andym

Did anyone else have one of those "Sekiden" pistols that fired bronze-coloured plastic balls via a strong spring? Sort of a fore-runner to today's airsoft weapons as they had a completely unrealistic magazine size, forty or fifty rounds. And of course we just wandered round the street playing with them and no-one batted an eyelid ... Andy

Yes indeed, it's for a Stormer. "Bracket, Mounting, AS36026".

Mine says: Make: GKN FV432 Body type: Special Purpose Taxation class: Historic Cylinder capacity: 6500cc Type of Fuel: Heavy Oil Number of seats including driver: 10 Wheelplan: Crawler VIN/Chassis/Frame number: 08EA21 Engine Number: Not Known Colour: Green All other fields are blank. I hope that helps! Andy

From EMER E108 (Technical Handbook, Field Standard for FV432, FV433 and FV434): Number of track links: 90 new, 86 all adjustment used up. Maximum speed in 6th gear: 32mph (FV432) 29mph (FV433 and FV434). There's no suggestion that the FV433 has a different gearbox, but its engine is a K60 Mk4G rather than the Mk4F of the FV432. Andy

I believe that all FV430s have 90 links in a new track. Even with a different length of track on the road, an FV433 could still have the same length of track overall depending on the angles round the sprockets and idlers. I also think that the FV433 and FV434 share the same lower final drive ratio. Andy

edisposals.com is a MOD website run by the Disposal Services Authority, the people who get Withams to sell the vehicles in the first place. They also "feature" some individual items to increase the chances of a sale. Andy

OK, after an "arts and crafts" diversion into gasket making I got it all back together with a re-con pump and new filter. However, the instructions in the maintenance manual are plainly wrong as they say you remove the pump after pulling off the filter through the drain assembly mounting hole. On mine, at least, this is impossible without first removing the water drain cock as well because its internal pipe fouls the filter. There's no mention of the this in the manual, and of course once you've removed it, you'll need another gasket to replace it - arrgh! However, once the water drain cock is removed you can just take the pump out of the tank with the filter still attached. Probably just as well, because pulling the filter off its pipe is pretty impossible, as I said in my earlier post. Andy

It's 2mm cork but yes, that's on the list for consideration if I can't find one! Andy

To be fair, MOD also refer to them as "FV430, all variants" in some of the Army Engineering Support Publications. Andy

Have you tried using that adaptor before? Sounds like it might be wired back to front! A quick check with a voltmeter should tell you what's going on ... Andy

To be fair, that's exactly what's been done to the FV432 to make the Bulldog, or the Diesel CVR(T)s before them! Andy

I decided to go the re-con route with a new filter element as the hassle of getting it apart outweighs the extra cost - let alone the towing charge if it packs up on the road! The WD-40 I'd soaked round the floor plate screws last time I couldn't undo them had worked wonders, a swift tap with a mallet to unstick them and out they came. No AK-47s under the floor, just more muddy gunk that hadn't washed out last time. This pic, just after the tank was removed but before the unions and cable were bagged up is the best demonstration; note the "pit" where the pump was sitting and the neat ring of holes for the drain plug fitting! I took the tank to bits, discovering on the way that the last person to dismantle it had used loads of gasket goo, possibly because they couldn't find the correct gaskets (see later!) and that the filter was held together with cable ties - hmm. I should have taken a picture, but got absorbed in the three-dimensional puzzle of trying to remove the filter so I could get the pump off. The manual says "Before pump can be removed from the tank, the coarse filter must be pulled clear of centre pipe". How? The combined length of filter and pipe is too long for the tank, so how are you supposed to pull it clear? In the end as I've got a new element coming I just cut it in two with tin snips. I may have fun with the new one! Speaking of reassembly, does anyone have (or know who has) a gasket for the drain fitting? The old one tore apart due to the gasket goo. I've tried Marcus Glenn, TheXMOD and Sammy Clark but no-one seems to have any. It's NSN 5330-99-290-6005 and either FV422119 or FV2227589. I'll pop a post up in wanted, too. Andy

Wasn't there some still footage a few years back that nearly didn't see the light of day because the museum they took it to thought it was "yet another set of blitz photos" and they had loads already? It was only the passing comment as the person left that he thought the colours were nice caused the curator to suddenly stop and say "colour"? :shocked: Andy

I suspect there's a distinct difference between the simple "keeping everything topped up" and real maintenance with investment in the proper tools and people who know what they're doing. The latter represents an appreciable outlay and some firms may either just not bother, or consciously decide it's more cost-effective to treat the vehicles as disposable, replacing them when they need anything difficult doing to them. Andy

That looks like tomorrow's job, then. Never mind, I needed to drain the collector tank and clean the filter anyway. Can I ask how loud your pump is and what sort of noise it makes? With mine you can clearly hear it running from the driver's seat as soon as you switch the engine on, and it makes a very obvious ticking/clicking sound, which seems odd for a rotary pump! Andy

Now it's my turn to have a dicky fuel pump! :cry: All has been fine up until now, although it seems to have been a bit noisy recently but then I've got nothing to compare it with. Makes a ticking/hammering noise when running. Then tonight, nothing. Luckily there was just enough fuel pressure to get her back under cover. Any suggestions? Could it be something as simple as having to drain/bleed the collector tank? I'll try that tomorrow, followed by a check of the electrics ... Andy

Only if it's an FV432! There are allegedly FV434 and FV439 variants - see my post above. Andy

Brilliant - and I couldn't help smiling at the price of diesel at the pumps in 1994! Andy

On Wednesday (yes, I know I'm late!) a very unhappy looking Chinook on a low-loader going down the A32 into Gosport. Covered with sand and muck, cockpit windows taped over with plastic bags. Presumably on its way to DARA/ABRO/Fleetlands, but does anyone know the history? Andy

Hurrah! :-) Andy

There are several variants of the FV436 and FV439. There are also, as I understand it, three variants of the Bulldog; Bulldog 2 (FV432 Mk 3), Bulldog 4 (FV434 Mk 3) and Bulldog 9 (FV439 Mk 3). And yes, if my Mk 2 is in a fit state I may be interested in a birthday bash. Perhaps we could even involve MOD Combat Tracks Group (previously the LAS IPT)? Andy

Presumably about the time that ANR headsets were introduced? The ANR system couldn't operate if it was sat inside a helmet as it needs to listen to the ambient noise level and the ANR microphone is inside the earpiece? Andy

It just goes to show that most "electrical" problems are actually mechanical ... :-D Andy (CEng, FIET!)

I took my H test in a Scorpion earlier this year and although I had no problem getting in and out, I nearly dislocated my left shoulder with the bizarre handbrake arrangement. As it was I had a huge bruise that lasted for days afterwards! :nut: Andy

And therefore at least two or three times the price! :-D Not that "faster" is relevant for road use anyway, an FV432 will chug along at 20mph with no problem using free fuel to boot ... Andy