question So what's the most scary bit of poor maintenance you've found on your MV?

[BRDM Driver]

Took a look at my Scorpion's main brakes today only to find one caliper hanging on by one finger tight (loose) bolt. The other bolt was not even threaded, just lying in the hole...

 

So previous owner must have started to remove the caliper and then forgot about it?

 

Scary!!!

 

Anyone else found stuff like that?

[Ivor Ramsden]

Land-Rover track rod ends fixed by almost-rusted-through hose clips.

[Tony B]

Wiring so bad that when touched all the insulation just fell off.

[Caddy]

Not my MV, but worked on a centurion. We had to install and test the main engine starter motor. The main bus bar had been completely wired up wrong and when my mate turned on the main switch there were sparks jumping out of the starter right next to me.

It's only 24v my bottom - still scary at 200a

[Grasshopper]

We found the inner section of the R/H final drive on our CVRT Spartan had all the bolts loose where they had never been wired up (or probably even tightened). That explained the funny noises and oil leak...

 

Have come across too many MVs (large and small) where the owners have bad brakes (nil-maintenance) and are surprised at the repair bill.

[timbo]

Agree that brakes seem to be a particular weak point, and also running gear - tracks, wheels, tyres etc everything except the engine in fact....!!!!

[rog8811]

Ah, brakes!

when I was getting my, at the time, recently acquired S2 land rover ready for MOT after 5 years off the road I discovered that the front, left hand brake back plate was on the right side hub and visa versa. I have no idea if they ever worked properly like that but the shoes were well worn.

 

I purchased a single replacement back plate from ebay which I stove enameled and rebuilt with all new parts before swapping it for an incorrect one then rebuilt that one to finish the job.

[mill comms]

My CVRT SAMSON direct Ex Gulf War , Had a FULL fuel tank, and the fuel sender had one bolt holding it in place, the other holes were full of sand so it had been like this for a long time.

[Big ray]

I dont think that its in the interests of the hobby to suggest that there is an epidemic of poor maintenance amongst its many members. The very nature of anything mechanical means that it will require repairs from time to time, in many cases if someone should be selling a vehicle in order perhaps to finance another project, there will be a lack of desire to spend monies on a departing vehicle when that money could well be spent on the new project. Its the responsibility of the new owner to ensure that the vehicle is roadworthy before going onto a public road. We have two safety officers in our area (I happen to be one) who monitor the general condition of the vehicles in our area, we are very mindful of that responsibility, so much so that we are starting maintenance classes at our monthly meetings.

[.303fan]

a 2,25 diesel engine that was worn down from 20k miles from new.

soldiers booted with cold engines till the day came it smoked heavy and is in need of new rings or rebore.

thats how the cookie crumbles.

[Pete Ashby]

I dont think that its in the interests of the hobby to suggest that there is an epidemic of poor maintenance amongst its many members. The very nature of anything mechanical means that it will require repairs from time to time, in many cases if someone should be selling a vehicle in order perhaps to finance another project, there will be a lack of desire to spend monies on a departing vehicle when that money could well be spent on the new project. Its the responsibility of the new owner to ensure that the vehicle is roadworthy before going onto a public road. We have two safety officers in our area (I happen to be one) who monitor the general condition of the vehicles in our area, we are very mindful of that responsibility, so much so that we are starting maintenance classes at our monthly meetings.

 

I think I'm with you on this Ray

 

Pete

[ArtistsRifles]

My Stolly came back from a professional repairers having been rebuilt - only for us to find the hydraulic union into one of the air packs was only in by one thread and it was spraying hydraulic oil all over the engine bay walls

[eddy8men]

while still serving I picked up a ser 3 landrover from another unit and drove it 80 miles back to my unit. it had been inspected by the wksp and was declared roadworthy. although the steering felt vague I wasn't overly worried (it's a landrover) it wasn't until travelling downhill at speed to a roundabout under heavy braking that a slight fault showed itself. one side of the track rod was not connected so the right wheel was free to do it's own thing :-D which was go right on full lock I put full left lock on and it came to a halt with a bit of a squeal and the smell of burning rubber with both wheels pointing in different directions. no harm was done just a large skid mark left on the road and another one in my boxers. I cracked on at a slightly more sedate pace using engine braking and got back to the unit without anymore dramas still with the track rod disconnected.

[Enigma]

After a short while owning a Dodge I discovered 18 out of 20 wheelnuts were too loose.

Some could even be turned by hand.

[arcot1751]

While serving with the Royal Artillery in Germany I was sent to collect a Bedford MK from another unit in Dortmund, halfway back to camp the front propshaft fell off at 65kph on the autobahn it actually dug into the road and lifted the back of the truck off the ground :laugh: I nearly went through the screen and the prop and gearbox were destroyed. Turns out NONE of the remaining propshaft bolts were tight either, I bet some REME fitter had some explaining to do later Caused chaos on the autobahn too !

[tokarev]

On my M151A2 I had the combined total of 1 complete working brake assembly. Found this out when the working wheel locked up a few miles from home after a hard application of the brakes. Managed to limp home with a smoking wheel.

