Farmer Phils Tank Episode 2 - Removing The Broken Engine From The Only Road Legal Tank In The UK!

[@philstaples8122]

The joys of a pack lift, the last time I did one of these was for 04EB66, my tank at the time back in around 1986 on the Soltau training area Germany fuelled by Herforder german beer and something from Wolfgang's Schnelly Wagon ;) It's quite sad to see these old Chieftain's in such a poor state

[@fittermat]

Keep watching and they will slowly come back to life!

[@philstaples8122]

@@fittermat Get the gun kit working, the engine and gearbox is one thing but get the metadynes running and stabilisation, that will be cool

[@davedickinson822]

Dark o’clock and raining?

[@richardmessenger9474]

Wolfgang...absolute legend...👍👍

[@hbombharry]

@@richardmessenger9474 absolutely he was

[@1chish]

Now THAT is some seriously impressive heavy engineering. Well done lads. 👍👏👏

[@fittermat]

Cheers!

[@mikeandhev]

This takes me back, a Chieftain pack having to come out was an all too familiar experience for me, I always got the job of removing the twiflex coupling bolts that connect the centrifugal clutch to the engine - happy days 👀👍

[@fittermat]

At least they saw that they would be troublesome engines and made them fairly easy to remove!

[@legbreaker2762]

Video quality and presentation has come along a treat! Awesome work there boys.

[@fittermat]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@NUTTER8291]

FANTASTIC VIDEO GUYS 🤘 Great photography and well explained!! THIS is what we wanted to see !! ( yes we know that's not always possible) Oh what I would do to get my hands wrapped around that engine extraction... sigh them were the days at Duxford BRILLIANT WORK GUYS !! KEEP IT UP !!

[@fittermat]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@rhydtuned]

Great to see more of the mechanical side and time-lapse is great 👍😎

[@fittermat]

Will try and get more stuff in like that when we have time to set it up

[@nickslistm246]

Great to see the old wrecker earning its keep.

[@kensherwood4866]

First thanks for taking the time to post this video, and promising more to come. Great to see you all working on and resurrecting otherwise neglected kit. I personally don't mind the "banter" it adds to the fun. As someone with limited knowledge of such machines I sometimes would welcome a simple bit of on screen text to say what it is your working on, is the part of the machine being removed etc. Cheers

[@fittermat]

More to come!

[@georges3978]

Perfect video format, semi montage semi walkthrough, more of this, I loved it!

[@fittermat]

Thanks! Were hoping that the chap who did the filming and editing on this one can come and help us more often

[@tezinho81]

One thing I've learnt about tanks in these videos; there ain't much that can't be fixed with a whacking great hammer and a can of WD40

[@fittermat]

Its 90% of our toolset

[@Harry-kw1fy]

best video of this type i have seen Excellent work boys

[@fittermat]

Thank you so much 😀

[@robinlander1158]

You are right about the early engines unfortunately. I was a loader on modified MK2 in the first half of the 70's. I cant remember the number of pack changes we had . Coolant leaks were common, and the white cloud being blown out of the transmission decks was regular. Another problem was the fan belts constantly snapping, and damaging hydraulic and fuel pipes as they flew off. It was a great shame because the gun and fire control system was brilliant. I loved shoveling HESH rounds up the breach as fast as the gunner could fire them, but saying that our gunner was pretty good and got on target with a few rounds, and as for SABOT I dont ever remember him missing on the first shot.

[@fittermat]

With the right engine (a rolls Royce) the chieftain would have been the world beater it should have been

[@swagmanexplores7472]

Having restored a centurion myself, I see the Chieftain - even a rusty one - as a thing of beauty 😁

[@nickthorpe5990]

What is the back story to you guys? How did you get started in military vehicles?

[@MrHewes]

I was a farmers son till I did some mowing at Armourgeddon Tank Paintball and asked Stuart for a job!

[@timsm201]

One decent thing about the L60 for me it’s the best sounding engine of all✅

[@natph3689]

Video editing / quality has improved so much

[@fittermat]

A different lad filmed and edited this as I was away, whenever he's available we will be using him in the future

[@davidbarnsley8486]

And you got the old wrecker out to lift the engine out Just like back in the day with these two All your guys needs was some old green overalls and we would have thought we were watch the actual army doing it 👍👍

[@fittermat]

haha the only green overalls we have are John Deere!

