Jagdpanther overhaul and new transmissions
 

Summer is a bit chilly and raining this year, so I've got some time to work on the JP. He's not young and has a vast number of hours on him, being run by the youngsters and teenagers we teach history classes to. Running tanks is their reward for doing well in their studies and they each have an adult for supervision until they get their act together. Still and all, it's a rock garden here so after the second set of stock Type 3 transmissions died, I figure it was time to upgrade.

He gets a standard ETO transmission albeit slowed down a little with stump pulling short cans. He has Impact tracks and bearings in the road wheels and idlers, otherwise he is stock except for some main gun goodies which I will go in to later. Plan is to replace the stock Tamiya elevation and rotation units with servos, and since it's a Daryl's Parts unit for the main gun control there's going to be some footwork modifying him. Recoil will be a modified prototypical recoil Wecohe unit and should work flawlessly when I'm done with it.

First off is removal of the tracks, then removal of the Tamiya transmissions. While they are worn in some places and both have one stripped gear, I will salvage them, rebuild them and have them ready for future use if needed. The Type 3 transmissions are all the same for Tiger E, Tiger B, Sherman, KV 1 and KV2, Panther, Jagdpanther, and IS 2. Only difference that I know of is the length of the final drive shaft for the actual transmission and the lengths of the standoffs to position them in the hull. IS 2 uses an angled bracket under each TU to get him to the correct angle and clearance of the hull floor.https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rcu...bd2e178208.jpg

Installation of the ETO unit is simple. One removes one of the two final drive shafts, accomplished by loosening one set screw and carefully pulling the final drive shaft out. By reversing the provided transmission mounts and attaching them to the hull floor on the outside, see photos, using two Tamiya hull holes to screw them to the outside hull floor from inside the tank. After marking the location of the two additional holes needed to mount the unit. the unit is removed, the mounts installed in their correct position and you are ready to drill the two 3 mm holes in the hull floor. Detailed instructions are included with the units along with photos and information in addition to what I am posting here. The only modification to the Panther/JP hull is a small addition to the two inner cutouts of the stock unit, photo shown. Other tanks need no modifications beyond the two additional mounting holes. Once the unit is in place and bolted down, the one final drive shaft is installed and the unit is ready to work. I do strongly advise to use copper wire for the motor electric feeds, and 'deans plugs'. You will be amazed at how much resistance is in the stock aluminum wire and connectors. Don't believe me? Run your tank wide open for five minutes, pop the top and feel the wires and connectors. Heat is resistance. Be careful to not burn your fingers.

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While the Panther/Jagdpanther come with a sticky aluminum foil piece to cover the existing holes in the hull front lower plate, I never use them. I use a 0.5 mm or 1 mm piece of Evergreen plastic card to do the job and I attach it with Moment rubber cement. It's worked for years for me.

Attached are a couple photos of the first of a few simple modifications that cost almost nothing but go a long way to ease maintenance and east of removal of any parts needed for work and/or repair. I now use 'button head' hex head screws for just about everything. They are not expensive, hold very well and the problems with Phillips head screws stripping out their crosshead are gone. Also, I use socket head bolts for the final drive shafts. The Phillips head screws are long ago history and these units with the proper lock washer do not come loose. For countersink screws, I also use a hex head screws, not phillips head.

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I'll add more tomorrow as I continue with the overhaul and I'll have more tips and tricks included.

What's the access holes in the front lower plate for?

Tamiya has four of them to clear the two side frames of the two transmissions. Not much room up there, it's really close.

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Pics of Daryl's masterpiece to solve the Jagdpanther main gun trunnion fun. Not available for quite some time, but works like a gem.

Oh, so you cut those extra wide slots because of the ETO transmissions?

The four original slots are to clear Tamiya transmissions. With my units, the two center slots have to be modified as shown in the image. It's really tight in the nose of the Panther/Jagdpanther, but those two spots are the only mods needed for Panther/JP and no other tanks require any modifications at all for my units beyond the two needed standoff holes of 3 mm diameter.

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A more crisp image of Daryl's masterpiece for the Jagdpanther.

