Sexton 1900 restoration

[Jesse Browning]

Here are some pictures of the Sexton I brought home in June 2009. Jesse. ***NOTE***On 8-5-17 I re-added all the pictures that were lost when the picture host changed their policy. There are actually more pictures now, but some may not match exactly the subject of the individual post.

[maple_leaf_eh]

Originally Posted by Jesse Browning

Here are some pictures of the Sexton I brought home in June 2009. Jesse.

What is this complicated piece of early-WWII machining?

Nice looking piece of hardware. Sometime you will have to make the pilgrimage to eastend Montreal to visit where it was built.

[Bob Carriere]

I mean WOW

You obviously have tremendous ambition, motivation, time, money, location, talent, a lot of friends not in the picture, no neighbours close by......good looks to be determined.... but with that machine and the way you are going about it.... who cares about looks.

Quite the project.... sure makes a little C15a punny after seeing your baby!!

Please feel free to blow our minds away with more pictures and accounts of your progress.

Boob

[cantankrs]

Originally Posted by maple_leaf_eh

What is this complicated piece of early-WWII machining?

Hi Terry,

That'd be the R975 radial motor's blower/accessory casing - the back end of the radial engine. The blower impellor is mainly there to mix and feed the mixture from the carby to each inlet port up on the heads.

Fantastic work Jesse!

Did you press your bogies apart and reassemble?

That the cylinders fit into a plastic bucket each is neat.

Regards

Alex

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Jesse,

Great work, thanks for bringing this Sexton back to life and sharing the pictures with us.

Regards,
Hanno

[Jesse Browning]

Alex; The carrier arm gudgeons had to be pressed out. Most took 40-50 tons. Some on the right side (must have been in the shade) took more than 75. A somewhat different project than the half track and scout cars I have done. I didn't have to up-tool as much as I had thought. The biggest thing was getting familiar with the parts. Read, read, read. Very few automotive parts here. It should be on the road in May. Jesse.

[ron]

Hi jesse,
In a word Fantastic, I am dumb struck,
Please keep the pics coming,
I am in awe of your ability.
Regards Ron

[Perry Kitson]

Hello Jesse,

These pictures bring back fond nightmares. I have been poking away at my Sexton (shop # 2115) for 6 years, you have made remarkable progress! I have a few pictures posted on this forum, probably several pages back, as it has been a while since updating the thread. Looks like all the machines from Georgia have suffered the same. Thanks for posting the photos.

Perry

[Jesse Browning]

A new bottom for a 50 gallon tank.

This came from the first step in the washing process for all the drive train bearings, and internal engine Parts.

[maple_leaf_eh]

I would recommend our Sexton owners invest in the slim publication "The Sexton in Canadian Service" by Doug Knight (servicepub.com) and "Making Tracks, Tank Production in Canada" by Clive Law (author, editor, publisher, financier and gadfly owner of servicepub.com).

There is a sentence on the last page that reports 21 Sextons were offered to NATO and they ended up serving in Portugal until 1976. Was this a number the collective wisdom was looking for a while ago?

[Jesse Browning]

Terry; I have a picture of "part" of the lot of Sextons from Portugal at SECO. There are 24 in that partial picture. There must have been more. Jesse.

[Perry Kitson]

Gentlemen
If memory serves me, when I was dealing with a Byron Morris at SECO purchasing my Sexton, he told me they had brought back 40 Sextons in either '80 or '81. At that time, he said they were able to get a number of them running without much difficulty.

Perry

[Jesse Browning]

The pictures I have, taken in 1983 show a lot full of nice looking Sextons. A far cry from what I got. Mine left their lot about 4 years ago. Most of the damage to mine was caused by sitting in their yard for 20+ years. That, and being pushed around by an obviously huge fork truck. Jesse.

[Jesse Browning]

Wishing for a warmer day.
Engine stand completed.

