Author Archives: robsworkshop

1973 Boler Trailer…

Sept 14 2017

This Post will have 7 pages:

Introduction:

This summer a few of us were “talking projects”.. and what was worth the time and money. The boler trailer always topped the list. I said I should just do RV’s .. because I have lots of parts and a resource for new parts. Well I bought one.. cheap enough to spend some bucks on it. First I need to get the LeSharo RV running before starting on the boler. And then I park it till spring. but let’s get the blog going anyway.

And this is mine.. a bit of a mess. been stored for many many years. But it’s mostly there. It will likely need work on the frame first.. and then the body has way too many holes.. I plan to strip it down to the shell and start over.. The list of things to do is long.. however this trailer is still in good condition for it’s year. And so we begin.. with a video..

There’s a few things I forgot in the video.. like new suspension as well as wheels.. So it’s going to be like pulling a new trailer. Plus this is like a blank slate for colors and décor. We are already talking about those things.. And I’m thinking of ways to incorporate some of the parts I have. Also how to bring it up to date with things like LED lighting, power monitoring and better fabrics. All while trying to keep a bit of “nostalgic” ness to it. But the frame on these is always been the weak part. So if it’s never been replaced then you have to start there.

Frame: (problems under there)

How fortunate that there are lots of folks who have built new frames ..and shared their designs on the net. So I’m taking their ideas… and my ideas, and making a whole new frame. I’ll be using the main part of the Colman tent trailer frame that I was about to use for a new utility trailer.

This ( above photo) is a beefier frame 2″ x 3″ box steel compared to the factory boler frame 1-1/2″ x 2-1/2″ box steel. As well the bigger frame is bent not cut and welded to the angle for the hitch. I plan to add a third piece in the middle and have the hitch mounted to that.

I like this frame, mostly the body mounts. But I will add a few more pieces.. Adding a little weight here will not matter.. just means no problems down the road. The original boler design was to have a light frame and use the combination of a fiberglass / plywood sandwich floor to ADD strength to the frame. So they both need to be in good condition to work. Over time things would sag.. and weaken. And that’s the case with the frame under there now.

Yes I crawled under to see what’s up and shoot some photos. Above is the rear floor. And sure enough the left side has sagged. Someone welded a angle brace … but that’s not a fix. I’m surprised to see no other framing … just the two little beams.

And here’s the middle floor . ( where you stand and walk ) again it seams like no support.. That plywood / fiberglass is very strong ! It does not flex when I walk on it. And I really doubt that rusty bent piece of angle is doing much.

So looking toward the hitch it’s obvious that the frame was repaired. Long time ago judging by the rust. All these problems and the torsion suspension is very much wore out.. That’s why it came home on a trailer. I know I said I would not be starting this project for a while… but I’ve got a little spare time and just can’t leave it alone. I lifted the whole trailer off the ground.

Supporting it with my jack stands. Interestingly this took the sag out of the frame and show me that the whole back of the body was not tight to the frame anymore. Wow..

This is the floor under where the dinette cabinet was. The body is attached to the frame with these screws and washers. They were pulling out of the frame ! So when I lifted the rear they popped up.. This is NOT how I do things.. Those skinny little screws are most likely rusted and at some point would fail. That is why my frame will have mounting flanges and carriage bolts to mount the body.

Yes I had some fun removing stuff from the interior.

All the cabinets have to come out anyway.. They need repairs and will be repainted. May leave the closet alone.. it’s mounted very nicely with cap bolts. The rust that you see .. I believe was caused by moisture inside the trailer.. not leaks. If you close these fiberglass trailers up, then they condensate inside.. best to leave vents and windows open a bit.

Well everything is out.. Real easy to get at the mounting screws now. It can sit like this till I’m ready to tackle the frame. I got new suspension on sale.. so that’s another big part of the frame.

