Diagnosing and Repairing the Leopard Main Battle Tank!

Museum Mechanic Steve, gives us a full rundown on his diagnosis process on finding the cause of the transmission trouble in our Leopard Main Battle Tank!
Follow the progress of our workshop restorations every Workshop Wednesday! A must watch for students of history, engineering, mechanics and metalworking! 🧐🛠️
Subscribe to our channel & hit the notification bell 🔔 so you never miss an upload! ➡️ bit.ly/ausarmouryt
Keep up to date with the Australian Armour and Artillery Museum!⬇️⬇️
Facebook ➡️ / ausarmour
Instagram ➡️ / ausarmour
Twitter ➡️ / ausarmour
Website ➡️ ausarmour.com
Email ➡️ [e-mail]

[@thegewehrgaming]

Can we have work shop Fridays?

[@duncanjack2335]

Fix It Fridays??

[@rickytrezise4674]

Sorry mate, more like work shop Monday, need all week to figure out and fix it!!

[@jamesmwlewis]

maintenance mondays

[@paulday-lh5mx]

Ah it's Friday and get a little more of a tease for next workshop Wednesday. Who do we speak with to have workshop Monday through Friday?

[@peterlofstrand]

Maintenance Monday, Workshop Wednesdays and Facts Friday would be nice.

[@exharkhun5605]

Great video. I love how Steve always walks us through his way of thinking.

[@tdb7992]

Me too, it’s a real pleasure to hear an expert explain something.

[@markphillips3341]

Yeah, I agree. He pays special attention to explain this stuff so I can understand it, but not in a dumbed down way. I really like this sort of content, thanks.

[@echohunter4199]

First, I appreciate the video greatly, love watching these over the years. Next, I’d like to share my experience in repairing ‘cannon’ plugs while restoring vintage military vehicles and surplus military aircraft (primarily former Soviet aircraft). Every cannon plug has the same susceptibilities that can cause problems, sometimes it’s from someone not properly aligning the pins and forcing the connector secured. Most cannon plugs with thinner connectors can be closed/connected if a couple pins aren’t aligned because the silicone water sealing material will allow the pins to stick in. If all dirt and debris wasn’t cleared out of both ends of the plug before connection it’ll leave a gap that allows water in. I’ve seen strong men secure/connect a cannon plug when it was misaligned despite the indexing pins being aligned, they just twist the lock ring with a lot of force and it’s connected. All that said, it seems like common sense to prevent an improper connection but it’s not hard to fix. Find an old but serviceable cannon plug with connectors rated for the same connectors as the original, never put a lower rated plug that requires larger connectors, it’ll act as an inline fuse and pop from overheating but not before it causes some damage on the source end of the power flow. The cannon plug doesn’t have to be German made, any will do. Then cut off the wires from both ends, make sure they’re tagged with a piece of masking tape or zip ties and write the trace number for each with, the cannon plug will have numbers both inside and outside of the connection but they’re in tiny print so look closely. The next step is to connect the replacement plug wires by soldering them with proper solder or, use aviation wire connectors, these connectors will create a water tight seal at both ends then you can slide the shrink tubing down over the connector and heat up the shrink tubing and move onto the next wire. Always have around 6-9 inches of wire on each end of the replacement so it’s easier to work on and if a mistake is made you can simply cut off the mistake and start over. Then ensure the wire is connected to each pin by using a multimeter and once all traces/wires are properly aligned, apply some silicone sealant behind each end of the cannon plug to give it extra protection just to be safe. But if the replacement cannon plug is old and the gasket has deteriorated or shrunk from heat and age, make sure it will seal the connection properly, you can tell when you’re twisting the lock ring, it’ll go together very easily, basically too easy. There’s all kinds of options one can choose from to repair a wiring connection issue since sometimes you won’t have everything you need to fix it and go with what you have. In military vehicles the wiring harnesses will deteriorate over time due to the lubricants and hydraulic fluid covering the wires so double check the wiring harness to make sure there’s no damage or dry rot, also look for pinched wires in case someone closed a hatch or panel without moving the wiring cluster away before securing or during the last power pack install. Apologies for the long comment, just trying to pass this on to someone who’s newer to the MV restoration community. Just try not to assume everything is done correctly while you work on these, always know. All my best. Kevin from Texas Retired Army Infantryman

[@Davemte34108]

Excellent comment, worked with the same connecters in heavy industry. Repairing one of those in a j-box in a dark slimy space under a 5-stand rolling mill was not a trivial pursuit. Moving everything needed to do it there was less than half the time and effort. Certain design engineers were not my favorite people after that experience.

