The driver's periscope.
The driver's hatch carries the wide-angle AFV No.33 Mk1 periscope for closed down driving.
How to remove and refit your driver's periscope.
The procedure for removing and replacing the driver's periscope is nice and simple, just slacken the knurled nuts at the bottom of the supporting lugs, swing the lower part of the periscope forward to clear the lugs, and then remove the periscope from the mounting.
A bit about the washers and wipers.
The periscope wiper blades can be operated manually by the wiper manual control handle or electrically by a motor attached to the hatch. For the manual operation, move the manual control handle back and forth as necessary to obtain a clear field of view. For the motor operation, with the battery and engine switches ON, move the wiper manual control parking handle to the left, away from the parked position, then operate the wiper motor switch. (Be aware, in the parked position, the wiper motor switch is locked in the OFF position.
The periscope washer is operated manually by the screen washer control handle in the top of the container, which is located on the left in front of the driver. The container can be filled through a hole in top of the container, after once removing the rubber bung. Fill the container with the correct washer fluid mix for the conditions, to level as marked. Avoid getting any dirt or grease into the container.
Looking after your periscopes.
Clean the inside of the periscope aperature and wipe with a lightly oiled clean cloth. Any mud or dirt accumalated on the periscope glass should be washed of with water, and dried. Don't remove mud when it is dry as this will scratch the lens.
Another tip, if possible avoid storing the periscopes in situ, in the vehicle. Due to the body of the periscope being aluminum and the hatch steel, they can react against each other and cause the periscope to corrode in place. This may result in the persicope being unable to be removed without damaging it. See the last picture a clever way to blank the driver's periscope aperature, as seen on a fv434 that was waiting for disposal.
