WORKSHOP WEDNESDAY: Leopard MAIN BATTLE TANK transmission repair project SAVED by a fan!

[@ChuckKirchner-se6ib]

To ALL the folks that said "Thank You", You are ALL entirely welcome, and I'd do it again. Actually I was hoping to see it run today, but oh well. Cheers to all.

[@ausarmour]

There will be a part III for sure, Chuck! 😉

[@captainfancypants4933]

Thank you Chuck you are the man!

[@bgdavenport]

You deserve a ride in the Beast!

[@everydayhero5076]

Thanks, Chuck, from one history fan to another.

[@cmck472]

Well done, Chuck! Top man!

[@ianstewartbrown5308]

Big shout out to Chuck for coming to the rescue

[@thegewehrgaming]

Massive thanks to Chuck for saving this piece of history

[@tdb7992]

I really hope Chuck reads the comments below and sees how many people from all over Australia (and the world) are thanking him.

[@markfryer9880]

I certainly hope so! His donation has saved Aus Armour literally thousands of dollars and many hours of labour in fixing the problem with the Leopard. Again, well done Chuck! Mark from Melbourne Australia 🇦🇺

[@mangoman9290]

Chuck is a champion! What an awesome help to the team.

[@roadweary5252]

Chuck, I’m hoisting my coffee cup to you sir!

[@347jpb]

Steve deserves a double PhD in mechanics. Auto mechanic to a self taught tank mechanic. What a truly gifted and skilled craftsman of the trade. Totally impressed. And thank you to Chuck for providing parts.

[@danielhooke6115]

Three cheers for Chuck!

[@JeffBilkins]

That special moment of vindication for Chuck and everyone else who keeps boxes with interesting old bits in the back of the shed.

[@tazthedevil22]

I keep showing things like this to my wife to convince her not to throw away any of the things I am collecting. You never know when someone needs it. So anyone in need of a couple of used tires (bold and flat spots) of a Dacia sandero and a left headlight (broken) hit me up!

[@depleteduraniumcowboy3516]

Way to go Chuck! It is also very impressive how Steve can figure it out without a manual. Great video as usual, Kurt.

[@aussiefirestorm]

You guys are very lucky to have a Steve on hand.

[@ricksmith4736]

I wish he was my neighbor

[@andrewmurton8379]

Superb way to go, a German tank repaired in Australia with parts and tools supplied by a very generous American whilst being watched by this enthralled Englishman, just love KZbin and it’s worldwide following. Looking forward to next week to see Chucks parts and help bring the wonderful Leopard back to life.

[@lucvanackeren5445]

A German tank from a Belgian cavalry unit ...

[@dalebates9937]

Your generosity makes you an honorary Aussie in my book, Chuck!

[@tamamalosi]

We want to honor you Chuck, though we want to say honour. The intention is the same and the feelings are genuine 😎.

[@glenncashman4671]

Chuck is a legend

[@davidmartyn5044]

Thank Chuck!! Absorbing videos about some complicated wiring. 26 minutes of clear viewing.

[@jetnavigator]

THANKS CHUCK!

[@kenanderson3859]

Awesome for Chuck to send over those components and a video on how to use them.

[@bradleywilson9360]

Steve is a legend - pragmatic thinker and problem solver

[@therish7169]

Good on ya Chuck!

[@jeffreypurcell4681]

I am a little shocked that Ausarmour couldn’t get a complete set of leopard manuals from the Australian military as we used the leopards for decades.

[@Charners]

Are they in dual language?

[@jeffreypurcell4681]

@@Charners I would highly doubt the Australian military would train there mechanics to read German 🤔

[@hukatus]

​@@jeffreypurcell4681one would obviously expect these manuals werwere translated to english for aussies.

[@simonrooney7942]

Google it

[@bbrut3332]

I am surprised that the L3 Corporation did not spring for some good PR. I know that they have hundreds of these crimpers at their Greenville, Tx plant. They also build and rebuild mil spec connectors there every day. You might reach out to them to see if they would become a sponsor of your repair facility.

[@quentinstacy35]

Thanks Chuck! What a legend. Great show tonight, Steve is such a great presenter.

[@manyfaces2614]

I think Chuck just earned him a trip to aus armour 24' 🎉🎉

[@markfryer9880]

Well at the very least he has earned himself a Special Leopard VIP Package. He has just saved Aus Armour thousands of dollars in parts, search time and figuring out time! Well done Chuck! Mark from Melbourne Australia 🇦🇺

[@manyfaces2614]

@@markfryer9880 right!

