Centurion tracks binding

[Malcolm Towrie]

We are working on restoring a Canadian Centurion. I rebuilt the clutch. It's in ok condition but not great. We have a rebuilt Mk 4B engine to go in. One concern I have is the tank had not been moved for years, possibly decades. While it was being towed recently, I could see the track links were binding both sides. To avoid abusing the clutch when we first start moving it, I would like to free up the track a bit. I was thinking of spraying penetrant on all the track pins and towing the tank up and down the road a few times with the wrecker. Is this reasonable? Anyone tried this?

I noticed that the track is not resting on some of the idler wheels, so they can be turned by hand. I'd like to free up the track enough that it is resting on all the idlers.

Malcolm