Grasshopper Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 (edited) Having had a reasonably successful season with this vehicle last year (only did 2 or 3 shows with it), and it only having broken down with blocked fuel filters a few times, decided to service it over the winter given that the engine had been in bits for repairs and the gearbox had also had the main shaft replaced. After servicing, the weather turned and given that the Spartan is stored outdoors we began the Scorpion restoration (in a nice shed). It got me to thinking just how filthy the interior of the Spartan has become with 5 years worth of Beltring mud deposited in various inaccessible places. The engine also had a flat spot under acceleration, which needed rectifying. Various other bits needed fitting, tidying and cleaning. General TLC was required. Now the weather is "less foul" (don't want to jinx it) and with an outing next month planned, we are getting around to rectifying this. To service the engine, it is easier to do it with the bulkhead out (also involves removing the drivers seat), giving good access to the whole drivers compartment and engine. With it all all in bits it looked in a terrible state, so I took the decision to clean the drivers compartment and paint the floor and and sponson top which have never been touched. This vehicle is a "bit of a hack", and we initially got it running from ex-Withams condition and have just been doing it up as we go along (mostly not though...). It has had several engines, gearboxes and electrical bits, and has been used as a test bed for parts of the other 3 CVRT's we have had. It's certainly looking the worse for wear now, although being in gulf war colours, it does have that slight sand blasted look (due to the peeling paint) that vehicles operating in that area get. Recently I stripped out the master distribution box, batteries and false floor. All were covered in Beltring dust and a ton of mud, so I cleaned them all off (well you would really). I also cleaned the interior bulkhead, which changed to a lighter (clean) colour than before, but it still looks tatty, oh well.... I looked at the carburetor after discovering that one of the accelerator jets didn't work. I replaced the diaphragms with new ones, but this didn't cure it. I removed the ball valves which feed the diaphragm chambers for the jets and found one was sticking. I didn't even know these valves were there before, I was doing some "exploratory stripping" (usually ends in tears, don't try this at home kids...). Still didn't cure it, so i took it to work. I cleaned out the passages with some solvent, a bit of wire and an air line. This seemed to do the trick, and i tested it in the degreasing tank (cheaper than testing it with petrol!). Today, i had volunteer No 1 using the angle grinder with wire cup brush to clean the sponson top and drivers floor. I then got in there with a vacuum cleaner and soaked the padded areas with some cilit bang. I then cleaned the whole area with cream cleaner and a plastic pan scourer. The soft trim came up a treat. We also removed the petrol tank, which is one from a Bedford truck fitted in the space where the radios are normally fitted (the main tank is incomplete and rusty). After draining and filtering the remaining fuel, we cleaned it out with a pressure washer. I think that our filter blockage problem has been caused by using old jerry cans which can be full of debris, to replenish the fuel. I will be buying some brand new ones for fuel use. Volunteer No 2 spent the day removing all the broken off bolts from where the rear mudgaurds used to be. The mudgaurds were a victim of having fun in the Betring mud last year. Being only fibreglass, a couple of strikes from big clods of mud smashed them off. Probably didn't help that they weren't fully bolted on in the first place due to all the broken off bolts.... They also have a design flaw in that you need to hack off a fair bit of the mudgaurd as otherwise the track strikes it and breaks it. We also discovered this the hard way after first fitting them. We have acquired some replacement steel mudgaurds, these similarly required the same mod as otherwise the track would strike them too. They will be fully bolted on this time, as being older and wiser we are tending to do things properly nowadays. Hope to get some of the painting done tomorrow if the weather is nice. Sorry if all this seems a bit rambling, only my head is a bit dizzy from petrol fumes...:rotfl: Edited March 29, 2009 by Grasshopper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grasshopper Posted March 29, 2009 Author Share Posted March 29, 2009 You can see on this picture where the track horns would strike the mudgaurd. We had to remove about 20-25mm of material from the whole curved section. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abn deuce Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 I m sure it will be the better for all the hard work and cuts and bruises each of you suffered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirhc Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 Vince, Never heard of this problem with the tracks damaging the mud guards before. On mine there are spacers between the side of the hull and the mud guard to give it clearance. Are you bolting them flat against each other? Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