These will be joined with heavy angle iron before becoming part of the frame. For this blog I’m going to divide the work up into three more parts / pages. Most of my projects have more than one page ..cause I don’t like long posts. Next page will be the Frame. Then the Body.. and finally the Interior.

#2 The Frame:

70’s Coleman Tent Trailer.

Aug 2017

It was free… and you know how that goes.. It was also broken.. So.. time to make something different from the old girl. I’ve done it before.. made a nice useful trailer out of a old funky one.. I wish I took a photo of the Coleman before I took it apart.. But I forgot… So the photos start with a stripped down trailer (frame) ready for some decisions on what to make.

But let’s talk about why I took it apart !

Why not just fix it up.. nope. where do I start.. How about with the broken lift mechanism. We had to hook up our portable winch to pull on the four cables that lift the roof. The treaded block that is pulled along the crank rod was stripped. And it was easy to see why.. The roof was so heavy from water leaking in and soaking the foam and wood that even our 2000 lb winch needed help. so we went from corner to corner lifting and blocking … then taking up the slack with the winch .. till the roof was up. The roof was a mess.. and the canvas was ripped and things were just bad.. So I stripped the canvas off.. and removed the roof.. that darn thing must of weighed 1000 lbs ! It’s taken me two days to get the Coleman down to just a frame. A pile of aluminum, a pile of wood and a pile of steel. And I’ve gained a few parts.. stove, sink, furnace, power panel with 30 amp cord, roof vent, ice box and two sheets of plywood..

She was big as tent trailers go.. 11 ft long. with the fat 10″ wheels. and brakes ! All aluminum & steel.

What a great blank canvas for a trailer ! I will need to spend some money though. new tires / wheels so that I can use the one good one as a spare. Also a new 2″ hitch, and treated deck boards should finish it of nice. I plan to move the rear bumper in so that the deck is 11 ft long. That balances the trailer better. And I’ll trim the sides in flush with the wheels.. that makes the width exactly 6 ft. The plan is to build it similar to the tandem trailer I build and have been using for a few years now.

Love this trailer.. this has worked very good. But for the little guy I will do solid sides with stake pockets so you can add height. Oh and same height all the way around not raised in the front

For now I have to put this project aside to do other stuff.

Sept 9 2017

Well I can’t work on the LeSharo till I get the motor hoist back.. So I got the new driveway done.. and now I’m thinking I’ll tackle the new trailer. I’m off to PA to get two new wheels for it.. I have new lights and a new 2 ” coupler.. so I can get to work.

I removed some of the crap .. like the propane tank holders, chains and the wiring . And today I stripped the frame of all the stuff that I don’t need …and some stuff I’ll change

Now I can pick it up.. so I put it up high on the saw horses. Oh and it’s upside down for a bit till I get a few things done. First thing is moving some of the cross pieces. One by one I’m spacing them out more evenly.

The brakes got put on this project .. when I bought a Boler project..I will need the frame for that.. so.. nothing more to see here..

So see how I use the frame on the Boler !

1986 Winnebago LaSharo Motorhome

May 12 2017

I saw this for sale cheap… and I was only sorta interested.. sorta !

So I threw it out there on the family page. I did so because many of them were looking at smaller RV’s. And this is the same size as a long pickup. but it has a lot of RV stuff in there. Including two full beds. So what to do ! I went and had a good look.. the motor runs but knocks so bad you don’t really want to drive it. The roof leaked at some time and damaged the ceiling panels.. But that’s not a big deal in this RV cause the frame is all steel. The rest is in good condition for it’s age. I paid the few hundred bucks and had it towed to Peter’s shop.. The plan is to explore the motor fix later this summer. Here’s a video ..

These Motor homes have an endearing following: Love / Hate kinda

And it’s easy to see why. The four cylinder motor gets very good gas mileage .. but is under powered for this size vehicle. It’s front wheel drive , therefor it’s low to the ground… No steps ! In fact it’s the lowest entry of any RV. The layout inside works very well.. and makes good use of the space. Here’s a new video that better shows that..

