The Adventures of Chungus

[Roketdriver]

Sand Hollow State Park was my first experience driving on any type of dunes, ever. I affixed my newly acquired buggy flag, aired down to the ballpark of 12psi, popped it in 4-Lo, 2nd gear, and let it rip.

After getting to some of the more challenging sections, I started to psych myself out a bit. The through of coming up and over a dune blind sketched me out a little, and the prospect of slowing down and getting high-centered at the top wasn't appealing either. I went off to the side and followed some better defined trails until I reached Zen Rock.

After a picnic style lunch at Zen Rock, I stopped at Winder Towing to buy a Matt's Off-Road Recovery Hat. I didn't get to meet the whole crew, but it was still neat getting to see the Banana in person. In hindsight I should have asked for a peek at the Corvair. Oh well.

Souvenirs obtained, I headed to Red Reef for some more hiking.

(To be continued)

 

[Roketdriver]

After the visit to Red Reef I began to look for my next campsite for the night. As seen in the last photo, precipitation began to roll in.

As I headed to my intended destination, this sign gave me some pause:

Given that it was only a light drizzle, I assumed that everything would be fine. In my mind I figured that a little bit of moisture would help keep the dust down but not cause the roads to turn into Earths version of birf soup.

Pulling into the Oak Grove campsite, I spotted some turkey. I stuck around for a bit and chased them with the camera.

The rain started to pick up. While pacing about contemplating pitching the tent in the wet, my boots sunk into an ankle-deep patch of mud. After some mental calculations I decided to play it safe. I hopped back into the rig, found some cell service, and booked a hotel room for the night. On the way out I found a few sections of trail that were already turning to mush. Wimpy move? Maybe. But I'm glad that I didn't get stuck or slide off the road.

Hoping to see more critters, my next destination was Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge. This home to assorted waterfowl was pretty unique in the sense that it's more or less a swamp-like area and lake in the middle of the desert.

(To be continued)

 

[Roketdriver]

Satisfied with my birdwatching, I followed the Pony Express Overland Stage Trail in search of a place to camp for the night. I quickly found a nice spot along the road and got set up for the night.

More beer was drank and I enjoyed a great sunset.

My intended route for the following day was supposed to take me due north until I hit 80. From there it would be the Bonneville Salt Flats. After a few miles of driving I hit a snag.

The "Unexploded Ordinance - Do Not Enter" sign was another strong deterrent and indication that I would have to find another way. I know that Land Cruisers are considered "bulletproof" but I didn't care to find out if that was applicable in a literal sense.

After some head scratching, cursing, and reviewing the map, back to the Pony Express Trail I went. There were two different routes I could have taken to the Salt Flats but opted to take the route that would get me to a gas station as quickly as possible. Despite carrying extra fuel, I was nervous about running out during this part of the trip.

I successfully made it to the interstate then reached my next point of interest.

I'd been interested in visiting Bonneville ever since I was a kid. Despite being in one of the slowest vehicles I have ever driven, it was exciting to see where the fastest cars in the world set their records. Due to standing water, I didn't get a chance to drive or walk out onto the flats.

(To be continued)

 

[leonard_nemoy]

Pulling into the Oak Grove campsite, I spotted some turkey. I stuck around for a bit and chased them with the camera.

Thanks for the hot tip lol. The general turkey season starts today. Oak grove here I come....

Actually there are freaking turkeys everywhere in southern utah. I won't really hunt oak grove. Too many tourists up there, I might mistake a Californian for a gobbler.

Looks like a great adventure. It sounds like you will be heading into the basin and range geologic province of western Utah. You should be able to see some "wild" aka "feral" horses out in the west desert. Utah's west desert is my favorite part of the state. Just make sure you have good tires and a good spare.

 

[racevws]

That funny, my other daily is a 90 Miata. Great minds something something.

 

[Roketdriver]

My campsite that night was located near a location called Crater Island. This area was pretty well off the beaten path and was completely deserted.

I found some interesting rock formations while checking out the area adjacent to where I parked. This tiny arch was only a few inches tall! I was extra careful to watch my step as to not disturb anything.

I also managed to spot some more wildlife.

That night I witnessed another spectacular sunset.