[@richardraby6266]

Nothing like the voice of experience!

[@asya9493]

The longer the better, that was the talk on Canon's.

[@truracer20]

I deal with small Juliet connectors with very fine pins and it is always an annoyance that the keyway always engages just before the pins, .25mm ...

[@echohunter4199]

@@truracer20 what always annoyed me is how the gorilla that connected the plug didn’t realize he didn’t have them aligned and just cranked down anyway. Those aviation grade wire lead butt connectors that expand a sealant as they’re heated up to shrink the ends and it creates a beautiful water tight connection, damn things are around $2-$3 per connector though, lol.

[@aserta]

12:33 honestly, i would undo that nut and snake that part through the casement rather than try to take the hydra through it. I would also not throw that cable out, rather repair it and put it in storage. Those connectors are easily (relatively) re-pinned. I've repaired several military radios in the past (as a hobby) and it's actually quite fun.

[@andrewdunstone3078]

Agree, it would have been how it was installed looking at the design. Much easier to feed from the solenoid side down to the mounting bracket.

[@999torino]

Saved me from making the same comment.

[@cpawp]

That's a man who can make complicated things work again - Chapeau!

[@chrisdzisiak7540]

Hmmm, on the farm we use the same mil spec. connectors on some of our ag equipment. Yes, the same 19 pin connection. Not crazy expensive to replace nor to fix actually. Pull the four bolt plate off and check for extra wire first, because that’s how it would be fixed in the repair depot as a quality expedient fix to put the tank back in service. One level up if you have not enough slack is single wire replacement. There are many many ways to overcomplicate a quality repair. I expect what has happened was the connection was rammed together without proper alignment, pushing the socket back and a poor connection has over heated the contact point.

[@frenchroast1355]

I've watched many repair videos and have been bored to tears within seconds, wishing to get to the meat of the problem without all the blah,blah,blah. I could watch Steve all day. He's the only one who makes removing an electrical component or whatever interesting and makes working on a leopard tank seem as intuitive as making a ham sandwich.

[@plainnpretty]

Well said

[@asya9493]

Yes, Steve would be great instructor and it shows in his videos.

[@hoyks1]

Should be a retired avionics technician in Cairns that can give you a crash course in re-pinning cannon plugs.

[@noelwhittle7922]

.... or even do the job. Not a job for amateurs but definitely doable for those who know.

[@54mgtf22]

That single transmission cable is more complex than the entire wiring harness on my 1954 MG. Good job, Steve. Good luck, future Steve.

[@tm5123]

Love the deep dives into the particulars of specific tanks.

[@QALibrary]

Woop woop another video and not a Wednesday!!!

[@tdb7992]

I love your Friday afternoon uploads. Just as I’m leaving work and looking for something to watch on the train ride home, one pops up for me to watch. G’day from Western Australia, lads.

[@utha2665]

Ha, I was about to say, getting ready to go home, we are in the same timezone, except I am still at work 😭

[@kalaharimine]

German solenoids are just "fantastic" the ones on our Tower Cranes kept our maintenance teams busy. Climbing up there day and sometimes night was such joy.

[@TX-biker]

🤠hats off to Steve. A mechanical genius amongst a shop full of metal masters😎 Great job of explaining the process, and excellent editing as always

[@mikewilson631]

Looking at what came out, I would say that your best chance of replacement with minimal pain is to dismantle the connector at the flange and try to feed that through from the top, reassembling once in place. Good luck....

[@johnmclean6498]

Thats a good suggestion, once you picture it in your mind. No doubt Steve will do it that way.

[@schwabrichard9829]

Good morning from Virginia! Steve makes the impossible trouble shooting and repair project APPEAR easy!

[@tomasedson2111]

Excellent video. Very well explained. Congratulations and all the best always.

[@michaelday1073]

Use to repair/replace those type of connectors and could probably do it in my sleep. Aircraft use them all over the place and Steve did the troubleshooting exactly right. Break the system down into smaller and smaller bits until you reach the end. If I could, I'd be there to do a re-wire job and show you an easier way to feed the octopus back up inside. The trick is to get your wire labels and make sure Steve is the only one to deal with it (Find a pin in/out diagram and label them accordingly (A-A, B-B, or 1-1, 2-2 etc.) should be found on the face of the connector or the rear of the connector). And to feed it back inside the transmission make all the wires the same length so it will be one size and feed easier. Then you can shorten the wires as need be to make all your connections and wrap up the harness.

