Hey Guys
Its been a long time since I updated this thread. Barring some petty issues not much has happened since my last update!!!
I took the CJ3B for another OTR on the 21st of June 2009. It was actually a recce off the Bherampur track(not sure whether its Bherambur or Badshapur, I always get confused between the two But this is the track where we take a left from Haldiram on the NH8). Found a really nice extension of the track and this is where we are planning the forthcoming OTR on July 19th. We guys started early in the morning around 6 and were finished around noon!!!
The CJ3B preformed wonderfully never letting me down. Managed to do all the obstacles with relative ease.
I got a flat tyre. Driver side front!!! I guess I dint get them checked after the Faridabad OTR and went to another OTR after that with just topping up the air pressure. So Changed the tyre. A while later Amit’s jeep also had a flat. His 540 was also there at the Faridabad OTR. Now we were 3 jeeps with only 1 spare tyre to go. Luckily the tyres on all were NDMS 6 X 16’s.
We decided that if we get another flat, we’ll head back home as there’s no point taking unnecessary risk’s.
Just before we were leaving, checked up on the water level and just about less than half a pint was added to the radiator. The outside temperature must have been about 44 degrees but felt much more. It was Very Very HOT. The temp gauge was constantly at 60-65 degrees, occasionally rising upto 80 when were driving slowly or were stationary.
This I perfect I guess??? I can now say that the heating issue is resolved for good!!!
Pictures of the OTR
Two Days afterwards
- The 3B was parked for the next two days and I tried starting it with the usual accelerator pumping action. NOTHING happened
- I tried using Electric Fuel Pump (EFP)and still nothing. The jeep was parked at an angle and the fuel gauge was reflecting that in the tank was ¼ full, I thought that less fuel might have been the reason. So I used the EFP for quite a while and after almost a good minute or two I saw petrol flowing through the pipes. Took it to the petrol pump and filled her up!!!
- Also on the way back from Gurgaon, I just stopped to pour water on the Manual Fuel Pump and when I popped the hood I noticed that the top hose pipe was cracked and the coolant was leaking from it. So I topped her up and thought that I will get it changed. I was happy that it dint crack at the start of the OTR.
- The third issue I noticed at the OTR was that oil was dripping from either the gearbox or the transfer case. This was the case for the past couple of weeks so I thought whenever I go to the workshop again I will get it resolved.
Next Sunday (28th June) I was free and I decided to take the jeep to Noida, Jasvinder’s garage!!! The weather had become quite good and as the fuel was 3/ 4 th full, I cranked. Again nothing.
So I decided to finally get under the jeep and do a little of DIY job as surely less fuel was now not the case and when I was using the EFP now, fuel was dripping from under it (EFP). As soon as I got under the jeep, I noticed that the fuel pipe that takes the fuel from the tank to the EFP was cracked and the fuel line might have been taking air from that. Luckily the crack was not in the middle and the tank was not full. I took my swissknife and cut it from the place where the problem was. Once done I tried to force it back on but it just wouldn’t go over the EFP inlet. Had it been a diesel I could have heated it, but this option was not open in this case!!! The pipe had become very hard as it might have been local make and was almost as hard as a rock. So I tried a lot of things, like using excessive force and forcing it on, using a screwdriver to loosen the pipe a little, using a sharp knife and trying to wear off the edges from inside. Nothing worked. So after talking to a friend I applied some oil on the EFP inlet and the pipe and with a little force, thankfully I was able to push it on the inlet pipe and screw the clamp back on.
Then took the jeep to Noida
- Got the hose pipe replaced and also took an extra for emergencies.
- The packing of the gearbox had become loose so this was tightened
- The fuel pipe was replaced with a better quality one
- Then in the next couple of days the jeep was sent to the tyre shop and got all the tyres checked. The puncture tally was as follows. The 1st tyre had 11 puncture so the tube was replaced. The other 3 had like 7 in one, 4 in one and 3 in one. So I got them repaired and have 2 spare tubes in my tool box for emergencies.
Effectively the jeep is now ready for the next OTR
Pictures of the new hose pipe
The Faulty pipe