PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-584
PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly
ISSUE 584
JULY 2001
PS 584
JUL 01
15
M1-Series Tanks…
ne of the universal questions for
tankers is, “Where do I store my stuff?”
TMs, helmets, tools, microclimatic
vests, MREs—all of that stuff has to be
stored somewhere.
One place that seems ideal is the open
area behind the thermal receiver unit
(TRU). It’s amazing how much stuff an
industrious tanker can get into such a
small space. But don’t do it!
That space is there for a reason. The
fan on the back of the TRU needs room
to draw in cooling air. Without it, the
TRU burns up and has to be replaced.
And the price tag is a whopping
$98,000!
So don’t store your stuff behind the
TRU. Find somewhere else to put it.
PS 584
JUL 01
M1A1/A2 Tanks…
DON’T ROLL THE DICE
and Here’s
how to put
the parts
together
…
DRAT!!
There goes
my main
gun
elevation
lock
again!
1.
Remove the old cotter pin and
straight-headed pin.
2.
Place the new spring over the
elevation lock.
3.
Slip a washer over the new pin
and slide the pin through the
spring and lock.
4.
Place another washer over the
open end of the pin.
5.
Secure the pin in place with
the new cotter pin.
When you’re finished, make
sure the chain attached to the
lock’s quick-release pin is short
enough to keep the pin from get-
ting caught under the lock.
Remove a few links if necessary.
T
ankers who forget to pin the main gun elevation lock to the gun mount assembly
before firing their M1A1/A2 tank risk some expensive damage.
If the lock is loose, where it
will end up is a roll of the dice.
Sometimes the lock falls forward
out of the way and sometimes it
falls against the breech.
The problem comes when the
lock ends up on the breech. When
the gun is fired, the breech recoils
and snaps back against the lock,
breaking it and shearing off part
of the bracket.
That little slip-up will cost a lot of
downtime while DS repairs or replaces the
gun mount assembly.
Mechanics, you can stop that roll of the
dice by adding a spring to the lock. The
spring automatically forces the lock for-
ward and away from the breech.
Here are the parts you’ll need:
Unsecured locks can break
when main gun is fired
Spring
keeps lock
from
falling
against
breech
14
Don’t stuff items
behind TRU
Spring
Washer
Pin
Cotter pin
ITEM
NSN
584. 14-15 (C)
5/27/01
5:50 PM
Page 1
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