paulob1 Posted June 14, 2010 Share Posted June 14, 2010 I have just bought one, never driven one before and have heard all sorts of stories...can some one give me the low down. i will be getting the manuals but need some input from your sages out there, who generally know more than any manual... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 oily Posted June 14, 2010 Share Posted June 14, 2010 I have just bought one, never driven one before and have heard all sorts of stories...can some one give me the low down. i will be getting the manuals but need some input from your sages out there, who generally know more than any manual... hi again, just read this post of yours too, let me know when it arrives, and I'll come up and take you through the 'black art' of the saracen, driving and operation. Once you are used to it, it becomes second nature, just a couple of things you have to remember with them all the time, everytime you drive them.... no worries though, all will become clear!:cool2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Big Al Posted June 14, 2010 Share Posted June 14, 2010 hi again, just read this post of yours too, let me know when it arrives, and I'll come up and take you through the 'black art' of the saracen, driving and operation. Once you are used to it, it becomes second nature, just a couple of things you have to remember with them all the time, everytime you drive them.... no worries though, all will become clear!:cool2: Good advice it is easer to show you than try to explain in words when you have driven it a few time you will get used to its little qurks good luck;) Big Al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 montie Posted June 14, 2010 Share Posted June 14, 2010 Good advice it is easer to show you than try to explain in words when you have driven it a few time you will get used to its little qurks good luck;)Big Al Between the three of you and driving lessons in the Saracen, do take videos and post it on the tube!!! I will need lessons shortly as well but am located on the south end of the world! Oily has posted videos on the tube already, but none of this hands-on driving stuff! Paulo, I could forward you an extract of the driving instructions in the manual as an appetiser! Oily could probably help you on that one as well. Cheers, Monty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 melchy Posted June 15, 2010 Share Posted June 15, 2010 Dunno about driving a saracen but warn us when you're going out, mate!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 haybaggerman Posted June 15, 2010 Share Posted June 15, 2010 Dunno about driving a saracen but warn us when you're going out, mate!!! Don't worry, you'll here them coming Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 oily Posted June 15, 2010 Share Posted June 15, 2010 Between the three of you and driving lessons in the Saracen, do take videos and post it on the tube!!! I will need lessons shortly as well but am located on the south end of the world! Oily has posted videos on the tube already, but none of this hands-on driving stuff! Paulo, I could forward you an extract of the driving instructions in the manual as an appetiser! Oily could probably help you on that one as well. Cheers, Monty. a return flight, and put me up for a couple of nights or so, and I'll have you driving your saracen like a real pro!.......:cool2: (and I could visit the 'graveyard', pick up some seat pads, and bring them home as souvenirs!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Sylvester Posted June 23, 2010 Share Posted June 23, 2010 One golden point to remember, is everytime you get in to start it ....pump the GCP through ALL the gears,about 6-8 pumps each time should do it, like all these wonderfull fluid clutches.....You really don't want a False Neutral !!! It Hurts when your Left knee passes your Left earhole at about 90 mph!! Appologies if you already know about this bit but just trying to help! Fred Good Luck, Envy ousing!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 AlienFTM Posted June 24, 2010 Share Posted June 24, 2010 (edited) As a member of Command Troop I got to take an internal Saracen driving course, which, after a couple of days' learning about the maintenance side, involved driving round the streets of Paderborn until we satisfied our instructor (we were all Ferret trained, so we all had a Group B - automatic - licence which was all we needed: no test required). The only thing that sticks with me is that when driving in a straight line, six wheels with power steering are shall we say "different" and holding the wheel straight did not guarantee the Can (Sarry-Can) went straight, so we'd gently rock the steering wheel back and forth against the feedback from the power steering. It's hard to describe, but we found it the best way to keep the Can moving in a straight line. I did feel that, even though there are bigger vehicles, faster vehicles and more-testosterone-generating vehicles to look at, driving a Can gave me far and away the biggest sensation of King of the Road of anything I ever drove. The Ferret was far and away the best drive I ever had, but the Can gave me the biggest feeling of power. There are other words I might use but I know the forum is read by more than just testosterone-driven blokes. I remember returning from an exercise. We detrained at the Paderborner Nordbahnhof as usual then made our way round the ring road back to camp. It was a Saturday morning and evidently somebody had cleared us to move because heavy vehicles are normally banned from German roads between Friday evening and Monday morning to preserve the weekend. Also, German children got to go to school Saturday mornings to make up for finishing school early during the week. Our route took us past the local sixth form college equivalent and I still remember the warm smiles on the girls' faces in particular as I drove past in Zero Bravo at 50kph and very close to the teachers' parked cars (about the only time I drove a Can in anger). I also remember that after we'd unloaded vehicles, cleaned and put weapons away, washed down the vehicles and soaked in a long hot bath, we each headed to our preferred drinking haunt. Those of us with German girlfriends at the local sixth form college were particularly well-received that afternoon and evening, oh yes. Of course everybody learned English as their second language. I remember one of the girls telling me how they'd go into English lessons on Monday to be asked "How do you say ... ?" Girls would give their answers and teacher would go off on one. "Nein! Nein! Nein! Zis iss Paderborn. Ve speak Hochdeutsch [high or if you will posh German] und ve teach you Oxford Englisch. Vot is ziss nonsense?" "Whey it's how arl wer boyfriends speak ter us like." I don't think Paderborn ever got used to fraternisation by a Geordie regiment. Still, the Paymaster had the same trouble. Nipper went to Playgroup with all the Geordie nippers and every night he'd return home to gret his father, "How fothar. Yer arl reet?" And he'd spend the evenings and weekends undoing all the Geordie training he got at Playgroup. Oh how I larfed when I married Paymaster's nanny and she related this to me. Edited June 24, 2010 by AlienFTM typo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 oily Posted June 25, 2010 Share Posted June 25, 2010 I came home on saturday, last, and my missus said: "hooray!, I can see that 'I've just been driving the Saracen around' look, on your face, again!',.... what with it's gearbox/drive problems, it's been too long, are you going back tomorrow, too?" -One very understanding girl, my Nikki! A saracen does make you think you are king of the road!, and driven responibly is extremely satisfying!:cool2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 ChasSomT. Posted June 25, 2010 Share Posted June 25, 2010 You wait 'til you are fighting a Sarry on a lovely hot day, in heavy traffic, when it decides to play the 'petrol vapourisation game'! I must have sweated pounds, cursing it 20 miles or more until a couple of cool jerricans of Army 'One- Star' cured it completely! Happy days! Grr. . