Re: [MV] Fw: Test Message / Saracen Questions ?

From: Richard Notton (Richard@fv623.demon.co.uk)
Date: Sun May 21 2000 - 13:09:26 PDT


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----- Original Message -----
From: "Rob Dabkowski" <robdab@better.net>
To: "Military Vehicles List" <mil-veh@uller.skylee.com>
Sent: Sunday, May 21, 2000 6:43 AM
Subject: [MV] Fw: Test Message / Saracen Questions ?

> Richard, I tried the message below, several days ago. Did you receive it ?
>
I'm afraid I didn't, however. . . . . . .

>
> ----------
> > From: Rob Dabkowski <robdab@better.net>
> > To: Richard@fv623.demon.co.uk
> > Subject: Test Message / Saracen Questions ?
> > Date: May 17, 2000 12:00 PM
> >
> > Richard, many thanks for the reply. Wanted to ask you about the
> feasibility
> > of my plan to ship an fv 610 Command Saracen from the Channel Islands to
> > Toronto, Canada via the Beltering show. Wanted to remove all three right
> > side wheels and hubs to reduce width to less than 7'-6" so that the
beast
> > will fit into a standard Conex sea container.
>
Desperate measures.

At first sight I was going to ask if you were totally and entirely barking
mad, but that would be rude.

I'd ship it from the CI using Commodore Express and simply drive it on and
off, they are the virtual monopoly shippers between CI and Portsmouth, their
ships are RO-RO and usually take non road going, shipment only semi trailers
with containers (conex). In an emergency I went over and back this way
rather than the passenger/car ferry from Poole, they just had me drive into
a space between the semi trailers.

Removing just one wheel station is a huge job, 3 at once is unbelievable.
Problems are:

1. The Saracen is drum braked so, unlike the disc braked Stolly, you can't
just string the calliper up out of the way. The whole of the braking system
will have to be re-filled with OM 13 and bled, another seriously huge job.

2. At the front and centre you have to break the steering arm tapers, huge
and seriously difficult.

3. All the torsion bars have to be let off, hours of slow work.

4. Centre and rear shocks/bump stops have to be released, get a huge C
wrench and a length of scaffold.

5. Every shaft boot has to come off to allow access to the shaft muff
coupling pin, they are very fiddly to remove and replace. Each wheel will
have to be turned to align the shaft pin with the access hole.

6. The hub has to be suspended on a hoist and jacks, the inner spherical
housing somehow clamped in (if it slides out and the inner tracta disengages
you are in REAL TROUBLE, more trouble than you have ever imagined), then the
drive shaft tube flange nuts removed and the suspension pins driven out. If
you haven't ever had the pins out you could spend a day with a sledge and
drift still not moving one and an hour or more taking the square drive brass
end plugs out. They have a subtle locking taper pin and are shouldered by a
1/32nd so only drive one way and you'd better know which way. Top and
bottom go in different directions. We dread taking out suspension pins not
previously removed and polished, the oxy/acetylene bottles may be needed to
warm things up and then you will loose the hub bush end cap O rings.

7. The drive shaft tube is collared and has to be carefully levered out any
undue force will overcome your inner housing clamp arrangement with dire
results.

8. Repeat twice more.

9. You now have something like 300lb of hub hanging on the hoist. For
centres and rears you will also have the lower wishbone pointing straight
down with the four huge shocks and bump stops pointing out at right angles.

10. Expect to spill at least a gallon of black 90EP.

>Will have to put a dolly
> > under the "truck" to roll in/roll out of the "box"
>
Pfffffft. Entirely minor, trifling, insignificant detail compared to the
above.

I have done this on a Stalwart, I know the sequence and the pitfalls, I'd
allow a week full time to do it myself with a specifically experienced
helper and almost twice that to re-assemble.

Errrrr, you do have a section drawing of the drive and suspension I suppose
?

Let me say again, IF you disengage an inner tracta because the housing
slides out of the bevel box mouth by more than 1/2", as it is intended to
do, you are in the deepest trouble you can imagine. Re engaging these in
the horizontal plane with the bevel box in the vehicle is a virtual
impossibility. You can't get two persons to it and its more than one can
handle. You can apparently push it all back but the tracta will be folded
up and wipe itself and the drive claws face to face. Would you like a digi
pic of one ?

>but this will reduce
> > shipping cost to US$1600 (1/2 of cost of 40' container shared with
> another
> > collector) rather than the US$4000 for deck cargo shipping. Also lets me
> > ship drums of lubricants, spares, tires and other "goodies" acquired at
> > Beltring show and will offer better security and weather protection. Any
> > comments / suggestions would be most welcomed.
>
Don't.

Shove all the goodies in the Saracen, it is only a huge steel box in itself.

>Also need
> > information/contacts for a shipper's yard near Beltring site which has a
> > truck bed height loading dock so that container could be loaded with
> "loot"
> > from Beltring without being lowered to the ground by crane. Many thanks,
>
I have no idea. Most vehicles go RO-RO from Felixtowe or Southampton.

Richard
Southampton - England



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