[paulob1]

I dont think that its in the interests of the hobby to suggest that there is an epidemic of poor maintenance amongst its many members. The very nature of anything mechanical means that it will require repairs from time to time, in many cases if someone should be selling a vehicle in order perhaps to finance another project, there will be a lack of desire to spend monies on a departing vehicle when that money could well be spent on the new project. Its the responsibility of the new owner to ensure that the vehicle is roadworthy before going onto a public road. We have two safety officers in our area (I happen to be one) who monitor the general condition of the vehicles in our area, we are very mindful of that responsibility, so much so that we are starting maintenance classes at our monthly meetings.

 

great point Ray, but actually its the drivers responsibility not the owner, if you drive a vehicle owned by someone else and it is involved in an accident it is you the driver who is responsible not the owner, I know a bit pedantic but if your going to be pedantic about maintenance you have to understand the truth of the situation. If you drive someone elses vehicle it is no excuse to say I did not know it was broken or unsafe, although I am sure in a court it would be taken into consideration if you had every reason to believe it was good to go...I am not a lawyer, but the law is very clear you the driver are responsible for the maintenance and safety of the car/vehicle you are driving...

 

Truck drivers know this, we have to do our daily checks, we have to tick our boxes and we cannot drive out if we have a light out or a nut loose, well at least the major items like wheels, etc. We have to show we have done these checks. too easy in smaller vehicles not to bother...

 

but following the thread I forgot to check my oil in my stolly once after a lot of playing. I was fairly new to the old girl and did not know she used oil, when I checked she was virtually out. I am sure it was this that eventually led to the rods going through the block some 5 years later...

[AlienFTM]

As a minor unit wef 1 January 1983 (supporting a single brigade, 12 Armd, instead of both brigades of the withdrawn-to-UK 2 Armd Div), 12 Armd Wksp pay Orbat consisted of a Div 2 (Ssgt) and two times Div 4 (Pte - Cpl). Signature was by the Unit Admin Officer, a REME, who knew nothing. "Sign this please, Sir." Most of my tour, the other Div 4 was on posting, for example PGF at the Maze (I already had an inch of glory for NI and I was married so I encouraged him to volunteer).

 

So most of the time it was Steve, the Div 2 and me. A typical morning might start, "Here, mate, get this signed by the AO then get a rover from MT and head off down the Commerzbank to draw some money for the Imprest Account."

 

No sweat. Like I said, typical (except in November / December when the Fuel and Light Rebates came in and I'd have to draw maybe DM20 - 30,000 to issue to the Pads, in which case one of the clerks would draw an SMG and escort me. We did once drive past the local Opel dealership (which was on the corner near the bank. I remember: it was Opel Schiermeier) and I drooled at the new Opel Kadett GTe which would have been the perfect replacement for my Opel Kadett Berlina. Then I thought about my career. I remembered the instructor on my Transfer-In Soldier course. "You will always be tempted in this job. If you are going to succumb to temptation, make sure you set your sights high enough so that you can get away with it.").

 

I got the AO to sign the cheque, then I phoned MT for a rover. I walked up and the platoon sergeant told me two of his craftsmen were just finishing a service on a short-wheelbase air-portable. I could take that. I found them and the Land Rover, took the keys, got the work ticket signed, and floored it out of the hangar, turn right, right again past the Guard Room then Left onto the Verhrter Landstrasse into Oznatraz. On the downhill stretch (Mercer Barracks was on top of a hill: whenever you went for a run, the last stretch was always uphill. Grr), I watched a wheel go by. It was a Land Rover wheel. "Wherever did that come from?" Clunk. Stop. "Damn*."

 

Recovery was swift. So was blame. The two incompetent crafties got nailed for not putting wheel nuts back on (as their Pay Clerk, I fed their offences into the system to deduct their pay. However, as driver, it was decreed that I must also carry some of the blame in accordance with regulations. Shock horror, I found myself tapping the boards. "Damn*. There goes the LS&GC."

 

"Do you accept my award?"

 

Thinks, "Not likely."

Speaks, "Hmmm. Not sure." You could see the Workshop 2IC (OC was on leave) had never heard this response before.

 

"Look, Corporal Alien, this is the way it is. Just get on with it."

 

I still wasn't happy but no way was I going to push for court martial because it simply wasn't worth it. I got a three-month warning.

 

Next day I heard the phone ring in the 2IC's office. He summoned Steve.

 

"That was Commander Finance 1 Armd Div. He has had a word with a very embarrassed 2IC. There is no 3-month warning."

_____

 

* I didn't really think "Damn," but this forum is read by civvies.

[griff66]

its not just previous civvy owners who cause probs on mvs my ferret had only ever been touched by army mechs and i found lots of short cuts shall we say they they had done , maybe they knew it was being sold off soon!

[Topdog]

I have just re done all the brakes on the Ferret and changed all the pipes to copper. Fortunate really as the front crossover pipe which is under the footplate was fractured and snapped as it was being lifted.