[khan_sultan]

Originally Posted by vishwaschettri

... I know but I will let the whining dogs lie for the time being. I guess this vehicle has been driven on tarmac on 4WD hence the noise. Any idea how much a complete overhaul will cost?

Should not cost more than 1k at best. Removing the t-case and cleaning it is easy.

..Now you tell me!! 1Kfor each side or complete front set? Damn...

1K for both sides -- complete set for right side & left side. People think it will be expensive and go for recambering. Bets option is take a new set, put additional leaf from current one on it and you will be ready to go.

[codelust]

Originally Posted by vishwaschettri

Thanks codelust. Mine goes all the way to H mark in bumper to bumper traffic. At this point I pull up and throw water on the fins to cool it down. 13 KMPL is too good, but I must confess I have been ripping the vehicle around Delhi . Oh the joys of a rev happy petrol. I see your are in Delhi also. Do share some tips on Garages and places to pick up stuff for a Gypsy.

Sorry about the delayed response, been getting some miles on my rebuilt engine and testing general reliability in Himachal for a big trip coming up next month.

Regular visits to 'high' on the temp gauge is not good, you stand the risk of the engine seizing probably sooner than later. Please, please get this sorted out on priority.

I tend to drive a lot by balancing the throttle, using as little retardation from the brakes as possible. Once you crack the code, you can actually drive quite fast, yet not rev the engine till kingdom come and beyond and also get a decent mileage in the end.

The trouble with a Gypsy and garages is that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. The authorized service center guys will fleece you and still not get basic work done properly. Parts are often marked up by insane amounts there. Good Gypsy specialists will do 90% of the work you need, but won't touch the other 10%. Local mechs will do everything for cheap, but the quality of work will be quite questionable.

I use a mix of options. All my hardcore mechanical/engine work is done by Aman at Autoattitudes, the regular service is done at Motorcraft, Noida (with the right supervisor). Minor bits are done by a decent mech next door at Saket.

Looks like you're inclined more towards touring than offroading, much like me. Drop me a PM, would love to compare notes and Gypsies in the flesh.

cheers,
Shyam

[IndrojitSircar]

The body lines seem to be quite clean. Its getting difficult to come across good gypsys priced decently. If you don't mind sharing, how much did you pick this car up for?

As for your Transfer case issue and heating issue I would suggest you take it to Motorcraft in Sahibabad. They are an authorized maruti service centre and are one of the best if not the best in Delhi NCR for gypsy's and vitaras. You could go and take the car to them on a weekend and get it checked out. They are reasonable in their charges for parts and labour. The advisor to show your car in motorcraft is Satpal Rana and you could also share your problem with Mr.Rahul Dutt, the general manager. I am sure they will pin point your problem and solve it. The place may be abit far from where ever you are based in delhi but since you are planning to take the car on a long drive, its my sincere suggestion that you get it checked in Motorcraft Sahibabad once before you go. It won't be easy to get someone to fix your car and get parts if it breaks down on the road. The issue of the transfer case and heating are critical and need immediate attention. You might damage your engine if you continue driving the car when its heating up.

Regards

Indrojit Sircar

[rohitbagai]

You should get the overheating problem thoroughly checked. Since it's a second hand purchase you don't know how it was driven when it used to overheat in the hands of previous owner.
Do a self test to ensure that overheating has not done any damage to the engine sofar. Check the coolant to see if you find any oil mixed in it. Also while keeping the radiator cap open start the engine and rev it to 3k-4k and if you see coolant coming off like a fountain out of radiator it's a sign of damage to the head gasket. If it does not then you should be rest assured that it's not that abnormal and do jugads to keep it in the safe temp range.

[roy_libran]

Congratulations on getting a clean vehicle. Will we be getting to see you on our OTRs here?
By the way, I am just wondering how long that transfer case was engaged for, on Tarmac. Better get that and the shafts checked up.

