So I fired up the beast!

[Gibby1]

It was getting lonely sitting in the garage. When I parked it after the last trip everything was fine so I wasn't expecting to need to do much to go out tomorrow...
One of the Orbital's was dead... 4.9 volts and it won't take a charge... classic. I found another battery to stick in there and I have the receipt for the orbital
Topped off the power steering as that still leaks at the bottom of the extension tube, topped off the transmission as the rear seal leaks and I saw some fluid coming out of the right front axle seal. BOTH right tires were completely flat so it was leaning hard right. Not enough fluid loss to worry about. Oil and coolant's good.

Fired it up, sounded GREAT. It always run rich thanks to the oversized injectors, but the idle kept creeping up and the check engine light was on. I don't recall if Mike didn't turn this off or if maybe something is awry. I turned it off and restarted in and the idle was back down to about 700 rpm again but the engine light was still on. Everything else looked good.

The right side springs are weak I was hoping to swap them right to left to see if that would balance things out a little, but it'll have to be the next trip.

My dad shipped my new top for the rear so that the rear seat passengers can stay hopefully dry and warm, but it didn't show up yet, so I hope it doesn't rain on us tomorrow.

I didn't put the Krawlers on yet. I still have one beadlock to finish installing and I was short on bolts and I forgot to put the valve stem in.. DOH! So I'll run the Iroks one more time.

Not going on a big trip, a father/son day at our farm for Jackson's birthday. I think I'll let him drive, but he doesn't know it yet but I'm sure it will be a treat for him in front of all his friends Just a few rigs and we're going to take his friends for rides over the property. We've got one rock pile, a very interesting little hill with concrete culverts and stumps sticking out, and about 100 or more piles of fresh dirt, plus a TON O MUD! Our mud bogs are about 4' deep right now so it should make for a fun day with the kids. We've got a couple guys from the club coming out either with their kids or to give other people rides.

If the weather's nice, we'll get a big bonfire going. Oh, and birthday cake of course.

Yeah, I know, not as exciting sounding a running funny rocks or the busy in January but for the family guys, this is about as fun as wheeling can get, when you do it with your kids.

 

[Fordzuki]

Sounds like a blast man, and you're right, your kids gonna think you're the best dad ever.

 

[03 CON]

Gibby, I learned a while back, its not what you run, its who you run what with....:;
(and yes, I know you know that:awesomework: )

 

[Gibby1]

Well, we had a blast. I found out my right side springs are definitely in need of some work before it goes out on a real trip again....

I had the wierdest thing happen. I got high centered on the rock pile, got out to check out the situation, decided a tug back was the best choice since the rock was jammed up into the u-joint on the front drive shaft. I got back and the the thing's running like crap!, no tach and the voltmeter's reading volts! I turned my air compressor off and anything else that was using electricity - it ran better, so after we got it off, I parked and tried to figure out what happened. I had no juice left in the battery and I had just given it a full charge the night before (since it had been sitting for a few months). I had a spare battery with me so I put that in and it worked perfectly. VERY wierd! Everything went right back to normal after I switched in the other battery but I still can't figure out what happened to that one, and I was only getting 3 volts WITH the rig running, which should have taken the battery right out of the picture.

Anyway, Jackson got to drive and the little booger was a LOT better than I expected! He got to drive twice with his buddies in the back seat and it worked perfect. He was grinning ear to ear the entire time, especially driving through the mud (OK, mostly water) pit. It was a good 3'+ deep and he was just about bouncing of the seat with excitement driving through.

When Crash get's his (Jackson'") Willys up and running I think I have some strong competition!

 

[Eric]

sounds like an alternator problem to me or the charging system

 

[War-Jeeper]

did you take some pictures of him driving?

 

[Gibby1]

did you take some pictures of him driving?

My wife took a couple. I'll post them up tomorrow. I'm not sure how many she took but I'm sure if I took him back out tomorrow he drive again so that she could get better shots!

 

[War-Jeeper]

My wife took a couple. I'll post them up tomorrow. I'm not sure how many she took but I'm sure if I took him back out tomorrow he drive again so that she could get better shots!

Awesome!

 

[Gibby1]

sounds like an alternator problem to me or the charging system

I was wondering the same thing. I have a premier power welder and their alternator. I know that I am having a few issues there as the welder won't turn on to high charge (weld mode) and the postive post burned internally on the alternator one time. Since I was going to send those back to be repaired sounds like now is the best time, vs later.