[@formhubfar]

Tax ran out on 1st Oct 2008, BNT185K.., its on the tax checker website.

[@fittermat]

Better get it registered as exempt! don't want to be paying for tax!

[@formhubfar]

@@fittermat Have to keep our MP's up in the life they have become accustomed to (eye roll emoji).

[@pauljagger1911]

Love the way you keep the old machines going ,but to an old Tanker it's a shame the electrics can't be fixed ,traversing a turret by hand was always a nightmare. And the sight of a Chieftain traveling cross country with the gun on Stab was impressive, so I assume the electrics are all shot out ,but I do like all your videos so crack on ..

[@farmerfuller87]

Fantastic editing and videography coming along great channel and content thanks lads

[@brianwillson9567]

Can’t wait to see the finished job. Bet by the time you have finished, the proverbial sewing machine will sound rough in comparison.

[@fittermat]

Hopefully!

[@tompas11A3n52KkX]

Good job lads. I'm all with you on this. You know I have worked as a mechanic for18 years. As for now I'm not. Working I mean. Now I just sitting here comfortably tilted back and sipping a really good smokey Islay whisky. What can beat that? All the rain that falls on England must mean that you have Europe's largest rainforests. Right?

[@fittermat]

I hope you enjoy watching us suffer now that you don't have to 😂

[@tompas11A3n52KkX]

@@fittermat You lads are doing a great job and i love every minut of it. Cheers!

[@dimievers5573]

Good stuff lads . If all else is unmolested it should make for a decent pub runner I reckon 😉

[@fittermat]

She isn't too terrible underneath the neglect

[@dimievers5573]

@@fittermat I am glad you lot got yourself a good one then 😉 carry on lads

[@johnkauffman6347]

I never get tired of seeing your videos

[@reddo84]

wicked! like the way the channel is going. Cheers Jim

[@fittermat]

Thanks!

[@andrewwilliams5929]

BNT… nice Shropshire registration number 😊👍🏻

[@fittermat]

The numberplate is the best bit of the tank!

[@andrewwilliams5929]

@@fittermat yes! Looking forward to seeing it on the road, that first trip to the pub will be excellent 🍻😆

[@philleeson7835]

Dvla still have it on record. Last taxed 2008, last V5 issued 2005

[@Stgpop]

I love seeing old martian working it is so cool

[@fittermat]

Its a babe of a thing

[@robleary3353]

Poor old thing!. From the external shots, looked like it had beem used for tank 'dodgems'. Bodgey bros, (Aka Mr Hughes and off sider) did it!. Always an education. Where was Matt on this one? 🤣

[@woody0393]

if you put new engine in please keep it as an L60, the noise alone is worth every penny! lol

[@fittermat]

Its the only redeeming feature of the L60

[@eMGunslinger]

I keep telling Joe y'all need to just become youtube professionals. Have the content for it for sure.

[@fittermat]

working on it! Hopefully we will get the chance to come out and visit once you've taken delivery and do some videos over there!

[@eMGunslinger]

@@fittermat You boys are welcome anytime, except in the summer. The heat would literally kill us all lol. I really need to come out there and hang with yall. Maybe once the Chieftain is running and we can all go to the pub.

[@fittermat]

@@eMGunslinger Now that sounds like a plan to me! And while were out there we can fill a container full of M35's and Jeeps to bring back with us!

[@firkit2]

Give me challenger pack lift any day. Doing a chieftain 1 on exercise was a right pain in the arse

[@simonwoolsey436]

Epic video 📹 😎 👌

[@fittermat]

Thanks!

[@liamboddy3368]

Awsome video what’s made you change from Milwaukee to snap on impact gun?

[@MrHewes]

The robbery has, they left the Snapon gun behind 🤣

[@navaraboy3000]

I’m surprised no one has Tesla converted one of these yet. Plenty of room for batteries and I assume everything is driven of a single hydraulic motor. Perhaps a project when you get to 100k subs

[@31144]

Are you havin a fuckin laugh ?

[@navaraboy3000]

@@31144 100% serious, they say they want to make a go at their KZbin channel, a build series covering the conversion of a 1980’s war tank to electric would get millions of viewers. A bit like Richrebuilds v8 powered Tesla

[@fittermat]

If we could get a sponsor on board to help with the costs we would be up for it. The problem is they aren't hydraulically driven, these are direct mechanical drive, this is a problem we could overcome but a donor excavator, enough batteries, a powerful enough motor and the electric wizardry to make it all talk would be around the 50k mark before we even pick up a spanner

[@PantherSerpahin]

@@navaraboy3000 you realise your gonna need the equivalent of 3 Teslas tourqe output to even get this thing moving? Once you see a successfully electrified class 8 or HGV then you can look at the electrification of one of these because that's the same power/tourqe figures you're looking at.

