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M60 repair

WillWagner

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Well, the "more pressing" project is putting a starter in one of the M60s. This was a USMC version of the A1. It has some different things compared to the Army M60 we have. First issue was to get it out of its resting place. Not enough room in front of it to use a fixed heavy tow bar, so a chain had to do. Got it extracted and put in place for repairs.
 

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WillWagner

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They are about 60-75 lbs, just a guess. Looks like a normal MT42 but to me, it FEELS heavier. Taking it off of the donor proved to be a challenge, 3 feet inboard of a shipping box and funky stuff mounted to it.
 

WillWagner

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The same day, peeled things back, Some help we had told us what to disconnect, they actually come out very fast, but the package is freekin' HEAVY! 8800 lbs. Some small things were neglected so the engine came out, sort of about 3 times and back in until all the rest of the unknown/seen QD's were found and disconnected. Killed one line, the supply from the fuel block in the bottom of the hull to the engine...maybe it's a return, need to read up on things. Also tweaked a linkage, but that's an easy fix. We did find some things with the pack out that need attention while it is out, better to do it now than have to take it out again.
 

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WillWagner

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No, too heavy to retract outriggers and move it, so, it and the tank are centered in the inside lane and roped off. It will be a chore to re install with a fixed boom, so we are looking for a rotator OR get the wrecker running, re spool and use that. I'll find out more tomorrow. I have a few calls out there, got 1 response back, Craig has called in a few favors and AFAIK, still waiting on a call back, I was in Death Valley this weekend and didn't talk to Craig.
 

Guyfang

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The last time I saw this done was in 2010. The guys pulled 3 packs, out of some of the last M60 Bridge Layers. AND, 1 pack out of the absolute last M48 bridge layer in Germany. We still had some old salts around who knew how to do this. The boys cleaned the hulls, repaired a few things, and slapped the packs back in. All 4 tanks started and ran. They were used to load the bridges on low boys and then in turn were loaded up. Off they went, to be washed out of the 9th Engineer Bn, Schweinfurt. A sad day, all in all.
 

WillWagner

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No,M578 and M543, but had to use another truck to remove it. The 578 will most likely put it back in. I need to look at things on that. And, the line that pulled out is fire suppression for the valley of the engine.
 

WillWagner

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Here is how the power gets out to the tracks. Out the trans thru the wing bearings and this coupler sends it to the final drives. It really isn't that big, the wing bearings are though!
 

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silverstate55

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When reinstalling the power pack, be VERY CAREFUL not to puncture the fuel tanks alongside the hull...it is easy to do (don't ask me how I know.... :roll: )

I have a sheared drive gear somewhere in my shop just like the one in pics #5 & #6.....it can happen.

The hardest part of pulling & removing power packs always seemed to be reconnecting the drive couplings you show above....good luck!! They have to be aligned perfectly before they will slip over drive gears in outer hubs.

And you'll probably have to pick the skinniest helper you can find to reconnect some of the linkages once the pack is back in place...it was easier when you had several 18-21 year-olds to pick from!
 

silverstate55

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Since it's a former USMC tank, were there any markings or insignia on it? I was a tanker in the 1st Tank Battalion (Camp Pendleton) in C Co, 3rd Platoon; then A Co. for AVLBs back in the 1980s. It seems to have the woodland camo job the 1st Tanks had; I remember the little unit at 29 Palms seemed to paint their M60A1s in a desert-themed scheme, with lots of brown and tan. But my memory could be failing me once again....
 

WillWagner

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I know the business end has "RESERVE THIS" stenciled on it. It is pretty crusty, so, it probably was at Pendleton. I will look next week or tomorrow if I go down there. AFAK, no insg on it, was carced in 89
 

WillWagner

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Update, We ground fired it, started right up after 25 + years of non op. Throttle linkage was frozen, got that freed up and it idled good and throttled up great on the ground. Pack is in, had a friend of the museum come over to help center the lifting bar, it is military, has holes marked pack, engine and deck, but when it was lifted out, it lifted nose high, was kind of a biatch to get out, kissed the trans fill tube and the weld at the tube/cast plate came loose. That is fixed. But anywho, he came over with a boom truck with a 10k capacity. I moved the lifting eye, it lifted level, so we put it in! Went in way easy, no holes in the tanks. There were some issues after it was in, steering was FUBAR, all the clevis connections were at their fully extended position. I have been in this tank a few times TSing the no start, but never paid attention to the tiller. Got that all straightened out, hooked up all the linkages, lines, connectors. Threw some batteries in it and it fired right up, idle was a tad high, but, after letting things get a little heat in them, the pig went into gear, moved forward and backward under it's own power. Idle kept getting higher, pulling back on the pedal was no help. I figured there was a hull fuel issue, after a bit of TS ing, no issue found. Pulled the inside panel back off, more linkages set at their longest. ( I didn't install them, another volunteer did.). Pulled them out, freed things up, re installed, lit it off, good 750 ish idle, but as soon as the pedal was touched, idle went to 1200. Looked at the adjustment on the break over linkage, it too was almost all the way in. Tried to adjust it, and found the root issue.....GOD, I wish I looked closer at the linkage when it was on the ground! The throttle and manual SD are on the same shaft, the throttle has what any mechanical linkage has, a break over type throttle, two pins held in line with a spring around the shaft. If the throttle travel in the pump is put to it's full travel, this "joint" is there so if the pedal has more travel, the pump pieces parts will not get damaged. Well it was frozen. Tried pulling the assembly out, it is pretty crusty, found that there were snap rings on the shaft holding it in the pivot bushings. Broke two 5/16 bolts holding the inboard pivot on the engine, no biggie, I can get them out, got the pivot out and found out why it was so hard to move. They aint bushings, they are sealed bearings rusted to he ll! The outboard side is anchored to a plate on the head that holds the tach drive. POOP! All this working thru a 24 x 18 hole in the turret. Time to go to the donor engine, pulled the lid on the container, pulled the assembly, went back into the M60 and took the assembly off of the engine. Drilled the 2 broken bolts thru and PB Blastered the pee pee out of it. Decided that was enough for the day.

No pics, I will have some after Thanksgiving. For now, out to the dez for 12 days
 

silverstate55

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That's the beauty of USMC vehicles; they spend a lot of time fording through salt water, and the majority of their lives at bases near the coastline. 29 Palms exempted of course.
 
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