Spartan track clatter

[Lewis Garner]

Hi all,

Today dad and I took the Spartan for its first real run. Everything seems to be okay except a loud clatter from the left hand track in anything above 3rd gear. Could this be that the track needs tensioning? It looks correct. The drive sprocket seems to be tight too. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Regards, Lewis.

[sirhc]

Without hearing it I can't say if theres anything wrong, but they do make quite a lot of noise, so it's probably fine.

 

Is it running any better now?

 

Chris

[Lewis Garner]

Hi Chris,

Thanks for that, better to be safe than sorry at the end of the day. I did get off and check everything, watching dad do a lap of the yard looking for anything unusual. Didn't seem to be anything wrong.

Those plugs were definitely a good move. We also discovered one partially blocked jet in the carb, the main jets were fine. Last week we went and bought another 40 quidsworth of fresh fuel too.

From cold it fires up a lot easier. We didn't want to adjust anything prior to getting it hot, obviously it starts and runs much better when it's warm, but the idle just seems too low. Just feathering your foot on throttle it ticks over okay, take your foot completely off and it stops. I think this might be due to the throttle rod which joins to the pedal being slightly bent, so maybe an adjustment is needed.

 

Regards, Lewis

[robin craig]

As a general rule of thumb as soon as we receive bulk gasoline / petrol we instantly put fuel stabiliser in it and upon adding the fuel to a vehicle we add carb cleaner to the amount put into the vehicle.

 

Modern petrol / gasoline breaks down and leaves a lacquer type deposit very quickly and and also looses its energy potential accordingly. It is such the inferior fuel these days on our side of the pond.

 

This policy has helped, along with regular start ups, to keep our kit rolling.

 

Watch your track tension as you will get slap under the sponson, make sure you first parade any tracked vehicle properly, failure can lead to a thrown track.

 

R

[Grasshopper]

Even with new tracks, sprocket assemblies and rear idlers our Spartan still clatters. It can be quite deafening on the road if not wearing Clansman or ear defenders!

 

I believe that as a rule of thumb the way of checking track tension is that it should be a fist height from the top of the centre road wheel (after vehicle has een driven backwards so all slack is at the top of the track).

 

Vince

[agripper]

KNow this may be redundant, but have you checked all the road wheels for both condition of the rubber as well as torque on the nuts and clearance.

[Lewis Garner]

Hi chaps,

Thanks for the replies, all good sound advice. The track tension definitely looks to be about right. Hopefully if the weather stays kind this week we may get a little more practice in. I definitely spoke too soon :-D.

Regards, Lewis

[AlienFTM]

From cold it fires up a lot easier. We didn't want to adjust anything prior to getting it hot, obviously it starts and runs much better when it's warm, but the idle just seems too low. Just feathering your foot on throttle it ticks over okay, take your foot completely off and it stops. I think this might be due to the throttle rod which joins to the pedal being slightly bent, so maybe an adjustment is needed.

 

Regards, Lewis

 

Is there not a hand throttle on CVR(T) that you use to set it while static? ISTR being told always to leave it running at 1000 rpm while stationary to keep everything clean. But it was so-o-o-o many years ago and right now I can only picture the hand throttle on a Ferret.

 

But I am quite certain Sultan had one because we regularly charged up all the batteries during the night by running the engine rather than rely on the 500W generator. Looking back I cannot now think why we didn't just run the 500W genny, but I have vivid memories of climbing from the bench seat over the commander's seat and into the driver's seat rather than trying to fight the way around the outside, over the bivvy and the hessian and under the cam nets.

[sirhc]

Is there not a hand throttle on CVR(T) that you use to set it while static?

 

There is/should be a wing nut on the accelerator linkage pivot, so you can lock the throttle in position for warming up the engine or charging the batteries.

[Lewis Garner]

That's interesting, I have only briefly looked at the pivot. I see it's a piece of pie to adjust too.

Also, does anyone have/know where we can buy a choke cable? That would make cold starts easier!

Regards, Lewis

[sirhc]

Lewis,

 

There is no choke cable. You need one of these:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Military-army-cvrt-control-rod-2849_W0QQitemZ360213632190QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Cars_Parts_Vehicles_Other_Vehicle_Parts_Accessories_ET?hash=item53de67d4be

 

Stick it through the hole in the bulkhead and attach to the carb. I don't bother with them though, I find all 3 J60s start fine without any choke.

 

Chris

[Lewis Garner]

Hi Chris,

Thanks very much indeed, in that case we may not bother. From cold it bursts into life immediately, then once the fuel that's already in the cylinders has been used, it takes some goes to get going. I have heard of CVRT owners pumping the throttle pedal to get some fuel in there. Surely that isn't wise? Fuel pump is definitely working okay too. Maybe I should get a video of a cold start, and you can see for yourself.

Regards, Lewis.

[sirhc]

Lewis,

 

They don't like to idle untill they have warmed up a bit. You need to start it up, give it a bit of gas and then lock the pedal in position using the wing nut so that it'll run at 1000-1500rpm. Let it do this for a couple of minutes before trying to drive off otherwise it'll cough and sputter.

 

Chris

[Lewis Garner]

Hi Chris,

That sounds a much better way of doing things. After warming up it starts easily (as you'd expect) and idles quite cleanly feathering your foot on the throttle at approximately 470rpm, so we think the idle could do with knocking up a touch. That's roughly what it should be if I remember correctly?

Has anyone tried heat wrap for the exhaust in the engine bay? Just an idea for keeping the temperature in there down.

Regards, Lewis

[Jiver]

There is/should be a wing nut on the accelerator linkage pivot, so you can lock the throttle in position for warming up the engine or charging the batteries.

Or boiling the bv before eveyone gets up.

[Jiver]

Check the track tensioner ram is not fully out (max adjustment) if there is any wear in the track left it will rattle

also check for loose,damaged, or missing track pin bushes on the inside of the tracks.

[AlienFTM]

Check the track tensioner ram is not fully out (max adjustment) if there is any wear in the track left it will rattle

also check for loose,damaged, or missing track pin bushes on the inside of the tracks.

I'd forgotten about that one. Track stretches with use and once the correct tension cannot be achieved with the minimum specified number of links in the track, it's time for a pair of new tracks and a spot of track bashing. ISTR the correct minimum number of links on a Scorpion was 76 (appropriate) but I also assume the minimum number on a Spartan (/Sultan / Samaritan etc) must have been higher because of the longer hull.

 

Don't quote me. Driver trained but I only played with the radios (and occasionally cleaned the gun). I'll see if I can manage to upload a picture of me that turned up on Facebook, taken 30 years ago when the photographer caught me unawares emerging from the bowels of the driver's compartment and definitely not expecting a camera in my face.

 

It has caused much hilarity within the regiment:

1. cos the beret was all ower the knot-end and

2. because it is the only evidence that exists that I ever sat in a driver's seat.