Prepping my 100 for an Africa-Adventure (1 Viewer)

[Live to Ski]

Sat phone: I can't remember if you mentioned "the spot" as an alternative.

I looked at that devise but opted to rent a Delorme In Reach gps tracker/communicator. I was really impressed with it's communication abilities (satellite, 2 way txt). Awesome daily (or minute by minute) web mapping function (again via satellite) so your friends/family/emergency contacts can track you in almost real time (depending on the bandwidth subscription plan) on a dedicated/secure web based map. Has a SOS funtion in case the cavalry is needed (and it is the cavalry).

Should be a world wide coverage gig with some shadows at the extreme. Not sure how to get a non-usa subscription plan since I'm based in SoCal.

I will eventually buy one.

Oh, garmin picked up delorme just recently. Believe garmin is world wide.

 

[uHu]

what are the costs of swapping the actuator? ...

About 1000 € for a new actuator. Easy to change. diy. Also quite easy to take off the old one to check the status. If it doesn't look hopeless, it probably isn't.

 

[Swisscheese]

Yeah, I won't lie, the prices were eyebrow raising. Around here, there are oil people who loan/rent them, but there is a good arguments for spending that money on things that might yield a better return. The argument against it would be that the phone is irrelevant when you get to a major city and can use a calling card of some sort. I think even if I didn't do a satellite phone I would invest in a $40 GPS beacon that could be tracked.

Can I ask what point you'll embark from Europe into Africa? I've made the ferry crossing from Tarifa to Tangier before, I think that would be pretty easy...

We are evaluating the best points to start our journey from. It is probable that we ship our car in a container to namibia and make a tour from there. Alternatively would be shipping to djibouti, but the bureaucracy is enormous and unreliable pricewise. To go through egypt with a ferry from mainland euroe isnt sn option for us, we cant make any predictions what the political situation will be in 6 months. I will give an update concerning the shipping as soln as we know more.

About 1000 € for a new actuator. Easy to change. diy. Also quite easy to take off the old one to check the status. If it doesn't look hopeless, it probably isn't.

Is there any step by step approach which i could follow to have a look at the actuator? Then i could take some pictures or make a short video so you could give your opinions on the situation. I have never seen an actuator outside the car before.

 

[El Cid]

We are evaluating the best points to start our journey from. It is probable that we ship our car in a container to namibia and make a tour from there. Alternatively would be shipping to djibouti, but the bureaucracy is enormous and unreliable pricewise. To go through egypt with a ferry from mainland euroe isnt sn option for us, we cant make any predictions what the political situation will be in 6 months. I will give an update concerning the shipping as soln as we know more.

Shipping to the South and working North will be the best route, provided you can get it through the legal paperwork. I think Namibia would be great! Obviously, there are constraints and preferences at work, but it seems like the more problematic political scenarios are in the East and the West has some of the more stable countries.

Sort of a million dollar question!

 

[hj 60]

If you want a test drive maybe you can drive to Morocco, I came back a few weeks ago after driving 8000 km.
It is definitely Africa and when you go back to Spain it is the tourist season so should be fun.

I had not much prepping, everything is for sale and the only problem was a tiny front tire leak and a tiny radiator leak that might have started at home while replacing a new radiator cap.
So I would not do major repairs just before leaving anymore, any fix can lead to a problem (The Waddington Effect): read about how the British warplanes maintenance schedule was abandoned to get better results: http://blog.aopa.org/opinionleaders/2014/01/14/the-waddington-effect/

Switzerland to Morocco: 2200 km
https://www.google.nl/maps/dir/Zwit...e32152edb!2m2!1d-2.467504!2d36.834775!1m0!3e0

Skeleton coast is still something I would like to go and the eye of the Sahara:
Richat Structure - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Swisscheese]

If you want a test drive maybe you can drive to Morocco, I came back a few weeks ago after driving 8000 km.
It is definitely Africa and when you go back to Spain it is the tourist season so should be fun.

I had not much prepping, everything is for sale and the only problem was a tiny front tire leak and a tiny radiator leak that might have started at home while replacing a new radiator cap.
So I would not do major repairs just before leaving anymore, any fix can lead to a problem (The Waddington Effect): read about how the British warplanes maintenance schedule was abandoned to get better results: http://blog.aopa.org/opinionleaders/2014/01/14/the-waddington-effect/

Switzerland to Morocco: 2200 km
https://www.google.nl/maps/dir/Zwit...e32152edb!2m2!1d-2.467504!2d36.834775!1m0!3e0

Skeleton coast is still something I would like to go and the eye of the Sahara:
Richat Structure - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Western africa was never really an option for us since the routes to get south are quite challenging and we have only little experience with overlanding and offroading. If you would want to cross africa from morocco towards east there arent many options to do so due to the politically instable countried such as tchad or congo. We want to minimize risk in this concern so we reduced the counties we want to travel in to southern and eastern africa. I think we will encounter enough challenges even there

 

[El Cid]

If you want a test drive maybe you can drive to Morocco, I came back a few weeks ago after driving 8000 km.
It is definitely Africa and when you go back to Spain it is the tourist season so should be fun.