I made the forward bed down just to see how that went.. great bed. Also I wanted to see how much of a job the ceiling would be.. and it doesn’t look like that big of a deal. Looks like the factory ceiling was paneling covered with fuzzy headliner stuff.. Ok .. I get that.. but that headliner did not do well with the constant rubbing of peoples heads on it.. Plus it was glued to the paneling.. 30 years of rubbing , heat… cold.. nope . did not do good.. I’m thinking just smooth white finish is best.

Aug 2017:

I found a complete drive train for the LS.. running motor … not working transmission.. 33,000 miles on it AND it’s here in BC . just a 7 hr drive away..

Update: Aug 2017

After I sold the Empress motor home , I had the money to buy the motor from the fella down at the coast.. And how lucky I was that he was coming to Grand Forks to buy a car.. So he delivered the motor ( complete with transmission and front drive). What a great deal.. Even though there is a few years difference the motors are identical.

Also as a bit of bonus.. he discovered that the reason for his transmission not working was a broken wire connector. So I have a spare transmission too. I will also have both spare ECU’s for the trans & motor. I could just do a quick swap of the motors.. but I would like to clean up the new motor and replace some of the gaskets.. check the seals and set the valves.. All easier while outside the LS and in the shop.

Aug 10 2017: The LS is now in my driveway facing the shop door..

Today in the cool morning I have removed the front fascia and bumper.. and sizing things up.. wow there is a lot of hoses to keep track of.. Going to have to lift the front quiet a bit to get under there.. I have the new motor apart from the transmission now… sure don’t like the right side motor mount.. not enough room to swing a wrench. Seems every bolt holding the two together is a different length ! curse the French. And speaking of bolts ! are they metric.. or SAE.. seems a combination of both ?

I was using a 5/8 socket on the motor bolts .. so I’m confused a bit. So now to mount the motor to the stand and park the transaxle outside out of the way.

Sept 25 2017: I had lost the use of the motor hoist for a few weeks and while waiting I got some other things done.. Also needed the new gaskets for the good motor so got them ordered and here. This week is time to get R done. The goal was always to get the LaSharo running good before winter sets in.. and then I’ll park it till spring to work on the interior.

My nephew is a mechanic and he will come help with the swap.. He’s done many motor swaps. My next step is to pull the existing motor out .. get the two side by side and change over the best parts.. Then I want to power wash the motor compartment.

So after much cursing and sweat.. the motor is out and I washed the whole thing down. Nicer to work without all the yuck. Now the good motor needs a bit of work and then in it goes.

The old motor is probably re-buildable …or at least some of the bits are useable.. Need to get it on the motor stand and see…

Here’s the new motor in.. Took 4 hrs and lots of patience. And that’s just bolting it to the transmission ! now I need to hook up what seams like a hundred things. It better run… cause this is not an easy in / out sorta thing.

Oct 10 2017: Thanksgiving !

And I’m thankful that things are moving along with the re- hooking up of motor stuff.. I took a little break and went camping / quading with friends.. But this weekend I’m back at it scratching my head over the hose and wire puzzle. Got some great help from my Facebook LeSharo friends..

RUNS !

Yup .. it fired right up.. it’s now the 15 th of Oct.. and I have it all together and the coolant in there too.. I drove it next door and parked it for the winter.. SO will continue with renewed vigor in the spring.. Will start a new page for that.. And now I’ll focus my attention on the boler..

Page Two.

70’s Terra Jet 453E page 4

March 28 2017

Continuing with the RE-Assembly:

I’m going to spend another few days before I kick the TJ outside so I can use the shop for servicing tractors.. So let’s se what I can do.

The Chain :

There it is.. The greasy mess. Well this took most of a day.. got the tension sprocket in the wrong place. so had to do it all over.. Got it right now.. and everything is smooth. Also got the brake caliper mounted .. it fits it’s new home great..