[@chefchaudard3580]

It needs a specific crimping tool and an extraction tool to remove the pins from the connector. To simplify the task, I would suggest to work pin by pin (remove a damaged one, crimp a new pin, put it in place in the new connector, and so on) another way is to take a picture and list wire colors with the pin number on the connector to start with. Spare parts can certainly be ordered online.

[@asya9493]

I was going to say that avionics techs will be cracking a beer and a packet of peanuts and putting their feet up when they see this 😅😅😅

[@bobbrown5529]

you couldn't pay me enough money to be a mechanic . You really have patience , me , I would have no hair left . Truly looking forward to the next episode , hopefully to see this Leopard run free .

[@ottovonbismarck2443]

1:02 Memories ... I changed a few of these. A two and a half hour job. 30 minutes changing the part followed by a 2 hours nap.

[@macv812]

Guys like many others are asking. Having basic maintenance or fixing of running vehicles are great to watch and just as interesting. All tanks old and new have something of great interest to offer. Believe it or not, personally watching the boys do their hard work is of value. Its interesting seeing their problem solving skills in action lol. Great effort on this show. Love it and look forward to the tank fix hoping for that 30min plus vid hahaha. All the best to all of you in the workshop. Thanks for all the education. J

[@DataC0llect0r]

Never expected you guys to have a Dutch Leopard I in the museum.😮

[@fuchyBE]

it's a Belgian Leopard but from the Flemish unit (2/4L)

[@DataC0llect0r]

@@fuchyBE thanks you 😁

[@stephengunnell5048]

Would it have been easier to remove the male connector from the square plate and feed it up into the box, withdrawing it from the top?

[@Musketeer009]

Good idea. I was thinking of attatching a wire to the end of the loom as you drew it out, and leaving it in the pipe to make it easier to draw the new loom back through to the solenoids. Good evening from the UK, by the way.

[@Plushy01]

not without disassembling the male connector by cutting the wires .

[@johnnycakestretton298]

Looking forward to the 2 hour video of threading the loom back in!

[@harpomarx7777]

Well, he must not be very fond of that watch or he'd take it off before foraging through all that metal~! Nice tour of the Leopard; enjoyed watching this.

[@lloydgoldston3620]

Always like the updates of Steve chasing down mechanical/electrical issues. Methodical troubleshooting each time.

[@sweethomevirginia7746]

Oh man, hope the parts arrive soon. What a chore to get that threaded back in. May the force be with you, lol :)

[@dr.ryttmastarecctm6595]

*220321SMAR24* Oh, I know the pain of multi-wire connections. I was a member of a model railroad museum in Tucson (AZ, USA) for many years. The museum inherited a very detailed HO scale engine house and turntable diorama. There were at least 8 tracks that went into the engine house. Each track was energized, one at a time, to move the locos. The builder used rotary switches to energize a specific track and all of this resulted in a thick wire bundle. To my horror, the crew that dismantled the piece cut through the wire bundle without labeling the wires. I spent months first deciphering the logic behind the controls then tracing each output wire from each control panel switch to the matching input wire. Label & repeat. Finally, I was able to rotate the turntable under power and stop at the correct track. Patience is a virtue fuelled by Rum & Cokes.

[@markdavis2475]

It looks like fluid got inside the connector. We use these on our equipment. We found the best way to protect them is to put a good coating of silicon grease inside the receptacle part and then mate them. You probably already know not to use petroleum-based grease or oil (like WD40, etc.); it will attack the seals in the plug.

[@vsvnrg3263]

i just made the suggestion to fill it full of vaseline. there will be seals that work well with vaseline but silicon grease sounds more mil-spec.

[@markdavis2475]

@@vsvnrg3263 Yes silicone definitely the preferred option. Vaseline is petroleum based.

[@keithgarland3404]

Very interesting, especially the fault diagnosis procedure, your mechanic knows his stuff, surprised he didnt pull string/rope through with the old loom. Good video 👍

[@russwoodward8251]

Nice work. Steve's a great troubleshooter. Thanks Aus Armour.

