redarmylivinghistory

2nd Guards Rifle Division

Sounds a difficult task comrade and not so simple to get to or repair which is not like other Soviet technology which is uaually designed simple for easy maintenance but what the hell do I know about tanks!
Good luck comrade and thanks.

Guards Kapitan Roman Rodinovich Neman
2nd Guards Unit Commander

Success !!!!
I have now managed to remove the left hand head, and after carefull inspection I have discovered that;
The oil leak that she had was due to the head being lose and the oil passing down beside one of the main head bolts and out of the drain hole, at the base of that bolt.

If I had of known then, what I know now, I could have checked the head bolts and prevented the sarger that will forever be, Fort Nelson 2008.

As the head bolts have worked them selves lose, the head has risen enough to blow out the side. It looks like with a bit of carfull cleaning, no damage has been caused to the head or the block.

The Head gasket.
Having removed and inspected the gasket, it appears to be made out of 4mm thick aluminium. With lots of holes for oil and water ways.
There is a small crack that runs from the edge of one of the water ways to the outside. It does not go all the way to the bore hole and there is a specail rubber and copper insert that goes in each water hole to seal them.
As the T34 was not using or losing water from the head, I may be able to repair the gasket with some solder and clarfully refit her.
Or I may just purchase a spare engine from a friend and fit one of the gaskets from that engine.
Either way SHE WILL BE REPAIRED AND RUNNING ASAP.


Having removed 6 of the injectors I am wondering how she ever ran. In all my years in engineering I dont think I have ever seen such a cloged up, dirty set of injectors.

In light of the lose head bolts and dirty injectors, I will now be tilting the right hand radiator so I can remove the right hand rocker cover and check the head bolts on the right hand block.
I dont want to have to go through any of this again in a hurry.
With the rocker cover off I should be able to remove the other 6 injectors and then send all 12 injectors to be cleaned and reset before refitting them.

After yesterdays examination and hopefull prognosis, I will continue my work and reports back to you all. And we should soon be able to practise the tank riding.

Ray: I have emailed Gary at Military Odyssey with the price for transportation.

Keep Living the Dream !!!

Well done! Glad it's nice and simple, and not the nightmare it could have been

2nd Guards Rifle Division

Well done comrade sounds a mess that your sorting out. keep us updated and good luck!

Guards Kapitan Roman Rodinovich Neman
2nd Guards Unit Commander

congratulations!It looks like it will soon be fash-wasting o'clock

Switching to plan B !

I have purchased a compleate spare engine from a friend, and would you belive it. They had the same problem on there engine before they removed it from the American tank it was in to fit the proper petrol engine.
They had a new head gasket made for there engine just before removing the whole engine and placing it at the back of a shed.
So it looks like im getting a brand new gasket and a hell of a lot of spare parts for less then i could weigh the lump in as scrap !

Im picking the spare engine up in a couple of hours, then ill start stripping the head off it, to get to this new gasket.

On the T34, I have tillted the right hand rad and removed the right hand rocker cover and everything on that side looks OK.

I will be removing the right hand injectors and have them serviced whilst ive come this far.

Next time i right i should be telling you what i have put back on.

Keep Living the Dream !!!

2nd Guards Rifle Division

Well done comrade tankman. Have spoken to Gary Howard who tells me that the T34 will be at Military Odyssey. So there you have it comrade tankman Military Odyssey is ready for you!

Guards Kapitan Roman Rodinovich Neman
2nd Guards Unit Commander

GOOD NEWS

After some carefull cleaning I can report there is NO damage to the head or the block.

Unfortunatly the spare engine I got from a friend had a new gasket made out of moden matarial that did not stand up to being removed.
But luckerly as the engine is a V12, I have removed the spare right hand gasket and can report that once cleaned was in perfect condition.

