David Herbert

Does anyone know how many horse power that Deutz engine makes ? Anything much less than 400 gross in a Sherman makes it really rather hard work, plus the gearing is more or less 1000 RPM = 10 MPH in top gear so you need quite a high revving engine to equal the 24mph standard top speed. I'm talking about RPM at max HP, not max possible RPM. Also it seems odd that the Sherman with the Deutz was originally fitted with a Detroit twin set, which are still comparitively available and sound great. As Adrian Scott proved you can also hot rod them with modern rocker covers and 500 HP if you want. I must admit that I find the M18 with the truck engine rather endearing but again I expect it is rather down on power and speed. Anyone know where it is? I have driven a British Centaur with a V6 Detroit non turbo engine (a 6V92 I think) which was making a lot less than the original 375HP (600 in a Cromwell with identical gearing) and it was almost undrivable, there was simply not enough power to accelerate once you had changed up from 2nd. David

As has been said, these could, for example be GPO (telephones), not just WD. I would sugest that they are designed to take interchangeable crimping jaws, as well as being general pliers, for electricians or telephone engineers. David

See Bob, people do love you ! :kiss: David

Because they had blades on them which reduce the approach angle to the point where they would dig into the ramps before the front of the tank begins to rise. Loading backwards they get very close to the ground instead but do clear usually. I see they used auxillary ramps when loading the FV434 to reduce the ramp angle. A Chieftain can manage the very steep ramps because it is much longer but the 434 would be entirely on the ramps which would then be too steep for it to go up safely. David

I think its definately a model. There is no rust on the tracks or rust streaks from the spare track links on the hull, the road wheel tyres are like new and the top run of the track is almost dead straight. It is almost impossible to get that much tension with steel tracks as their weight is too much. Looks like a job for trading standards to me! David

I have been following the debate about how the metal ring that the solid rubber tires are moulded onto is made and no one has yet suggested that they could have been made without a join in the same way that railway wheel tires were (and are) made. You start with a lump of iron/steel of exactly the right weight. Heat it to red hot and squash it into a disk. Poke a hole in the middle with a pointy thing and then enlarge the hole with bigger pointy things (without actually removing any metal - think how you might do it with a lump of clay) untill you can get the hole over one of a pair of specialy designed rollers. You then keep rolling it untill it is the circumference and width that you want. It is very easy to put whatever profile you want on the outside with a suitable outer roll, and a skilled operator can make the circumference whatever is needed with very simple gauges. There is no join and the 'grain' of the metal is circumfrencial which is ideal. Remember that 100 years ago forging and rolling were a much better way to make something the shape you wanted because energy was relatively cheap (to make things red hot and then squash them) but welding, machining and cutting were much cruder than we are used to so avoided as far as possible. I know that chain manufacture was perfected with forge welded joins as were the tires for wooden cart wheels but the tolerence required for the steel bands for motor vehicle tires would have been much tighter. Also solid rubber truck tires might seem crude now but they were almost high tech then so deserved the best processes. David

Unfortunately Andy that link seems to produce all 283 photos that you have on Picasa. I didn't see one that showed what I think you intended :cry:. sorry ! David

It is amazing what still turns up, and in quite good condition too. F C Hibberd & Co also made small narrow gauge locomotives and I see that the headlights on the ones in the 'in service' photos are the same as the headlights used on narrow gauge locos that worked in coal mines and amunition depots from the late 30s onwards. This would suggest that those tugs had been specially ordered with explosion proofed electrics and if so would have had an exhaust 'conditioner' to trap any sparks coming out of the exhaust. On mines locos this was developed further to absorb carbon monoxide from the exhaust. I suspect that the longer rear chassis was to accomodate such an exhaust trap, note the cutaway in the footplate where the exhaust pipe could have come up to feed into the conditioner. The pipeing was usually done with ordinary iron water pipe, screwed into maleable iron elbows, the conditioner was usually a fairly simple box welded up from quite heavy (3/16" or 1/4" plate) with baffles in it and half full of water with a suitable chemical added to remove the carbon monoxide if needed. The exhaust gas was bubbled through this so the inside got very manky over a period of time. The battery box would also have been explosion proofed (gas tight) as would every switch and conduit. If you feel the urge to put it back to its original explosion proof state I can help with information on most of the electrical bits as I have a loco with this kit on it. David

I would have thought that that would only need an ordinary mains input. The HF inverter will be in the handle piece. Quite apart from its intended purpose I would think that it would be great for heating smallish rivits, say up to 1/2" dia when hot riviting. If anyone finds a UK market equivilent I would certainly be interested. David Andy types a bit quicker than me! The £594 is certainly going to limit their market I think. This is a very simple device and really ought to retail at about £200 !

