Joris Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 Amazing project, well done on the progress! :goodidea: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markheliops Posted January 11, 2012 Author Share Posted January 11, 2012 I love the assorted gloves used as blanking-off plates! :-) Andy I like to recycle Andy - would cost a fortune using new gloves! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andym Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 I like to recycle Andy - would cost a fortune using new gloves! I just reuse them - I can get two or three wearings out of Nitrile Touch 'n Tuffs! Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tankmaker1 Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 Looking good with the GUE out you will need plenty of amps to turn the L60 over - here should be some jump leads in the drivers compartment which may help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markheliops Posted February 22, 2012 Author Share Posted February 22, 2012 Looking good with the GUE out you will need plenty of amps to turn the L60 over - here should be some jump leads in the drivers compartment which may help. ? - no jump leads in the drivers compartment? Who's that - is that the chappie I purchased the ARRV from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tankmaker1 Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 no but I did help with PDS on these. I would like one but wifey would have a duck fit so I can only sit and marvel in your work. Hopefully you have sorted out the Bowden cables ( a common PDS problem solvable only bu removal and boiling in nice warm oil I seem to remember!) If you can find a gun tank they should have the leads - having said that the guys at Duxford didn't know about them till I pointed them out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markheliops Posted March 16, 2012 Author Share Posted March 16, 2012 Evening all. I have been busy with the ARRV, doing various bits and pieces. The GUE is in and the control cables are now sorted and functioning correctly. I have fitted new 2 x new batteries, a replacement exhaust end and some other minor work. Today I turned my attention to a fault with the hydraulic recovery equipment. I have no power to the dozer and winches and suspected a hydraulic fault - for no other reason than the boost filter warning light was on - which means the boost filter is clogged. I firstly checked all the silly things like lack of oil in the main and aux gearbox and fuses / CB's. Now don't you love British design - replacing a filter can't be all that difficult............. Guess where the damn thing was hidden: Right behind the radio shelving etc. It took me ages to dismantle the radios, shelving and associated wiring. For the life of me I can't understand why they would stick it behind that lot. Anyway after much cursing I finally got to remove the bulkhead which gave me access to the main winch. The boost filter provides the extra hydraulic pressure required by the dozer and winches. Hence clogged filter / no power. I finally got to the filter and had a mare trying to get it off. Much swearing and sweating later I managed to get it off. Unfortunately the manual said nothing of a grub screw in the canister body, obviously a mod brought in after the manuals had been printed. It left a bit of a mess in regard to the thread but luckily I realised something wasn't right before I completely knackered it up. So thats where I am at now - I have ordered a replacement filter and when it arrives I shall fit it and hopefully have a working dozer and winches - please let it be the filter!!!! Markheliops Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grasshopper Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 Let me know if you need a hand when you get the filter. Still got some days off to use! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markheliops Posted March 17, 2012 Author Share Posted March 17, 2012 Will do Vince - thanks mate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shane.c Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 A good and interesting thread, looking forward to see it at war and peace,:-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.O.S. Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 (edited) Mark - looks like a Fairy High pressure filter. If the element became clogged the pressure sensor on the housing would put the warning light on first, then if it clogged further the oil would eventually bypass the element (assuming it is a bypass type which I think most if not all are). If the oil couldn't bypass the element the pressure would simply destroy the element - it would not stop the oil flow (might slow things down a bit but that's all). Can you crack a pipe union somewhere and test for flow to the filter? Edited March 17, 2012 by N.O.S. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markheliops Posted April 21, 2012 Author Share Posted April 21, 2012 Hi all. The ARRV work has been continuing at pace. The new hydraulic boost filter arrived and I fitted it - eager to see if this would cure the fault of no power to the winches and dozer. After fitting, I bled the hydraulic system, topped up the reservoir and bobs your uncle - I now have power to both winches and dozer. I also had to repair a grease supply line that I damaged whilst attempting to remove the filter housing. Point to note in the future - if something is in the way just remove it instead of trying to work around it. It's better in the long run. The Naughty Nurse has an interest in all things craft and restoring old bits and pieces so why waste her talents! I thrust a paint brush into her lovely hands and showed her what items needed painting. Actually she done a very good job. Thanks Debs. I of course had to take it easy as I had been quite ill and had still not fully recovered but needs must. Debs ensured I was kept fully hydrated with a supply of tea / coffee plus a sausage baguette - all the things the Doctor said I should stay away from but Debs was most insistent I should eat and drink properly. After the items had dried I re-assembled the radio racking and radios plus some bulkhead plates. The next job on the long list was to replace the track pads - all 194 of them. I wasn't looking forward to it as I knew it was going to be a pain but I had promised the farmer I would do it before the ARRV moved so I wouldn't destroy his concrete flooring. Still, I had changed an FV432 