Richard Grosvenor Posted January 1, 2006 Share Posted January 1, 2006 Hello, I've got an irritation more that a problem the FH70 Howitzer. It's got two parking brake systems, one is a standard ratchet type handbrake working on each driven wheel, the other is a hydraulically operated one that holds the foot brake on when it is in APU (auxiliary power unit) mode. Basically you put your foot on the brake pedal and move a small lever on the hydraulic valve block and the brakes are held on. Moving the lever the other way releases the brakes. This all works fine, but the problem is that the warning light on the instrument panel stays on showing that the brakes are on even when they're off. This has only just started to happen and I'm sure it is only the switch inside the valve block sticking. I've removed the cable plug from the block and sprayed some WD40 inside the block to try and free off the switch but it hasn't made any difference yet. Does anyone know any way of free off the switch? I know I could just ignore the light or even turn it off but I like everything to work. Regards Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dougy FV432 Posted January 1, 2006 Share Posted January 1, 2006 Hi Richard, When you disconnected the plug from the switch did the light go out then. If the light did go out then as you suspect the problem propably lies with the switch, you will more than likely have to take the switch out. I wouldn't be surprised if it not to dissimilar to the switch on a 3 series brake system, the one for dash light when a front or back curcuit fails or something similar. If it didn't go out then you may have a short curcuit in the wiring, how many wires went to the switch, 1 or 2. Hope this is of some help Dougy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Grosvenor Posted January 1, 2006 Author Share Posted January 1, 2006 Hello Dougy, Yes it goes out when I disconnect the plug, so I'm fairly sure the fault is with the switch. Just to be awkward there's 3 wires from the plug :!: :?: :?. Maybe everything on the APU is earthed separately ( the APU is independant to the rest of the Howitzer) Many Thanks Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Grosvenor Posted January 2, 2006 Author Share Posted January 2, 2006 Hello, Found the problem, on the side of the valve block is a small access plate approx 2ins square. It is held on with 9 screws! (good old German over engineering!) Inside the box is a tiny micro-switch, over the years dust had found it's way in there jamming the mechanism up. Some prat spraying WD40 in it and turning the dust into oily mud didn't help much either! A good clean out and everything now works as it should. Regards Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dougy FV432 Posted January 3, 2006 Share Posted January 3, 2006 Hi Richard Computor only just let me on the internet. Well done for sorting it. Did give a bit of consideration as to why there are 3 wires to switch, poss that the foden prime mover has a warning light on its dash, would be a good idea to warn the driver that the brakes have been locked on on the gun, don't you think? Nice that you have been allowed to play with your toys today. I haven't seen my FV432 for over a month Dougy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Grosvenor Posted January 3, 2006 Author Share Posted January 3, 2006 Hello Dougy The extra wire could be for that, at the towing hitch end, near the trailer lights plug there is another electrical connector so this could be for a warning light to go to the Foden. It's a very strange "vehicle" to trace wires as it has two wiring systems, one is for when it's a self propelled gun and the other is for when it's a trailer and they're independent of each other A big Foden FH70 Limber would be very nice, but I would have to get an HGV licence. Mind you the old Militant hardly notices it's pulling it. ( all together, 56ft long and 25tonnes!) I'm glad that we live on site and are able to keep the vehicles here, it makes it easy just to pop down to the building to work on them when I get a few minutes spare. Regards Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dougy FV432 Posted January 3, 2006 Share Posted January 3, 2006 Hi again Rich, militant and fh70 look good, are you sure you dont need a HGV C1+E for that little lot. Is it exempt because of the age of the vehicles. C1 normally covers the rigid and E refers to a trailer over a certain wait. I am lucky that I have a C+E which covers all categories. When I went to buy my FV432 from Withams I nearly came away with a FH70 instead and when I was at their last tender sale I was so tempted to put a bid on one, but lack of storage put me off. Did you get yours from them & was it complete. Have you seen their latest ones if so is there anything obviously missing Dougy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Grosvenor Posted January 3, 2006 Author Share Posted January 3, 2006 Hello Dougy, The Militant is 1953, so being before 1960 I can drive it on a C1 car licence, it can also pull a trailer, providing that the trailer is un-laden or has a permanent load, and my argument is that an artillery piece is a permanent load. Hopefully! :? It's a big lump though, I only took the Militant towing the FH70 to one event last year, our local towns VJ Celibrations, and had to get the police to stop the traffic on three roads so I could get out of the market place. :oops: I'm going to have to get my HGV liecence as I would love either a Foden FH70 or a Scammel Crusader. We got our FH70 from Withams but not out of a Tender sale. We were going to but we just didn't know where to start checking it over. Our's came with pretty much everything including the auto shell loader,tonnes of CES and most importantly a user manual. They also checked it over and replaced a couple of broken fittings on it. You have to be careful with the ones in the tender, FH70's have a slight weakness with their trail leg hydraulic