Four shorties + incredible scenery = EPIC! 
Build Intro: Ugly Betty(so far)
- Thread starter tmarx
- Start date
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How did the new engine do? Decent fuel economy? Are you happy with the results?
Josh
Josh
- Thread starter
- #463
That is my mate(when they are not playing against the Springboks) and fellow member JT/Teebag - poor fella was born there but we are working on him, Wayne
Actually better than expected Josh.As you know I didn't do the conversion for consumption but over 4400 kms the total ave was 6.8 km/l. The worst was 4.9 km/l but that included 1st gear low range crawling up and down Bastervoet pass for a day and a half. The best I got was a whopping 10.2 km/l but it was at a slow 105km/h(GPS) with a fresh tailwind behind me.At a steady 115 - 120 km/h on the flats with no wind the ave seems around 6.9 km/l so I am very happy.What really impressed me was the abillity to safely overtake slow traffic in a loaded 40 ser whether going uphill or downhill and the ability to maintain speed under any conditions.Cruising to get to your destination has just become effortless and a real pleasure.I had some concerns about low rev crawling abilities but the 1st and 2nd gear shorter gearing from the diesel H55F coupled with the VVTI torque curve has that nailed.The only issues that I will have to address is:
1. the drivetrain vibration on the front propshaft in 4H at coasting speed - we moved the box 25 mm forward so the pinion angle has changed and my current castor wedges are not enough anymore.
2. the noseweight seems a bit light resulting in bit of traction loss in the front - time to mount that winch that has been sitting in my garage.
For the rest I am as happy as can be with the results
Still my all-time favorite thread, Theo. Super 
conversion
conversion
Much appreciated !
Hi Dan, where have you been all this time ?
Togo, apparently.
Did you bring your FJ40 to Togo with you? How about the M5?
Sorry Dan, just realised it says 'sold' in your sig line. Did you sell it in the UK?
Josh
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Yep - Togo, where it's been very difficult to get internet that is good for anything more than text. Home service is unreliable and slow, but expensive. Even at work our 2Mbps link rarely delivers that, and we have over 40 users on that amount of bandwidth. Anyway, surviving the last 6 months or so of this assignment, then I'll be retired
The Blue Mule is here, doing yeoman service in the capital city, where all the streets (except the ones to the President's home and office) are dirt, sand, mud, or potholes. They call those "nids de poulet" (chicken nests) in French - official language here, but there are holes that should be classified as "nid d'elephant"!
I'm actually doing this from home tonight... our internet is acting about like a 56k modem right now. I hope it lasts... ;p
Dan
The Blue Mule is here, doing yeoman service in the capital city, where all the streets (except the ones to the President's home and office) are dirt, sand, mud, or potholes. They call those "nids de poulet" (chicken nests) in French - official language here, but there are holes that should be classified as "nid d'elephant"!
I'm actually doing this from home tonight... our internet is acting about like a 56k modem right now. I hope it lasts... ;p
Dan
Very cool. any photos of the mule there? Sounds like she'll need another frame off when you're done with this assignment. Where will you go to retire? Can I point out what a great place Santa Fe is 
Your internet sounds like the internet in Australia!
Cheers,
Josh
Your internet sounds like the internet in Australia!
Cheers,
Josh
He is a big fan of us Kiwis really
Either that or he's making a stement about the Kiwis by dragging their flag on the ground
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Very cool. any photos of the mule there? Sounds like she'll need another frame off when you're done with this assignment. Where will you go to retire? Can I point out what a great place Santa Fe is
Your internet sounds like the internet in Australia!
Cheers,
Josh
Josh, I'll have to see if I can scare up a few pix. I have a handful of photos and video clips taken thru the Mule's windscreen, to show the relatives what the traffic is like here (so many small motorcycles, it's like driving in a swarm of gnats).
I figure on doing a bit of clean up work on the Mule when I'm finally retired, but that's all she'll really need. Gotta touch up some paint where those motos and small cars keep running into the back of it. Got whacked again last night... no real damage, just paint and torn spare tire cover.
I love Santa Fe, but it's gotten too big, too cosmopolitan for me
Retirement home will be in Camp Verde, AZ.
Are you planning an extended overlanding trip down to ZA to celebrate the retirement ?
We'd love to, but the way this works out, we won't be able to make it happen. 