I set my alarm for 1AM for a second time, hoping for clear skies to stargaze. When I crawled out of the tent I was dismayed to see that the super-bright moon had washed out all the stars. I went back to sleep.

(To be continued)

 

[Roketdriver]

On the 6th day of the trip I pointed myself east and found myself in Salt Lake City. This was a very important stop, as there was a particular place I needed to visit.

If anyone is thinking about visiting the Land Cruiser Heritage Museum, do it. It was well worth the trip. Just be advised that it's currently by appointment only, so call ahead before showing up like I did. Thankfully it was a quiet Thursday afternoon and I was able to check it out without any issues.

One of the things I nerded out the hardest on was this radio controlled 80. As a kid I loved RC cars, constantly building, breaking, and rebuilding them. I had no idea this kit existed and I'm tempted to start scouring eBay for one.

This particular LC has been driven on all seven continents. Really cool stuff.

After geeking out to my hearts content and buying some more souvenirs, I headed to the hotel and settled in for the night.

Having been on the road for a full week, it was time to head home. I passed through Park City and was able to link up with an old friend for some coffee.

From there I stopped along the Green River again, this time at a park known as Horseshoe bend.

I think I'll camp here the next time I'm in Utah, seems like a really cool spot to see wildlife. I saw lots of tracks in the sand but nothing on the move.

After dipping my toes in the water I started moving toward home. It was my original intention to camp one more night, somewhere in Colorado, but instead I opted to make it a long-haul day and sleep in my own bed that night. After racking up hours and hours on the road, I was home again.

Thanks for reading!

 

[Roketdriver]

Thanks for the hot tip lol. The general turkey season starts today. Oak grove here I come....

Actually there are freaking turkeys everywhere in southern utah. I won't really hunt oak grove. Too many tourists up there, I might mistake a Californian for a gobbler.

Looks like a great adventure. It sounds like you will be heading into the basin and range geologic province of western Utah. You should be able to see some "wild" aka "feral" horses out in the west desert. Utah's west desert is my favorite part of the state. Just make sure you have good tires and a good spare.

I didn't see too many tourists all the way up at Oak Grove, but that could have been because of the rain or the particular day I was there. Only one other vehicle was up at the campsite when I arrived.

I did see some horses but didn't realize they weren't livestock, in hindsight I should have snapped a few photos.

That funny, my other daily is a 90 Miata. Great minds something something.

Miata + LC = Big brain move

 

[Roketdriver]

After weeks and weeks of waiting, I was finally able to pick up my ARB bumper. Can't wait to get it installed!

Edit: Got everything 90% installed in about 3 hours with help from a friend. Need to come up with a bracket for the control box, add the indicator lights, and tidy up the wiring.

 

[Roketdriver]

Spent the better part of this morning and early afternoon correcting my winch install. I clocked the clutch handle the wrong way and installed the whole thing upside down. I also refitted the fairlead per the instructions from ARB, which required some time on the bench grinder to get a proper fit, as well as a bit of prying on the bumper.

When I installed the indicator lights, I soldered the connections instead of using the included scotch clamps. All of the winch and light wiring got cleaned up and wrapped in corrugated-plastic-loom-whatever-they-call-it.

All that's left is to make or locate a sturdier control box bracket. It's currently held in place by a simple L shaped bracket from the hardware store. The other option is to use a relocate kit and put it under the hood. I found this kit online which would probably work. My only concern is where I'd mount it within 1.5 feet of the battery, given how crowded it is on that side of the bay.

I'm questioning if I could move the lights down but I'd like to have as much airflow as possible. I wonder how much it would cost to rent a wind tunnel for a few hours...

I know that form > function but I am enamored with how the LX looks now.

 

[Roketdriver]

Over the course of the past month, I've primarily just been pavement pounding. I had a wedding in Michigan to attend and needed to grab some thins from my parents place in Illinois so I opted to drive the +2000 miles round trip. While I was out on the road, I finally finished the break-in period and hit 200,000 miles. I wasn't able to pull over to snap a photo, but I think we've all seen plenty of odometer rollovers.

