The Engine Will Fit - Week #5

Pause….audible sight of relief.  All of the preliminary measuring, the drawing in CAD, having steel cut, and then finally assembling…lead up to a dramatic moment. It came time to drop the GMC v12 into the compartment and see if it actuality fit. I knew it was going to be close and not without some careful modification of certain engine components. And…it fits…but just barely.

I think the actual difference in length between the GMC 702 c.i. V12 and the original Maybach HL 120 TRM is the added distance between the twin 6 cylinder heads. The GMC is about that distance longer than the Maybach.  Makes sense right?

So we spent some time in week #5 addressing engine placement.

Here is the coveted Maybach HL 120 TRM. Photo from Wikipedia. This HL 120 is on display at the Deutsches Panzermuseum in Munster Germany.

Here is our #1 GMC 702 c.i. V12. This engine is fresh from Thunder V12 LLC. It’s awaiting placement in a very special upcoming project.

We began to make modifications to the Panzer IV engine that we will install in this Build.

Remember we already hacked off the water pump. You can see the reduction in length comparing the stock cover w/ water-pump and our modified cover w/o water-pump.

Milling off the outer fan belt groove to shorten pulley.

We need to harvest some space from the bell-housing and flywheel.

Bell-housing reduced by 2.5 inches.  Still need to mill off the lip on the flywheel.

The stripped long block approximately where it will reside.

Shortened pulley will be about 1/4 inch off of the rear plate.

We still have to chop the bottom of the oil pan and modify the oil pick-up to fit the low clearance area under the block.

Tapered bolts retain the brake access hatches on the nose.

I went to the Panzer IV store but they were out of these tapered bolts. So we need to make 9 of them.

Kevin’s Magic Bolt Factory.

Now we need three more of these. They hold on the original front tow attachment brackets.

This hatch was bent quite a bit. In pressing it to straighten, it broke. We need to remove the cast scoop to smash it all flat and repair.

Putting the smash on it.

BAM !!!!! It broke. Bummer! I don’t think this is straighten-able. So I stole a replacement from the very special upcoming project

Something very interesting. We have straightened a lot of Panzer parts. Some of the steel is brittle. Some of the steel is “springy.” Some of the steel is malleable. One does not know what to expect when pressure is applied. It is very loud and unnerving when it brakes…

Meet our honored guest. Rich Howdeshell. Rich heard that there was a T34/85 here and he came to see his old advisory. Rich was a Sherman commander in the Korean war. He personally knocked out a North Korean T34/85 with a bazooka. He is pointing to the spot where the bazooka round hit the enemy tank. He described the fight and said the penetration was just below the fender line in between the top of the two center road wheels. It was a special privilege to hear from Rich.

Next week we hope to add to the hull.  We need some cheap gratification.

Deutsches Panzermuseum

Thunder V12 LLC

Thanks for reading.  Until next week…

Randy,

Panzerfabrik