[@richardw.foxhall3392]

The continued "SILLY" intro, is what first caught my attention and got me to watch. It is the correct measure of hopeful joy and enthusiasm, Kurt. And after many episodes and getting to know who is who and who does what I am still watching and laughing along. You folks do a hell of a lot of very good specialized work, and your part of documenting and inquisitive camera work does well to showcase these projects being done. Yes the Tanks are sometime a blown up basket case, but so far not more than the crew can handle, and fun to watch fellows stretch their talents. This channel is in my must watch group of channels I follow. As I said before I found you guys by ACCIDENT, and STAYED after I heard " HIGH!. I'M KURT FROM AUS ARMOUR... WECOME TO WORKSHOP WEDNESDAY!!". Even Dimitri did a fair job of imitating Kurt's line, and after the disbelief ended I saw you guys in the back ground, I thought "the guy's good but he is not Kurt.

Well played Chuck 🫡

[@vrod665]

Kurt … it’s not “silly”. “Welcome to Workshop Wednesday” brings a smile to my face knowing that for at least a few minutes I’m going learn something, see something interesting and maybe see a part history preserved. It’s not silly… it’s a trademark.

[@marcusw86]

Thank you Chuck for your generosity! We all appreciate your donation..

[@highlander147]

Steve’s a “wiring whisperer” - awesome!

[@jeffkoppang2591]

Welcome to the world of aviation electronics. That crimper is a staple tool. FYI, if I remember correctly, you are only allowed 1.5 the diameter of the wire from the exposed conductor to the back of the terminal. One of the biggest struggles is determining if a connector is a 'push from front' or 'rear release' connector. Basically how the 'locking mechanism' latches into the plug

[@jeffkoppang2591]

More stupid fun facts, the 'collar' of the pins usually have a color coding system that is similar to electrical resistor coding. Goggle it for some fun acronyms. This will tell you what crimper to use, and what 'locator' to use for a proper crimp

[@hallstuart6604]

I love how some guy in the US casually has these millspec connectors and tools just in the shed! XD You sir sound like you have some interesting stories to tell! What a legend!

[@jmc7034]

Chuck, you’re a legend ❤❤❤

[@andrewsteele7663]

Thanks Chuck, Kurt and Steve, another brilliant Workshop Wednesday. I reckon Chuck must have a really interesting shed. Cheers

[@georgestemple3310]

A special thanks from Arizona to chuck for helping out with the parts and tool and to steve you do excellent work and to the museum for saving history

[@brealistic3542]

I can tell you the states are one of your biggest fan bases for sure, We love you guys and what you do.

[@barrysharp9792]

A big thank you from the UK to Chuck . Your a member of the World i want to live in.

[@knudvoecking]

What a wonderful fan Chuck is!

[@stitchjones7134]

What a legend.

[@ptonpc]

Thank you Chuck!

[@razor1uk610]

Thanks to Chuck, he spent more than a Buck, saved AusArmour from some serious Muck, ..that cool guy Chuck, needs a free ride in this whence repaired battle-Truck !!

[@larsbkurin1740]

Without Chuck no big cat. Nice work, preferably the small detail of a fuse when testing, Steve is incredibly thoughtful in everything he does.

[@TheKRU251]

Yep. Chuck. You're a star. There's a whole bunch of us guys that you'll never meet but are indebted to you for your generosity in helping Aus Armour !!!!

[@mullligan6491]

Excellent news, well done Chuck and Steve. 👍

[@1701enter]

Very well done to all of you and the generous subscriber ! (it always surprises me to see gems like that crimping tool being hoarded/ treasured/ donated)

[@billgreen4388]

Well done Chuck🤓🏆🏅

[@trance_trousers]

I've wired up looms using those crimps before, in a previous job. Just that crimp tool itself is worth a fair bit of money. Very kind of Chuck to donate that and everything else to you. Well done to Steve for his work in fixing the transmission too!

[@masaharumorimoto4761]

Chuck you legend!

[@johnbradshaw354]

Great video Kurt thank you. Very interesting to watch Steve's work ethics to the electrical repairs. Well done.

[@NSYresearch]

Firstly, thanks to Chuck for being a star and helping the chaps. Secondly thanks to Kurt and his no doubt small team, all the guys on the shop floor and the big boss of the museum. These videos have created a world wide community of people fascinated by what you all do,so much so that people send their advice and now even parts. This is down to the great Australian personalities of all concerned. Good on ya fellas......

[@UH60-Arthur]

Just FYI those cannon plugs are standard across many civilian and commercial aircraft, you should look at aircraft scrappers for spares, where I use to work had 2 5 gallon buckets of various sized cannon plugs from small to huge, 1 pin to over 100, just a matter of getting the right set, also just about any A&P mechanic would be comfortable repinning or rebuilding a connector or harness like that. Might be an avenue of support you haven't thought of perusing before.

