Thread: The Ultimate FC

Originally Posted by easo

Originally Posted by 101 Ron

...
I would love to see the Saladin and Saracen to compare the differences in the vehicles and camden is on the correct side of Sydney.
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If you are ever in VIC then pop by the Puckapunyal Tank Museum, they have both.

PM me before you come.

Easo

Ron

You are more than welcome to come up for the Day. Saturday is open day for the public but you can come up Sat or Sun and see them working, go for a ride. Not as much fun as your driving the Stolly around the back of Flinders Estate though. Camden Park, just oposite Elizabeth Macarthur Farm enter via Elizabeth Macarthur Ave, off Camden Valley Way and a couple Km past Belgenny Farm or come the back way, Menangle Rd, Woodbridge Rd, Elizabeth Macarthur Ave.

Easo

Is it true that the 4/19 Prince of Wales Light Horse only used the Saracen for one year and that was the only unit issued with them?

[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvis_Saracen"]Alvis Saracen - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

Easo

Is it true that the 4/19 Prince of Wales Light Horse only used the Saracen for one year and that was the only unit issued with them?

Alvis Saracen - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I'll found out.

I am no armour nut.
Reference is from a book I know is accurate.
Australian Armour by Major-general R.N.L Hopkins cbe,(ret)
Introduced in 1955.
4th/19 PWLH used them as well as
8th/13 VMR
12/16 HRL
Saracens if I remember correctly were sold off about 1972.
Saracen was not used for very long by full time units because Australian armour was in decline in the late 1950s and the purchase of the replacement M113 just in time for Vietnam in the early 1960s .
The CMF used them extensively for training and reserve units.
Equiptment appears to have been borrowed or swapped from unit to unit as needed for training camps and exercises.
Dont belive every thing you read, exspecially on the internet.

The Qld owner of a Stalwart with crane is still chasing his rego and is having problems with red tape even though these machines have been used commerically in that state for many years.
He did have some minor problems with the power steering.
After some investigation on the crane model Stalwart we found a inoccent looking pipe Tee piece can cause problems and little information is advailible, but I think this tee piece fitting was a british army remove and check item once a year.
While the cabin is apart in my stalwart I decided to check things out.
All the hydraulic oil must be drained via out side hull drain plug

The hydraulic oil was thrown away as it was the original 40 year old stuff.
The main winch and crane strainer looked like this even after alot of the crudd had fallen off.


There is a main hydraulic filter, but it is on the return .

The bottom of the tank was clean.

The tee piece with strainer looks like this and on my stalwart it was 75% blocked.

It goes in here and if you didnt know It is impossible to know it has a strainer in it .
Naturally the hoses to it were rotten and I had to grind off the old rusted hose clamps .
All has been replaced with new hose and stainless steel clamps.



I cried as it takes 45 litres of oil to refill the hydraulics at $6 dollars per litre.
The hydraulic filter matches up with local Ryco R2141P at about $75 dollars each.
I am lucky with the stainless hose clamps as most of them are only costing me about 75 cents each from a local company who buys them in bulk.

I plan to give the crane abit of a test this weekend and will post some pics.
still plenty of work to do in the cabin and degreasing and goo removal from the inside of the hull.
I purchased a 30 amp inverter to run the 12 volt fridge and CB radio for future use...........the Poms thought the boiling vessel is important for the cold climates, but here in Aussie land I think a 12 volt fridge is the go.

These pics are for Sean in QLD.
It is the crane anti slew pin.
This pin was rusted in its holder and was a 2 hours work to try to save it and the holder bracket.
The R clip is advailible from Bare and Co tractor suppliers.

I gave the crane a test today.
The forkilift being lifted has a accurately known weight of 3145 kg.
It was not lifted high as the pressure hydraulic hoses are more than 40 years old.
The crane is rated to lift 2200kg the way it is shown in the pics below.
Effectively the crane was almost 1000kg over loaded.
The maximum load for the crane is 3000kg , but only with the hook moved to another position on the inner boom only.
It is nice to know if I do need to lift a load within the cranes normal ratings the old hydraulic hoses still have abit of reserve strenght in them.