Do you have any pics on what the transmissions look like on the inside? i though about looking after i installed mine but too lazy to pull it all back apart to look : P

You mean the gear reduction head? Never photographed, but each and every one is checked and lubricated before installation and the two hour run it process.

yeah i just wanted to see what the insides look like without having to pull it all back apart : ) was hoping you or some one just had a pic i could look at.

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Try this one, it's the only one I have of the moment. Her Excellency's camera is in the shop so it'll be a couple weeks before I can do another.

ty.

Robert do you think Darryl will re-release the Jagdpanther gun trunion/platform upgrade again?
Thanks, Rudy

looking good!

I'll speak to him and see if he'll make a few.

Will, thanks! There's going to be more as I get some time, busier than a one armed man in a paperhanging contest this week.

Daryl has agreed to make a one time, advance order run for the Jagdpanther main gun trunnion system. Anyone interested can contact me at [email protected]. Cost is $90.00 plus $8.00 shipping for USA. This system uses the Tamiya elevation units for traverse and elevation, but anyone can substitute servos as I'm going to do on my system.https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rcu...5af7250943.jpg

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rcu...e06cefe61f.jpg

Are those the stock elevation units that come with the Jag?

Yes, but included in the kit is two metal elevation arms as replacements for the stock plastic items.

ahh perfect, thanks, I'll stick with the stock units most likely.

Daryl says he will have the Jagdpanther trunnion sets done by week's end if all goes well. The elevation and rotation arms are steel, not brass or aluminium. This will be a one of run of this set, he will build no more. We will have two sets not sold yet, so if you want the system, now is the time. You can PM me or email me at my usual email.

woo hoo, can't wait!

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Things have finally calmed down enough that I can get back on the JP. I stripped everything out of him down to the bare hull, this takes surprisingly little time to accomplish, about an hour and a half and the hull is bare. The hull was sanded lightly inside and out with a 220 grit block before blowing on some red primer. After drying for three days in our mid summer sun, I taped the inside to cover every hole in him before I blew on Tamiya TS 3.

Before the primer, I smoothed out the relief holes for the Eto transmission which involved removing the 0.50 plasticard from the lower front hull. I had attached it with Moment rubber adhesive, the same stuff I use on the zimmerit installation of the P4. With not too much careful worrying of the part, it will come off. Petroleum based solvent will remove whatever adhesive stayed on the hull and the plasticard. I put the same piece of plasticard back on the beast before doing the paint work. The blue tape I use is Scotch 'Painter's Tape'. It is quite strong and comes off easily but it's not as sticky as masking tape.

The end result will be something I prefer to do. Not only will the outside be reasonably well detailed, painted and very mildly weathered, but the interior will be pleasing to the eye.

Before all the goodies go in, I'll seal any joints with a very fine sealer. Any left over holes in the hull will have pan head screws in them with nuts inside. There will be a bunch of them, my TU's attach with two standoffs outside each suspension rail, to that's four inside the rails at the front to be sealed. He will get a HennTec idler unit so that's two more, and some other things will also be changed. There will be a hull brace at front and back over the sponsons and the rear one will also have the standoff for the upper hull attachment. The hull floor will not flex with my transmissions installed, since it's all one unit, the four attaching bolts pretty much stiffen the hull floor. The sprocket guides are Impact from some old stock I have here.

He's also going to get the Wecohe suspension but the two front road wheels will have Tamiya torsion bars. My TU's are a little heavier than stock, two Tamiya transmissions weigh 470 grams, my units all up weigh 650 grams. That's not really a lot of difference, but toss in the fact that this beast may well be run by VCO, who takes no prisoners and has been known to run through some pretty rough country in her quest to ventilate the opposition, and methinks it's a prudent measure.

There will also be final drive details compliments of Daryl Turner. These little items are 3D printed and he's going to get back to making them, so I'll have them in stock soon. I'm debating whether to go with the sprocket guide rubber tyred wheel, a metal wheel like P4 return roller, or fabricate a very late 'skid shoe' used at the end.

looks great, got my trunion kit last night it looks slick.

Thanks! I did send you the instructions for the trunion kit, did I not? As busy as we've been of late, I don't remember.

Yeah there was a piece of paper in the baggie, pretty sure that was the instructions.

i'll send you a link to my build video when i get to installing it.