Buried Mk 1 Bren carrier restoration

derk derin · #1 25-01-10, 04:00

I am transfering more photos to my computer and thought I would post my Bren gun carrier recovery and restoration.The carriers (5 in total) were lined up on a beach to stop the waves from eroding the shoreline and threatening a log home back in the early 1960's.They were then covered with dirt and eventually trees were planted and large rock to assist in stabilizing the shoreline.The carriers became redundant and stayed underground until the Prairie Command president and vice president at the time followed up on the rumours of there being carriers there.They can add more to the whole story but this is #3 carrier which I was able to keep and restore.
There was a reporter there to do a story for the Winnipeg Free Press newspaper;

There are 5 carriers buried underneath the shovel in the ground;

After digging out all the dirt in and around the carrier to lift it out,this is the #3 carrier of the excavation;

The #4 carrier had to be removed first to get to my carrier;

The loader could not lift the carriers out of the hole so he dragged them out one at a time;

Once the #4 carrier was removed, the #3 carrier came out.Notice the sand beach in the bottom of the hole.That is how deep the fill was;

You can see the weight involved by looking at the loader tires;

After a bit of a struggle,the carrier was removed;

After a hard days work,Prairie Command members Rob Love,Gord Falk and myself are ready to haul away our treasure;

Jordan Baker · #2 25-01-10, 04:33

Great pictures. I remember reading about this in the first Wheels and Tracks mag that I bought. I think too, that a few of the parts on my UC came from one of these carriers.

derk derin · #3 25-01-10, 05:02

One year after the recovery,I used 2 weeks of my holidays to go to Rob's house to start the restoration as I had stored it there until I bought my house.Rob was set up for restoring vehicles with torches and more importantly a place to do sandblasting.This is the start of it;

After sitting a year,poison ivy somehow started to grow in the carrier;

Rob pulled the carrier onto his lawn and started the stripping;

Rob was a big help as he was used to restoring carriers by now and I learned alot from him that week on the workings of the carrier dissassembly procedures which would later help me when it came time to put it back together;

After alot of hard work of stripping the parts out.We washed out the hull and prepared it for sandblasting;

I spent 5 days sandblasting the hull and I never knew how sand could work it's way into the crevaces of the body.I thought I was sealed up tight but sand will find a way in!

derk derin · #4 25-01-10, 05:03

With the hull sandblasted,Rob sprayed on a coat of primer for me so it would not rust on me until I got it home and into the barn where I could put a coat of paint on it;

I am all loaded up and ready for home;

With the carrier home and a coat of paint on the hull,Gord found me a parts carrier for the linkages and rear end to use for the restoration;

Now the fun begins.That pile of rusted parts may not look salvageable but most of them were restored and put back on the carrier;

One of the Prairie Command members gave me 2 gas tanks to use;

The tracks were a challenge because the carriers were placed on the sand and the bottom sections of the track seized solid.The top parts of the track were flexible and could be saved so I used the top section of my track and Gord gave me his track as he had a good set for his carrier and I used the top section of his tracks to make a working set.I broke the sections into 21 link pieces to sneak them into the sandblaster and cleaned them up.The stiff sections I threw into the wood stove in my livingroom and heated them up.It worked so well that when I removed it from the stove,I almost dropped it on the carpet.It sure brought back the flexibility but recommend it be done outside for anybody wanting to try it!

When it was too cold to work outside,the livingroom became the workshop;

derk derin · #5 25-01-10, 05:04

The kitchen worked great for working on the canvas seat cushions,etc;

I restored the linkages from the parts carrier and transfered them over;

The assembly of the running gear when it wasn't too cold out;

With all of the bogie wheels on,it became mobile again;

Once my tracks were reassembled,I jacked up the carrier on 2x6's and placed the tracks in front and started to roll the carrier back onto it's tracks;

derk derin · #6 25-01-10, 05:05

I went to alot of trouble to find an engine for my carrier and without any luck to find a runner (there is a story for another time!) again one of the Prairie Command members gave me an engine from his WWII generator trailer to use until I find a replacement for him.I am still running his engine in my carrier;

I wanted to have my carrier at the Winnipeg air show so took a week of holidays and finished off my carrier enough to drive it and show it off.The first day of my holidays I went 32 hours straight working on getting the engine and transmission installed.The paint on the decals were still wet when I hauled it to the site on the Friday night.I realized the star doesn't belong there where the numbers should go but that was a sleepless week and being in a rush,made some mistakes that were corrected later;

I can't thank the Prairie Command members enough for all there help and parts to complete this restoration for me.Especially Rob Love for letting me use his house,yard and equipment!A great bunch of guys!
Derk.