[@babuzzard6470]

Thanks Chuck, very generous, 🇦🇺

[@jameswalshjr]

I have to give Steve a lot of credit for stepping up to a challenge like that with little documentation and learning it on his own. Well done sir! Shout out to Chuck for leaning in and providing some much needed assistance with parts and video knowledge transfer.

[@bigmac60]

Excellent job brings back memories. As someone who’s changed the coolant in diesel engines 100’s of times I can recommend a 12v pump and mix the coolant into a 25ltr container and not lifting dozens of buckets 👍. Plus some lubricant on the wires helps too.

[@mattcarroll3469]

God bless Steve !!! Love his addition to the team !

[@TX-biker]

This generous gift is a testament to every member of the Australian Armor staff. We the audience love y’all like a neighbor. We see a need - and sacrifice our own rare parts to keep your operation going. A shout out to the owner of the museum - he has chosen a top notch staff to represent his dream🤠😍

[@jeffkoppang2591]

Rewatching the video, there's two different type of connectors depicted here. The first one that he tore apart is a 'solder cup' type, where the pins are permantently soldered in the connector. There is a rubber boot that isolates each wire from it's neighbor. The 'Daniels' crimper is used on a newer style of connector where the wires are crimped onto a pin and then locked into the connector

[@schwabrichard9829]

Good morning from Virginia USA. Miracle worker Steve dose it again! Chuck and his hands across the seas package, cannot be thanked enough!

[@bernardwill7196]

You all make great work to restore the tanks. Thanks alot. Greetings from Germany.

[@LEEKUBEL]

Can’t believe I’ve only just seen the Sherman called Caitlin Rose! That’s my daughters name! ❤ Love all the things you are doing guys Keep up the great work!

[@contributor7219]

I posted this as a reply elsewhere, but thought it might be useful information for those wondering about 'repair manuals' for Australian military equipment. I'm ex RAEME and worked on the Leopards in Australian service, not very long after we received the final deliveries of them. Getting a set of 'manuals' as suggested isn't that simple. All in service equipment had Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Instructions (EMEIs) and the EMEIs were held by repair units at authorised levels of repair - i.e. unit levels of repair only carried EMEIs and special tooling needed to carry out necessary tasks. There are other levels of service and each carried EMEIs and special tooling commensurate with those levels of repair. There were only a couple of full sets of EMEIs for the highest level of repair (huge volumes - this was pre computer systems for such things, remember) held by the Australian Army. Even these did not break down every single component as we had access to current (at the time) factory expertise if needed as well as support from other nations using the Leopard 1 in service. Once the Australian Army divested ourselves of the Leopard those full sets of EMEIs were in demand from our allies still using Leopards in active service, so they got 'first dibs' on the EMEIs as you would expect. Even the EMEIs that covered the highest level of repair would not cover complete breakdown of components that were ordinarily replaced as an assembly. In a case like the repairs here we would have replaced the electrical assemblies and the components removed may have gone back for factory overhaul. It's very unlikely we would have seen repairs like this anyway as the repairs undertaken here are examples of vehicles reaching time in service Australian Army equipment simply wouldn't reach.

[@dsarkozi1968]

Oh wow thank you guys for allowing us to watch and learn from you. What a treat!!!!

[@absarokaporscheadventures4148]

What an excellent example of the positive power social media. Thank you Chuck.

[@kiwifruit27]

What a mission!!! Good to see Al working hard in the background, would love to see an update video on his progress

[@ausarmour]

Coming soon!😉

[@frankbodenschatz173]

Yes, thanks Chuck from St. James, Mo. Having worked on these connections in the USAF and also medical ewuipment over the last 50+ years you really saved the day, week, month, year!

[@wryfox9299]

Seeing that crimper brought back some memories. +1 to Chuck

[@jordanoneil8094]

Well done Steve! Reminded me of the time that I've spent repairing those multi-pin connectors, never greasy and oily like that though!

[@FF-mt2yo]

Outstanding Chuck! You are the man! Good job!

[@mightypoms]

A sparky that gets his hands dirty…..never thought I’d see the day❤

[@scottcrawford7310]

We certainly have some very talented people.

[@ditzydoo4378]

When I saw the cable connector crimp tool, it brought back so many memories of repairing cable harnesses in everything from M-113 to M1A1 tanks. A true godsend that.

[@bborkzilla]

I think we need more cameos of people saying "Hi, I'm X from Y and welcome to Workshop Wednesdaaaaaaayyyyy"

[@TheFurriestOne]

I hope we can see one of the spare engines started outside of a hull at some point!

