Tinkering With Tanks

Tinkering With Tanks Keeping history moving. Arran & the workshop team at Norfolk Tank Museum restore and operate historic military vehicles

bringing the past back to life. 🔧🛠️

That went south rather quickly!! 😞 Front idler bearing has a large amount of play while it probably would adjust up fin...
31/05/2026

That went south rather quickly!!
😞
Front idler bearing has a large amount of play

while it probably would adjust up fine, we would rather inspect the bearings and check all is well first!

Yesterday we braved the blazing sunshine and began paint prep on Chieftain AVRE 01 EB 57.Both tracks came off, the near ...
30/05/2026

Yesterday we braved the blazing sunshine and began paint prep on Chieftain AVRE 01 EB 57.

Both tracks came off, the near side was jacked and supported, and all 12 road wheels were removed. At 80kg each, they're not exactly something you throw around one-handed!

Now comes everyone's favourite part of restoration: cleaning, degreasing, scraping, cleaning again, and then wondering why it's still dirty...
Tanks: 10% engineering, 90% cleaning. 😅

Their is a lot of parts on the running shaft out of the TN12 gearbox from a chieftain MBT! This gearbox was rebuild read...
29/05/2026

Their is a lot of parts on the running shaft out of the TN12 gearbox from a chieftain MBT!
This gearbox was rebuild ready for our chieftain CHAVRE

All six cylinder liners from a Mk13A2 Leyland L60 laid out together.This opposed-piston 2-stroke engine doesn’t use conv...
19/05/2026

All six cylinder liners from a Mk13A2 Leyland L60 laid out together.
This opposed-piston 2-stroke engine doesn’t use conventional valves — instead the pistons uncover the ports machined into the liners themselves.

Upper 8 ports = exhaust
Lower 9 ports = inlet/scavenge

A scavenger blower forces fresh air through the inlet ports, clearing exhaust gases and recharging the cylinder ready for the next power stroke.
Brilliantly engineered…… and definitely not your average engine rebuild.

The Cent AVRE definitely looks cool with a fascine on the front!! 02 BA 58 bloodhound
18/05/2026

The Cent AVRE definitely looks cool with a fascine on the front!!

02 BA 58 bloodhound

Southbound! Probably know the way by now!!
17/05/2026

Southbound! Probably know the way by now!!

Things got bad real quick! Started off as a quick seal change - we now about to split it in half! Tn12 gearbox from a ch...
05/05/2026

Things got bad real quick! Started off as a quick seal change - we now about to split it in half!

Tn12 gearbox from a chieftain Main battle tank!

Floor plate is making its way to the CHAVRE ready to refit this morning. Looking quite smart!
21/04/2026

Floor plate is making its way to the CHAVRE ready to refit this morning.

Looking quite smart!

Landrover sandwich!! Delivering a lightweight back to its owner to do the wiring etc etc it’ll be back at some point to ...
19/04/2026

Landrover sandwich!! Delivering a lightweight back to its owner to do the wiring etc etc it’ll be back at some point to overhaul the engine reassemble it and paint!

Today is a building a Chieftain floor plate kinda day!
18/04/2026

Today is a building a Chieftain floor plate kinda day!

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