[@ckm-mkc]

@@navaraboy3000 A model S Plaid makes around 900 fl. lb. of torque. The L60 makes close to 1500 ft. lb., almost 50% more. Even on paper, it doesn't work, never mind in the real world.... Never mind that you would almost certainly break mechanical bits like Tesla did in the Roadster before they eliminated the transmission. The reality is that it's one thing to put that much torque against a stationary 5000 lb car or even a 10,000 lb truck, but when you are talking about a 124,000 lb tank, well, physics.

[@nicholasviney5975]

Joe's lost his hanky, good job his mum put the elastic on his gloves or he would lose them too. Good work on the Centurion, cant wait to see that tearing up the field

[@fittermat]

Shouldn't be too long!

[@TapChanek]

Guys, Just an idea but... I believe sand blasting this tank would be one of most satisfactory video ever!

[@honestmcgyver]

Where’s Mat - thought he was with you for the week? Not the same without him berating everyone! :)

[@fittermat]

haha unfortunately this was a few weeks ago when I was driving the wagon, luckily for you guys you got the good camera man and editor as a substitute!

[@rodneysitler1526]

Good job mates.

[@fittermat]

Cheers!

[@simongleed]

The L60 engine was not a crap engine quite the opposite, it was simply under powered for the job it was asked to do with only 10.2hp per ton to move a 44ton tank. The Chieftain tank was never meant to be 44ton. At the design stage the Chieftain was designed to come in at around 38t to 40t class tank but instead came out at a whopping 44ton this concerned British Leyland engineers as they knew the L60 engine was the wrong engine for the Chieftain tank but the government were insistent on keeping with the L60 engine against the recommendation of the British Army and British Leyland group to move away from the L60 and to design a new engine that was not multi-fuel as this didn't help the L60 engine reliability. NATO partners gave up on developing a multifuel engine, but the British Government was not going to fail on this multifuel engine tank. British Leyland was instructed by the government to improve the output of the engine performance. the problem with increasing the horsepower put a lot of strain on the L60 450hp engine. British Leyland on first attempt got the HP up to 650hp. Now the problems really started with the L60 engine and one of the main problems was the ability reduce the heat generated from engine which exceeded way above the original tests carried out by Leyland engineers. The additional engine heat was caused by the engine being super tuned to get the horsepower up. Vickers made changes to the louvers to increase air flow into the engine compartment to cool the L60 engine down. By now the MOD became the proving ground for the L60 engine which pissed off a lot of the tank crews at the time. The early upgraded engine suffered from twisted engine blocks causing the block to crack under torque stress plus suffered from engine cook off due to the tank crews not following shut down procedures, the extreme heat in the engine bay caused lead seals to fail and piston liners to drop that caused steam to bellow out of the exhausts - this was rectified with improved seals fitted in the MK13a/14a engines. The L60 MK13a, and 13a Red top engines was painted duck egg blue whilst the latest and last 13a(14a) red top engine was painted lime green, these engines are reliable and powerful. I think I read from the 13a red top engines, these was rebuilt by the MOD REME and a new company formed by ex-Leyland employees, these engines was hand built with the latest improved parts. I have a L60 13a(14A) red top completely refurbished by the MOD and never put back into a tank, this engine is over 900hp. I will put a short video up of this engine and feel free to look at our restored Chieftain 04EB32. This tank is very much complete and fully operational except for the gun of course but everything else works, the gyroscope works and trims, turret turns under power, IFCS computer works, the big search light operates. The only thing left to do is remove the engine pack, transmission and GUE so as to repaint the engine bay and repair hydraulic starter. For me British Leyland group, L60 engine, engineers, REME all deserve praise for what they did to improve the L60 engine. These engineers where the best of the best because they at to work with a engine that was never designed to move 65ton when fully loaded and let’s face it there isn't a better sounding howling engine on this planet than the L60 engine.