[MrBNaylor]

Hi Jesse,

Great to see someone wanting to restore a Sexton S.P. It' s been a dream of mine one day but by then who knows if i could even get my hands on one. My grandfather and his brother both served in the 23rd Field Regiment..4th Canadian Armoured Division ..Royal Canadian artillery during WW2. My self and some of the veterans of the 23rd who visited the Museum in Ottawa expressed our wishes for them to put the markings of the 23rd Field Regiment on the Sexton they have there and do a little write up about the 23rd. No can do they said, sad because it's a Canadian made tank from Montreal and Canadians used the tank along with the British as well. I would love to more about your project and this place where you can get sexton. I'm working on a 20 minute Documentary at the moment about the 23rd and will be posting it on YouTube at some point in the future. I know the full history of the Regiment !

[MrBNaylor]

Jesse,

Also...are you planning on getting this in running? If so i would love to visit and perhaps my Grandfather and great uncle as well. The book that Terry Warner has suggested is a great book " The sextons in Canadian service" by Doug Knight. I'll look for the contact email for you if your interested in getting one. One of the vets from the 23rd has a few more copies. also here is a link to my YouTube Channel.
I'll have some great footage of the Sextons in Action during the Normandy battle. Hopefully ready in the next month or two.

http://www.youtube.com/MrBNaylor

Cheers,

Bryan
Hamilton Ontario
Canada

[Jesse Browning]

Bryon; Great pictures. I'm always looking for more pictures and information about the Sexton. I do have the book "The Sexton in Canadian Service" . I wish there were more information available. I have no idea where mine was. This one should be running in march, and driving the following month. Jesse.

[maple_leaf_eh]

Originally Posted by Jesse Browning

Bryon; Great pictures. I'm always looking for more pictures and information about the Sexton. I do have the book "The Sexton in Canadian Service" . I wish there were more information available. I have no idea where mine was. This one should be running in march, and driving the following month. Jesse.

Servicepub is a small publisher. Without giving away the game or slagging the man for his efforts, Clive doesn't pay his authors huge advances and 'Villa in the South of France'-sized remitances. I'll bet the author has more information and files than got into print. Contact him through Clive.

[Jesse Browning]

Engine going back together. I need some more accurate information on installation of the impeller and the clearances involved.

[maple_leaf_eh]

Originally Posted by Jesse Browning

Engine going back together. I need some exact information on the impeller shaft oil slinger position before attatching all the sections. Jesse.

....

How about talking to the flyboys in the Confederate Air Force? The Sexton engine is derived from an aircraft engine. It makes sense to me that those guys rebuild enough warbird engines to have passed along the answers to your questions like folklore.

[marco]

Jesse,

Is this what you mean with the "impeller shaft oil slinger"?

Marco

[Rick W]

Great work going on there, Im very impressed! Keep it up.

[Jesse Browning]

The oil slinger is a modification, that predates the manual TM 9-1725, but is not covered in the manual. The directions in the mod order are not as clear as I would like, and my slinger is definately out of specs. It's not something I'm going to throw together untill I'm sure. Thats a good idea about contacting the CAF. Jesse.

[2nd AIF]

wow great job, thanks for posting

[Jesse Browning]

Awaiting cylinders.

[servicepub (RIP)]

Originally Posted by maple_leaf_eh

Servicepub is a small publisher. Without giving away the game or slagging the man for his efforts, Clive doesn't pay his authors huge advances and 'Villa in the South of France'-sized remitances. I'll bet the author has more information and files than got into print. Contact him through Clive.

I don't think that Doug has too many more photos but he checks into MLU regularly and can reply to that. I, on the other hand, have a number of Sexton photos that did not make it into the book and these will find their way onto http://www.ramtank.ca/sexton.htm in the near future. More photos here http://www.ramtank.ca/sexton_photos.htm

Clive
Somewhere in the South of France living off the profits of publishing Canadian military books.

[Jesse Browning]

Clive; Great pictures there. Thanks, Jesse.

[Jesse Browning]

BTW; Those of you working on the R975 C-4. The information in the manual concerning cutting lengths for the ignition wires may be incorrect for your engine. The ignition harness main conduit described in the manual has a smaller radius than the one on my engine. The cutting lengths listed in the manual are to short for it. Jesse.

[servicepub (RIP)]

Jesse,
I would gladly accept any photo donations for use on my website.

Clive

[Jesse Browning]

Weve been working on the vehicle itself for the last two weeks. Inside is finally clean, and mostly painted. Installed the gun today in the rain. Waiting for Some cylinders to be chromed, and some rings. Jesse.