PM sent, good luck, David

Unfortunately someone has had the oil fitting off the small flange visible in the top photo. The missing part has a pipe on it that engages with a banjo shaped ring on the output shaft deep inside the box. When you remove the fitting, the ring turns on the shaft and it is a major job to get it into the right place to line up again. Without it there is no pressure lubrication to the output shaft and bad things happen. As Adrian said it is probably a new one as the pinion is not there but the pinion needs to be shimmed to the correct place on the shaft, they do not just bolt into the correct place. There is a jig and a proper procedure to follow - all in the TM ! Looks like an interesting building - Holland or Belgium I presume. David

12.00x16 ? That is an unusual size. David

You seem to have a bad effect on paint companies ! Can I suggest that you paint some 3" squares of something that could be posted easily, with WW1 Khaki so that there is a record of this colour despite the trail of closed paint companies. Presumably it could be described by the RAL system as I think that that describes the colour itself rather than just being a code for existing colours but I could be corrected on that. David

No, they are usually made as the ones Steve was using, with hard jaws, though there is no reasion that they couldn't be made with replacable soft jaws. The reasion for individually machining soft jaws for each job is not so valid when using these clamps to fix things to a faceplate, as it is not likely that clamping marks will be a problem and as the jaw is only a very small part of the circumference at that diameter, the fact that it is the wrong radius matters far less. Unlike a normal chuck they only need to screw up a small amount when clamping because you can set them anywhere in the slot of the faceplate. There is no need to have them in a circle if you want to bore something of an odd shape or off centre. David

I hope the next bit comes along soon, not sure if I can stand the suspense ! Does anyone know of a set of bolt on jaws like the ones that Steve was using. I have a faceplate for my big lathe but no four jaw and have been keeping my eyes open for a set of bolt on jaws for some time with no result. They seem to either get scrapped when businesses close or are suddenly made of gold. Same with big four jaw chucks - my lathe has a D1-11 Camlock fitting and can take up to 4' diameter in the gap so a chuck 30" diameter or over would be ideal if anyone has one in a corner somewhere. Thought it was worth asking.... David

The beige vinyl fabric comes in two sorts. If the hull is painted silver inside it is stuff called Trakmark which was made by Dunlop and came on a roll, to be glued onto the foam padding. It has a pronounced diamond pattern embossed into it, with about 6mm diamonds. It seems to have been discontinued in the early 90s but a couple of people here have found rolls of it to refurbish their 430s with. The later stuff used on vehicles with white painted interiors, is almost but not quite smooth, and a rather browner colour. No one seems to have a name or manufacturer for it (annoying because I need some) and I have never seen any for sale but have been told that it is used in the engine rooms of power boats and yachts though I have had no joy looking in marine supliers websites. There is also a revolting pale green covered padding that was apparently supplied with the vinyl already stuck to the foam and the shapes just cut out so the edges are exposed. As for exterior colour, you have a choice of plain NATO green, NATO green & black, sand, sand & black, sand and green or UN white. There was no defined pattern for the camoflage, just 1/3 dark colour, 2/3 lighter colour in irregular splodges. The edges can be sharp if brushed or soft if sprayed. There were other schemes but these were the most common. David

A bit over the top for weeding isn't it ? David

What would you like confirmed ? David

It is hard to imagine a Jeep that could be more desirable to a wealthy American person interested in military vehicles. This is going to be far more valuable than the first one of whatever version, purely because of its history. I would be suprised if it doesn't sell. David

I think that the one in the video is a 'Linked Ark' conversion. A war time Ark was too narrow for Cent and Conqueror to use so they made a twin one with one trackway on each Churchill and linked them together. David

It should have a data plate low down on the engine bulkhead just behind the driver's seat which will tell you its army reg number, what it is and when it has been rebuilt. It should also have a 30mm square plate welded to the back, above the LH towing eye, which has the hull number stamped on it in very small numbers. The hull numbers seem to be directly related to the registrations so it is likely that the registration can be worked out from the hull no. if needed. Once we know these numbers we might be able to tell you a bit more about it. David

Are the round spoked vs spidery wheels just early and late designs ? They both seem to look like they belong. David

You can download most of the manuals and parts books for free from fv432.co.uk but please don't feel the urge to sell them on as they are still crown copyright. The key things to know is checking levels and the most common irritation which is the solenoid that starts and stops the fuel pump and frequently doesn't work. As Toner said the 432 forum is the centre of wisdom on these machines. I have a 434 so I am on the forum. David

I'm sorry but I have been reading this thread from the start and I am amazed that this is still a problem. Trying to undo this with anything less than a 1" drive impact grade hexagonal socket and an air powered impact wrench is like trying to take a car engine to pieces with just a 1/4" drive socket set from a market stall. If that fails gas it off. If this belongs to a heritage railway, don't they have tools suitable for working on railway size things ? That open ended spanner that you weakened by grinding metal out of the jaws is only relevant once you get the nuts freed off and then you can use it for nipping them up prior to tightening them properly with said impact wrench. If you absolutely must use an open ender find a really heavy one that is bigger than you need (if you don't have the right size) and use a bit of scrap to reduce the size. That way you have the greater strength of the bigger spanner and you don't scrap a small one. Also is this nut really 66mm AF ? Surely a wagon of that age would be an inch size. Whatever size it is the socket needs to be as good a fit as possible and as has been said before it needs to be a hexagonal one, not a bi-hex 12 pointed one. There is no way that you can even tighten this by hand with less than 6' of leverage, so it is certanly not going to undo with 2' when it is rusted on. OK, I've had my rant, I'll go back in the shaddows again. David

I think that this is an example of a situation where it really doesn't matter what the exact spec of the original steel was. The question is what would be the most suitable choice now. We now have a vastly bigger choice than they did then and as Andy said we can machine the steel that ball races are made of in its hard state, which was unheard of 50 years ago. However we do need to understand the whole picture so that we don't just create new problems. I am sure Steve has it all in hand, and a bearing catalogue too ! David