Yesterday (dispite recovering from a cracked rib) I managed to re-fit the cylinder head on to the T34/85.
I have tightened the large bolts to the correct setting of "KIN TIGHT" using a 32mm AF, 1'' drive socket and an 8' lengh of scafold pole.
I have started to refit the cam shaft brackets and by the weekend I should have the cam shafts back in, and the engine retimed.

Keep watching for my next update.

KEEP LIVING THAT DREAM !!!

It just keeps getting better !

Today i have re-fitted the cam shafts and checked that the engine is still correctly timed.

I have removed the last injectors from the right hand head and all 12 injectors are now being reconditioned and should be back early next week.

I can defernatly see the light at the end of the tunnel.


Keep Living The Dream !!!

2nd Guards Rifle Division

Great news comrade I can almost smell the grease and oil!

Guards Kapitan Roman Rodinovich Neman
2nd Guards Unit Commander

I have now re-fitted the exhaust manifold, exhaust pipe and armoured exhaust cover.
The inlet manifold and inlet pipe.
The pre start pipe.
The fuel bowel and conecting lines.

The injectors should be back early next week, then i plan to test the lubrication system before fitting the rocker covers.

Not Long Now !


KEEP LIVING THE DREAM !!!

neil was your T34 in a documentary about stalingrad

2nd Guards Rifle Division

That's good comrade tankman as it sounds like the T34 will definatly be at Military Odyssey.

Guards Kapitan Roman Rodinovich Neman
2nd Guards Unit Commander

Yesterday after work I collected the injectors from "Colchester Fuel Injection Ltd". Who have referbished all 12 injectors with new seals and set to the correct pressure ready for re-fitting, they had to reuse the original cones in the injectors because they could not find out a manufactorer.
When they learnt what the injectors were off they understood why they could not find the manufactors name. Luckerly the cones were all in perfect condiction and will last long enough for me to never have to worry about replacing them !

The next job after re-fitting the injectors will be to quickly test the lubrication system before a final visual check and replacing the rocker covers.

I have also got some new radiator water piping to replace the worn out bits, that are impossible to get to with out turning the T34 upside down and cutting off the entire bottom (I dont plan to ever do that ! ".

The next update will be after the weekend, when "FINGERS CROSSED" ill be telling you how nice she runs !

Keep Living The Dream !!!

After refitting the injectors and rocker covers I re-fitted all the injector pipes.

The rad was lowered back in using my digger and then the fun job of conecting the water pipes started.

Whilst laying on my back with my arms up the batt tunnel and trying to keep my head out of the oil, I finaly managed to get the pipes conected. then after many rude words I manged to get the pipes conected and not to leak.

At this stage the oil cooler was not fitted, but I had closed the vavle that conects it so if she was to run, she would not pump all her oil out on to the floor of the hull.

I could not put it off any longer !

I conected the batteries that had been on charge for the last 4 days and crossed my fingers.
I pushed the big button and as if by magic she burst in to life !

Seconds latter as my feet were coverd in oil i discovered that the vavle had allways been closed and i had in fact opened it.

After many more rude words and cleaning of oil of battieres.

I pushed the big button again.



DONE IT !!!



She ran as sweet as a nut. No knocks or bangs and No oil leaks.
Unfortunatly all the oil that is now swiming around on the floor was blown every where by the large cooling fan, so now both the tank and I require a good steam clean.

On Monday i plan to run her around my field for a bit to make sure she is ok before I start re-fitting all the armour plate.




"NOW WE CAN ALL LIVE THE DREAM" !!!

That is great news.

Well done Neil!



Cheers, Ade.

Uuuurah!

Well done Neil- It has been a fascinating technical log.

I have been showing the thread to a co-worker of mine who is an engineer & does voluntary work at Bovington & he found it quite interesting as well- particularly the contrast with the German approach to engineering that interests him.

exellent engineers badge for such a great effort? well done hope to see it running in august

2nd Guards Rifle Division

Fantastic news comrade tankman, you are due a vodka or two!

Guards Kapitan Roman Rodinovich Neman
2nd Guards Unit Commander