rams if used incorrectly. The rams are only intended to put the trail wheels into self propelled mode, they are not designed to take the stain and stress's of the howitzer moving. There is locks on the rams for this, the manual and instruction plates on the rams insist that no attempt be made to move the gun until the locks are fully wound in. Withams don't bother with this, they start them up, lift them up and away they go. Result, broken end plate on the ram and another one for the tender. I don't know about last Tender because we didn't go, but in the one before, out of the 4 entered ( I think,might have been 5) only 1 would run. If you could get one cheap enough it would be worth buying a non runner, but sometimes they go to £3500ish and then you might aswell go and buy a checked over one directly from them. Did you know that even in the tender you can ask one of the staff to start up a lot that you are interested in so you can check it over? Blimey... that was a long post! Regards Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyler Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 That was a long post but a very interesting one also, Ive never been to one of the tender sale as I don't trust myself, but a post like that helps people understand how they work. Tyler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Degsy Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 Hi Richard Very useful info on the sales,thanks. Cheers Degsy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Degsy Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 Hi Richard Very useful info on the sales,thanks. Cheers Degsy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Grosvenor Posted January 4, 2006 Author Share Posted January 4, 2006 That was a long post but a very interesting one also I can carry on if you like......no....alright then! :wink: Tyler, I can't believe you've not been to one of Withams Tender Sales, it's worth it just to see some weird and wonderful (and rare) pieces of Military hardware tucked away. The big black building (where the toilets are) often has the best stuff in it. It's hard to see the stuff, as it's fenced off but sometimes... I mean....how often do you see a huge,tracked ambitious thing like this? Sergeant Degsy, Whats this double posting lark, are you trying to out rank us all!? :wink: They say power corrupts! :lol: Cheers Sergeant Grosvenor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirhc Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 We've bought loads from Withams, the Ferret and Fox were before they did the sales, but have bought a Spartan, FV432 and 2 trailers, along with several stillages of stuff from them in the sales. You do have to be careful with anything you buy, it's sold as seen. We like restoring vehicles, so expect to find things missing (engines!) or broken. Having had a vehicle restored by someone else before we will not go down that route again. Usually if it's come straight from the MoD it's not been bodged too much. I have heard the stories of people buying vehicles without seeing them and realising something major such as the engine is missing. Everything can look good in a photo, my advice is always go and check it out! Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirhc Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 Forgot to say there's loads of tender photos here: http://gallery.sirhc.co.uk Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyler Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 Ive seen your photos before there very good and there's some interesting MV's, as are the rest of your pics on your site. Tyler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Degsy Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 Hi Richard I plead insanity :?,expecting the nice men in the white coats anytime. :roll: Cheers Degsy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyler Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 Degsy don't do it! plead Diminished responsibility instead :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dougy FV432 Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 Hello everybody, Bought my FV432 direct from Withams nearly 2 years ago now. It was a birthday treat to my self. Didnt turn out to be as much fun as I had hoped, nearly walked out, but thats another story. Have been to a couple of tenders and come away with stuff. They dont give you long once you have been contacted to pay for and collect. Have found the lads in the yard to be very helpful and they will try to get things going for you and tell you snippets of info. In reply to Richard when he went out with his militant and fh70. I once went to a friends local show in Herefordshire with my fv432 on my lowloader. He told me to go straight into the town up to top to the cricket pitch. Got to the town midday on the Saturday, they dont believe double yellow lines are for not parking on, it was busy and came face to face with a tight 90' left turn. Bought the whole lot to a stand still for what seemed like an age. Had to reverse up because of cars taking the space I needed to get round the old overhanging buildings and a overhanging fv432. Thanks for info on FH70 there where 4 in last sale think they went for about £1500 and think one didnt sell, nearly bid one but we bid on 2 fv432s but didnt bid enough they seemed to go for quite high price. Now thats a long post, well seemed like it got sore finger now Dougy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Grosvenor Posted January 5, 2006 Author Share Posted January 5, 2006 Hello Dougy, The first time we went to Withams we found them a little odd, not rude or un-helpfull, just odd. I think they must get so many time-wasters who just want to have a ride in a tank! Now we've brought stuff off them and they know us we find them very helpfull. Cheers Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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