[@kimkeam2094]

Steve, the fact you are aware of the wiring issue and understand why it happened I seriously think you should repair it. So many of the tanks use mil spec connectors and the expertise that you will develop will repair this tank and many more in the future. If I can do it, as I had before retiring, you certainly will achieve this skill.

[@VegasCyclingFreak]

12:30 It appears to me that the easy way to remove and/or reinstall that harness is to remove that big nut on the 19-pin connector and thread it thru the hole provided on the engine, then reattach it to that plate.

[@williamstoutjesdijk-ry2oz]

Love video, the Steve explains his thought process…. 😃👍🏻

[@r.allengilbertjr.6457]

Amazing work. This is a wonderful episode.

[@ianbell5611]

Great work Well done Steve

[@harry3282]

Always interesting and educational. Cheers

[@TooManyHobbiesJeremy]

Wow! I love learning about operational procedures & features. Thanks for the informative video.

[@K0nt4kt]

SO great to take it all apart and actually find tyhe problem!

[@ajds]

Beautiful video - always a pleasure to watch someone who knows what they are doing and does it right.

[@davidlawrencebanks4610]

Great old school diagnosis 👍👍

[@andrewsteele7663]

Thanks Steve, I will be able to make it through to Workshop Wednesday, Cheers

[@plainnpretty]

Most enjoyable Thanks Kurt

[@bradanderson1627]

Simple yet mind blowing 🤯🤯🤯🤯 still fun to over come the challenge.

[@Drgutts]

Love your videos. That said I watched your wiring harness removal. I noticed the locknut on the plate. I think you pulled out the wiring harness backwards. You should be able to feed the plug end down first from the top. Should be alot easier.

[@mbak7801]

What a beautiful condition vehicle. Working on it must be fantastic.

[@richardraby6266]

Nice Video, very well explained, once more hats off to you guys, sure somehow that you will fix this one, as always.

[@ctid107]

Just FYI, acrylic art paint is great for marking cables, just paint different number of rings or colours or both. Has the advantage of not stripping off or snagging like tags if pulled round an edge that you can't see. Might also have been a good idea to attach a draw line before you pulled it through. Makes it easy to guide the new cable back in later.

[@billyponsonby]

Excellent

[@alejandromartinamor8752]

Genial video Steve una vez mas dando muestra acabada de su conocimiento pero sobretodo de su oficio que eso no se aprente en ningun manual por aqui extendiendo el desayuno con unos mates en mis vacaciones por empezar trabajos en mi hogar, siempre espero con entusiasmo sus programas un cordial saludo desde Argentina

[@722garage9]

Mr Hewes in the UK will have a loom!!

[@TheBas1984]

Nice! its a Dutch tank! (from the Netherlands!) Greets From the Netherlands!

[@fuchyBE]

it's a Belgian Leopard but from the Flemish unit (2/4L)

[@TheBas1984]

@@fuchyBE scherp!

[@skyraider8793]

Very smart man.

[@larsbkurin1740]

Very nice video. These ZF gearboxes are a Lego and absolutely wonderful to work with. The basis is the same as in heavier dump trucks. Got really jealous of Steve.

[@fireabend_1226]

Great video, with apparently very competent employees in the workshop. Go on like that.

[@rhyswoodman6781]

Awesome!

[@tuckero23]

repinning those connectors is pretty easy, with the right tools

[@yattaran1484]

Thank you guys for showing us awesome analysis to solve the problem. It just looks a nightmare to me. Can't wait to watch part 2 of this !.

[@dreadnoughtwot8234]

This is a beutyfull work

[@grahamlewis5888]

Wooo another Fix-it Friday.

[@NesconProductions]

Great bit of diagnosing the problem here! Getting and using the feedback to find the source of the issue was excellent. Can see the perils of the work on Steve's finger nails 😳- Ouch! I'm curious about the demand for Leopard I parts these days (& for old Russian tanks / mech. equipment as well..), for needed active service vehicles elsewhere 🤔? Best wishes to them finding the wire 🐙they need & getting it 🐍'ed back in. Thanks as always to all those involved at the AA&AM!

[@diabolicalartificer]

Wiring Mil Spec cables is a highly skilled job. I've tried to wire a few, the air was blue & I'm used to soldering vintage tech. The multicore cable isn't cheap either & often only available if you buy a 100M roll, you may be talking $1000's just for the cable. Do hope you get it fixed, good luck.