[@paulpotter1041]

I used to work for MOD, after the L60 disaster was over those responsible wrote a report on what went wrong. I have read that report, the engineering was an unmitigated disaster. The solution never implemented was replacement with the RR V12

[@simongleed]

@@paulpotter1041 Hi Paul that’s really interesting as I have read a fair bit on the L60 engine and the biggest problem was the government not accepting the L60 engine was underpowered for the Chieftain tank. I guess it all came down to tax payers money being wasted. Seems hard to be leave the engineers managed to double the horsepower from original 450hp. Crazy question now but do you have a copy of that report? I would love to read it. What was the titled on the report.

[@paulpotter1041]

@@simongleed No it was on a MOD OS network a few years ago. It could be declassified now but this is unlikely to have happened, without this it could not be put in the public domain.

[@simongleed]

@@paulpotter1041Thanks Peter

[@johnstephens6974]

Notsure where you get 44tons from, chieftain was 56 ton although it varied a little from one mk to another.

[@brealistic3542]

You guys are amazing. 😎

[@davidj837]

Just to let you know there was a road legal centurion out near Carrington in Lincolnshire and surprisingly that was owned by a farmer

[@fittermat]

Do you have any more details on it, sounds like something we should definitely have in the collection!

[@davidj837]

@@fittermat hi it’s been a good few years since I have seen it, it used to go to the carrington show

[@mikeakhurst1855]

Sure you’ll have that engine sorted in no time. Maybe not how it’s supposed to be but sorted 😂

[@fittermat]

We can't make it any worse!

[@QALibrary]

someone showing off with the editing and cinematography but I bet it helps when you have extra time to do stuff

[@fittermat]

This was the work of a very good cameraman who helped out for a few days when I was unavailable. Hoping to get him onboard more, much better at filming and editing than I am!

[@M3PH11]

I've watched the 3 most recent videos now and i have to say the music is far too loud compared to the camera recorded audio. Please learn audio balancing and then turn down the music level so it matches the camera audio. I'm not a video editor, i don't have a YT channel and i know how to do this.

[@ChullsterOG]

Yeah the music is a bit loud, I'm sure the yank viewers like random guitar music played loudly over everything though. :)

[@dancook828]

Ooo you spoil us good sir whot whot

[@fittermat]

trying to keep the content pumping out!

[@twin40dave]

Wow I didn't realise how much space there was at the back of a Chieftain

[@fittermat]

There a big old thing

[@twin40dave]

@@fittermat room for a swimming pool this weather 😄 🤣 😂 , great videos guys , great channel 👍

[@janwitts2688]

Chieftain + engine problems Nuf said

[@31144]

What was that other small exhaust just above the right hand side main engine one ?

[@fittermat]

That's the exhaust for the GUE power pack, used to start the main engine hydraulically and power the tanks electrical systems without running the main engine

[@31144]

What make of engine Matt ?

[@davedickinson822]

@@31144 Coventry Climax H30

[@stewartbrown8115]

The H30 was quite a good engine

[@MrSimonfoz]

Looks epic !!

[@fittermat]

its a bit of a babe

[@jonathanmcmaster8105]

Wolfgang could get where ever there was a pack lift or track bashing going on. Legend!!

[@fittermat]

👌

[@matthewpayne42]

I don't know what's worse, a very rusty engine bay or one filled with concrete.!!!

[@fittermat]

The rust is a little easier to deal with!

[@andyt3304]

I've never personally seen a rusty Chieftain pack bay always covered in oil and diesel 😊

[@timlorlor6888]

cool show lads, had to jog it forward music is crap give me impact gun every time

[@fittermat]

A different lad filmed and edited this one as I was away, will get him updated on some better filler music

[@jeffreytan2948]

That's why you never park anyhing outside for long periods.

[@fittermat]

Its not good for anything!

[@marknoxx4698]

Chaps two questions what is the gun shroud made from ie cloth or asbestos also can we have a close up of the stilbrew add on please

[@fittermat]

Im not too sure to be honest but I suspect asbestos of some kind. I will see what I can do on a stilbrew video.

[@marknoxx4698]

@@fittermat thank you never been up close to mk 10 only mk3 and that was far from complete

[@marknewell7355]

That's mint 👌

[@fittermat]

cheers!

[@marknewell7355]

@@fittermat my pleasure mate still think you should engine swap one though be interesting what you could use in one. Maybe diesel electric

[@steven9562]

Farmer phils chieftain was 00fd82

[@oldgreyhead]

Bl00dy hell, a soundtrack! Thought I'd stumbled onto the Gas Monkey channel........ Great content though.