84KB11 Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 Sultan had spacers between the mudguard and hull side too (got given some with one of the sets of mudguards). May still have some spare ones somewhere if you need them Vince. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grasshopper Posted March 29, 2009 Author Share Posted March 29, 2009 (edited) You couldn't space out the new ones, as the holes are drilled in exactly the right places. It's a snug fit, and we had to grind a little off to clear one of the hull welds. I can't remember if the fibreglass ones had spacers fitted, but they were either badly manufactured or stored badly so fouled the tracks a bit. Having done a lot of bodywork when i was in the bus industry, I found that replacement fibreglass components varied a lot. I think the steel ones we have may be prototypes, and they could have been copied from ill-fitting fibreglass ones. Was no problem to mod them though, in fact it was suggested that we may have to by one of the AFV society guys. Edited March 29, 2009 by Grasshopper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grasshopper Posted March 30, 2009 Author Share Posted March 30, 2009 (edited) Spent the day on the vehicle, and after cleaning it out (again) applied special metals primer. While that was drying, I sloshed some meths around the fuel tank to help get rid of any moisture left in it after yesterdays pressure washing, and left it in the sun. Also did some work on the Scorpion. As it was sunny, it dried very quickly and after a few hours I got the top coat of fuel and oil proof yacht bilge paint applied (thanks for the suggestion Chris, it's good stuff and goes on really nicely). It was a real bugger trying to paint in that space with the dashboard and front bulkhead in place. No elbow room! I also repainted all the silver bits in the compartment and also the false floor. It all came out quite nicely, apart from the tree the vehicle lives under dumping bits of twig in it every now and then. I can now start bolting it all back together, all going to plan so far...... Edited March 30, 2009 by Grasshopper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grasshopper Posted April 20, 2009 Author Share Posted April 20, 2009 Deadline day looms close.... aim to have it done by this friday, ready for Sunday. Put another coat of paint in the drivers compartment, fuel tank is now refitted and plumbed via the correct (NOS) CVRT filter which has been overhauled (rather than a disposable car filter we had previously). The carb has also been repaired after I discovered the non-return valves for the accelerator jets didn't work (explains the flat spot when accelerating). Both rear mudgaurds have now been modified and fitted. Just need to refit the carb, batteries, distribution box, drivers bulkhead, seat, floor, controls, belly plates and deck, couple of suspension repairs and (in theory) away we go! All to be done this week in between night shifts.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markheliops Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 NIce going Grasshopper - Hope you get it sorted by deadline. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grasshopper Posted May 13, 2009 Author Share Posted May 13, 2009 Well, had a great time the other weekend at a local show. After the 20 mile drive to Mikes place, we did another 10 to the show and then another 10 home. It seems to run better with every drive. While at the show, we had a good tidy out in the rear, and i have not seen the vehicle this empty in years! Also found that the two core plugs in the top of the head are leaking a bit, so i will remove and reseal them as they are threaded. It did reveal that 2 spark plugs were loose, so not a bad thing overall and should be an easy fix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirhc Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 Vince, Do you need a seat for the rear of your Spartan? I do have a spare.. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grasshopper Posted May 13, 2009 Author Share Posted May 13, 2009 Being the MCT version it has (should have) milan storage racks in the back so has no bench seat. I recently re-discovered the racks in some undergrowth, so plan to refit them once i have done some more interior cleaning. I believe the gunners seat is the same as a Samaritan and is attatched to the back door. We need one of these if you have one. Don't know what should go where the section commanders seat should go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grasshopper Posted June 4, 2010 Author Share Posted June 4, 2010 Finished a long overdue repaint yesterday (7 years since last done), just in time to go on display at a wedding this Saturday. Very happy with my spraying, only the second vehicle I have sprayed. I did the bride-to-be's horse box first. She wanted it in WW2 green so I now have to do her land rover 110 to match! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robin craig Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 Grasshopper, Great progress, but what is your vehicle doing next to a pikey caravan? R Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grasshopper Posted June 5, 2010 Author Share Posted June 5, 2010 You haven't seen the rest of the site! Anyway, I'm sure Markheliops would be offended at calling his "lovetrailer" a pikey caravan... (its parked next to the spartan at the moment). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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