00 FD 96 John's Main Contender

[John Clarke]

Thanks for sorting that out Stephen... .
Had another read though Stephen, got to get it straight before we go to the printers.
Engine oil: OMD110 or OMD80
Gearbox oil: OEP220
Bearing grease: XG279 maybe, for the trainee's.

How about this?..... Tools

According to my user handbook Tank, Combat 120-mm Gun. Chieftain, there was a huge amount of tools stored in those funny shaped deck boxes.
I thought it might be interesting to have a few tools of interest in the boxes.

It's easy to see why the boxes were padlocked, you wouldn't want anyone swagging them tools.

Where they just chucked in a bag or carefully laid out?

I've started collecting miniature metal tools, grips, screw drivers, a big 63 mm adjustable etc, you can even pickup some on key rings, some even workish

[Stephen White]

Great stuff, John. I'd forget OMD-80 unless you're going for a late Chieftain, 110 was more common. Drivers were issued with small canvas tool bags for the smaller stuff, spanners etc, (of course known in the Army as Bags, Tool, No 1). The bigger bits of kit such as the gun cleaning rods were loose in the bins. We always cleaned the front left triangle bin and painted the interior white. That became our larder for Compo and fresh rations. It held the vital curry powder, sauces and treats. The long triangle bin usually had the cooker.

[Mark Heaps]

I may be wrong as it is a fair few years ago, but I seem to remember that OMD-80 replaced OMD-75 and OEP-220 replaced OMD-110.
Logical that the crews would carry only the better "gearbox" oil if they could get hold of it. Topping up the engine with gear-box oil in an emergency situation would not be a problem, topping up the gear-box with engine oil could cause problems later on.
If any-one has copies of driver manuals for the different Marks, that could clarify what lubes SHOULD have been carried. Crews & troops of tanks would have carried what their tanks needed and used and so the combination between troops would have differed even if a specific load had been mandated. During any repair job, before we used any can off of a tank that was not factory-sealed, we always asked the crew to confirm that the contents were as it said on the outside and they had not filled it with something else, or we turned a blind-eye and took a well-earned coffee break whilst they poured the oils in.
I also seem to remember that the grease XG-279 had one major intended use, lubricating the muff-couplings ( retractractable couplings between output shafts of the Gearbox and the final drives on the hull ) but sundry other uses, general lubrication of hinges, masking areas not to be painted over and as already mentioned, the "panda eyes" for new young officers.

Mark

[Stephen White]

OMD = Oil, Mineral, Detergent. The sequence of OMD oils was 75, replaced by 110, then 80 and finally 90. It would not be appropriate to replace an OEP (Oil, Extreme Pressure) with an OMD. OEP 220 remained in service throughout Chieftain's career and is still available.

The Mk 1-3 and 5 User Handbooks both have capacity charts:

220 and 110 both appear, under their appropriate use.

The User Handbooks are silent on what POL should be carried. I do not recall any of the relevant RAC pamphlets specifying standard POL loads and no oils are mentioned on the Chieftain stowage diagrammes. It was left to regiments to decide whether to issue a Standard Operating Procedure for carriage of POL. In Fourth Tanks, we had an SOP as I stated.

[Stephen White]

John, here's the research I've done on your tank as promised:

Chieftain Mk 10 00FD96

VEHICLE HISTORY

• Built at ROF Leeds under contract FVP/44/67 between Mar-Jul 82, the first batch of 46 Mk 5, Serial range 00FD54-00FD99.
• In service as 00FD96: 01 Jun 72
• Vehicle Depot Ludgershall 10 Feb 89
• ABRO Bovington Planned Repair 02 Aug 89 (Probably fitting STILLBREW)
• JSCS Ashchurch 09 May 90
• TOC Royal Hussars 19 Jul 90
• TOC 17th/21st Lancers 26 Nov 90
• Future Op Deployments Scots DG 24 Jun 93 (UNPROFOR Bosnia?
• HQ CTG BG 23 Mar 94
• Vehicle Depot Ludgershall 06 Mar 95
• Disposal Vickers Defence Ltd 15 Nov 95

• Date not recorded – BATUS CSS BG

BUILD STANDARD

As Built: Mk 5
• Equip code: 0300-2050.
• Power Pack: L60 Mk 7A 720hp
• GU Engine: Mk 10A
• Uprated Gearbox TN12
• Hydraulic Starting System Mk 5
• Low Loss Exhaust
• Improved Main Armament L11A5
• Sighting and Stowage for APFSDS (fin) ammunition
• New Thermal Sleeve and Fume Extractor
• Commander’s Cupola No 15, Mk3
• Parking Brake 12:1 ratio
• Headlight/IR Light System Twin Units
• TLS Mounting and Sight
• Muzzle Reference System
• Extended Range Graticule Gunners Sight
• Main Engine Air Cleaner Low Loss
• NBC System No 6 Mk 2
• turret/hull breathing, ME cut-out switch, electrical improvements, Comd’s firing handle, new gunner’s elevation handwheel, anchor block for HESH extraction tool. TLS mounting