Wheels & Rims:

today I was going to put the wheels back on the TJ.. But as I was looking them over and there was too much I didn’t like.. Two of the tires were very old.. like 40 years ! cracked.. They all had tubes in them.. .so there were other issues. I decided to pull them all off the rims. What a job.. rusted on there.. tubes stuck.. yuck. So what better time to pick the best rims.. clean them up … paint them and mount the new tires I bought two years ago.

This is the tires I got.. as close to the chevron tread as I could get with out breaking the bank.. Just need to go get them from storage. And I’ve painted the rims… black, BUT dark steel gray on the outside.. where you see.. classy.

When the paint is good and cured I’ll mount the new tires. Hopping the bead seals and holds air ..

Rollin Rollin Rollin…

Those are some bad tires .. but they hold air the way they are suppose too.. and they look good ..

I’m putting the body back on and covering the TJ outside for a bit..

But come on… gota take a photo first. And just because the TJ goes out of the shop.. does not mean I stop working on the project. I need to get the motor ready, The seat ready, the floor panels, roll bar and windshield.. All these things can be done in the shop still. All done for now.

Update : When we were moving to Alberta a lot of things had to go …this was one of them. sold to someone who planned to finish it.

70’s Terra Jet 453E page3

March 15 2017

Finishing the Tub…

I used truck box liner finish on the first Terra Jet.. and I liked the results. It’s a rough finish.. but hey it’s a rough looking tub.

And that’s done.. Reminds me of the first Terra Jet tub. Yup.. more or less the same.. Except the frames are welded in the newer ones.. so much heavier to move. and while the Rhino liner paint is curing.. I set to work doing a few small touches to the bumpers.. plus I installed the side boards that protect the body sides.

Like this winch mount on the front.. It’s upside down .. so is the tub. This holds a 2000 lb winch quite nicely.

Also a small improvement to the hitch.. some places to hook to. Very nice.. It’s the little touches that I like.. Everything got some black paint.. and will be finished off when the tub gets flipped. I’m trying some new paint.. It’s much like the Por 15 that I like.. but less cost. So far so good ..

It’s a nice shiny black.. and brushes on smooth. I’m cleaning and sorting and painting some of the parts.. I’m finding out that between the two Terra Jets there are big differences.. Such as the steering. I noticed that the steering from the 76 TJ is offset to one side.. so all the bits are different from the 73 TJ where the steering wheel is in the middle. Hmm.. I have to be careful. Even these pedals are slightly different.

One thing leads to another:

So I’m picking and choosing the parts I want to use.. And I’m finding all kinds of compatibility issues. I want to use one part of the steering from the newer TJ and that means I need to change a bunch of stuff.. and ! I will need to use all the steering parts from that TJ all the way to the wheel hubs.. On top of that ..

The brake pedal , and it’s hanger / cross piece are a bit different to allow for the steering shaft and the park brake to work.

And this bracket .. for the steering will need to move 2 ” over to the left. Because the new steering is offset to the left.. Geez ! I’m sorting it out..

Inside the tub:

Lots to do as soon as the paint cures good.. I will need to move that steering bracket, weld on a center seat support.. and a battery tray. Also I have to remove the transmission adjustment bracket. This setup is for a two stroke motor. It will be in the way of my bigger motor.

This will be changed to the newer style.

This is the new way.. the bracket goes.. to the back wall. This is also an adjustment for the clutch belt. And a mount for the clutch brake.. that stops the transmission for changing gears.

Got the inside all cleaned and the steering bracket moved.

The other unnecessary stuff removed.. Above you can see the body seam caulking .. A little added leak proofing.. and it smooth’s out the sharp edges for painting. Again I’m going with gray paint.. it’s easier to see leaks and to work on stuff with a lighter color.

PLUS… It looks good with the black tub.. blue body. Just need to install a battery holder and modify the motor mount to suit the Honda. And that leads to the Re- assembly . And another page !