I had not much prepping, everything is for sale and the only problem was a tiny front tire leak and a tiny radiator leak that might have started at home while replacing a new radiator cap.
So I would not do major repairs just before leaving anymore, any fix can lead to a problem (The Waddington Effect): read about how the British warplanes maintenance schedule was abandoned to get better results:

I hope you brought enough strop wafels for everyone

Haven't tried your route, but I would go all the way to Tarifa and cross into Tangier first. It's a short ferry ride and inexpensive. Tangier isn't much, very much a port city, but Fez, Casablanca and Rabat are nice places and safer than say...Algeria..

Definitely a trip where countries least to most dangerous should be ranked and dangerous avoided entirely. You have the right idea..

The US state department publishes a country by country risk guide. It's web published and free to the world. Namibia

 

[Swisscheese]

i got a problem with my ahc. i doesnt go in high mode, i does although rise from lo to n, but tries to lift from n to hi but goes back to n after few seconds without going to high mode at all. does anyone know what the issue could be caused by?

 

[DirtDawg]

Low on fluid? There's several threads covering all AHC problems, but as a precursor for your trip... Ditch the AHC. Best advice I can offer.

 

[uHu]

For the ahc not going into Hi: You really have to get the techStream going, The cost is less than a sunday dinner for one, if you have an old laptop you can use. Probably your neutral pressure is too high.

For the rear diff.lock actuator: Just take off the cover, unplug it and unbolt it. If it is in one piece and looks good, you can take off the motor housing, and/or open the "gearbox" where you see the worm gear and the tension spring.

Here's a pic of a new one beeing installed:

Through the opening where a cover is removed, you can see the little bolt which connects the actuator to the locker rod going into the diff. On the outside of the removed cover, you would see the switch sensing the position of the locker rod, activating a steady light in the instrument panel.

 

[Quade]

Snorkel

Not for water but for dust!
I live in Kenya

 

[uHu]

Re snorkel:
There was a word about keeping the costs down, and the cyclone filter copes very well with dust. Just empty the dust-cup more often in dusty areas, and clean the cartridge in a bucket or a stream when it looks bad. The cyclone air filter is great for centrifuging particles out of the incoming air, and standard on diesel cruisers.

If using any funds against a dusty environment, I think a fuel pre-filter would be more cost effective, having to exchange only the paper cartridge instead of the big fuel filter. There is btw also a bigger main fuel filter available, which was standard on gcc & Africa editions. So if you will buy a new fuel filter anyhow, you could get that one. Part number is in a post in here somewhere (or was it on landcruiser .net).

 

[Swisscheese]

Low on fluid? There's several threads covering all AHC problems, but as a precursor for your trip... Ditch the AHC. Best advice I can offer.

Fluid is on normal level, thats probably not the problem..

For the ahc not going into Hi: You really have to get the techStream going, The cost is less than a sunday dinner for one, if you have an old laptop you can use. Probably your neutral pressure is too high.

For the rear diff.lock actuator: Just take off the cover, unplug it and unbolt it. If it is in one piece and looks good, you can take off the motor housing, and/or open the "gearbox" where you see the worm gear and the tension spring.

Here's a pic of a new one beeing installed:

Through the opening where a cover is removed, you can see the little bolt which connects the actuator to the locker rod going into the diff. On the outside of the removed cover, you would see the switch sensing the position of the locker rod, activating a steady light in the instrument panel.

I will read out my neutral pressures in my toyota garage, i'm sure they have the stuff to do it. i will also try to get a look into the actuator, i will update on this.

Re snorkel:
There was a word about keeping the costs down, and the cyclone filter copes very well with dust. Just empty the dust-cup more often in dusty areas, and clean the cartridge in a bucket or a stream when it looks bad. The cyclone air filter is great for centrifuging particles out of the incoming air, and standard on diesel cruisers.

If using any funds against a dusty environment, I think a fuel pre-filter would be more cost effective, having to exchange only the paper cartridge instead of the big fuel filter. There is btw also a bigger main fuel filter available, which was standard on gcc & Africa editions. So if you will buy a new fuel filter anyhow, you could get that one. Part number is in a post in here somewhere (or was it on landcruiser .net).

sounds like a good idea, i couldnt find the item though. can you provide a link for this filter?


in the meantime i have tried to get the car into high again and it did come up. the thing is, it took around 30seconds for the car to lift. as i have read in a thread it should take around 13seconds to do so. what does that mean?

 

[Swisscheese]

concerning the AHC neutral pressure measuring:
should i measure once before i load it up with my equipment and adjust the tb accordingly or should i load it to travelling-modus and measure it then? as written in this thread, the maximum additional load of the car is around 740kg but i plan to take not more than 600kg of additional weight (including driver).

 

[uHu]

I will read out my neutral pressures in my toyota garage, i'm sure they have the stuff to do it. i will also try to get a look into the actuator, i will update on this.