pads on my own and that task had only taken me fourteen hours to complete. I built up desire to complete the task and eventually started. Now I have done some real pigs of jobs over the years but this must have been one of the most pain in the butt jobs I have had to complete. It was hard work, painful and exhausting and I still hadn't fully recovered from my illness. I had a number of issues with the task and combine them together made it a job I wouldn't fancy in a hurry again. First Issue - I was on my own so I had to change three pads on each track and then move the ARRV backwards to do another three pads either side, etc, etc. Luckily I still have not replaced the left hand front mudguard so this task was made easy by marking pads 1, 2, 3 and reversing when they were out of sight. Second Issue - The previous owners of the ARRV had allowed the rubber pads to wear down beyond the metal recess of each link. This had caused the recess sides to bend in and in doing so refused allow the pads to come out. If I was lucking a large hammer (REME tool Mk1) would do the trick. The majority needed some love with a grinder. Third Issue - I strongly suspect the ARRV had never had it's pads changed. Over the many years, soil, stones, clay, etc had been pulverised into the pad recess. Unfortunately the only way to clean all the muck out was with a large hammer and cold chisel. This had to be done or the track pads would not sit in the track link properly which would eventually cause the pads to break. Getting there. All in all it was a painful experience and took me 3 days - approx 60 pads a day. Very, very hard work. Still I eventually completed the task with much relief. Updates to come - Markheliops Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markheliops Posted April 21, 2012 Author Share Posted April 21, 2012 For those who don't know I am looking after a small private collection down on the South coast. One of the vehicles in the collection is a Chieftain MBT. I had previously diagnosed a burnt out starter motor resulting in a pack lift. The Chieftain had not moved for around 4 years although it's not too bad condition. The ARRV would be needed to A) recover the Chieftain to somewhere we could work on it B) Use of the crane to lift the pack. With this in mind I had arranged with Andy Long of Along Recovery (a very professional service and one I would recommend) to collect the ARRV and take it to where I needed it. This resulted in much work before the ARRV collection date. Unfortunately I did not have the time to take photos but the only issue I did have was when I went to move the ARRV out of the shed to re-fit the cupola. The beast would not turn and after investigation I found the cause to be a badly leaking steering calliper on the transmission. Fortunately I had a spare and fitted the new calliper in 45 minutes. Once fitted the steering returned but I will have to power bleed the system as the steering can be a bit reluctant at times. Anyway Andy collected the ARRV and now it is where I need it and awaiting to carry out the tasks it was designed for. Looking forward to it. Markheliops Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markheliops Posted April 21, 2012 Author Share Posted April 21, 2012 (edited) The ARRV had been delivered and now was the time to put it to good use. The Chieftain MBT had not been started or moved for around 4 years. The GUE ran but the main engine would not start, I thought due to a burnt out starter motor. (More about that later). I know Chieftain can be started by a tow start so that was the plan we formed. The transmission was also suspected of being faulty so I wanted the get the Chieftain running to investigate any possible fault with the gearbox before we started repairs on the pack. Positioning the ARRV to enable the fitting of the A-frame was awkward due to space but we eventually managed to get the MBT hooked up. A briefing was held and the procedure explained to all those involved. (There is a better video on U-tube / facebook). Now what you saw in the video was me dragging the MBT out from it's resting place on to a straight bit of the track. Once there we attempted to engage emergency forward gear and tow the MBT at approximately 4 mph. At first we were unable to engage the forward gear but this was over-come by manually freeing off the gear selector via the transmission housing. We then tried again - you will see from the video the moment the MBT engaged forward gear as the ARRV nearly came to a fierce stop and the MBT nearly threw a track. We gave it one more attempt before I decided something was definitely amiss. We gave up on the idea of tow starting the Chieftain so I recovered the MBT around the tank driving area (about 1 mile) and to a place where we could carry out further investigation. The ARRV done it's stuff wonderfully and behaved as it should so I was a happy bunny even though we were unable to get the MBT started. Markheliops Edited April 21, 2012 by Markheliops Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddy8men Posted April 21, 2012 Share Posted April 21, 2012 the joys of track bashing i don't think that arv could of had a better owner, good on yer for putting so much hard work into it. rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saracenstump Posted April 21, 2012 Share Posted April 21, 2012 great to see it used for whats its for,nice one mark! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markheliops Posted April 21, 2012 Author Share Posted April 21, 2012 (edited) I towed the MBT to hard standing and positioned the ARRV in readiness for a pack lift. Whilst towing the MBT I thought about the issue with the pack and decided the engine must be seized. Positioning is everything as you don't have much room to play with. Get it wrong and you will end up with a suspended pack on the hook and not being able to set it down. Despite it's size, the six and a half tonne Atlas crane does not have excessive reach or lift. We started to disconnect, remove and reposition items to enable removal of the pack. Actually the task wasn't too difficult. We had a couple of issues with snapped bolts and stubborn fixings. The T-bar covering the main engine decks decided to snap a bolt which was somewhat surprising considering the size of the bolts concerned. The pack lift is divided into three main areas - the GUE compartment, the main engine air filter and the transmission compartment. You do have to be somewhat flexible and double joints