[@fittermat]

Cheers!

[@rb-mz6pr]

👍

[@GARDENER42]

I want to see what's being done, hear about why it's being done & all the other stuff like your earlier videos. Skipped all the bits with the raucous noise pretending to be music. Sorry but it grates like fu@k for me. Not having a dig, just think it's the wrong direction, as too many Septic channels do the same thing.

[@fittermat]

A different chap filmed and edited this one for us as I wasn't available, they won't all be like this, ill still be doing some of the usual and there will be some more edited ones like this, trying to keep a good mixture.

[@12G_Pyro]

you guys must have shares in WD40!! Looks like the chief needs a WD40 bath

[@fittermat]

If they want to sponsor us were open to it!

[@hbombharry]

Did you find my 10mm socket

[@fittermat]

We found what was your 10mm socket

[@hbombharry]

@@fittermat 😂😂

[@davedickinson822]

10mm not much use on Chieftain. All spanner sizes were AF.

[@hbombharry]

@@davedickinson822 it didn’t matter if it nearly fitted we would hammer it on till it fitted and almost every tool kit I ever signed out had a missing 10mm socket

[@davedickinson822]

@@hbombharry Didn’t have any metric in my time as an A mech. Mostly AF with some BSW.

[@FeHu939]

What the heck is that lead in noise?

[@smudger797]

🤠

[@stephendunne7519]

Why not look nice in black boiler suit overalls ? You would look so professional and be health & Safety too ! Regards Stephen

[@qfina]

How the hell do these guys even learn this stuff?!

[@MrRusty1trumbone]

Is it possible to upgrade a mk11 engine and turn it in to mk13 ?

[@fittermat]

Im not sure to be honest, but we do have an engine that's been gone through ready to fit to this one!

[@MrRusty1trumbone]

@@fittermat looking forward to the video.

[@steven9562]

Would that be farmer phil harding chieftain

[@ajs3046]

For God sake give Joe a lemsip

[@MrHewes]

I was struggling 🥲🤣

[@ajs3046]

@@MrHewes let's just hope your mum washed that tea towel when you gave it back to her 🤢

[@ianatkinson8464]

😎👍

[@fittermat]

👌

[@SuperWayneyb]

🤘😎🤘🇬🇧

[@Woodn509]

T piece, just lift it you silly person…. Got pulled up for using the actual words 🤣 jumped on many of them to make them move! I cringed when I saw where your tools were, on the side decks, lost lots of them that way! L60 was a cracking engine, when used frequently! The last Mk, 13, was red and then duck egg shell blue. I also thought that they got them to 800bhp in the last ones, even though Wikipedia says 750.

[@fittermat]

We have a MK13A ready to fit, will be a video on that shortly

[@Woodn509]

@@fittermat seen it running on KZbin 😉

[@Woodn509]

Being ex REME , not Remmy, 😉, I spent many hours in the back decks of those things🤣

[@pjrebordao]

Doesn't it need to be MOT'd ?

[@fittermat]

Nope, historic vehicle so once we sort it out no tax or mot will be needed

[@QALibrary]

what makes this road legual vs others?

[@fittermat]

Has a DVLA issues logbook and numberplate

[@formhubfar]

Also has rubber pads on the tracks.

[@philstaples8122]

@@formhubfar They all had rubber track pads, sometimes while driving on the road you would hear a bump bump bump sound for a few miles followed by one whinging past your ear

[@LesNewell]

@@fittermat What lies did they tell to get a registration on that beast?

[@kiwigazza5843]

Horrible music

[@josiahhein6036]

How about a little more explanation of what you're doing as the video progresses. Or at least put in writing what the parts are you're removing, as you take them off.

[@KuroSanArts]

How long do you think it will take for you to get banned from every drive through in the country with that? :D

[@fittermat]

When it runs at gallons to the mile it may take us awhile to be able to afford to get to every drive through!

[@johnnunn8688]

Someone have covid?

[@fittermat]

just the sniffles

[@alasdairhamilton1574]

@@fittermat 🤥 A tampon up each nostril, it works for the rugby players.👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@johnnunn8688]

@@fittermat, hell of a ‘sniffle’! 😂🤣

[@mangore623]

Good video....marred by awful music played far too loudly-just-like-every-other-video-on-yourube

[@johnkey1682]