Builds My 1981 HJ45 Troopy build (2 Viewers)

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So I don't have a bad head gasket. That's a relief.

It appears that the combination of a 13lb cap, a radiator screen and a 28 ounce overflow tank all conspired to cause me to lose coolant. I found some physics formulas online today to help calculate the increase in coolant volume due to temperature rise.

The cooling system will want to push more than 28 ounces of coolant to the overflow tank, especially if I have filled the system when it's 20 something degrees F outside. Say it pushes 40 ounces out, that means it's going to suck a bunch of air back into the system when it cools. That air will expand much more than water on the next heat cycle making the problem worse. So it's reasonable that I could lose 3/4 of a gallon of coolant this way in a 4 gallon system.

I hope to find a larger overflow tank soon and get back on the road.
 
RufusTheDufus said:
I hope to find a larger overflow tank soon and get back on the road.
Click to expand...

Go to gas station.
Buy big huge Pepsi.
Drink Pepsi.
Overflow tank!!!!!

Certainly a decent temporary solution, if you ask me...

Dan
 
I've thought about doing exactly that. I also have a big lexan water bottle that would work too. The local NAPA store in Gunnison is checking to see what they can find for me today.

I'm also thankful that SOR had a used heater blower motor in stock. Mine died a few days ago. No heat or defrosters isn't fun. I keep an ice scraper handy for the inside of the windshield.

Had to use ether for the first time to get it started in the morning in Crested Butte. I guess the combination of the cold and the 9,000 foot elevation is too much. I never have a problem starting it in -10F back home in Maine.
 
at least your in Crested butte instead of the land of Missouri..
 
RufusTheDufus said:
I've thought about doing exactly that. I also have a big lexan water bottle that would work too. The local NAPA store in Gunnison is checking to see what they can find for me today.

I'm also thankful that SOR had a used heater blower motor in stock. Mine died a few days ago. No heat or defrosters isn't fun. I keep an ice scraper handy for the inside of the windshield.

Had to use ether for the first time to get it started in the morning in Crested Butte. I guess the combination of the cold and the 9,000 foot elevation is too much. I never have a problem starting it in -10F back home in Maine.
Click to expand...

Ether was my best friend when I had my 2H in Patches.... that's why I love my Vortec!:D I thought that a direct injected diesel may be better, but I guess not.

All the money I saved on fuel I used up in electricity with my block heater when it was cold out - my garage is at almost 7,000'.

Cheers,

Josh
 
I'll second the glow plug question. You shouldn't be needing ether when it's only -10.

This year though, is the first time I couldn't start the faux-lux. Apparently sitting for two weeks then trying to start at -34F doesn't work too well. That's a morning I really wish I had the ability to plug it in to help it a bit.

Glad to hear they had a blower motor for you, that would be cold indeed! It's been a cold couple of days, and you're right in the middle of it without a heater blower. Ouch.

Dan
 
DanS HJ-45 said:
I'll second the glow plug question. You shouldn't be needing ether when it's only -10.

This year though, is the first time I couldn't start the faux-lux. Apparently sitting for two weeks then trying to start at -34F doesn't work too well. That's a morning I really wish I had the ability to plug it in to help it a bit.

Glad to hear they had a blower motor for you, that would be cold indeed! It's been a cold couple of days, and you're right in the middle of it without a heater blower. Ouch.

Dan
Click to expand...

When I first brought Patches in to the US in '96, my heater motor died as well. I installed one from a wrecked LHD that I had and then drove up to visit my folks in Boulder... that's when I discovered that the fins on LHD and RHD fan units face in the oposite direction. Thus I was blowing heat OUT of my rig. I had minor frost bite on my toes when I got to Boulder because it was -15 when I arrived.

I guess you've already figured out that LHD fans don't work on RHD rigs then:D

Josh
 
So things are going well with the truck so far. Almost 4,000 miles now. Still losing a little coolant out the overflow on long uphill climbs above 3k feet. Now that I'm down around sea level in San Felipe the engine is running great. The lockers do help in sandy washes.
 
