RevISK
SILVER Star
1974 FJ40 through the Sahara and sand dunes!
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- Thread starter
- #162
Goats...
Arriving at Boumalne Dadès at the Golden hour.
I find myself a simple auberge in the center, as I plan to do a loop the next day I can stay 2 days here and drop some cloths to the laundry...
The FJ40 blending in the street for the night.
Arriving at Boumalne Dadès at the Golden hour.
I find myself a simple auberge in the center, as I plan to do a loop the next day I can stay 2 days here and drop some cloths to the laundry...
The FJ40 blending in the street for the night.
I love how the pictures with the cruiser could easily be confused with pictures from 20 years ago.
I rarely venture out of the 70-series tech section, but I happened to stumble across this thread the other day. What an amazing trip! This is what travel in old LandCruisers should be like: simple, light and remote. Has definitely triggered my wanderlust again.
What camera do you use? Some of your photos have a 35mm film look to them which is totally befitting the setting.
What camera do you use? Some of your photos have a 35mm film look to them which is totally befitting the setting.
I miss film cameras. Until about 2005, I traveled with a Pentax 645 and a 4x5 view camera. I finally sold all my film processing equipment and enlargerHaha good catch, you are both on something
Some of the pictures are taken with a Leica IIIg and a Summitar 5cm on Portra 160 or 400.
View attachment 3505133
Many are also taken with my Ricoh GR2 or simply the phone.
4 years ago. I admit sorting and filing digital images is far easier than film.
middlecalf
SILVER Star
How are you getting film pics scanned to be posted herein on your trip?
RevISK
SILVER Star
As a professional photographer I’ll partially agree with you. While the majority of my work is digital, I still shoot a fair amount of film for clients, mostly panoramic medium format and 8x10. The sheer difference in volume is one factor, as is the storage medium. I have hard drives I struggle to access images from due to aging out. A negative binder is just that, a physical medium.
I knew I had a pic of my old LC somewhere from 30+ years ago and last night I found it in a shoebox full of old photos. I doubt in 30 years I could find a photo from today.
For personal work and important stuff (family) I shoot film. But as always, the best camera is the one you have with you…
RevISK
SILVER Star
I’m curious to know this as well but my hunch is he’s posting a bit later than actual real time?
- Thread starter
- #170
Yes this is not real time!
If using very flat/dynamic film like Portra or Vision3 I also need to go over the color profile of each photo (for the purpose of this thread it's mostly auto filters for quickness sake), but it's a bit like shooting raw vs jpeg with a profile on a digital camera. I could also simply go Ektar to not have to bother with that on post-prod but Portra is very confortable to not bother about correct light measure on the field, thanks to its wiiiiide dynamic range.
Well I just send my films to my lab and get back my pictures scanned by email. The only painful part is that I have to add the Exif by hand, at least a date, otherwise the pictures go berserk in my library... After that it's just regular process like digital pictures.
If using very flat/dynamic film like Portra or Vision3 I also need to go over the color profile of each photo (for the purpose of this thread it's mostly auto filters for quickness sake), but it's a bit like shooting raw vs jpeg with a profile on a digital camera. I could also simply go Ektar to not have to bother with that on post-prod but Portra is very confortable to not bother about correct light measure on the field, thanks to its wiiiiide dynamic range.
RevISK
SILVER Star
I feel you on the volume, believe me.
I have a fairly simple solution/process for ingesting negatives digitally, if you are curious please feel free to PM me.
Ian
Living in the Past
SILVER Star
As for Northern Arizona some times wish I didn't remember how Coconino National Forest was back in the 1970s. Besides no ATV and sides by sides groups every where the forest was wide open. Weatherford road would probably be on the top places to off road in Arizona if it wasn't closed backed in the 1980s. Was lucky to have been able to enjoy it before it was closed to motorize vehicles. Honed my off road skills on a 68 with a column shift three speed with open diffs. Hats off to @flx for showing what a almost fifty year stock FJ40 is capable of doing.
- Thread starter
- #174
Actually, it's a 1974 but it was built at the end of 1973 so my FJ40 celebrated its 50 years while in Morocco
If I take the carb build date as the exact day (I know it's not but it's the closest I have), the birthday would have been the same day as the pizza event in the dunes!
- Thread starter
- #175
Today I'm visiting the famous Todra Gorge (East) and then the Dadès Gorge (West). Instead of going all the way North, where the 2 gorges meet, I plan to take a shortcut through the mountain, it's a renowned piste that is supposed to get down the mountain in a dry river bed.
Todra Gorge
The most impressive part of the gorge is very touristy so I didn't even bother to stop...
The shortcut is in full work, I passed at least 15 excavators on it. Half of it is already tarmac, and the other half a nicely packed gravel road. Just a very little part of the original track still remains (and probably not for long).
