M10 Tank Destroyer Restoration Project

ARMAMENT: 76 MM
CREW 5
WEIGHT 28.6 Tons
LENGTH 19ft 7in (With Gun)
WIDTH 10ft
HEIGHT 8ft 2in
POWER PLANT 2 GM S6-71 DIESELS
SPEED 30 MPH
RANGE 200 Miles
Bob Bruggeman holding down the gun tube so the gun can be removed from the turret. With the gun removed it will be a tough job to remove it from the mantelet. Removing the mantelet from the gun tube took a lot of heat and pounding.
With the gun removed, now it is time to lift off the turret. Robert lifting off the turret using a large fork lift. The hull is ready to pull into the shop to be stripped of running gear.
The turret is removed and now ready for sand blasting. You can see the M10 tracks in the back ground. Another view of the turret , the pins mount the mantelet which mounts the 3 inch gun.
Looking down the left side with first two sets of road wheels removed.
View of right side, engines and drive will be removed so the hull can be sand blasted. Top view showing turret ring and gear teeth that are used to rotate the turret.

Seats, steering levers, engine controls have been removed. The transmission and final drive need to removed.
The twin GM S6-71 Diesels will be removed. John Billeter and Marc Sehring removing a set of road wheels.
The road wheels are loaded by a set of vertical volute springs that allow the road wheels movement.
Robert Toles and John Billeter taking apart a road wheel set. Care must be exercised as the springs decompress parts can be hurled with force. The springs removed from road wheel sets. After 60 years of being compressed they were still very strong. Track drive sprocket removed from the final drive.
Removing the hubs from the final drive proved to be a tough job. After heating and pounding they finally gave in. The final drive gear cluster now off lets us see the final drive train. About 30 gallons of oil had to be drained off. A view of the track brake on the final drive.
The track brake. As the brake is applied power is transferred to the other track through the differential gear train causing the tank to turn. Looking in the final drive cavity, notice the differential gears. Final drive hubs and reduction gear assembly ready to be cleaned and serviced.
Robert connecting a chain hoist to remove the transmission. John prying off the bow which had almost fused to the hull. With the bow removed the transmission can now be removed.
 
As the restoration progresses we will add more pictures.
  Looking at the rear of the bow with the differential exposed. Bearings will now be tested and replaced if needed.