OTOH, once my 
gets to Nairobi for her next posting, I may be down your way looking for a good late model (not more than 7 years old, under Kenyan law) RHD Cruiser to drive back to NBO. 
Fingers crossed! I plan to split my time between the States and Kenya for the next coupla years, then between the US and wherever she goes for her last posting. She'll eventually succumb to the mandatory retirement rule, too.Dan
the best restoration I have ever seen
thanks allot sir
I enjoyed looking and learning from this topic.
thanks allot sir
I enjoyed looking and learning from this topic.
Josh, I'll have to see if I can scare up a few pix. I have a handful of photos and video clips taken thru the Mule's windscreen, to show the relatives what the traffic is like here (so many small motorcycles, it's like driving in a swarm of gnats).
I figure on doing a bit of clean up work on the Mule when I'm finally retired, but that's all she'll really need. Gotta touch up some paint where those motos and small cars keep running into the back of it. Got whacked again last night... no real damage, just paint and torn spare tire cover.
I love Santa Fe, but it's gotten too big, too cosmopolitan for me
Not too far away. When you decide that Arizona is a bit too blanco for your's and the Mule's taste after the years in Africa, come on up here for some great food and good wheeling. You'll also have some flashbacks to driving in Africa with the local drivers.
Josh
- Thread starter
- #478
Let us get the tech part out of the way first Since the conversion from diesel my old fuel cap started leaking under the pressure so after 28 days it arrived from Japan ..
And obviously the best way to test this hugely complicated and very technical modification, would be a weekend breakaway to the Cederberg.This way we could take some much needed groceries to a nice old lady in Eselbank and at the same time try to rediscover an old rockformation known as "Soldaatkop klip" which translates to Soldier's Head Rock. didn't need any second invitation ..
Grassed & shady campsites on the banks of a river helped us to cope with the 37 deg C temps.
Tannie Hester was in good spirits showing off, the old-school oven that she still uses to this day, to bake her special breads in.She uses potato peals as opposed to conventional yeast to get the dough to rise ..
Her backyard !!
The infamous rock. Can you see it ?
We felt it deserved a proper toast right there and then
Back at the camp we befriended Henry and Anje from Germany in their superbly kitted 1984 BJ45 overlander. They shipped it from Germany and have just started their voyage back.
A LHD and RHD side by side
The long road home via Pakhuis pass in the distance
The mod worked almost too well as it is now abundantly clear tjhat I will have to fit a charcoal canister after converting the diesel breather system to something more suited to a gas/petrol engine. The weight of the "new" winch did improve the drivetrain/pinion GRRrrr when coasting but not enough for my liking so I will fit the larger castor wedges in the front.The coolant system functioned perfectly in some extreme temps so that was a bonus !
Since the conversion from diesel my old fuel cap started leaking under the pressure so after 28 days it arrived from Japan ..
And obviously the best way to test this hugely complicated and very technical modification, would be a weekend breakaway to the Cederberg.This way we could take some much needed groceries to a nice old lady in Eselbank and at the same time try to rediscover an old rockformation known as "Soldaatkop klip" which translates to Soldier's Head Rock.
didn't need any second invitation ..Grassed & shady campsites on the banks of a river helped us to cope with the 37 deg C temps.
Tannie Hester was in good spirits showing off, the old-school oven that she still uses to this day, to bake her special breads in.She uses potato peals as opposed to conventional yeast to get the dough to rise ..
Her backyard !!
The infamous rock. Can you see it ?
We felt it deserved a proper toast right there and then
Back at the camp we befriended Henry and Anje from Germany in their superbly kitted 1984 BJ45 overlander. They shipped it from Germany and have just started their voyage back.
A LHD and RHD side by side
The long road home via Pakhuis pass in the distance
The mod worked almost too well as it is now abundantly clear tjhat I will have to fit a charcoal canister after converting the diesel breather system to something more suited to a gas/petrol engine. The weight of the "new" winch did improve the drivetrain/pinion GRRrrr when coasting but not enough for my liking so I will fit the larger castor wedges in the front.The coolant system functioned perfectly in some extreme temps so that was a bonus !
that is some beautiful country and the idea of using potatoe peel instead of yeast is ... interesting. i will bet the bread has a unique taste and texture to it.
thanks for posting.
thanks for posting.