[vishwaschettri]

Originally Posted by wbd8779

Do NOT throw away the thermostat , If the temp gauge in your car reaches the H mark in normal city driving then something is seriously wrong , also you are complaining of low power , i drive a gypsy and mine can climb most delhi flyovers in 4th (provided momentum is maintained )
There is no need to put an auxiliarry fan for the normal commute , the stock setup does fine.
Best front seats for the gypsy which you can get in VFM terms are the Esteem ones , you should get them for about 3k from mayapuri/meerut and after reupholstering they get the job done.
I would suggest you take the car to one of the Gypsy specialists in the NCR area , who will be able to identify the issues and fix them up in a jiffy.

Attatched is the link to a friends gypsy , this has an AC installed also , even in extreme offroad situations the temprature remains under control.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/4x4-ve...crutineer.html

I know there is some problem with the cooling system but cant figure it out. Esteem seats are a good option. Let me scrounge meerut for this.

And that is a fab Gypsy. May be few years down the line I will be looking for something similar. Any details for the oil cooler?

Originally Posted by KSM-Vtec

Firstly CONGRATS on getting the mpfi king!!!
[*]Leave the stock fan where it is and add the aux electric fan in front of the radiator. Wagon R fan should be good. IMHO this will not solve the overheating problem completely. You will need to add a bigger copper radiator.[/list][/list]What are your plans regarding installing an AC? Am asking this question now because that will impact your overheating issue and hence you will need to plan accordingly.

Thanks KSM. Are you sure about Wagon R fan? IIRC it pulls the air and will need to be installed towards the engine side after removing the stock fan. For AUX fan one needs a fan which throws air. AC is on cards but first need to get the car stable.

1. Is she overheating even on an open highway without traffic?

NO. Not at all.

2. Is she over heating even when you are not revving beyond 3k rpm?

NO.

3. Is there any white smoke coming out exhaust?

GOD FORBID Hell no.

4. Is this happening even in 2WD?

Nay. She only overheats in bumper to bumper traffic. The moment things start picking up she is fine.

Originally Posted by Desmosedici

Front Seats are entirely your choice. I just gave some options
Rear Seats, please check rear view before installing, i had lots of trouble after putting the Scorpio ones. Do you really want to keep the rear seats. Its a pain for the people sitting at the back.

Sorry if I came across a bit strong. Please keep pouring your suggestions. I need them. As for rear seats I agree Scorpio seats will kill the rear visibility. I have Qualis last row in my Jeep and its a pain to back up. But the kind of comfort it provides to rear passenger I think it is a fair trade-off. Tried and tested over a 3000Kms trip in Lahaul and Spiti valey This vehicle will also see its fair share of touring.

I suggested putting the Aux Fan in front of the radiator however as all others i too feel that this shouldn't be required. My MPFI never gave me troubles, i have driven in bumper to bumper traffic and also offroaded a couple of times and i never faced this issue, my vehicle was mechanically stock.

You are very lucky. Everyone I have contacted agree that Gypsy overheats in Delhi summers in demanding conditions (read low ratio off roading and traffic crawling.) and AUX fan is the way to go.

Originally Posted by esteem_lover

Congrats vishwas. Very nicely written buying experience. How long are you planning to keep that Govt. of India sticker on it ? Not a wise thing to retain it. How much did you buy the Gypsy for ?

Thanks esteem_lover. Already remove the GoI from number plates. Just the one above windshield remains. I guess I will remove it after the trip at the end of this month after claiming the toll tax waiver on highway for the last time.

Originally Posted by wbd8779

As i pointed out earlier to the Vishwas , he needs to have this checked by a competent garage who deal in Gypsies frequently. The problems could range from what you pointed out , to binding brakes , clogged radiator lines , speed of the vicious coupling fan.
As for the radiator setup , a Baleno radiator coupled with a Ritz/Indica electric fan wil take care of ANY overheating issues in the car, i speak from experience as i have done the Raid in extereme category in a 1.6 Baleno engined Gypsy using the same setup, though we faced other issues , overheating was not one of them.
Nice to see an addition to the NCR gypsy club
Cheers

Bigger radiator is on card but for the time being I am going to try AUX fan setup. Any idea about who in Delhi can provide a good 4 core copper radiator? Also any idea of cost of Baleno radiator? I know it is a rally favorite. Does anybody know how does the viscous clutch fan works? Someone suggested that it might be malfunctioning. If yes what will be the damage to pocket? WIKI favours this theory Fan clutch - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Originally Posted by khan_sultan

Should not cost more than 1k at best. Removing the t-case and cleaning it is easy.
1K for both sides -- complete set for right side & left side. People think it will be expensive and go for recambering. Bets option is take a new set, put additional leaf from current one on it and you will be ready to go.