But what was really strange is that it was like my battery just gave up the ghost all in a few seconds. One thing going through my mind that I'm going to have to check tomorrow.... The only time I've seen this happen is when I've done a LOT of winching and basically drained the batteries. Then the volts get low enough to kill the tach and everything else. My air compressor was trying to run and I remembered that the last time out, I blew my last fuse and had to make a fuse using some wire. It could be that my makeshift fuse caused a problem and didn't blow when it was supposed to. The compressor has an 80 amp fuse (but I had a tough time finding 80s so I was using 60s), and as a result I blew those a lot. When I shut the compressor off the engine started running properly but still, the electrical system wasn't registering much power so I drove to flat, dry ground to look at it. I couldn't restart as it drained almost all the battery power...

As soon as I put the other battery back in, everything ran as normal.

 

[Gibby1]

Awesome!

A little funny, has asked me when I'll let him drive WITHOUT me in the truck. I told him that I'd let him do that in his Willys when Crash gets finished. To which he replied, "Do I have to wait that long?":fawkdancesmiley:

 

[CHOP SHOP]

Well, we had a blast. I found out my right side springs are definitely in need of some work before it goes out on a real trip again....

I had the wierdest thing happen. I got high centered on the rock pile, got out to check out the situation, decided a tug back was the best choice since the rock was jammed up into the u-joint on the front drive shaft. I got back and the the thing's running like crap!, no tach and the voltmeter's reading volts! I turned my air compressor off and anything else that was using electricity - it ran better, so after we got it off, I parked and tried to figure out what happened. I had no juice left in the battery and I had just given it a full charge the night before (since it had been sitting for a few months). I had a spare battery with me so I put that in and it worked perfectly. VERY wierd! Everything went right back to normal after I switched in the other battery but I still can't figure out what happened to that one, and I was only getting 3 volts WITH the rig running, which should have taken the battery right out of the picture.

Anyway, Jackson got to drive and the little booger was a LOT better than I expected! He got to drive twice with his buddies in the back seat and it worked perfect. He was grinning ear to ear the entire time, especially driving through the mud (OK, mostly water) pit. It was a good 3'+ deep and he was just about bouncing of the seat with excitement driving through.

When Crash get's his (Jackson'") Willys up and running I think I have some strong competition!

refer to the optima thread. I explain why optimas and orbitals are junk unless daily driven. but alot of folks didnt believe it. they have to be fully charged at all times or they wont come back up:booo: just people dont like being told they got duped into buying a $120 battery that sucks

anyways if your rig sits around more than driven, get a standard battery. youll be happier:beer:

 

[War-Jeeper]

A little funny, has asked me when I'll let him drive WITHOUT me in the truck. I told him that I'd let him do that in his Willys when Crash gets finished. To which he replied, "Do I have to wait that long?":fawkdancesmiley:

hahahahahaha kids quick:awesomework:

 

[Gibby1]

refer to the optima thread. I explain why optimas and orbitals are junk unless daily driven. but alot of folks didnt believe it. they have to be fully charged at all times or they wont come back up:booo: just people dont like being told they got duped into buying a $120 battery that sucks

anyways if your rig sits around more than driven, get a standard battery. youll be happier:beer:

Or at least kept on a trickle charger... Now that I have them... and they're under warranty it makes sense to keep them. I'll get a replacment for the bad battery but I wouldn't do optima's again. I've had numerous problems with them. If I had good batteries in one of my other rigs, I'd switch but my daily driver rigs both have old low end batteries that are just about on their way out as well. I'll probably put the optima's in those when their batteries go and then put in a good set of batteries in my trail rig.

 

[CHOP SHOP]

Or at least kept on a trickle charger...

exactly!:awesomework:

if they have a little maintance (trickle charge) they are great products.

I just dont like how they market them to people that dont drive often (hotrods, wheelers, rails, motorhomes). this is the worst crowd for battery maintanance. if you can get it replaced, put it in a daily driver as you stated and it will out live its warranty then. good luck:beer: :beer:

 

[Gibby1]

I put the optima on my tester. My perfectly sound battery tested as kaputz...

 

[bigiron]

A little funny, has asked me when I'll let him drive WITHOUT me in the truck. I told him that I'd let him do that in his Willys when Crash gets finished. To which he replied, "Do I have to wait that long?":fawkdancesmiley:

OUCH:stirpot:

 

[Jaydog]

:booo: I was looking forward to coming out too, but I'll be happy when this flu is over