Jordan Baker · #7 25-01-10, 05:21

Great pictures Derek

One question so far. Whats the part with the red arrow pointing to it?

Lynn Eades · #8 25-01-10, 07:27

I am told that the capillary tube (surplus) for one of the gauges, gets wrapped around it.

colin jones · #9 25-01-10, 08:26

Hi Derk,
Well I'm impressed, but I have to say that I thought my wife was easy going. So that leaves two answers.
1/ You don't have a wife? OR!
2/ You don't have a wife.

Great job!
Colin.

RichardT10829 · #10 25-01-10, 13:06

UNBELIEVABLE !!! great thread matey your carrier looks fantastic, now to go into my back garden with the shovel and spade hahahahahah.

Richie

rob love · #11 25-01-10, 14:44

This thread sure brings back a lot of memories. I was real worried what my wife (now ex-wife) was going to say when we tore up the front lawn washing that hull out. She only laughed. She wasn't a big fan of mowing lawns either.

re that small circular bracket that Jordan was asking about: I have only seen that on early carriers, so Lynn's explanation would make sense that it was for the capillary tubes of the first type gauges. Notice another feature of the early carrier is the rubber on the back steps. These were later replaced with a bit of welded on deck tread.

derk derin · #12 25-01-10, 18:22

Rob,
I am glad to hear that I wasn't responsible for the wife trouble that day as I thought for sure she wouldn't be happy with that lawn ornament in the front yard!

Colin,
Your guess is right,I never found a woman that would put up with me!It's not that I didn't try,just that awkward question would always come up "so what do you like to do for fun?'' and I am not into lying so I would be honest and tell them I like to go target shooting and restore military vehicles and I would never hear from them again? I don't know why but there must be a woman out there that would find that interesting,RIGHT? Oh well,i'll keep trying.
Thanks for the feedback,Derk.

rob love · #13 25-01-10, 19:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by derk derin

Rob,
I am glad to hear that I wasn't responsible for the wife trouble that day as I thought for sure she wouldn't be happy with that lawn ornament in the front yard!

Colin,
Your guess is right,I never found a woman that would put up with me!It's not that I didn't try,just that awkward question would always come up "so what do you like to do for fun?'' and I am not into lying so I would be honest and tell them I like to go target shooting and restore military vehicles and I would never hear from them again? I don't know why but there must be a woman out there that would find that interesting,RIGHT? Oh well,i'll keep trying.
Thanks for the feedback,Derk.

Derk
Some truths should wait for the second or third date.

Douglas Greville · #14 26-01-10, 00:54

Derek

What is the strange extension thing to
the front of the generator I have not
seen one before?

Regards
Doug
www.owningtanks.com

Alex Blair (RIP) · #15 26-01-10, 01:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Douglas Greville

Derek

What is the strange extension thing to
the front of the generator I have not
seen one before?

Regards
Doug
www.owningtanks.com

Doug
I may be wrong but it looks like a compressor..The apparatus closest to us looks like a clutch,similar to a clutch on an air conditioning compressor..
I guess we will find out..

Kirk Armitage · #16 26-01-10, 02:34

Great pics of your carrier Derk, nice work, I just about melted my phone line to look at them but, it was worth it !
Kirk Armitage

Douglas Greville · #17 26-01-10, 02:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex Blair

Doug
I may be wrong but it looks like a compressor..The apparatus closest to us looks like a clutch,similar to a clutch on an air conditioning compressor..
I guess we will find out..

Alex

Thanks for that. Being that it came off a gen set it could well have
"ad ons". I would have thought it rather small for a compressor back in
that era?

Regards
Doug

super dave · #18 26-01-10, 03:17

Great thread Dirk, I remember when I first seen your carrier in 2005 coming back from the Duluth Convention to pick up a few spare parts for my M37. I did not think I would ever get a carrier at that time but I guess a person never knows what lies ahead. Now that I have finished my latest project I am putting all my effort into getting my carrier done this year (one of the buried carriers you guys dug up) as a local member picked up one last fall and together we hope to get ours going this year.