Well recambering is done for the time now. I will remember this for the next time. I will also get the transfer case looked into.

Originally Posted by codelust

The trouble with a Gypsy and garages is that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. The authorized service center guys will fleece you and still not get basic work done properly. Parts are often marked up by insane amounts there. Good Gypsy specialists will do 90% of the work you need, but won't touch the other 10%. Local mechs will do everything for cheap, but the quality of work will be quite questionable.
I use a mix of options. All my hardcore mechanical/engine work is done by Aman at Autoattitudes, the regular service is done at Motorcraft, Noida (with the right supervisor). Minor bits are done by a decent mech next door at Saket.

I agree, I also use the same approach for my vehicles. I have heard good things about Aman. I think I will visit him. Any idea how cost effective he is?

Originally Posted by IndrojitSircar

The body lines seem to be quite clean. Its getting difficult to come across good gypsys priced decently. If you don't mind sharing, how much did you pick this car up for?
As for your Transfer case issue and heating issue I would suggest you take it to Motorcraft in Sahibabad. They are an authorized maruti service centre and are one of the best if not the best in Delhi NCR for gypsy's and vitaras. You could go and take the car to them on a weekend and get it checked out. They are reasonable in their charges for parts and labour. The advisor to show your car in motorcraft is Satpal Rana and you could also share your problem with Mr.Rahul Dutt, the general manager. I am sure they will pin point your problem and solve it. The place may be abit far from where ever you are based in delhi but since you are planning to take the car on a long drive, its my sincere suggestion that you get it checked in Motorcraft Sahibabad once before you go. It won't be easy to get someone to fix your car and get parts if it breaks down on the road. The issue of the transfer case and heating are critical and need immediate attention. You might damage your engine if you continue driving the car when its heating up.

Motorcraft is next doors to me! I pass it on my way to office everyday. I have already visited them albeit to buy some spares (which they did not give). At this point I am not in favour of turning up at a big garage, pay a packet to get the car sorted and not learn anything. I would rather take it slow, get to know the vehicle and do one thing at a time. And the condition this vehicle is in, it just requires some TLC to sort it out.
As for price lets say I had a budget of 2L in mind. Now after picking this vehicle, getting sorted the brakes and suspension, getting a full service done, putting in some decent shoes, getting the touching up and rubbing done I shall be a tad below 2L. What say?

Originally Posted by rohitbagai

Do a self test to ensure that overheating has not done any damage to the engine sofar. Check the coolant to see if you find any oil mixed in it. Also while keeping the radiator cap open start the engine and rev it to 3k-4k and if you see coolant coming off like a fountain out of radiator it's a sign of damage to the head gasket. If it does not then you should be rest assured that it's not that abnormal and do jugads to keep it in the safe temp range.

No sir the head gasket is absolutely fine I am positive about it. A car with weak gasket will boil out the coolant when pushed around. Here that is not a problem. Only traffic crawling is.

Originally Posted by roy_libran

Congratulations on getting a clean vehicle. Will we be getting to see you on our OTRs here?
By the way, I am just wondering how long that transfer case was engaged for, on Tarmac. Better get that and the shafts checked up.

Thanks Roy. This is an Auction vehicle. I guess must have been driven quite a few times on tramac with 4WD engaged due to ignorance and neglignce.

Originally Posted by vkarulkar

Suggestions in bold. Congrats. Nice buy. what ratio of coolant and water has been used? 50/50? My fiat used to heat up like anything with 50/50. Then with 80/20 (80 water, 20 coolant) issue sorted. water is the one, which actually discipates the heat.

