PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-710

PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly

ISSUE 710

JANUARY 2012
PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-710 - Page 6 of 33
8
PS 710
JAN 12
9
PS 710
JAN 12
Dear Editor,
The wire rope that attaches the caps to the W16 and W3 cables for the
M777A2 howitzer just isn’t strong enough for daily use. After a few times
removing and reinstalling the caps, the wire breaks. Usually that means a
lost cap.
Both the W16 cap, NSN 5935-01-559-3903, and the W3 cap,
NSN 5935-01-559-3900, are a bit pricey.
We’ve fixed that expensive problem by replacing the wire lanyard with
one made of weldless chain, NSN 4010-01-353-9368. This chain is
inexpensive-only 77 cents a foot-but is much harder to break than the
wire lanyard. It takes about 15 minutes to modify each cap. Here’s how:
1.±
Remove and save the
screw and lock nut
from the eyelet on
the W16/W3 cable.
This disconnects the
lanyard from the cable.
2.±
Secure the cap in a
vice. You can use a
vice on a workbench
or wrecker.
3.±
Using a #3 flat tip
screwdriver from the
General Mechanics
Tool Kit, pry loose the
pin holding the wire to
the center of the cap.
4.±
Cut a 6-in section of the weldless chain. The chain comes by the foot,
so order as much as you need to replace all the caps in your unit.
5.±
Place one end of the chain over
the hole in the center of the cap
and secure it with a blind rivet,
Move the chain around the cap a
bit. That allows some free play for
screwing the cap on the cable.
6.±
Secure the chain to the cable
using the screw and lock nut that
you removed in Step 1. You’ll need
to leave a little room for free play,
so don’t over-tighten.
7.±
Screw the cap back on the cable.
CW3 Demonte Brooks
606th FSC, 1-377th FAR
Ft Lewis, WA
Editor’s note:
We tip our caps to you, Chief!
On some
older versions, the wire lanyard is attached to the cable using
a rivet instead of the screw and lock nut.
You’ll need to use a
replacement screw and lock nut to modify those cables.
Chain Provides
Cap Security
M777A2 Towed Howitzer…
Remove
lanyard’s
screw and
lock nut
Use screw-
driver to pry
loose pin
Attach chain to cable with
screw and lock nut
nuts!
My lanyard
broke again!
Mine,
too!
How are
we gonna
get back
to post?
710 08-09.indd
1-2
11/23/11
2:44 PM
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