While in The Mitten I made a pit stop at the Warren Dunes to stick my feet in Lake Michigan. It's been a long time since I got to enjoy the shore one of the freshwater seas of the Great Lakes.

Overall the trip went smoothly and as usual, Chungus continued to be a champ and ran flawlessly. I averaged roughly 14mpg.

I have to admit, it's been a joy to just enjoy the rig without having to fix anything.

Last weekend I headed into the national forest to camp for a night and search for some wildlife.

One of the things about this rig that I will never stop loving is the split tailgate. I can't get over how nice it is to have one. I think the 80 has ruined all other SUV's for me because I can't/won't ever go back to not having one.

The wildlife excursion was a success, I spotted a number of Wilson's Warblers and a moose!

Not much else to report! Thanks for reading.

 

[Roketdriver]

I recently had some film developed, here's a few more photos from my Utah trip.

 

[Roketdriver]

This week marked the two year anniversary of acquiring my LX.

How it started:

How it's going:

It's wild to think that in this timespan, I've put about 40,000 miles on it. This 80 has taken me on some incredible trips and has enabled me to go places that had never previously crossed my mind.

Has it been a money pit? Maybe. Has it been worth it? Absolutley. Can't wait for more miles over the coming years.

Oh, and to really commemorate the occasion, one of my axle seals blew.

Parts are already on the way. At least it'll go quicker this time because I have a grasp on the job and won't be replacing brakes or wheel bearings since they're only a year old.

 

[Roketdriver]

That is all.

 

[Outsane]

Great build thread! Have fun with that soup

 

[Roketdriver]

Got the hub all buttoned up without any drama. Aside from a missing wheel bearing thrust washer. Which means I forgot to put in the last time I was in there. I swear I know how to turn wrenches and follow instructions.

A few weeks ago I noticed a new vibration. While I had the rig lifted up I also checked my driveline.




Wondrous.

Got OEM universals from the dealer. Tried to hammer out the old races aaaaand I had no success.

After the hammer snapped I decided to just let a shop with a press handle it. I took it to the nearest mechanic, who agreed to get the driveshaft situated. They called me a few hours later to inform me that one of the flanges was ruined and they'd have to send it to a specialist.

Really impressed with their turnaround time, I now have a shiny refurbished part ready to slap in. The rear prop shaft is still ok but I'll get it done next anyway.

The real icing on the cake: after failing to clear an obstacle on a trail I had no business being on, I came down hard on my exhaust. When I had the wheel off for the knuckle service I noticed my manifold had a crack in it.

The party never ends.

 

[Roketdriver]

Well I let too much time pass and the Y-Pipe cracked and had to be replaced.

The shop I chose used a Magnaflow unit as the replacement.

Which is all fine and dandy, except now I'm getting a P0125 code whenever the engine is warm, and the second I clear it, the dang thing pops right back on. I also observed P0130 and P0133 once. I'm asking for an outsiders perspective - did the shop mess up my O2 sensor or harness when they swapped cats? I've visually checked everything and don't see anything obvious. Is it just bad timing? I'm trying to determine if I should take it back.

 

[roflbox]

Well I let too much time pass and the Y-Pipe cracked and had to be replaced.

View attachment 2867668

View attachment 2867669

The shop I chose used a Magnaflow unit as the replacement.

View attachment 2867671


Which is all fine and dandy, except now I'm getting a P0125 code whenever the engine is warm, and the second I clear it, the dang thing pops right back on. I also observed P0130 and P0133 once. I'm asking for an outsiders perspective - did the shop mess up my O2 sensor or harness when they swapped cats? I've visually checked everything and don't see anything obvious. Is it just bad timing? I'm trying to determine if I should take it back.

are all of your connectors plugged in / tight? (does it pass the jiggle test?)

 

[Roketdriver]

are all of your connectors plugged in / tight? (does it pass the jiggle test?)

I could only find one connector before the wires ran into the harness. Unplugged and plugged back in a few times, seems properly seated.

 

[Roketdriver]

The CEL seems to be self-resolving...?

I cleared it then went for a long drive on Saturday. Not once did it come back on. On the way home I got the same code, so I cleared it and it stayed off.

Is it possible that two months of having an exhaust leak just threw everything way off and now it has to relearn how to run properly?