I have also felt the same way. My alto 1.1 had a weak gasket which I was putting off attending to due to hectic office schedule. With water in the radiator I could putter around all day as long as I kept rpm below 2K and did not touch AC. The moment you put coolant it use to boil it out and heat up. Water is best for dissipating heat. As I read elsewhere in this forum 'Coolant is just an expensive anti rust and lubricant for your cooling system'

[vishwaschettri]

Hi Everyone,

sorry for the late reply, but was hammered with work at office. OK the update on Gypsy

• King Pin bearing changed
• Knuckle kit changed and both front axles greased and repacked
• Alignment done. Now it is not wandering off anymore
• Front number plate changed
• Rear number plate junked to make room for army tow hook. Sticker pasted on rear door.
• AUX fan installed in front of radiator. Goodbye heating issues.
• Tires filled up! While attending to other issues this basic thing was overlooked. The poor thing had on an average Tire pressure of 10 PSI. Damn these nylons, they never appear under inflated. Goodbye hard steering. It is super soft now. Welcome NOT harsh ride quality. Now with the TP up the thing is bouncing around like bouncy castle. I take my words back. Jeep ride quality is better. Period

Things on cards

• Injecotr cleaning
• Throttle body cleaning
• Self/Starter servicing - It gets stuck at time
• Re - install the AUX fan. Not satisfied with the quality of install. Now that it is working will like to redo it and maybe also make a shroud as lot of air is escaping from side
• Install a electronic thermostat and hook the AUX fan with it. Currently it is manually controlled. Will like to make it automatic with override for on and off. Any suggestions for this?
• I think the heating issue on idling was due to malfunctioning viscous clutch. Need suggestions on this. Is my diagnosis right?
• Under body protection? Compared to jeep I could not find any fuel tank guard or tranfercase/gearbox plate here. Any suggestions?
• AC install. I have more or less decided on under body placement. Any pointer?

cheers
vishwas

[IndrojitSircar]

Where do you work ? See they will not do a counter sale. Mr. Rahul Dutt is very well known in the circle. He has the best experience and knowledge. I have 3 cars and all of them are maintained in his workshop. Till today I have not got an unreasonable bill for anything. The pricing is very reasonable and the work is delivered on time maintaing very high quality standards. I still think you should get your car shown at his workshop once and get them to diagnose your problem. And then you could take a call after that if you want to go further with him or not. The big names in the rally scene like Mr. Sunny Sidhu, Mr. Gaurav Chiripal, Mr. Randeep Miglani, etc all get their gypsys and vitaras done here. Its the best you could get in Delhi NCR. Even WBD8779's gypsy is maintained here. So whatever people say that they don't do the job or have spares is all completely wrong and baseless when it comes to motorcraft sahibabad. Your problem of heating and the transfer case and other issues will all be solved here. Its your call buddy at the end of the day what you want to do. One can always take a chance.

By the way you paid a really good price for your car I must say

[desertfox]

In A Gypsy the 1300 cc engine is rather ill equipped to handle an A/C I had it installed in my MPFI Gypsy King but it was always overheating. I Installed the evaporator under the body as well but it used to clogg very badly off road. THe overheating problem was not solved.

[vishwaschettri]

Originally Posted by IndrojitSircar

Where do you work ? See they will not do a counter sale. Mr. Rahul Dutt is very well known in the circle. He has the best experience and knowledge. I have 3 cars and all of them are maintained in his workshop. Till today I have not got an unreasonable bill for anything. The pricing is very reasonable and the work is delivered on time maintaing very high quality standards. I still think you should get your car shown at his workshop once and get them to diagnose your problem. And then you could take a call after that if you want to go further with him or not. The big names in the rally scene like Mr. Sunny Sidhu, Mr. Gaurav Chiripal, Mr. Randeep Miglani, etc all get their gypsys and vitaras done here. Its the best you could get in Delhi NCR. Even WBD8779's gypsy is maintained here. So whatever people say that they don't do the job or have spares is all completely wrong and baseless when it comes to motorcraft sahibabad. Your problem of heating and the transfer case and other issues will all be solved here. Its your call buddy at the end of the day what you want to do. One can always take a chance.