The Toyota garage will probably have the Toyota Tester or TechStream to read the values, but might not have the skills (or the patience to read through the FSM pages for long enough to understand this hybrid system), unless you find someone trained on AHC.

sounds like a good idea, i couldnt find the item though. can you provide a link for this filter?

Don't have a link, but any good quality filter with an easy to change cartridge, and wich filters out larger particles than the main filter, will do.

The t0yota OE pre-filter has numbers:
23355-17030 for the cap (filter holder with connectors)
23302-17010 for the filter cup (body)
23304-56010 bolt (hollow)
23333-48012 spring
23334-46010 washer for spring
04234-68010 filter element with 4 seals
And, you would need the fuel lines with banjo fittings.
There is also a bracket for this filter, which I don't know if fits together with a standard filter holder, but can probably be rigged somehow: 23924-17030 Support (bracket)
This OEM filter is probably the most expensive tho'

If you meant the extra big main filter, I'll go to the garage to check when I wake up again .

in the meantime i have tried to get the car into high again and it did come up. the thing is, it took around 30seconds for the car to lift. as i have read in a thread it should take around 13seconds to do so. what does that mean?

Probably means that it finds it hard to do.

concerning the AHC neutral pressure measuring:
should i measure once before i load it up with my equipment and adjust the tb accordingly or should i load it to travelling-modus and measure it then? as written in this thread, the maximum additional load of the car is around 740kg but i plan to take not more than 600kg of additional weight (including driver).

If you are serious about keeping the AHC on a serious trip like this, you have to get the TechStream, learn how to use it, and get the FSM for AHC.
Then, when you have the TechStream running, you can measure the pressures with the truck empty, just to verify where the problem is. In order to use the pressure readings to assess the state of the steel springs, you also need to know your heights. There is a procedure in the FSM which is also posted in a thread in here somewhere. Then, when you have the heights and pressures at spec, you can check the state of the gas springs (aka Speres or accumulators) before you decide to trust them for another x k km.

The AHC is not designed to carry 600 kg extra continously. You have to either get heavier coil springs, or some air bag helpers. For the front, you should be OK adjusting the torsion bars, and reindexing them if required.

 

[Swisscheese]

i have found these two documents below on the forum. it is for a LX470 gas fuel but i guess the procedure is just the same. correct me if i am mistaken. with these documents i would go to the mechanic and get it checked with the techstream he surely has.
concerning the rear coils springs which will be under quite some stress because of the additional weight it thought to fit in 20mm or 30mm spacers like these: Landcruiser 100 Series Rear Polyurethane Coil Spacer - 30mm
i have read that some have installed 80-coils, others that have ordered king springs. if it is necessary to support the coilsprings i would first try the spacers, its cheaper and easier to install.

will i maybe find a reason for the longer lift time in this techstream test? the car used to get up in 12seconds until last time.. cant imagine what the trouble is!

concerning the bigger main filter, do you see this as a single option for the probably dirtier fuel in africa or would you install a prefilter as well anyway?

 

[uHu]

... i would first try the spacers, its cheaper and easier to install.

will i maybe find a reason for the longer lift time in this techstream test? the car used to get up in 12seconds until last time.. cant imagine what the trouble is!

concerning the bigger main filter, do you see this as a single option for the probably dirtier fuel in africa or would you install a prefilter as well anyway?

There is hardly anything easier to change than the coils on a 100, just lower the axle and pick the coil out.

It is likely that you would find the reason for the ahc struggling with Hi if you check the values in techStream or similar, AND check your heights.

The filter issue was only as a preventative measure for dirty fuel. It depends on where you go and where you fill up of course, you might be OK with what you've got. It's just that changing a small paper cartridge is much cheaper than changing the main filter, but it has to be a good one so that you don't "upgrade" to another possible point of failure.
The Xtra big main filter has p# 23303-56040. It has about twice the filtering surface of the stnrd filter. You will have to move the filter holder up by about 10 mm to use the bigger filter. (or just use a few washers under the studs).

BTW, talking about filters, make sure you use the original oil filter as well. It's the only one with the unique filtering and valving that the engine is designed for. Other filters will work, but don't have the same functions. The filter is very common, standard for several toyota engines, but it could be good to carry one spare.

 

[Swisscheese]

I finally got to do the underbody work in a friends shop. Two days of work, keeping four of us busy.

After pressure washing the car for two hours to get all the dirt and grime of the last years off, I let the car dry for few days before getting to work.

Day one was all about hammering down all the rust we could get to so it would build a good surface for further steps. There was no severe rust at all, my friend at the shop even asked if i really wanted to put up all this work.. Well, yes, i did want to! After hours and hours of hammering and brushing down the rust we covered everything in a rust-converter-paint which transformed into a black primer over night.

Day two was the fun day. We covered everything up so we could get started spraying a thik layer of underbody paint. All moving parts we sprayed with an ordinary black spray to give some extra protection. I am very happy how it turned out.

 

[Swisscheese]

 

[Swisscheese]

Here is how it was before: