WORKSHOP WEDNESDAY: Leopard final checks and TEST DRIVE!

At long last, AusArmour Mechanic, Steve, puts his repair work to the ultimate test!

Follow the progress of our workshop restorations every Workshop Wednesday! A must watch for students of history, engineering, mechanics and metalworking! 🧐🛠️

Keep up to date with the Australian Armour and Artillery Museum!⬇️⬇️

[Eisen_Jaeger]

I'd like to shout out a thanks for helping Mr Hewes get their T-72 out of smoke mode.

[robwostavros]

Hi Steve, in the Dutch Cavalry we learned that the starting procedure begins with pulling the accelaratorpedal towards you, then turn the starthandle for 30 seconds and then let the acceleratorpedal go and the engine starts up. This is to build up oilpressure and at the same time you prevend big damage if there should be fluid above the cylinders (fluid lock we called it). The engine runs smoother also.
Keep up your good work and regards from Holland, Rob

[jb]

Fanging the Leo around the track is a nice reward for all of Steves hard work.

[october]

Steve is another great addition to the working cast of Aus Armour!!!

[ianmckay]

Thanks for your help with Mr Hewes' T72, it was rather smokey!!! Thanks Steve, glad your feeling better hope your back firing on all cylinders next week. Good to see all the hard work was worth it, getting the old girl back on her tracks and moving. Great job. From UK.

[scottcrawford]

Fantastic to see the leopard being bought back into service

[johnpeeters]

as a Dutch person, it was nice to see that you have got a Dutch variant of the Leopard tank (the gear indicator sais 'druk' instead of the German 'Druck'). it makes me wonder if the reverse gears are indicated with an A (for Achteruit) instead of an R (Ruckwerts or Reverse). And if you need anymore translations, just let me know. I also live quite close to Overloon, by the way, if you are wondering about visiting Militracks...

[SaperPl]

That registration paper for the engine is a neat detail.

[shaneblack]

Outstanding work Steve. I'm no mechanic and only have very basic technical understanding, but watching your processes of assessment and evaluation on this particular job has been impressive to watch. Then to see how you actually do the repairs has been incredibly educational.
Thanks very much for these videos guys. They're the highlight of my Wednesdays

[highlander]

Nice work Steve - teaching me heaps about how complex even a 1970s tank was. Keep it coming!

[MuseumsBloke]

A tank mechanics and electrics ninja, amongst many talented Aus Armour ninjas - Respect to you all!

[enter]

Glad you are feeling better, and excellent work making that gem run again!

[agn]

Whispering grass on the AusArmour lawn: _"Oh no - that cat again…"_

[simonwaldock]

A huge amount of very fiddly work gave a really good result. Glad all Steve's hard work paid off. Glad you're feeling better.

[DavidSmith-sscg]

It's always nice to see a master mechanic at work; but especially on this monster/treasure, a Cold War MBT from the former West Germany. Both the Leopards, old and new, are complex and expensive but worth every pfennig - they are the Maseratis of the modern Tank world, (The Israeli Merkava is the Jaguar) and I've seen videos where an expert driver makes the tank dance, similar to watching a well-built Lowrider exercize it's hydraulics. I can't wait to see videos of it performing for the tourists. Great work, Steve ! !

[notyou]

I've worked with a German feller who drove one of those in service. They called it Tiger VII.

[notchboy]

Steve and I are the same age. 😎🤙🌺 Happy next birthday Steve and fantastic job on the Leopard!

[richardphelan]

Thanks to Steve Mr Hewes T-72 us no longer killing Mosquitos for three counties in England, Steve is quite the asset to the AusArmour group with His knowledge of the operating systems fo these steel machines

[scorpiou]

Who knew a Leopard came with its own Tamiya box wrench 😂😂😂

[ianjohnson-xcwb]

Well done, the repairs on the Leopard show the great skills and tenacity. Thanks for the very interesting content on the whole platform.