By the way you paid a really good price for your car I must say

@ Indrojit,
Sorry for the late reply. The unbearable heat wave in Delhi meant Gypsy has not been started for months and now has a dead battery. I work in Naraina but stay very near to sahibabad and pass motorcraft.

@ All
On the Gypsy front nothing has happened, but now getting the vehicle prepped up for a long trip through Uttranchal hills. Following is the list of work to be done

1. Clutch overhaul - Need opinion on this from all. OE clutch (ceekay / valeo)are half the price of MGP clutch. I have always used OE clutch on all my cars and found then satisfactory. I am inclined towards Valeo.

2. Steering box - The vehicle has a bit of play. Is it advisable to change the box? What is the cost? MGP / OE?

3. Full service with all oils changed and throttle body / injectors cleaned.

cheers
vishwas

[starter]

Originally Posted by vishwaschettri

1. Clutch overhaul - Need opinion on this from all. OE clutch (ceekay / valeo)are half the price of MGP clutch. I have always used OE clutch on all my cars and found then satisfactory. I am inclined towards Valeo.

2. Steering box - The vehicle has a bit of play. Is it advisable to change the box? What is the cost? MGP / OE?

Hey Vishwas,
What is OE? I thought MGP is OE. Am i wrong here?
Cheers,
Deepak

[vishwaschettri]

Originally Posted by starter

Hey Vishwas,
What is OE? I thought MGP is OE. Am i wrong here?
Cheers,
Deepak

OE is Original Equipment
MGP is Maruti Genuine Part

Say Lumax makes all the headlights for Maruti and is an OE manufacturer. Now lumax supplies all the headlights to Maruti and Maruti packs it and sells under MGP name in market. The same headlight is directly sold in the market by Lumax also almost at 60-75% of MGP cost under lumax brand name and is called OE.

I personally feel that quality of OE is a notch lower to GP and there is also a chance of being sold a spurious spare as well. GP if bought over the counter from an authorized dealer have almost nil chance of being spurious.

hope this clears it.

cheers
vishwas

[vishwaschettri]

Hi everyone,

Below is the itinerary planned for the uttranchal hills. Your comments are most welcome on same. Anything particular I should keep in mind when taking a Gypsy to hills?

Kindly give suggestions on the accommodation?

June 11 : New Delhi – Rishikesh (230 kms) - leave in the evening from Delhi
June 12 : Rishikesh - Rudraprayag – Joshimath – govindghat – gangharia (268 km drive & 14km trek) - Should be out by 5 in the morning to make it possible. This is going to be the toughest day and I think we are most probably gonna settle at govindghat.
June 13 : Ghangaria – valley of flowers - Ghangaria (8 km trek to & fro) – stay at camps
June 14 : Ghangaria - Hemkuntsahib - Ghangaria (12 km trek to & fro) - stay at camps
June 15 : Ghangaria - govindghat – Joshimath –Auli (40 kms drive 14 km trek) – stay at auli
June 16 : Auli – kedarnath (210 kms) - stay at kedarnath
June 17 : kedarnath – ranikhet - Almora (290 kms) - stay at almora
June 18 : Stay at almora.
June 19 : Almora - nainital (75 kms) – see all 9 lakes enroute - stay at nainital
June 20 : stay at nainital
June 21 : Nainital – jimcorbet (75 kms) – do a day safari at park and stay overnight
June 22 : Jimcorbet – new delhi (280 kms) – do a morning safari and push for Delhi

cheers
vishwas

p.s. @ mods - I have intentionally not merged this post with earlier reply as these are entirely different topics. Kindly let these back to back posts be.

[codelust]

Is this a good time to head in that direction? I'm hearing about a lot of landslides, stranded travellers and even a death. Once the monsoons start, that route is always dicey. Do be careful.

Woman killed, traffic hit by landslides, cloudburst - Hindustan Times

[sourabhzen]

Hope you meant July in your post.

Day 2 - 268 Km drive on hills during monsoon and a trek of 14 km is taking too much of stress and risk. Take a break at Joshimath instead.