There is a big program of road creations in the Atlas, and definitively it's not the last one I ill encounter. In some way it's sad to see legendary wild pistes disappear, but on the other side it's hard to negate the benefit for the local population to access the public services.
A little before joining back the Dadès Gorge I stop for a little lunch break
And this is when I notice for the firs time an unusual sound. I can hear from inside (sound coming from the gearbox) but clearly the sound comes from the engine.
Before opening the hood I thought this whining sound could come from a pulley but the sound seems to come from where the camera is pointed (rear right of engine).
I can't hear it while driving but I think it's only that it gets covered up.
I can't do much at this point so I decide to simply continue and try to diagnose this evening back at Boumalne. (will post more videos and diagnoses elements at the end of the day)
Also noticed this aggression on one tire... happy to have XZL with strong sidewall.
Todra Gorge
The most impressive part of the gorge is very touristy so I didn't even bother to stop...
The shortcut is in full work, I passed at least 15 excavators on it. Half of it is already tarmac, and the other half a nicely packed gravel road. Just a very little part of the original track still remains (and probably not for long).
There is a big program of road creations in the Atlas, and definitively it's not the last one I ill encounter. In some way it's sad to see legendary wild pistes disappear, but on the other side it's hard to negate the benefit for the local population to access the public services.
A little before joining back the Dadès Gorge I stop for a little lunch break
And this is when I notice for the firs time an unusual sound. I can hear from inside (sound coming from the gearbox) but clearly the sound comes from the engine.
Before opening the hood I thought this whining sound could come from a pulley but the sound seems to come from where the camera is pointed (rear right of engine).
I can't hear it while driving but I think it's only that it gets covered up.
I can't do much at this point so I decide to simply continue and try to diagnose this evening back at Boumalne. (will post more videos and diagnoses elements at the end of the day)
Also noticed this aggression on one tire... happy to have XZL with strong sidewall.
Chungas Revenge
SILVER Star
I was going to ask you how your tires were holding up. We went through a set of tires every 4-6 weeks on the basalt/lava rock in Ethiopia and Djibouti.
- Thread starter
- #178
Moving around to get sound differences
Reving
Some notes on what I noticed, including things I discovered later compared to the progression of this story (and also suggestion made in real time by people on insta):
My current theory would be the valves clearance that got wrong (last time set 12000km ago) or was not set hot enough...
Haven't 100% pointed the issue to this day so definitively taking opinions on it.
(once out of the Atlas it's rare that get into a condition it appears)
Reving
Some notes on what I noticed, including things I discovered later compared to the progression of this story (and also suggestion made in real time by people on insta):
- Sounds propagate through all the engin and transmission and can be heard coming from everywhere
- Clearly the strongest in the half rear of the valve cover, sounds stronger on the right also but it may just be that there are a lot of obstruction on the left side...
- Tried all the combinations of clutch-in/out, in/out-gear (with transfer in N) to check if it could be the pilot bearing or throwout bearing but it changes nothing and it's not where the sound is the strongest.
- PCV valve got mentioned, I couldn't fully removed it by hand and was not wanting to risk to destroy the casing/seal using a tool, looked ok to me and I don't think the sound comes from here.
- No blow back
- This sound only appear after the engine gets really fully hot, driving offroad for some time or over a mountain pass (which is exactly what I expect to do all the coming days...). Just idling indefinitely or driving casually on road is not enough for it to appear. When it appears it generally stays for the day, a 45min-1h lunch break is not enough for it disappear, needs 2-3h cooling for that.
My current theory would be the valves clearance that got wrong (last time set 12000km ago) or was not set hot enough...
Haven't 100% pointed the issue to this day so definitively taking opinions on it.
(once out of the Atlas it's rare that get into a condition it appears)
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- Thread starter
- #179
I guess this one also counts as a video on the engine sound even if it's a bit of a spoiler 
Depending of listening device it's not necessarily easy to hear but clearly the whining sound is more present on the right side even when listening hood down.
Depending of listening device it's not necessarily easy to hear but clearly the whining sound is more present on the right side even when listening hood down.
fjwagon
SILVER Star
Sorry to hear about your engine woes. I like the idea of checking the vavle clearance. As you know these engines have solid lifters and tend to were out the cam lobes over time but that would require more checks. I have in the past when in situation like this try to baby it until I can get to a good location where you may have access to a mechanic. On a trip I had similar issues and really could not do much so I changed the oil to inspect it and refilled with synthetic oil just a little better lubricant than what I had previously. I was not concern what I find just wanted a better lubricant so l could limp home. And the issue with side wall damage I would definitely replace or keep an eye that tire, it's in the worst possible spot(top corner-side). Be careful going forward and good luck my friend.
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