Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1333129
Photo source Photo source put being unchanged. The expected mobility improvements stemming from the elimination of the cooling-system-induced power loss (100 HP) were not sufficient. The main bonus here came in a form of extended range when the MBT was using hardened surface roads. Teledyne AVDS-1790-6A 12V might have been better than the W46 (known from the T-72 MBT). However, it was not reliable, with oil leaks being far too commonplace. Thus, it needed to be inspected regularly, every 100 hours. Fortunately, the servicing did not re- quire the user to dismantle the power-pack. As a result of intense work, some faulty parts originating from the United States of America were detected. These parts had their manufacturing cost cut down to the bare minimum. And the faulty components included the fuel pump, or even the ECU (!). After these parts were replaced, the time between servicing procedures went up to 1,000 hours. This has been 2-2.5 times better than in the case of W46, and this value was also superior in comparison to the Abrams's AGT1500 tur- boshaft (700 hours). On the other hand - the service interval was still shorter than the equivalent period for the MB873 Ka502 engine (Leopard 2 MBT). In the case of that engine, the service intervals are defined in kilograms of consumed fuel, not in time of operation. VEHICLES