How to Move a M60 Patton Tank to a New Location

Last Updated: March 14, 2022

Do you need to move an M60 tank to a new location? This guide will show you how to do that, with permission and assistance from your city police, of course.

Steps

1
Make sure your tank's batteries are fully charged. There are eight 6 volt batteries under the turret floor. These power the engine starting motor and the tank electrical system.
2
Make sure your fuel tank has enough diesel for the trip. The tank has a dual turbocharged diesel engine that powers it. Check the engine oil, hydraulic fluids, and transmission lubricant levels before cranking the tank.

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3
Apply for a police escort at your local police station. You may need special permits, roadway or pavement protection padding, and traffic control personnel to help with the move.#Familiarize yourself with the driving controls of the tank#*Throttle, which is used to increase or decrease engine speed.
- Transmission selector to choose the gear the tank will be driven in.
- Steering Wheel, connects the engine transmission to left or right track for turning.
- Manual brake pedals, to stop the tank and/or assist with sharper turning.
4
Start the tank's engine with the following steps:
- Depress the fuel shutoff knob to allow fuel to flow to the injectors.
- Switch on the primary power control switch.
- Push the starter button to engage the starter motor.
- If the engine hasn't been cranked for a period of time, you may need to prime the injectors manually or use an ether based starting fluid added to the air intake to start the engine.
5
Be sure to hold the brakes once the engine is running. The M60 engines will sometimes speed up on their own.
6
Point the cannon to the rear, for safety reasons. The turret is controlled from the center compartment, not by the tank driver, so if no one is in the gunner's seat, you will need to rotate the turret before entering the front compartment.
7
Give it a lot of throttle when ready to start moving. The transmission requires a lot of engine speed to start the tank in motion. The tank will lurch forward and will require about six to ten feet to stop. Once in motion it will drive something like a car.
8
Open the hatch. The drivers hatch cover slides to your right to open. Continue pushing the hatch until it locks in place. The hatch will slide back in a left tilt or a right turn if not locked in place.
9
Start practicing turns in both 1st and 2nd gear.
- You will notice a big difference between turns in the two gears.– The turning radius is about four times smaller in first gear than it is in second gear.
- Lurching and stop and go moves are somewhat normal and doesn't mean you're a bad driver.

Community Q&A

Question

If I take the tank to streets and I have police escort, what if I shoot a car?

Danoyachtcapt

Top Answerer

The gun always faces backwards as a courtesy to everyone, and the gun never has ammunition to do that.
Question

Were can I even get a tank?

Community Answer

Surplus depots, and some military facilities let your buy decommissioned vehicles directly from them.

Warnings

Wear helmet and seat belts while driving.

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Keep the driver's hatch locked open while driving. You could be injured if the hatch closed in a turn.

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Don't let anyone stand close to the front of the tank to talk to you while the engine is running or preparing to start. They will always try to do that.

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Always drive with a safety lookout in the turret seat. Wear headsets to talk to crew members.

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