Izzy's amateur hour

[uzj100]

I opened up the control box and took off the two brackets that come from engo. I then attached the bent arb winch control box bracket. This puts the box at an angle so the wires no longer hit when mounted.

 

[uzj100]

 

[izzyandsue]

Great thinking. I will swing into Lowes on my way home tonight, get some stuff to "relocate". Mainly don't want the box to be too exposed, debris from all the overloaded trucks in SC bouncing rocks on the highway, or if I push the PWR button engaging the flux capacitor....

 

[izzyandsue]

Installed! I used a combo of techniques, original hook on one side, MT breacket on the other with longer bolt and fender washer for large diameter. The box is only held on 3 sides, but feels solid.

Now, when I turned truck back on after battery off, with winch connected, engine idle was hire in P and N, about 1200 RPM. Is that normal? Engine raced to 2000 RPM when I first turned on, did cycle up and down 3 times, then settled there. RPM in any other gear looks normal. Is that a winch thing?

 

[Rice]

That looks great.

After some driving computer should be back to normal.

 

[izzyandsue]

Thanks! Hope it works as it should,. Is the next step to unwind cable and rewind pulling truck on a flat surface? Got contradictions on Engo, one says yeas for wire rope. Another says not needed for synthetic.

 

[JohnVee]

Mine idles at 1200 rpm, at least first start of day.


...via IH8MUD app

 

[uzj100]

I like the gray line. Mine came with blue line.

 

[onemanarmy]

Either way it won't hurt to unspool and respool. At the very least you'll know the rope is tight and get a feel for the winch operation and speed. And just to make sure everything acts as it should.

 

[NCFJ]

Good job Izzy. I agree that you should set up and do some test pulls with your new winch, get yourself accustomed to how it works. You do not want to be figuring it all out when you are stuck on the trail.

Take a look at this thread, basically "Recovery 101"
http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/billavista/Recovery/

 

[izzyandsue]

No, don't want to get it dirty. Will keep it wrapped and clean .... Finding a place to do it will be a challenge in my neighborhood.... maybe Saturday?

 

[CharlestonG8R]

Get yourself accustomed to how it works. You do not want to be figuring it all out when you are stuck on the trail.

X2!! I didn't bother to learn how to use my winch and I paid a hefty price when I got stuck on the trail.

 

[izzyandsue]

I hear ya'll. I have been to number of "classes" with different groups (Overland Expo with Scott and the Camel Trophy guys, then again with Scott a couple of times), and trail rides where we used winching and hi-lifting, and I had my hands on all of it. But have never done it in my truck. I had signed up with Scott's winching class too (again), I am a sucker for more training, and when done with that, more training. Finding a tree and the spot to unwind it and rewind it will be interesting down in manicured South Charlotte. Neighbors already started to look at me funny when I bought "the old truck".

By the way, those Overland Expo Aussie Camel Trophy guys can winch a truck by making rope out with the clippings off their own haircuts. Looking forward to doing that again this year, it was entertaining even though I went with the wife's station wagon, i.e. LR4 (heated steering wheel was glorious in the morning, won't lie about that)

 

[onemanarmy]

hook the winch to another vehicle, put the 80 in neutral, and just pull yourself along. Use the brakes just to keep tension and have someone make sure the cable doesn't bunch up on one side.

 

[izzyandsue]

Radio. So my original was cracked and didn't work, only FM and that was lousy. For $100 on Crutchfield I got this below with the install kit and lower tray. Installation was simple, soldered the two looms together, remove old one and replace it with new one.

The unit is pretty simple, Bluetooth connected right away, I opted for from USB, and placed the microphone on top of A pillar, next to my head. Easy to stream music etc from iPhone and charges phone when connected, and can see what song is playing on faceplate. Phone feature was good, according to wife. Called her when I was doing about 45 on my way to get chicken shawarma. Would recommend.

 

[JohnVee]

Nice. I also like the low dollar radio options. I wish there was one that was stupid simple to operate, though. Knobs, not a touchscreen.

Now you can shove a CB in the lower slot.

Where'd you go for shawarma?

 

[izzyandsue]

Best place I have Shawarma, anywhere in the world I have been. Kababje grill, near 51 and 74 in Matthews.

http://www.kababje.com

Radio is simple. My favorite is the RNS 510 on my GTI, that sucker predicts what I want....

 

[RedHeadedStepChild]

Did the happen to have a 24V version?

 

[izzyandsue]

Jim, I am sure you can walk by a disposal bin on the site and find a stepdown transformer... Or next time you are talking to an electrical tech, ask him "how could I...?" I rewired and replumbed my old house in NY by asking questions and parts will magically appear on my desk at work!

One of these bad boyz:

http://www.amazon.com/HOSSEN®-Converter-Regulator-Step-Down/dp/B00BWKXTUU/?tag=ihco-20

 

[RedHeadedStepChild]

$20 bucks isn't too bad.

Radio is actually one of my (much) longer term goals. It's so loud in there I could only hear it at stop lights anyway.