mph!, (even then, you may over heat the gearbox), so you'll need a low-loader, or very big rigid.... forewarned is forearmed!:-|

I realise the engine doesn't need to come fully out, BUT looking at how the flywheel is constructed, it appears that it has to be split into 2 halves in order to bolt it to the end of the crankshaft, since it shows in the various manuals, that it's held with nuts and bolts, then the fluid drive part is fixed back onto the actual flywheel/ring gear part (lots of nuts and bolts again!).... also it looks like there is a lot of panelwork inside the old thing to remove, to allow access to the bellhousing bolts.... the drivers seat, floor and bulkhed, it would appear!, now where's my 11mm socket and extension bar?:-(

SIMEX TYRES, (somewhere near Florida, USA) own the moulds for producing the Dunlop Trakgrip 12.00 - 20 tyres as fitted to the saracen, they are like rocking-horse poo to get hold of, well certainly in the UK, at any rate, and when you find decent or new ones, the are incredibly expensive (well usually, unless you get lucky, like I did, and find 6, on wheels, on almost new condition, for £600!, usually the tyres alone go for £300-£500 new!!!!!:shocked:).... good luck in your search!

thank you sirhc!,..... I have posted a question to him, regarding the seemingly mammouth task....:cool2:

someone sold me a FFW level/filler plug tool, and it turned out to be a ferret one, I think... so if you find a good source, (of more than one! lol!, please let me know!)... I'm about to embark upon a FFW replacement, as my current one leaks!!! I am sweating just contemplating it:shake::readbook::coffee::coffee:

....looks like lots of hard-to-reach bolts to undo.....:-(

....impressive work, Andy..... I've not yet seen an engine-out shot in close up... quite helpful... would you have a copy of the field repair/instructions for engine/fluid flywheel replacement, that you could post/copy for me, for some beer tokens?...._ as I have a lovely new flywheel to replace my nasty old leaky one....:-D

Ok!... now I have a new Fluid Flywheel (thanks Jon!!) for my ailing Mk 5 Saracen, and now I want to fit it! Can any kind person out there enlighten me as to how I go about removing the engine, in order for me to fit the new flywheel?... I have some of the EMERS, (a pair of parts books, Hull and Fittings, and Mechanical Parts, the Technical Handbook, and a copy of the Drivers Handbook), from what I can see, this should be a fairly straightforward job, but if I had the right instructions to refer to, I'm sure it'll be a hell of a lot easier! I have access to fork-lift, and various air-powered garage equipment, but will be working outside, I have most of the handtools that are required, I think. Does anyone have a copy of the removal/replacement procedure/diagrams, they'd be willing to scan/email, or photocopy/mail to me? I'm aiming to get it all done and back up and running again before the end of May and 'Overlord Show', at Denmead, Hampshire..... is it possible?, bearing in mind I can spend most afternoons and weekends, working on it.:cry: Kind regards Matt

yes,....my saracen one does exactly the same thing,..... and my fuel guage 'lies', too.....:-(

I like the cut-in-half Centurion, and all the Centurion displays, also the sectioned Ferret,... and last, but not least, my favourites.... The Saracens!, of course!!!:-D;)

well done, Paul!... are you gonna bring any toys to our 'Overlord Show 2011'. It's 4 day show, free to exhibit, and is on the 27th-30th May, at Denmead Lawns, Denmead, near Portsmouth, Hants.:cool2:

...sounds like a scam to me! pay them £700 odd to be an extra in their film? usually extras get paid!.....:undecided:

any 'inert' gas will do.....

...it won't start,... the points are wet, all four of them!:red:

I'll try and get my saracen fixed in time..... it should be, as I hope to get it sorted in time for our Overlord Show 2011, at Denmead, Portsmouth.... and that's the end of May....:undecided:

Loving the Stolly, Paul!

If you PM me your address, I'll send you a sample sized pot of the real stuff,free of charge;) which you can thin down withwhite spirit, it'll probably outlast your modelling requirements..... I use it on my models, my little road-legal buggy and on my real saracen... check the pictures... it's the real deal alright!:-D

any decent hydraulic hose specialist company will make up an adaptor hose, I used 'Pirtek', based in Southampton...defineately best to use oxygen-free Nitrogen, as compressd air has moisture (water), in it,.... and as we all know, -water + oxygen + steel = rust, ...and believe ne you don't want rust in an accumulator... major safety issue! my local welding supplier 'lent' me a high pressure Nitrogen regulator, for about £10, and you can get a small bottle of Nitrogen, sufficient to allow a fill-up, and several subsequent 'top-ups', for about £40....

I have a mate who moves our 'toys' about sometimes, and he's very,very reasonable, cheapest you'll probably ever find... transporting 'stuff' is his hobby, or so it would seem!, I'll check with him, and get you his number....