I started pulling out boxes and boxes of old hardware from every corner of the shop a couple of months ago and sorting out my accumulated hardware. Along the way, I found this miscellaneous little chunk of wood and set it off to the side, not knowing/remembering why it was in the box. Well, I finally remembered: it's an off road souvenir!
The year was 1987, and I had taken a couple of experienced guys out to wheel Last Chance Canyon in the Mojave desert. We made such good time on the trail that we were back in Mojave having a second breakfast at 10:30 in the morning! From the window of McDonalds, I pointed to a zigzagging dirt road going up the side of the mountain north of town, and said let's go check it out. The rest of the weekend was epic!
Somewhere on the top of the mountain we discovered a shallow mud lake and decided to play around. I went in first, and on my third or fourth crossing, I lost my clutch. Pedal was as hard as a rock. My buddy drove his 40 in to get me and just got mud stuck on his stock L78/15 tires. The 3rd guy had a K5 with front and rear winches, and he pulled us both out.
When I got under Ruftoys to try and figure out what the problem was, it didn't take long. I didn't have the inspection cover on my bellhousing, and this floating POS piece of wood had drifted inside the BH and gotten wedged solid behind one of the three fingers of my pressure plate! D*mned biggest fluke I'd ever seen!
Had to use a big screwdriver and a hammer to knock it loose.
I'm sure there is another thread devoted to trail carnage. But if you have a story and/or pic of a trail 'souvenier' , post up
The year was 1987, and I had taken a couple of experienced guys out to wheel Last Chance Canyon in the Mojave desert. We made such good time on the trail that we were back in Mojave having a second breakfast at 10:30 in the morning! From the window of McDonalds, I pointed to a zigzagging dirt road going up the side of the mountain north of town, and said let's go check it out. The rest of the weekend was epic!
Somewhere on the top of the mountain we discovered a shallow mud lake and decided to play around. I went in first, and on my third or fourth crossing, I lost my clutch. Pedal was as hard as a rock. My buddy drove his 40 in to get me and just got mud stuck on his stock L78/15 tires. The 3rd guy had a K5 with front and rear winches, and he pulled us both out.
When I got under Ruftoys to try and figure out what the problem was, it didn't take long. I didn't have the inspection cover on my bellhousing, and this floating POS piece of wood had drifted inside the BH and gotten wedged solid behind one of the three fingers of my pressure plate! D*mned biggest fluke I'd ever seen!
Had to use a big screwdriver and a hammer to knock it loose.
I'm sure there is another thread devoted to trail carnage. But if you have a story and/or pic of a trail 'souvenier' , post up
