PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-633
PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly
ISSUE 633
AUGUST 2005
PS 633
AUG 05
3
Don’t use the brush on electrical components. Instead, wipe them down with a
damp—not soaking wet—cloth. Be careful not to get water into electrical connectors.
See Step 12 under
Cleaning and Lubrication
in your -10-1 TM’s PMCS for more
information.
Outside the Turret
It’s OK to clean the outside of the tank with steam or water as long as you follow
the precautions spelled out in Step 13 under
Cleaning and Lubrication
in your -10-1
TM’s PMCS.
Pay special attention to Item 13e,
which says to close all open hatches,
grilles, and access doors. Although
not specifically stated, this means
you should also activate the turret’s
inflatable seal to protect the race
ring from water damage.
An uninflated seal allows water,
dirt and other contaminants to be
forced inside the race ring. Grease is
washed away and corrosion starts.
That leads to damage to the springs,
ball bearings, and race ring.
The inflatable seal is found on
most M1 and M1A1 tanks and on some M1A2 tanks. If your tank doesn’t have the
seal,
do not
use high-pressure water or steam around the race ring area.
Don’t forget to grease the race ring monthly with WTR, too.
That keeps corrosion away and the race ring turning smoothly.
M1-Series Tanks…
Dear Half-Mast,
When cleaning our M1A1 tank after a field exercise, we’ve been told
it’s OK to use high-pressure water by some folks, while others say it’s
definitely off limits.
Can you give us the real low-down?
SSG P.S.J.,
Dear Sergeant P.S.J.,
Sure can. The answer is yes.
..and no. Some parts of the tank are off limits while
others are OK for high-pressure water or steam. Let me explain.
Inside the Turret
You should
never
use high-
pressure water or steam inside
the turret or driver’s station. It
forces water inside high dollar
line replaceable unit (LRU) com-
ponents.
The water creates electrical
shorts, corrodes connectors and
receptacles, ruins circuit cards
and generally causes all kinds of
expensive havoc.
If the inside of your turret
needs cleaning, use a nylon bris-
tle brush and a bucket of soapy
water to clean it. Rinse with clean
water from a bucket and make
sure the drain valves are open so
water can drain out of the hull.
time for
a good
cleaning!
I sure could
use a
good
cleaning
after
that field
exercise!
yeah,
but can I
use high-
pressure
water to
do a
really
good
job?
but you haven’t
inflated my turret
seal yet!
High pressure
water inside
turret damages
electrical
components
Use bucket
of soapy
water and
brush for
cleaning
633.02-03 (C).qxd
6/23/05
6:42 PM
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