Jordan Baker · #19 26-01-10, 04:55

The extension to the front of the generator is simply that, an extension. All carriers had them. It was supposed to take the wieght of the fan and help save the bushings/bearings in the generator.

Lynn Eades · #20 26-01-10, 07:16

Just to add to Jordans comments;The fan extention fully carrys the fan. The extention has two bearings and its own axle like shaft. It is driven by dogs, and a fibre coupling much like an old injector pump.The pulley is part of the fan extention assembly, and therefore the generator bearings carry no side loading, other than the weight of the armature.
There are not many English or Canadian carriers in Australia,and Aust. carriers use a different set up.

Douglas Greville · #21 26-01-10, 08:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lynn Eades

Just to add to Jordans comments;The fan extention fully carrys the fan. The extention has two bearings and its own axle like shaft. It is driven by dogs, and a fibre coupling much like an old injector pump.The pulley is part of the fan extention assembly, and therefore the generator bearings carry no side loading, other than the weight of the armature.
There are not many English or Canadian carriers in Australia,and Aust. carriers use a different set up.

Lynn

Thanks for that, I have not had anything to do with British or Canadian carriers, so have not seen one of these.

Regards
Doug

Alex Blair (RIP) · #22 26-01-10, 12:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Douglas Greville

Lynn

Thanks for that, I have not had anything to do with British or Canadian carriers, so have not seen one of these.

Regards
Doug

Yes..I see it all clearly now..
The original one shows the bearing housing with what appears to be an oil cup for an oil bath style pillow block and bearing assembly..Lynns shows a grease fitting is in the same location to grease said bearings ..either is possible..
Good photos go a long way to identify..Thanks Jordan..Lynn and Doug..Interesting arrangement..
Easy to service..

rob love · #23 26-01-10, 13:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by super dave

Great thread Dirk, I remember when I first seen your carrier in 2005 coming back from the Duluth Convention to pick up a few spare parts for my M37. I did not think I would ever get a carrier at that time but I guess a person never knows what lies ahead. Now that I have finished my latest project I am putting all my effort into getting my carrier done this year (one of the buried carriers you guys dug up) as a local member picked up one last fall and together we hope to get ours going this year.

Dave
Your carrier is the other one shown in the photos above.

super dave · #24 26-01-10, 17:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by rob love

Dave
Your carrier is the other one shown in the photos above.

Hey Rob in picture #4 with Dirk standing by the 2 carriers, which of the two is the one I own now. What year did this event take place?

Dave

super dave · #25 26-01-10, 18:13

The picture of the engine, what is the item behind and under the right water pump as it looks like some type of brass valve and tube arrangement.

Ron Pier · #26 26-01-10, 18:25

My engine has something similar. Isn't it the block drain tap. Ron

George McKenzie · #27 26-01-10, 18:46

Hi Derk We traded headlights MK2 for MK1s .Are they in one of these pictures? I can witch with rods ,willow sticks and metal bars I could have helped you find these with them . The rumors here were, that the army buried them to get rid of them by an air port .They look skookum now I paid $100 for one of mine when evrybody thought Iwas crazy .Now I see prices that I think are crazy .I wonder what is driving this hobby is it the wars in the world or a new generation of collectors?

derk derin · #28 26-01-10, 19:58

Hi George,
I haven't forgot about your request for measurements on the headlight mount rod dimensions,I just haven't made it out to Gords place yet to look at my junkpile I have there.I am sure I have an old rusted rod that was broken from the bottom of the plate I can send you for a copy.The headlights we traded for are the ones shown on my restored pictures of my carrier.Prices are what they are,and if we need them bad enough we pay the price.At least just buying them is easy,if we cant find the piece,it has to be made.Just look at the hard work and trouble (and cost involved) to reproduce a part when one can't be bought.The guys on this site have the talent to build a brand new carrier from scratch! I will let you know when I have the piece you are looking for.
Regards,Derk.

Lynn Eades · #29 26-01-10, 20:52

The one in the pic I put up should have the flat brass tecalamite fitting, for grease.

George McKenzie · #30 26-01-10, 23:01

Thanks Derk I notice it looks like the plate that swings up where the brengun sticks out is bent and not welded .Mine, the center piece is welded to the two side pieces .Now I am talking about my MK2 was the MK1 different ?