Buried Mk 1 Bren carrier restoration

[rob love]

Originally Posted by super dave

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

Yours is the one closest to the camera.

[super dave]

Thanks, What year were they recovered ?

[maple_leaf_eh]

Originally Posted by derk derin

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

You're a bachelor, right?

[derk derin]

George,
There is a difference between the Mk 1 and the Mk 2 plates.The Mk 1 plate is one plate bent into shape.I have looked at Gords Mk2 plate but not exactly sure of it's construction.I do remember there is an extra plate that attaches to cover the hole when not in use.Anybody out there with a Mk2 able to tell us the construction of their plate?
Derk.

[derk derin]

Terry,
You guessed right but Colin beat you to that assumption.It's probably better that way as I would have been divorced pulling off using a living room for a workshop but it was so nice and warm and I could sit on the couch and watch TV while I worked!

Dave,
The carriers in the picture were dug up in June of 1998.The first 2 were the year before and the 5th carrier was the year later.
The valve and tube you were asking about is to drain the block.The brass valves were on both sides and the tube had a little funnel underneath the valve which shaped into a Y and drained down to an opening in the bottom of the hull.Here is a picture of your carrier in it's grave,this is the No #4 carrier,you can see in the mud behind the No #4 carrier,the plate of the 5th carrier;


And this is the no #5 carrier;

Derk.

[Ron Pier]

The plate on my MK2 is of folded construction. The second picture shows the stowage of the seperate plate.

Ron

[Lynn Eades]

I think the stowed plate was to help facilitate the waterproofing when wading ashore.

[super dave]

Thanks Dirk, I was wondering on those valves as my block does not have them, Did all Carrier blocks have the drains there as I am assuming my block is a carrier block as it came with the tubes out of the back for the oil cooler and was overhauled in 1952 by the military by the data plate on the bell housing.

[derk derin]

Dave,
As you can see from the photos of the carriers,I was lucky enough to get the most complete carrier of the bunch with the engine still there.That gave me alot of items still on the carrier that the others did not as the engines were removed.The valves were on the original block in my carrier and the tube with the funnels are mounted by two straps bolted on with the oil pan bolts so it would be easy to mount this system to any engine,carrier or not.I don't know if there are tapped holes in all blocks to thread the drain valves into.I could try and look in the spring but here is a picture of where my carrier is right now.Picture taken Monday!


Derk.

[rob love]

Derk
That is quite the sandstorm you have going there. We get sandstorms over here in KAF as well, but they do not usually form drifts as high as that.

[super dave]

Thanks Dirk, I had a closer look at my block today and only the left side of the block has the hole and taped for the pipe thread but I think I can drill the right side and tap it for another valve. So do both the right and left valves tie into one line and would then drain through a hole in the bottom of the carrier?? I was also looking at my radiator as I seen a picture of a tool to drain the radiator but my rad does not seem to have a drain on it, do all the rads have a drain valve that you know of ?

[derk derin]

Dave,
I was looking in the carrier manual and it does not show drain valves on the rad,probably because there is no room at the bottom of the rad which is why they have the valves on the block to drain the coolant.The drain tubes are Y shaped that tie in both of the drain valves.I have heard of the tool to open and close the valves but it is to reach the valves on the block.I believe you come up from the access hole in the carrier with the tool to reach the tap.
Derk.

[Lynn Eades]

I think the tool is used from the side via the lower side covers. It is a "T" handled tool, with a slot cut in the other end to engage the tap (cock) levers. There is a picture on the carrier tools thread>
I have some drain tubes. They are separate and are a small funnel,(at a guess 40mm dia.) the spout of which, is a bit of copper tube. There is no "Y" that I am aware of. I believe they drain separately from the hull.

[super dave]

Thanks for the description as it make more sense now and I will make up some type of arrangement for the block drain valves.

Dave

[derk derin]

Hi Lynn,
I am going by memory back 6 years ago when it was all apart.What you are explaining sounds right to me.There were 2 separate tubes that joined together and then downward to the bottom of the hull.I can't be sure there is even a hole in the floor to drain through or if it was intended to leak out the oil pan drain hole.If it wasn't winter and -31c out I would look for myself but it will have to wait until spring! As far as the tool,I have only heard of it's existence and have not found one for my collection yet.Thanks for your input on the subject.
Regards,Derk.

[Lynn Eades]

Here's a picture of the tool and the drain pipes. The pipes are a bit beaten up, and the tag was printed for the Aust. pattern carriers, but used by the NZ army stores people for the English/ Canadian carrier parts they stocked.

[rob love]

Originally Posted by derk derin

Hi Lynn,
I am going by memory back 6 years ago when it was all apart.What you are explaining sounds right to me.There were 2 separate tubes that joined together and then downward to the bottom of the hull.I can't be sure there is even a hole in the floor to drain through or if it was intended to leak out the oil pan drain hole.If it wasn't winter and -31c out I would look for myself but it will have to wait until spring! As far as the tool,I have only heard of it's existence and have not found one for my collection yet.Thanks for your input on the subject.
Regards,Derk.

Derk
I have one of those tools, and they should be easy to replicate. We'll whip one out when I get home in the spring.

[super dave]

As they say a picture is worth a thousand words, Thanks for posting them. Does anyone have a picture of the block drain valve ?

Dave