would help. Everything was going to plan until we came to the main engine air filter unit. Here we found the fault that proved to me the pack was seized. To remove the air filter unit you have to first remove the air filter bellow - (a kind of rubber / canvas connecting piece). It put up a fair resistance before we managed to move it a couple of inches. When it did move we heard the sound of lots of escaping water. When we finally managed to remove the bellows completely we discovered it had filled with water and this led straight to the engine intake. This was pretty conclusive evidence the engine was hydro-locked and seized. Still, nothing had changed as we were still required to lift the pack so we carried on. Eventually we were in a position to commence with the pack lift. When you have taken the weight of the pack on the crane you are supposed to undo the last two front mounting bolts and slide the front mount into the bulkhead. Unfortunately the mount would not move into the bulkhead and this had to be achieved to enable enough clearance for the pack frame to clear the mount. We tried all sorts - bars, hammers, jacks, etc. Eventually by pure luck the weight of the pack swung against the mount and the weight pushed the sliding mount into the bulkhead. Getting it back out should be fun but we'll come to that when the need arises. My mate Dave took control of the crane whilst I observed the lift - giving the pack a kick or nudge when required. The pack slowly came out of it's position. The operation requires three persons to keep observation of the lift. It is very easy to catch something and there is little room for mistakes. Eventually the pack was out and back on the ground. All in all a good days work and now the plan is to install a new pack or repair the old pack. Updates as and when. Markheliops Edited April 21, 2012 by Markheliops Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markheliops Posted April 21, 2012 Author Share Posted April 21, 2012 the joys of track bashing i don't think that arv could of had a better owner, good on yer for putting so much hard work into it. rick Thanks Rick - Much appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robin craig Posted April 21, 2012 Share Posted April 21, 2012 Mark and crew, that looks like nothing but bull work doing the track pads on the ARRV. what is Debs to you? the mrs / gf? Funnily I was watching the video having read the description and was thinking that the engine was hydraulically locked before I saw the footage, then read your later posts and was amazed that I was right. The symptom of how it just about stalled the ARRV was the clue, it was either mechanically locked or the engine was hydrauliced. I hope you charge a decent hourly rate for your time and the use of the ARRV. Very interesting that there really isnt much wiggle room for setting up to lift the pack, would have thought that there was much more scope to the crane. Excellent work R Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grasshopper Posted April 21, 2012 Share Posted April 21, 2012 Robin, the ARRV crane was an add-on to enable Challenger 1 pack lifts as 434s (which were designed to perform Chieftain pack lifts) were not man-enough for the task. Having assisted with a 432 pack lift, there is less room than doing a CVRT engine change! The bigger the tank, the less room you have seems to be the case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markheliops Posted April 21, 2012 Author Share Posted April 21, 2012 what is Debs to you? the mrs / gf? I hope you charge a decent hourly rate for your time and the use of the ARRV. R Debs (AKA Naughty Nurse is my partner) - I daren't say my grease-monkey!! I'm not charging anything for the use of my ARRV - it's all part of the fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shane.c Posted April 29, 2012 Share Posted April 29, 2012 Hi Mark keep us posted on the restoration cant wait to see it at war and peace, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tankmaker1 Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 Robin, the ARRV crane was an add-on to enable Challenger 1 pack lifts as 434s (which were designed to perform Chieftain pack lifts) were not man-enough for the task. Having assisted with a 432 pack lift, there is less room than doing a CVRT engine change! The bigger the tank, the less room you have seems to be the case. Standard demo time for a Challenger 1/2 pack was 1 hour - I have seen it done but one or two corners were cut to get there! Didn't notice any wind settings on the crane(!) - standard daftness by the Cherry Pickers LAD! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markheliops Posted June 29, 2012 Author Share Posted June 29, 2012 Hi all. Update on the Chieftain ARRV restoration: I haven't been about much as my back was against the wall with the ARRV. Anyway, the ARRV is now completed. I haven't had the time to write up every detail on every task as there was rather a lot to do but it is now fully operational including the winches etc. Here is the ARRV when it was purchased in September 2011. This is Shrek - the ARRV is big, green and ugly so what better name to give it. I'm really pleased with the end result. Time will tell how good my mechanical skills have been but everything seems good. I had to make some difficult decisions with the ARRV. I had to miss a number of events, such as A&E, purely because I didn't have the time to spend doing anything else. I haven't touched the Ward since last August when I used it at Headcorn so I wasn't going to risk driving it to Dorchester. All in all I think it was well worth all the time I have put into Shrek and the sacrifices I and others have made. I set myself a target in September to have the ARRV, completed, at War and Peace this year and in that sense, I have succeeded. Oh and whilst the ARRV was being done, Mumsie asked me to smarten up her mobility scooter. What do you think? I'm not sure if that's what she had in mind - but I like it. Markheliops Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.O.S. Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 The filter problem you resolved by changing the element, Mark - I guess there was an electrical pressure switch so when the filter clogged it shut off power to a solenoid valve, cutting off oil flow? P.S. Shrek looks good - as does MMMS (medium mobility mobility scooter) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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