A little over 5,000 miles into the trip at this point and things are going well. We're almost to the southern tip of Baja now.

I did have a very strange EDIC malfunction when starting the engine a week or so ago. It went wat past the normal overinjection position to the point it bent the fuel stop tab on the injection pump and stayed stuck in the overinject position until I shut it off. I caught it right away since the truck had an amazing amount of power all of a sudden. I saw the pyrometer was up to 1250 degrees F almost instantly and I was blowing tons of black smoke as I pulled out of the parking lot.

I bent the tab back, adjusted the fuel screw and thankfully haven't had that problem pop up again to I'll catch it quicker next time.
 
hows the sound deadener working out for the roof before you put the new headliner on?

Plus, sick trip! I'll be watching.
 
It's still a loud vehicle. I can't tell if it made any difference. The 3M spray adhesive I used to attach the stock foam-backed headliner did not get along with the latex based sound deadener. It dried very unevenly and wrinkled the hell out of the headliner. I think carpeting might be a better solution than sound proofing coatings.
 
BTW, the old H engine seems to enjoy the LSD (not ULSD) fuel they have down in Baja California Sur. The engine is much quieter. I assume the injectors or injection pump are making less noise with the fuel they sell here.
 
So how is Baja? Let's see some pics.
 
You know, I thought about that after I wrote it. Thanks for the link. It looks like a great trip. I can't wait to see more pictures when you get back home. BTW, that place looks deserted. Must be great.
 
Met a guy from Switzerland today on the beach that's been living out of his 70-series diesel camper for the past 2 years traveling the world. There's a photo of his truck in my Facebook gallery link above.
 
Trip is almost over now. I'm back in the States but not quite home. We've done about 8,500 miles thus far. Planning to do it again this coming November since it was so much fun.

I did have a fun encounter my last night in Baja. Wife and I pulled into a beach campground in San Felipe late in the day. Just inside the entry next to the parking area a late model F250 crew cab with huge tires and a suspension lift was stuck in the sand up to its axles. Four Mexicans were trying to dig it out by hand. The driver, his wife and another couple with them. The wife was the only one of the 4 that spoke any English. My Spanish is not great. I offered to try to yank them out of the sand with my Troopy.

The husband chuckled and said something in Spanish to the effect of "you are not going to be able to move us with that thing." His wife told him (in Spanish) "Shut up, that's a Land Cruiser". It took all of ten minutes to get him out. I was in low-low with both diffs locked on fairly solid ground. I had no doubt I could get him out.

When we were finished and they all thanked me profusely, the wife told me that the husband traded in their 97 Land Cruiser to buy that F250. I hope she gets some mileage out of this incident.
 
RufusTheDufus said:
Trip is almost over now. I'm back in the States but not quite home. We've done about 8,500 miles thus far. Planning to do it again this coming November since it was so much fun.

I did have a fun encounter my last night in Baja. Wife and I pulled into a beach campground in San Felipe late in the day. Just inside the entry next to the parking area a late model F250 crew cab with huge tires and a suspension lift was stuck in the sand up to its axles. Four Mexicans were trying to dig it out by hand. The driver, his wife and another couple with them. The wife was the only one of the 4 that spoke any English. My Spanish is not great. I offered to try to yank them out of the sand with my Troopy.

The husband chuckled and said something in Spanish to the effect of "you are not going to be able to move us with that thing." His wife told him (in Spanish) "Shut up, that's a Land Cruiser". It took all of ten minutes to get him out. I was in low-low with both diffs locked on fairly solid ground. I had no doubt I could get him out.

When we were finished and they all thanked me profusely, the wife told me that the husband traded in their 97 Land Cruiser to buy that F250. I hope she gets some mileage out of this incident.
Click to expand...

OK, that is HILARIOUS! And not in the least bit surprising.

Glad to hear you two have had fun!

Dan
 
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