[@herpaeus9027]

Should have got Steve to look at the DSG gearbox in my VW Tiguan when it gave up the ghost...

[@Ian-mj4pt]

A Friday treat how wonderful ❤love how you are also doing other clips showing the inner working of the tanks. Its all very interesting to see. Anything to do with these wonderful machines is like visual pudding. I mean its a Tank who doesn't want to see work on a tank no matter what 😅😅i can imagine off camera there was plenty of bleeping 😅good luck learning how to do the wiring.

[@Slaktrax]

My favourite tank. The build quality makes the British tanks I worked with for ten years feel like they were made by amateurs. The MTU V10, twin supercharged, multi-fuel diesel sounds fantastic and was very reliable, unlike our Chieftains. We used to watch them thundering along at about 65 k's on the Weizendorf Corridor which leads the the Hohne Ranges (a concrete access road specifically for tracked vehicles built before WW2).

[@smalcolmbrown]

Thanks :)

[@GERntleMAN]

I've soldered those connectors back when I was 16 doing a vacation job at the Frankfurt airport. They were used for ramp agent to pilot communication and inside the aircraft. They are also used on sensory equipment to locate explosive ordnance in the private sector, that's when I stumbled upon those connectors again. So for me it would be plan A to solder new connectors to the wiring loom and the least would be to go through the hassle of swapping the loom. Different expertises I guess. But 120PS really shouldn't be more than what a mechanic drives 😄 Or is there a horsepower tax in Australia?

[@neilfairless4589]

Amphenol conncetors are great Steve, tricky to wire up but really reliable. They are water and dust proof so may have been damaged in a previous removal mate. Cracking fault finding as always.

[@jasonclark8578]

Awesome work, and good diagnosis. Mil spec plugs aren't too hard to rewire if you really needed to.

[@Bill53AD]

Love this video. Having spent time designing and building wire harnesses, it is no fun for someone who has never done it. That connector should have been watertight (IP68) so I would say the internal seal got damaged and no one replaced it. Lucky only 19 pins wait till you do a 110-pin connector. All in all, a great video mate.

[@FrancSchiphorst]

Normally the issue is always at the other end but looks like in this case you had a warmup problem at one end and load of stuff at the other end. Good job and well filmed taking us all through the entire system!

[@jamesreid7221]

Hey, love the show. As an Aircraft Mechanic I deal with lots of canon plugs. All canon plugs can be replaced, you don’t need a new harness. There should be a milspec number on both the jack side and the plug side. I would assume that do to the age of the tank the wires are soldiered in to place. I would contact an Aircraft engineer to help you out.

[@northlandrider5396]

Design engineers have been making mechanic's lives interesting forever.

[@davidkimmel4216]

You guys have to be wizards. Thanks so much

[@johnanon6938]

To put a wiring harness back in I'd probably tie a piece of heavy duty rope or steel aircraft cable several feet down. Then hold it upside down (19 pin connector at top) and use black electrical tape here and there along the length often to keep all the connectors from moving/bunching up in a single spot.

[@Rudi-Mhz]

Congratulation Steve ! Always the Pins ! I do not remember, but i think there was a special grease,, that was inserted into these electric clutches. Please excuse my englisch. My Brother is 72 and he was what we call Schirrmeister Hauptfeldwebel in the Bundeswehr. He fixed Leopard, Gepard, Fuchs and Luchs Panzer. He is still a though cookie . He would love to fix this staff with you ! But...so far away to go. Good Job Steve !

[@Ganiscol]

As a huge fan of wiring, I'd love to do this! If you pay all expenses, I'd come over from Switzerland and do it for you. 😅

[@kittehgo]

How would you like to be paid?,in kangaroos or spiders?

[@kittehgo]

@@anthonyj7989 So just out of curiosity, what is the minimum wage in box jellyfish?

[@mikeschillinger4427]

Those 19 pin connectors look very much like the connectors used on the AMF 82/70A and B chassis connectors. Although I think they may have more pins, but look very similar. They are often available used and you can buy the AMP pins from a good electronics supply company.

[@bigmac60]

Just like being back at work. Just when you think you’ve sorted it. 💥 😂

[@stephenyoud6125]

I don’t envy Steve on this job. Good luck threading that lot back through

[@classicalcarpenter4297]

You should have left a draw wire in as you pulled the assembly out. Also, 36 or 42mm socket to dis assemble the Cannon Receptacle - this means you are feeding the Cannon Receptacle from the top and keeping the octopus her it belongs...in the distribution housing. Does that make sense?

