PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-693
PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly
ISSUE 693
AUGUST 2010
2
PS 693
AUG 10
3
PS 693
AUG 10
Dear Half-Mast,
We’re constantly
finding standing water
inside the ammo
compartments of our
tanks.
We thought it was
simple condensation,
so we used desiccant
bags, NSN 6850-
00-264-6571, like
you said on Page 7 of
PS 685 (Dec 09).
That helped some,
but we kept getting
more water than the
desiccant bags could
handle.
Any ideas on what
could be causing this
water problem and what
we can do to stop it?
SSG H.M.P.
Dear Sergeant H.M.P.,
I’ve got a few ideas that might help. Take a close
look at the blow-off panels. Sometimes the seals under
these panels wear out and allow water to leak through
to the ammo compartment.
If those aren’t causing the problem, are you using high-pressure water or steam
to clean the engine compartment when the powerpack is removed? That can force
water past the gasket on the hull ammo well access panel and into the ammo
compartment. Check the gasket and try to avoid spraying this panel in the future.
There’s also a small environmental cover to the
rear of the blow-off panels you should check. Cracked
welds, broken or missing bolts, or a leaky seal can all
lead to water problems in the ammo compartment.
Last, but not least, make sure
you keep your tank covered with
a tarp, especially when it’s going
to be stored for a while.
There are two new form-Ftting
tarps available for M1A1 tanks
that work especially well. Use
NSN 2540-01-568-9376 to get a
tan tarp. NSN 2540-01-568-9379
brings a green tarp. NSNs for
specially designed M1A2 tarps
aren’t yet available, so use the
tarp from your BII.
Keep using the desiccant bags, too. They really help.
Check
blow-off
panel seals
No high-pressure water on
hull ammo well access panel!
M1-Series Tanks…
getting the wet out!
The ammo compartment
is full of water again…
no sense wasting it!
got an
extra bar
of soAp?
693.02-03.indd
1-2
6/25/10
1:07:47 PM
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