Sexton hull

[tranham]

Hello All

Armor collector from Tennessee. I'm in the midst of getting a Sexton hull in decent shape. No final drive, tracks, idlers, etc. Has barrel and sights, decking etc. I remember a museum in Canada that had a cut hull I think? Looking for all the missing bits but will also consider selling. No pics yet. Recovering at end of month. Came from SECO lot. They robbed stuff off this to sell elsewhere.

Robert

Tranham@hotmail.com

[jdmcm]

Hi Robert

I can help you out with suspension and drivetrain parts, differential, transmission etc.

Regards
John

[Robin Craig]

Robert,

Welcome to the forum, and congratulations on the project. I am sure many here will want to see your progress, no matter how small it is.

Once again, welcome in.

[Bob Phillips]

contact Frank vR at this forum for contact info for the Oshawa Technology Museum who have a badly cut/rusted sexton. might be a good buy/sell/trade opportunity for you
BP

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by tranham

I remember a museum in Canada that had a cut hull I think?

Shortly after we started this forum Geoff came up with a picture of a cut down Sexton hull which was in running condition. This must have been 15 or even 20 years ago so it may well have gone through the hands of several owners and could be the one at the Oshawa museum.

If you want I could forward your request to my Sherman Register mailing list and Facebook page.

HTH,
Hanno

[Jesse Browning]

There were two hulks at the Veterans Museum at Huntsville Alabama that some of us have gotten parts from. Ask for Randy Withrow.

[tranham]

Thanks for all the great info. Actual getting the sections from Randy. Went ahead and am getting both. Getting a good R975 as well.

[Jesse Browning]

Interestingly the hulls are numbered 2056 and 2057.

[Jesse Browning]

Amazing that I can remember that almost 10 years after the fact, but can't remember why I just walked into this room.

[Jesse Browning]

Robert. When you get the hills from Huntsville, can you please look in the radio compartments and see if the schematic plates are attached to the main junction box door. On earlier models there is a plate on the inside of the door, and another on the outside showing two different electrical schematics. An owner of an even later Sexton told me his plates were missing. I'm suspecting that the plates were omitted in later vehicles because they are absolutely useless; being impossible to read in the position they are in.

[tranham]

Will do. Plan is to move them Saturday

[tranham]

No plates I can see


Pics from the move here

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/7mcfozq6g...SZOyhHG8a?dl=0

[David Herbert]

Robert,
What you have there looks very good. I have worked on a number of Sextons but have never seen the plate showing which way CDP track should be fitted (though there is a similar drawing in the opperators instruction book. it is also quite rare for the vehicle data plate that should be on the horisontal plate to the right of the driver to still be there as they either get stolen or rust gets under them and the screws break. As you probably know the hull or shop number is stamped just above the cranking handle hole in the centre of the upper rear hull plate.

From quite early on in Sexton production they were fitted with a design of VVSS suspension bogies which were different to all other VVSS Sherman family vehicles. These had bogie castings with more pronounced vertical ribs on the outer face but also internal webs that greatly limit spring deflection. You can see the bigger ribs in the period photo that you have in your dropbox link. The reasion for these changes was to reduce the 'bucking' of the vehicle when the gun was fired with full charge. This wasn't such a problem with a gun tank as they are much heavier and also need to be driven more agressively if under fire. You will find that fitting normal M4 bogies will give a much better ride so I wouldn't stress too much if you can't find Sexton ones !

If you get into rebuilding bogies you will find that the 1 inch fine threads are 14 tpi not the 12 tpi that became the standard post war, also the same thread on the eight studs that hold the sprocket hub onto the drive shaft. Those have tapered split collets between the hub and the stud that can be buggers to get free. I weld short pieces of 1" bore tube to them and use a slide hammer to pull them out - works every time and the collet can usualy be cleaned up and re-used.

Good luck,
David

[Jesse Browning]

Thanks for looking.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Shortly after we started this forum Geoff came up with a picture of a cut down Sexton hull which was in running condition. This must have been 15 or even 20 years ago so it may well have gone through the hands of several owners and could be the one at the Oshawa museum.

Peter Samsonov posted a few pictures of this cut-down Sexton hull at the Ontario Regiment Museum. I think this is a very good candidate to be restored as a Sexton GPO?

[David Herbert]

The only Sexton GPO that I have seen was an extremely early Sexton without the boxes on the rear corners and with a Ram derived instrument panel and steering levers. I am not certain that they were converted from later Sextons but have no evidence either way.

