Last updated on the 14/02/2015 19:23

 

08BB48 as bought by the previous owner Rob

 

 

   

Pictures courtesy of Rob Dove

 

I have received the history for 08BB48 from the Tank Museum in the last week or so, my hunch about it being a MK2/4 was correct.  It was initially built as a MK2 and was then later up-armoured converting it to a MK2/4.  It would seem to have had an interesting service life in Northern Ireland!

 

 

As bought off E - Bay

 

 

           

   

 

The interior of 08BB48 has been power washed out to remove the majority of the loose rust. I've been quite surprised at its interior condition.

 

 

Not the best picture in the world!

The floor area is quite rusty but the various rods on the floor have been preserved in the oil and water mix and for the most part they move freely.

 

 

   

 

Wingless

 

 

08BB48 has now been sandblasted and been returned back to me.

 

 

Not the best pictures in the world but I will sort out some better ones on another day.

 

   

 

Gearbox damage

 

The area of damage is limited to just that casting and the bearing that it has struck. I thought that it might be worth repairing it and as I have another damaged casting for the same side logic said use it.

 

           

 

The casting itself on this donor piece is scrap so I have cut the top piece off and removed the area that I can use on the other side casting.

 

 

I think the pictures tell there own story on how damaged the donor casting is. I have stripped the remaining casting down to its component parts and will be preserving them for future use.

 

       

 

 

Having cut the undamaged area of the other casting I cut almost the same amount of the other casting leaving enough to fettle the piece into place.

 

   

 

A neighbour gave me some ideas on where to have the piece welded and have a small crack welded as well. It would be possible to tidy the weld up and blend it in but it might weaken the weld so I intend to leave it alone.

A good place to start if you need an alloy casting welding up would be you're local Motorbike repair shop as its quite common for cooling fins on engine blocks to become damaged.

 

 

 

This is what remains of the Busbar spring, no spares available from Banisters either! Knowing how powerful the spring is normally I was reluctant to fiddle to much with this spring. It was only when I was poking around the spring with a screwdriver that I realised that it was broken. I quite like my fingers so using a screwdriver is the safe option.

 

The Busbar spring is always under tension normally and it is extremely dangerous if it is removed incorrectly!

Read the manual !!

 

 

B60 seized but might be saveable wait and see... it is not, it is full of water in all the wrong places and the blocks cracked!

 

           

   

 

When I removed the exhaust pipes and the exhaust manifold I found that a mouse had been using the engine as a storage larder see below

 

 

       

   

 

Cylinder Head off

 

 

Cylinders three / four and to a smaller extent five have some rust on the bores, cylinder three being the worst.

 

       

 

Bits found under the engine when it was removed Reme cap badge, spanner, cap off engine identity tube and the generator 'thingy-me-jigs' (forgotten what they are called)!  The spanner looks as good as the day it fell under the engine!

 

 

Nice big hole in the tyre I can get my whole foot in, notice how the tyre wall has not collapsed!

 

   

 

Last updated on the 14/02/2015 19:23 Copyright © 2007 - 2015