Amateur Build. HAYA Centurion KIT

[zooma]

The BLUE motors are a nice simple fit that gives plenty of space between them and the gearbox sides (unlike the bigger RED motors!).

[zooma]

I have ordered some of the dummy HAYA Centurion gearbox mouldings that hold the axle bearings ready to modify and fit the red motors into the wider spaced gearboxes.......but I am going to try the BLUE motors first.

[zooma]

Apart from changing the motors to the BLUE types (only because I know that my RTR Centurion needs better power than the provided motors) I will continue with the kit build.

The modified gearbox mounting and the changes needed to fit the longer more powerful RED motors will be covered in a separate log in due course.

Hopefully the BLUE motors will give better power with no changes needed to the basic kit build.

[zooma]

I have seen some pictures of the Berlin Centurions that show the tanks being run without their "Bazooka Plates" fitted - in fact I have seen more pictures with them removed than I have with them fitted.

.........I am tempted to cut-off them off of my model when I get to the next stage.................?

This picture shows "DIDO" on exercise without the "Bazooka Plates" fitted:-

https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-a-cen ... archtype=0

[zooma]

Apparently all of the “C” squadron 4RTR Centurions were Mk5 so I when I come to build the turret, I will fit the optional HAYA Mk5 turret top.

I have just ordered it, so it should be here long before I get to needing it in the building sequence. Not bad value (these days!) at £20 with free UK delivery.

UPDATE:- The Mk5 turret top has arrived quickly from HAYA UK and it will be fitted instead of the kits usual Mk3 turret top.

[zooma]

The gearboxes have been removed from the lower chassis tub and the RED motors have been taken out.

I did notice when the gearboxes were removed that some of the cross-head machine screws that hold the two halves of the gearboxes together were quite loose - and one was partially unscrewed! I tightened these back up and checked that the gearboxes both turned freely after I pushed the drive sprocket onto the axles to give me something to hold onto. I think I may add a small dab of blue thread lock onto these 4 machine screws (two on each side each gearbox) to stop them vibrating loose when in use.

Next I fitted the two BLUE motors as the RED ones were clearly too long to fit into the narrow Centurion chassis tub without modifying the gearboxes and output axles - something I will do later if the BLUE motors cannot power the tank any better than the supplied kit motors.

Threading the small cross-headed screws through the gearbox on the right hand gearbox (where the motor sits lower than in the left hand gearbox) was a bit if a pain as the screw kept falling off of the screwdriver tip. My attempts at magnetising the screwdriver tip failed as the BLUE motor magnets were much more powerful and were always likely to win that particular battle - so I had a dig into my screw stock and found some M2.5 x 6mm stainless steel cap-headed screws. These were much easier to fit on the end of a 2.0mm hardened driver. At first I thought I may have to shorten them, but fortunately they did not interfere with the motors being able to turn, so I was able to use them. I think when the blue thread lock comes out I will also put a dab on these screws too.

I fitted the drive sprockets loosely onto the two rear axles to check that both gearboxes could turn freely after the BLUE motors were fitted (and they did) so after I have fitted some wires to the motors (they don't come with any wires soldered onto them) I will apply the thread lock and refit the gearboxes into the lower hull tub.

[zooma]

Apparently the Bazooka plates were often removed from the Centurions that were playing the "opposing forces" during exercises as it made them look a little more like the Russian tanks (they did not have Bazooka plates).

The tanks were also much easier to clean and maintain without the Bazooka plates fitted so running them without them fitted was quite a common practice - although they would no doubt be re-fitted if the tanks were ever needed to be used in anger to give some protection to the tracks and suspension units etc!

This does make an interesting option for a HAYA Centurion Kit build ........

[zooma]

The two gearboxes have been re-fitted into the tank with the BLUE motors fitted to them. The M2.5 x 6mm stainless cap head screws that I have used to mount the motors with have been given a drop of blue thread lock to keep them in place and the large cross head screws that hold the inside and outside frames of the gearboxes together have all been tightened.

Both motors have had some 16 AWG wire soldered onto them and an XT60 plug has been soldered onto each pair of leads making sure that the red wires were soldered to the "+" plus side of each motor.

A charged 2 cell LiPo was plugged into each motor and they both run smoothly in the gearboxes - but one axle runs forwards and the other axle runs backwards. I am hoping that this is correct and that the Clark board will drive them in the correct direction once they are connected?.......................

[zooma]

The front and rear return rollers are fitted onto metal axles that look like the axles used for the main pairs of track rollers but they differ insomuch that they are slightly thinner and do not have the solid lips on the outside end to retain the rollers.

The thinner axles have threaded outer ends to accept a 2.5 x 5 machine screw that has a wider head (looks like an included washer) to retain the moulded return roller, and they have a 'flat" machined on the inner section (like the main roller axles) to act as a location pin that pushes into a half-moon shaped moulded hole in the front and rear positions of the lower hull moulding.

The "flat" section of the axles is also drilled to accept a 2.6 x 6 STS that is screwed into the moulded shelf that this part of the axle sits onto inside the hull to keep it in place

A single moulded return rollers sits on each of these axles. These moulded rollers do not have any form of bearing and are quite a loose fit on the axle, but they don't wobble about as much as feared once they are sandwiched between the retaining screw head and the mouldings as the sideways movement is restricted...but they are a very loose fit on the axles. This is an area that I will keep an eye on once the build is finished (and the tank is driving) as it looks like an area of high wear that may need some form of bearing being retro-fitted.

Unfortunately I only had two of these axles in my kit (four are needed - two for the front and two for the rear), but I have checked that they fit the front roller position and the rear roller positions by test fitting them in each location so I have taken a picture of one of these axles and requested HAYA to send me the two missing axles so I can continue with the lower hull build.

Update:- just received a message from Andrew at HAYA to let me know that he has already put these two missing axles in the post to me! Top service from an excellent supplier (again!).

[zooma]

I have used the two return roller axles that I had in my kit to hold the front pair of rollers in position.

The rear return rollers cannot be fitted until the two missing axles are delivered, but they will fit in exactly the same way and pass through the same "outer gearbox transmission" moulding that holds the drive axle bearings. The two halves of these large (dummy transmission housing) mouldings need to be glued together to eliminate any warping and allow them to fit tightly and flat against the moulded hull sides.

Only one 2.6 x 6 STS screw (see picture) secures this large assembly to the moulded hull sides, but it is also a very good tight "push fit", so it is not likely to be going anywhere! When the rear return roller axle is pushed through this moulding and secured inside the hull by a 2.6 x 6 STS it will also act as another mechanical fixing to further anchor this "dummy transmission case" in place.

The pillar that can be seen on the top left side of the moulding is where the rear return roller axle will be fitted (when it arrives).

The 2.6 x 6 STS retaining screw for the rear return roller axles screws into the drilled hole in the axle flat and into a moulded shelf that is between the inside of the hull and the outside of the gearbox frame. This is quite a tight space to fit the screw and screwdriver blade into. I will add some putty to the screw head to stop it falling off of the screwdriver and falling down into this narrow crevice when I can fit these axles !