The one I have seen still had the massive welded beam structure that the gun is mounted into but with the swivel hole plated over. If I was building up the one above into a GPO I would not replace the beam as it makes the driving position very cramped and is generally a pain ! There is nothing to say that they didn't get cut out in service unofficially - I know of one officer who got into trouble for cutting a door in the side of his GPO Sexton. He also had a sofa in it.

David

[Jordan Baker]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Peter Samsonov posted a few pictures of this cut-down Sexton hull at the Ontario Regiment Museum. I think this is a very good candidate to be restored as a Sexton GPO?

And to think, that museum had a fantastic chance to acquire a beautifully restored and running Sexton a few years ago but turned it down and pursued poorly researched and made up German stuff.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by David Herbert

The only Sexton GPO that I have seen was an extremely early Sexton without the boxes on the rear corners and with a Ram derived instrument panel and steering levers. I am not certain that they were converted from later Sextons but have no evidence either way.

Hello David, I take it that was the Sexton GPO which once resided at Pounds Yard (now in the Cadman collection)?



Other survivors show they were also converted from Sexton IIs:

Originally Posted by David Herbert

The one I have seen still had the massive welded beam structure that the gun is mounted into but with the swivel hole plated over. If I was building up the one above into a GPO I would not replace the beam as it makes the driving position very cramped and is generally a pain ! There is nothing to say that they didn't get cut out in service unofficially - I know of one officer who got into trouble for cutting a door in the side of his GPO Sexton. He also had a sofa in it.

Great to read about the veteran cutting a door in the side of his GPO Sexton and fitting a sofa. It shows that there is some leeway (artistic license) to restore such a vehicle!

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Jordan Baker

And to think, that museum had a fantastic chance to acquire a beautifully restored and running Sexton a few years ago but turned it down and pursued poorly researched and made up German stuff.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder....

(Wasn't there a law suit re. the provenance/ orginality of some of the vehicles bought? Anyway let's not open a can of worms.)

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by tranham

Hello All

Armor collector from Tennessee. I'm in the midst of getting a Sexton hull in decent shape. No final drive, tracks, idlers, etc. Has barrel and sights, decking etc. I remember a museum in Canada that had a cut hull I think? Looking for all the missing bits but will also consider selling. No pics yet. Recovering at end of month. Came from SECO lot. They robbed stuff off this to sell elsewhere.

Robert

Speaking of Sextons - Robert are you still here and if so, how is your Sexton project going?

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

I think this is a very good candidate to be restored as a Sexton GPO?

When I shared this on the Sherman Register FB page, Stuart Wright in the UK replied "I've got the complete front of a Sexton which could be used to restore it".
So there you are: the lower hull is there, the front is there, just add a couple of slab sides (it has been done before) - and hey presto: a GPO!

Roy Aalderson's Sexton GPO under restoration:


Sexton GPO (Gun Position Officer) “DARLING” of D Troop, 36th Battery, Canadian 23rd Field Regiment on parade in the Netherlands at the end of the war in 1945. It looks like this GPO was converted from a Sexton Mk.I (note the 3-piece final drive asssembly and M4 bogie and regular VVSS track).

[Alex van de Wetering]

Here are two GPO's during the Liberation of Goor, NL 1945

source: https://mijnstadmijndorp.nl/app/zoek...ry/?nav_id=1-1

[maple_leaf_eh]

Robert, suggest you send feelers into the coastal BC/Washington/Oregon logging salvage industry for Canadian style running gear and tracks.

JDMC (sp?) on MLU has mentioned finding parts and pieces for some of his projects in that sector.

[Tony Smith]

Originally Posted by maple_leaf_eh

Robert, suggest you send feelers into the coastal BC/Washington/Oregon logging salvage industry for Canadian style running gear and tracks.

More on that story HERE

Elsewhere, it has been reported that the Morgan Power company has gone bankrupt and in receivership, but there are many second hand machinery dealers still dealing in this equipment.

[Andrew Rowe]

Ian Hughes from Hughes Movie Supplies in the UK has heaps of wheel suspension stations, final drives and hubs, etc for these that would probably suit, available, cheers Andrew.

[Grant Bowker]

Morgan Power Apparatus still seem to have a live website https://www.morpac.com/crawlers.shtml and are shown at the same address as on the parts manual Terry showed.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by tranham

Thanks for all the great info. Actual getting the sections from Randy. Went ahead and am getting both. Getting a good R975 as well.

Robert has put his Sexton project up for sale:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/3608...07489649420544

I’ve got 2 1945 consecutively serial numbered Sexton projects. I have everything to build a dummy and the vast majority to get a runner started. 4 sets of tracks. All the bogies assemblies for both. R975 engine complete. Empty housing and complete differentials. Drive shafts. Tons of parts.

Located in Tennessee. $55,000