[@humbleguy4726]

Only stating the obvious but you've got some fantastic guys on the team, kudos to their dedication and fortitude.

[@DavidJones-ye6wy]

Could you imagine doing a power pack change in the field and repair. Hats off to all military mechanic’s.

[@michaelguerin56]

Thank you Chuck, for helping Steve out. You are a gentleman and a scholar. Cheers from NZ🇳🇿.

[@Bill53AD]

Great job Steve. Thank you, Chuck, I checked my tooling, but it is made for 22ga pins only.

[@markdavis2475]

Great to see more work on the Leopard!

[@bradfrom68]

Massive thanks to Chuck for helping with the parts and tools, also a huge hoorah to Oz Armour's very own Mechanical genius and Carl Barron doppelganger Steve... Just kidding Steve lol

[@stevebarnett-f5o]

Thank you to Chuck, reckon you have save them a lot of money, and many hours of horrible fiddling, remaking those plugs and wires.

[@jeremylister89]

Wow, so generous. I wouldn't be surprised if that crimp tool was USD $1000. Chuck is a star!!!

[@ennok4231]

This cabling is a great example of the type of work that the Maintainers told us humble tankers not to touch under any circumstances. Crew maintenance would do a lot of work, but disassembling those cables looks like delicate work not to be done in a tactical hide!

[@jamesclarke6861]

Steve is a wonderment!!! Tank saver!

[@anthonyxuereb792]

Thank you Chuck, many hands make light work, many minds overcome obstacles and Steve gives me inspiration to crack on.

[@tsmgguy]

Thanks, Chuck, from the USA! Faced with a similar situation in the US Army, we had little choice but to order a new wiring harness. If one wasn't available, we tended to rob (cannibalize) the necessary assembly off of another vehicle that was already "down" waiting for parts. This was a bad business as we had to be careful that vehicles were not transformed into parts queens that were likely to never run again.

[@johndehoog5567]

What a valuable addition Steve has been to the crew at Aus Armour!! Just cant imagine fixing a Leopard in battle field conditions. Hey Kurt, if you keep zooming in on those repairs they are going to get you on the other side of the camera. Cheers from Canada

[@paullevins5448]

Well that was fun...For me. Enjoyed that!!! Best group of men you can see here working together. I can watch, I don't know for sure what's going on, but I know what I am seeing and I know its right. If I ever decide to go abroad, I might travel to Australia to this museum, to see everyone in person. See their work!!! Always a great show to watch!!! Thanks men! I enjoyed it!!!

[@54mgtf22]

AusArmour Wednesday. My own guilty pleasure. Chuck, you are a legend! 👍

[@busterdee8228]

Bravo Chuck for the assist. I dabbled in this stuff for 50 years, yet I'm still all eyes and ears when the Aus Armour lads are at it. You just never stop learning. Well done Steve.

[@Mag_Aoidh]

Electrical work takes a special person, Bravo Steve!

[@wrxs1781]

Good video, and a great donation from one of your viewers, we had similar connectors at work made by Amphenol.

[@adrianstarphish7644]

Get in Chuck!!

[@andrewhufer3286]

Looks like you got yourselves a 1-01 crimper with a 1-02 turret. Great bit of kit. One word of caution, don't ever press down or release the turret on the red selection with the crimper handles closed! I've seen a few damaged over the years by people doing that. Great work on the wiring job Steve!

[@Ian-mj4pt]

Always looking forward to Workshop Wednesdays. Never thought I'd be so interested in all the repairs and assembly of tanks. Makes my day seeing lads who enjoy their jobs and are all good at explaining what they are doing. Kurt the beard is spot on . Thanks to Chuck for coming to the rescue. Be safe and thanks for making Wednesday lunch time so much better.

[@yattaran1484]

Awesome restoration work as always. Huge thanks to Chuck who made this work possible !.🙏

[@sethdunlap9868]

So great that that connector had the terminals letter coded. Too many times I have started replacing a simple Molex connector and lost my orientation and started wiring it backwards.

[@ForTehNguyen]

Chuck is an absolute legend

[@tedstrikertwa800]

I really enjoy watching these videos. Steve is an amazing mechanic & thanks to Kirk for recording, narrating and presenting the footage.

[@SteveMichaels]

Bravo Chuck ! You Rock Sir ! Ty.. Steve job well done sir !

[@Sosig593]

Cheers to Chuck!! Legend Mate

[@renson326806]

Brought back a few memories seeing that pack go in.

[@thurin84]

wow! chucks a superstar!

[@drmarkintexas-400]

🤗🏆💙🙏 Thank you for sharing this