[@johnmclean6498]

Abso-tanking-lutely

[@runerafell4480]

For steve ❤ ,when threading the wire loom back inn ,tape it so its slim then u can just take the tape off after 😁 masking tape works best

[@fuchyBE]

You can switch to the NL or GER automatic shifter if you have issue with that one (tried once and worked) Even on road, we were instructed to stay in VG, V apparently can cause some stress and failure ( but can't confirm as I never used that position)

[@paulday-lh5mx]

Its Friday and we get a little tease video to help us through the weekend. Thankyou. Who do we speak with to have workshop Monday through Friday?

[@Vlaid65]

And I thought a van loom could be complicated. Best of luck with the wrestling match!

[@mjorr3081]

... turret pin crimpers - a wonderfull too

[@paoloviti6156]

Generally speaking the Leopard 1A2 was a very reliable tank! I know because when I was doing compulsory military service in Italy in 1980 and was quite often driving and doing service on those tanks. We have rarely pulled out the engine and I don't remember if we ever pulled the transmission. I remember that we never liked the M60 as we considered it bulky, slow and underpowered! Great job you are doing on my favourite tank 👍👍👍👍

[@garycharland3018]

I cannot imagine servicing such a beast. I'm out of my depth with my Cadillac, so I can't imagine trouble shooting something like that!

[@chrisbailey4254]

Hi i have used this method for jobs like this bind a piece of 1/8th welding wire onto the loom using masking tapeleave some areas of the rod exposed so that you caget a hook of some sort under it to help thread/push/pull it through to where it needs to be. Dont leave the tape on for too long as the moisture in the air makes it crappy to remove. Regards Chris Bailey

[@rtwpsom2]

When you feed the new wires through, feed them in the opposite way you did now. Feed the 19 pin connector through the top. Remove it from the cap that is bolted to the side of the transmission, feed it through, then reassemble it to the cap.

[@Rusty_Gold85]

Steve ! Hope you can read this ? I used to work in Telecommunications pulling phone cables through Pipes all the time . What you need is a roll of shrink wrap from a Telstra Construction Jointer ( if he reads this he will know what I mean and run some out to you) And wrap the cables tightly around with it, lasso a string and this is how I pull a large cable back up pipes. If you can't get hold of any use electrical tape and bind all the loose wires up in a constriction as tight as possible and with a rope it should go moderately easier up that hole.

[@jonathanbiggar4973]

Fix it Friday with Steve 😀

[@Thijs99]

Great video! Steve, did you notice that the identification plate @5:58 is already missing 2 bolts! Just like said yourself, you don’t want to imagine what could happen to the transmission with loose bolts lying in the transmission. Keep up the good work.

[@lilPOPjim]

Doing Mil.Spec connnectors is pretty straight forward. It's just a case of getting the correct tool to crimp everything, and like you said, make sure you have the correct pin layout :P

[@paulorchard7960]

Take my advice, take a months holiday the day before the parts arrive!😅🇦🇺👍

[@________2705]

beautiful 'understandable' tech actually

[@jamestiberiuskirk5994]

I feel his pain being a former usaf aircraft electrician. I have had to do similar work like that on A-10's and a few other aircraft types. You learn patience real early in your career when u need to rebuild the wiring harness and d-pin a cannon plug.

[@andrewnorgrove6487]

OMG who would make such a complicated switching mechanism ! was looking forward to the transmission being pulled out and stripped Being a retired transmission specialist

[@brucehewson5773]

looking at the transmission cable connector - it looks like if you remove the two nuts from the connector you could pull it back inside - thus pulling all the cable through the solenoid cover.

[@jamessuman2151]

You can buy those connectors and crimpable pins from ALS connector tech. They were obviously developed in the military but are becoming more common in aftermarket automotive and racing applications (suprised Steve hasn't fixed them before in his rallying days to be honest!) Looks like you'd undo the double nuts on the plate and feed the harness down from the top?

[@Rich77UK]

That ZF inverted diagram is the reason these Leopards and the Leopard 2s are so popular the world over. Well thought out, robust and reliable. These Leopard 1s are still fighting today in Ukraine (albeit the Gepard AA version). Amazing vehicles.

[@nikesan2472]

leopard tanks are also there,dont know how much action they had.