Engine changes

[Sean N]

In what circumstances, apart from engine failure, would MV engines have been changed in the 1950s - 1980s?

[Richard Farrant]

In what circumstances, apart from engine failure, would MV engines have been changed in the 1950s - 1980s?

 

As I was in army workshops from 1974 onward, this covers part of your period in question. Engines were often changed in the field, on exercise or operations for the most simple of problems, even a head gasket. If parts were not available yet an engine unit was then it was changed. We used to get Repairable engines in for Reconditioning and on stripping there were sometimes very little problems to see. I cannot think off hand of a reason to change an engine if it was perfectly OK.

[woa2]

I heard from a man who worked at Rootes in the 1940s/1950s when they were overhauling American Dodge vehicles. The engine was always changed to a rebuilt one even if there was no problem with it, so the vehicle was 'as new' when the Dodge left the Rootes factory for re-issue.

[Sean N]

Thanks chaps, sorry it's taken a while replying.

 

Engine changes during a major overhaul aren't a surprise, and I'd have thought were probably standard procedure. Engine changes in the event of a catastrophic failure aren't a surprise either. It's the extent to which engine changes went on in the sort of circumstances Richard mentions that I was interested in, I suppose.

 

I could see that if parts weren't available, or where an engine change would be quicker than a repair (particularly on exercise or where the vehicle was needed quickly) then engines would be swapped. I assume it's likely that in those circumstances the engine change wouldn't be recorded, or at least the repair wouldn't be entered on the military chassis plate.

 

The reason I ask is because I'm still niggling at this business about engine colours with particular reference to Austin K9s. I'd thought it was possible that Austin were painting K9 engines in eau-de-nil ex-factory as virtually every K9 engine I've seen was eau-de-nil, and I've seen a fair few, and often in K9s where there was no sign or record of an engine change or significant repair. The same seems to be true of many other vehicles.

 

However, I've just found that the engine in at least one of my K9s, which has no repair on record, isn't the original one for the vehicle (or at least, isn't the one the MoD have on record as originally fitted). That suggests that perhaps engines were being changed almost as routine during the 50s and 60s at least.

[fv1609]

Incidentally Sean I can think of the engine change as a specific policy in the field for the Hornet/Malkara. It was no coincidence that Humbers were chosen as the support fleet, missile test, missile supply, system repair, GS and LAD. This was not just because of the superb performance of the Humber 1 Ton. Being air dropped into the front lines of a desert conflict might mean that the supply chain for spares or repair backloading was not all that it might be.

 

REME LAD were prepared to do complete engine changes in the field by cannabalising the support fleet. The significance of this seemed to have been overlooked in later years when some of the support fleet were Land Rovers.