T16 restoration starts in earnest

[andrew honychurch]

Well onwards and upwards. Picked up the Tracks from the blasters today, and pretty pleased with them, although some of the pins look like they have seen their best days. Do these pins break? I mean of course they break, but do they break readily? Not too sure I am ready to break a track driving around the country roads of Kent. Also need a lot of washers, as most of mine , where fitted seem to have disintegrated from the blasting. Are they special in any way, I doubt it.



Found the ideal tool for handling the tracks, in fact I took them for a little work out on the field to try and free them up a bit more. Mostly they are free but one or two sections are stuck and will no doubt make it tricky to fit the tracks.



anyway, the tracks are in place ready to be fitted when I finally get the front idler wheels on. I just need to put the bearings back in and get them on. I did want to pull the T16 off the concrete barn where it is, but as the engine is still not finished if I pulled her off I may not get her back up the brick wall and thats the place I want it to stay. So I will labour on with fitting the tracks where she lies.

Got all the control levers back in and fitted the plate, just making up new control rods and finishing a few little brackets that need welding in to locate return springs etc.

As for the engine, I started to build it up yesterday but ran into trouble with the rope seals for the rear main bearing. It was a complete nightmare to cut as it came over length and then frayed badly. I have sent off for some more and also decided to invest in a new rubber seal for the front of the crankshaft/pulley. Tell me that was a good idea guys?



real shame about the corrosion in the sponson sides, but I guess its 65 years old and spend a long time on its side in a scrapyard, so its to be expected. I decided against filling it as I felt sure it would look false and crack out in due course. But hey, when the seats in and if I could get some orginal blanking plates that fit over most of this corrosion it wont look to bad.

[D Ellery]

Keep the pics coming please. Its quite good to see the pitted rust look,tells the story of age and restoration. 60 plus year old MV's with smooth panels and shiny paint jobs, although fantastic restorations in their own right just don't seem to have that, done the hard yards I survived look. Anyway keep up the good work, enjoy your posts.

[andrew honychurch]

thanks, I am glad someone is reading it, and finding it interesting. There is no rocket science here, you all do it, but its fun loading up the photos and keeping the story going. If I can escape from some chores at home, I may try to get those tracks on. We will see.

I noted, bearing in mind the tracks were very rusted and seized before, that there is a lot of lateral movement now they have been blasted. I was discussing this with my Dad last night and we concluded that there should be a steering element to the tracks, other wise they would lurch around corners. Anyway, hope I am right , otherwise they are quite worn on the pins and link!

[eddy8men]

hi andrew
we're all following your thread with interest and you seem to be cracking on at a blistering pace, at this rate you'll be driving her soon
if you're worried about the tracks then you could remove a link and inspect the pin for wear, a normal used pin would have a stepped wear pattern of maybe 10 thou or so but this is just my guestimation. another method which is actually the official way of track wear testing is to count the links, i don't know how many links a new t16 track has but there will be a figure of so 10 or so less when the track is deemed to be worn out. you'll have to get one of the other t16 guys to give you the correct figures but you can only use that method if the tracks are original and haven't been swapped around with different sections from other vehicles (my tracks are made up from all sorts so the pin is my only guide to track wear)

all the best

rick

[andrew honychurch]

thanks for the advice on the track pin wear. I think they are pretty good to be honest. This T16 was part of a batch that apparently had done very little work, and I think the tracks reflect this. Anyway, got one of the tracks on today, pretty easy with the correct tool. Used the Pin punch to line up the holes and punched it back out with the track pin. Apart from it occurring to me that this is probably a two man job, I seem to have managed ok, except for a crooked neck. I am definitely getting too old for all this!

[Alex Blair (RIP)]

That is the finest kind of job you are doing on the carrier..The wee lassie will be able to use what you are teaching her for the rest of her life..
My two daughters did and still do do some of the maintenance on their own vehicles ..When they were in their last year of university I bought them each a used car..a Toyota and a Honda Civic..
They would do their own oil changes and my youngest daughter wanted to do EVERYTHING herself,DAD!!!
On her little '83 Honda Civic I wanted to repack the rear wheel bearings ..she wanted to help..we did the first side together and she let the jack down..jacked up the other side and did a fine job of repacking the bearing and putting it all back together..
by herself..thank you..
She is still like that today..
Last year I gave her a new cordless drill and a whack of attachments and this summer I went through my tool boxes and took her down a bunch of new tools that I have no long a use for(Retired Refrigeration mechanic/gas fitter)and my 4 year old grandson immediately latched on to the telescoping mechanics mirror I brought down..
It is his favourite toy..
So you can never start them too young..Keep up the great work dad...

[D Ellery]

Man that looks good with the tracks back on! well worth blasting the track prior to fitting.