TOTEM POLE “Y” Modifications
Modification of sight mounts from No 34 to No 39 to provide TLS, plus turret air breathing and low loss air cleaner. Additional work to prepare for “Z” Programme:

• To Mk 5/S(Y)L “L Kit”:On completion of L kit fitting for TLS “C” or No 1 Mk1
• To Mk 5/S(Y)1 Fire Control Phase 1: On completion of TLS No 1 Mk2 or No 3 Mk1 vehicle changes and MRS preparatory modifications
• To Mk 5/S(Y)2 Fire Control Phase 1: On completion of TLS No 1 Mk 2 or No 3 Mk 1 vehicle mods and MRS installation

TOTEM POLE “Z” Modifications
Additional work on “Z” TOTEM POLE and Mk 5 tanks to provide improved lethality (IFCS and Fin (APFSDS)).
• To Mk 5/L On completion of TOTEM POLE “Z” Programme and “L” kit fitting for TLS “C” or No 1 Mk1 (See above)
• To Mk 5/1 On completion of TOTEM POLE “Z” Programme and Fire Control Phase 1 (See above)
• To Mk 5/2 On completion of TOTEM POLE “Z” Programme and Fire Control Phase 1 (See above)
• To Mk 5/3 On completion of Fire Control Phase 2: TLS, MRS and IFCS installation plus limited cupola improvements
• To Mk 5/4 On completion of Improved KE Round Programme: sight graticule and ammunition stowage changes for APFSDS
Note: date of conversion from Larkspur to Clansman to be established. Tanks modified for Clansman were identifiable by the letter “C” after its mark number.

Mk 9 – Early 1980s
On completion of TOTEM POLE modifications, Power Pack upgrade to L60 Mk 13 SUNDANCE and IFCS/APFSDS to Mk 9

Mk 10 – 1982-84
On completion of STILLBREW armour upgrade and L60 Mk 13A modifications to Mk 10

[John Clarke]

Many thanks Stephen.

That will do nicely.

[John Clarke]

Gosh, everyone's tearing into the model, shouldn't we be thinking about Christmas shopping guys?

Only just started checking though the boxes, thought I'd get some help .

No..... that's not Phil at the back, It's Stuart.

[John Clarke]

Well everything checked out and I believe the parts are all present and correct.

Quality and packing of parts is very good, a few minor defects in the castings but their so thick they have no relevance. Nothing a smidge of liquid metal won't sort out.

I'll have a closer look at fit later.

So after sorting out a few things unconnected, I will begin...

[John Clarke]

Went to see an old girl sitting on a mound, in the middle of a field, in the middle of nowhere.

Warming herself in the autumn afternoon sun.

Checking out the wheels, the belly plate and the famous rear end.

Some wheels have holes and some don't.

Got a chance to do a Chieftain crawl

The famous rear end

Those jacking points are actually square, dont let the photo fool you and a lot smaller than expected.

The hubs need a lot more work, with a pair of jacking holes to boot.

A grand day out

[John Clarke]

With so many excellent builds in the offing it was difficult to know where to start.
It's very cold and the work bench is in the shed somewhere. Belly plate wrangling seems daunting
So I thought I'd start on page three.
The road wheels.
Having visited an old girl recently and took a few pictures, I wondered if I could do the cap hubs slightly differently to the kit. A challenge as everything would be done by hand with a spinning machine.
Then add to that, some detail with bits I haven't got and have to make.
I'm making M1.4 studs bolts for the hubs from spectacle screws and nuts (84) and bit of grinding, saves on the rivet counting (10BA screws were just too big).
The center lubrication nut/thingy from M3x10 button set screw. Grinding the head down flat but keeping just enough the hex socket to represent the original.

The hub inner thread trimmed so that the hub cap can sit flush. Once painted it should look about right.
Thirteen to go.

[Vince Cutajar]

That looks just right John.

Vince

[John Clarke]

Cheers Vince, though it might be the only one. Times like this wish I knew how to drive a CNC "thingy me bob"
I'm using the button head set screw as the guide, drilling and tapping the center M3 first.
The original hub is slightly sharper in profile.

But taking it easy, it's always harder add material than remove it.

[John Clarke]

With all the finesse of a wood worker (I've got a wood work O level), chiseling away, I've knocked out 14 hub caps.
I changed the cone angle slightly to 45' to keep the straight portion visually correct (to me).
Original pictures make it difficult, especially from different angles, every time I look at something I tend to see a different aspect.
Grinding the button heads by hand is tricky, too much and you loose the hex, too little it doesn't look right.
Painted them so I can see where to drill the jacking threads.
I suppose I've ruined my full money back in original packaging exuding P&P guarantee

[andymusgrove]

Nice work John but sadly you made 2 too many - no wonder it took you so long

Keep up the good work and witty comments make for easy reading and put a smile on my face

Andy

[John Clarke]

It should be a fun and congenial hobby, ever body should remember that ......or else

Sorry Andy, what about the hunks of beauty.

Can't wait for the days of graft getting those letters right