andym

I wouldn't be too sure of that - the Abbot is generally undercooled compared to the FV432, which is why it has uprated fan motors and pump. Don't forget it isn't usually the engine section that leaks, it's the gearbox section. Andy

I also suspect that people just don't read the maintenance manuals ("If all else fails ..") I've found mistakes in the FV432 manuals that have followed into those for the Bulldog, so either no-one has reported them or no-one read the manuals in the first place! Andy

Hurrah! Andy

On the filter front, I've dismantled a large number of those types with separate elements over the years, and I don't think I've ever found one with the correct combination of springs and washers in the correct order! Andy

The relevance of most of this advice is dependent on the type of lead-acid battery - is it a conventional wet lead-acid or an AGM? AGM batteries such as the Odyssey or (MOD fitted) Hawker have a much lower self-discharge current and can safely be left for up to a year without charging. Most modern vehicles, particularly those with stop-start, have AGM batteries as standard. Another vote for CTEK chargers by the way, I used to use PulseTech but when they transferred their manufacturing from Mexico to China the quality dropped like a stone. Andy

Fingers crossed! Andy

What vehicle are we talking about? Andy

The original heat exchanger was made by BI Engineering in Wellingborough (I've just reminded myself of their name). It's different to that used on the rest of the FV430s because the Abbot pack is completely different due to the lower profile of the Abbot. It is, however, similarly complicated with four separate sections - engine, gearbox, steering box and hydraulic fans. The usual problem that affects all the FV430s (including the Abbot) is leakage of cooling water into the gearbox element of the heat exchanger, demonstrated by emulsified oil on the gearbox dipstick. My theory is that someone got the specification wrong in terms of pressure requirement for that particular section. I think that the Abbot heat exchanger is also more highly stressed as it's almost half the size of the usual FV430 variant but still asked to do the same job. It's a ridiculously tight fit in the Abbot pack, requiring a fleet of crowsfoot spanners to tighten unions that have virtually no clearance between themselves and the pack frame. It would have helped considerably if someone had decided to attach the heat exchanger to the engine rather than the pack frame as that would have avoided a mass of junctions between steel pipes and flexible hoses. I've attached the relevant image from the ISPL and a photo of mine before it departed for rebuild. Andy Figure A50.pdf

You've opened a right unobtainium can of worms! As far as I know, there are no spares unless someone is hiding something, but they probably wouldn't be prepared to admit it, let alone sell. I had mine rebuilt by the OEM, whose name currently escapes me, but it took them two years as a "when we've got spare time" job. I had multiple conversations with their technical director as he and his chief fitter are the only people who even remember them, everyone else has left and the assembly jigs are long gone for scrap. They tried to find any remaining spares, even getting the MOD to check what they might have lying around at Bicester, to no avail. They eventually invented a flushing rig and left the exchanger on it for months until the individual elements were sufficiently clean to allow repair, and even then it was touch and go. I can't remember what they charged me, but it wasn't cheap and they said it had probably cost them ten times what they actually charged me. If I had to do this again (and I sincerely hope I don't) I'd take a different approach. Ditch the hydraulic fans and replace with electric, freeing up space in the pack to possibly fit a modern heat exchanger from another engine although I couldn't say exactly what - space is very tight. Andy

🙂

Even so, I'd strongly suggest downloading the manuals from https://www.fv432apc.com/fv432manuals.html I went to a lot of trouble to get hold of them! Andy

Red, same as FV432. Andy

The pack drawings on the FV432 site only show the (blue) lifting straps for a petrol engined Mk.1 FV432. This photos show the missing ones - red are FV432 Mk.2 (K60) and yellow are Abbot (FV433). Andy

And you're buying an FV432? 😉 Andy

Same in-service date, 1 December 1969. Andy

The Merlin database gives the first date in service of 02FA54 as 1 December 1969. Andy

Probably worth getting the heater matrix checked over by a radiator firm while you've got it in bits? Andy

Note however that the ICNIRP limits are time averaged, so it's not as big a problem as you might think. Andy (M0IJH)

So did I, but I wonder if they're interchangeable? Andy

What's the military VRN of your FV434? Andy

I haven't tried the sums to see if it's practical, but I had wondered about a group of owners getting together and either renting or buying a large unit outright. Andy

I've stripped my LXI to send to Florin just in case someone gets excited about exporting 1990s military technology to Sweden. That leaves me with two circuit boards which were working last time I fired it up, but no promises. if anyone wants them as spares drop me a DM. Andy

It's very difficult. Even finding a friendly farmer is awkward because these days they are worried about someone discovering that a barn isn't being used for agricultural purposes. Ditto if you buy an existing barn you'd have to seek a change of planning permission. The only real alternative is an industrial unit and they don't come cheap! Andy

I'd have to measure them up to see, which won't be for a couple of months I'm afraid - the Abbot is in Cornwall and I'm in Portsmouth! Andy

I've got one that sort of works - it needs a new screen as there are rows of pixels missing, although it could just be the driver card. Just beware that they are very heavy! Andy