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 oily Posted June 26, 2010 Share Posted June 26, 2010 have had plenty of hot days, very hot, but non of those problems,..... had starvation once due to going off road and not switching to reservre, when only had a little amount of fuel in main tank......put it down to inexperience:blush:, but that was 2.5 to 3.0 years ago....:blush: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 paulob1 Posted June 27, 2010 Author Share Posted June 27, 2010 have had plenty of hot days, very hot, but non of those problems,..... had starvation once due to going off road and not switching to reservre, when only had a little amount of fuel in main tank......put it down to inexperience:blush:, but that was 2.5 to 3.0 years ago....:blush: okay where is the main and reserve switch...not seen that one yet... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 paulob1 Posted June 27, 2010 Author Share Posted June 27, 2010 oh yes one other thing, mine doesn't seem to have brake lights, is this right or are they present and not working..only has a single filament bulb in the back... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 oily Posted June 27, 2010 Share Posted June 27, 2010 okay where is the main and reserve switch...not seen that one yet... ..have a look under the battery box/tray, and you'll see the reserve/main fuel tap.... a word of warning... it is possible to get abuild up of rust particles in the 90 degree bend just prior to the tap, in both lines... a cause of fuel starvation, easily cured by lifting floor panels, disconnecting both fuel lines from tank, and the other ends from the tap,....blow through with compressed air, but don't get in the way, or you'll end up being 'peppered' with rusty shrapnel! The fuel filter should be near the tap too, it's held by a sort of wing nut, undo it, and the bowl drops down with the washable filter inside, ..... I stripped my filter, let it dry, and washed it in the washing machine.... (don't tell the missus!).... on reassembling it, and refitting it, the saracen seemed to go hellof a lot better, and faster too!:cool2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 oily Posted June 27, 2010 Share Posted June 27, 2010 oh yes one other thing, mine doesn't seem to have brake lights, is this right or are they present and not working..only has a single filament bulb in the back... .....present and not working, it would appear. Saracens have normal rear stop/tail lights (24v), and the stoplight switch is situated on the tail end of the accumulator (the one for centre and rear brakes, ..the one nearest the rear door) Have you checked that someone hasn't fitted the lens to the wrong lights? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 oily Posted June 27, 2010 Share Posted June 27, 2010 When we turned up to get the wheels/tyres, I had a brief glimpse of your toy, it looks very nice!...... unfortuneatly we were on a tight schedule and had to go... but I'd like to come up again soon, and have a little look around if that were possible? Maybe you'd like to become a member of our military vehicle club: S.O.E. We run the annual show at Horndean...... great bunch of like-minded fools, into all things military..... good social side of things too, and some very knowledgeable people!:-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 oily Posted June 27, 2010 Share Posted June 27, 2010 okay where is the main and reserve switch...not seen that one yet... pic of fuel tap, in 'reserve' position,... if driving over rough ground, it is advisable to switch to reserve due to the large flat shape of the main tank, and the likelihood of getting vapour lock!:-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 montie Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 pic of fuel tap, in 'reserve' position,... if driving over rough ground, it is advisable to switch to reserve due to the large flat shape of the main tank, and the likelihood of getting vapour lock!:-D Where does the fuel pump on these sit, on the engine? If so, is there any lift pumps in the fuel tank? Or if the pump sit on the engine, it should have a hard time picking up the fuel! When I opened mine's fuel tank (stainless steel construction, so no rust), it had two submersible Tokheim pumps, one in the main and of course the other in the reserve tank. One pump was totally shot, and trying as I might, I couldn't get a replacement for it. So I ended up replacing both pumps each with a set of Facet pumps, each set connected in series because of the voltage. The tank selector switch is already on the console, so no mods there. It has been working fine during tests but it has never been on the road, so that is still an unknown. I have similar Facet pumps fitted to my civvy vehicles and haven't had any hassles yet...:red: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 oily Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 My wonderful Saracen is back on the road after a long hibernation, and fluid-flywheel seal replacement! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 montie Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 My wonderful Saracen is back on the road after a long hibernation, and fluid-flywheel seal replacement! Great news, Oily!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 oily Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 LOTS AND LOTS of pictures closely following the process are to follow! Plus, if I can arrange it, some on-board and roadside footage of it on the move! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 montie Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 LOTS AND LOTS of pictures closely following the process are to follow! Plus, if I can arrange it, some on-board and roadside footage of it on the move! Good show, looking forward to it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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paulob1
I have just bought one, never driven one before and have heard all sorts of stories...can some one give me the low down. i will be getting the manuals but need some input from your sages out there, who generally know more than any manual...
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