Continued on .. PAGE 4

70’s Terra Jet 453E page2

March 7 2017

Rebuilding the TUB

I have a great way of dealing with the bulge of the chain run that plagues the underside of all Terra Jets. In the case of this one it hangs a further two inches below the bottom at the rear axle. And that makes it vulnerable to hitting rocks … and therefore making a hole …that lets the water in ! Can’t have that. Nope.. And I don’t want to be repairing that after I have gone to this much trouble. My solution:

Add the two inches right across the back.. and cap it with 1/8 ” plate steel. Ha ! take that rock ! This also makes a good sump for the bilge pump, and changes the curve at the rear.. ( stern ) This is just the test fit.. but I’ll be welding these new 3/16 ” thick sides to the frame.

Done.. Also have to think ahead to what will be needed and easier to install now.. like the brake holder. Two small pieces to stiffen the 1/8 bottom plate too.. and a quick paint job on the underside.. Next…

I tacked the 1/8 th plate into place.. so I could flip the tub over. and weld up some of the holes.. There was lots of those holes.. It’s a good thing the tub won’t have to win any beauty contests. But I’m wanting it strong and leak proof not pretty. Things have to work with the other parts though.. Like the body needs to seal to the top of the tub.

So I’m rebuilding parts like these front corners. I will test fit the body too.. And other considerations like the fuel tank , the seat and the battery holder. They all need good mounting .

This is the tank from an Argo.. It’s nice and flat.. but still two inches higher then where the seat was.. Is a higher seat a problem ? will have to think on this one. In the mean time I cut the welds ( they were bad anyway) on the seat supports. I want them bolted through the tub …no welds. With this setup the tank will be hidden under the seat.. Once things are going together I’ll test out seat locations.

I brought the body in for a test fit.. and to see how things line up. I’m going to build a winch mount on the front bumper ..and need to know how far back it can go.. And also the sides need to fit in the running boards.. Got it figured out. Almost all holes are filled in the tub. Just two more big patches.. and the bottom can go on.

One down.. one to go. This was a big flap cut into the front .. Not the tidiest welding.. but strong.. Time to get the bottom done. lots of careful welding to do.

Well that was NOT easy.. We used straps and blocks to get the bend in the bottom.. That 18 Ga sheet will not bend easy. The small transition piece had to be heated and hammered into submission. But it’s done except the curved piece for the back… I’m thinking a press will be of help there. And here’s a new short video .. part 2:

I’m taking a few days off to heal up my eye.. got something in there and was finding it hard to see detail..

Back at it.. and I got all the welding done on the tub.

Here we go.. the rear is done.. even have a new drain plug. The next step is applying the box liner finish.. And it’s time to start another page..

Continued on Page 3

70’s Terra Jet 453E page1

March 3 2017

Going to build a Keeper :

This is #2.. of the 3 Terra Jets I had. # 1 was sold over a year ago.. Number 2 & 1 came together as a deal.

Number 2 is the one up front on the trailer.. And other than missing it’s body.. it’s very complete and almost in working condition.. ( if the motor ran ).

It would have looked like this one above.. except it was blue. However it looked like the one below when I rescued it.

There was shreds of the body still clinging to the tub. Just the head lights left ! I always figured this was the good one of the three.. it rolls , shifts and steers. And it has the better driveline. The third Terra Jet that I picked up from a different person gives me a body for this one.. a great running Honda 20 hp motor, and a lot of good parts. # 2 here has been sitting in the wings waiting ( two years) for it’s TIME. Now is the time.. so lets get going:

The first step is always… bring the project into the shop .. It’s not quite spring yet .. so I have a bit of time before all the spring stuff happens.. and then I would be too busy to do this project. I want to note here that I intend to use the best of the two Jets I have.. Whether it be the tubs , transmissions.. or any of the parts. TJ number two is a 1976 model, with a few extra features that are nice to have. The third TJ is a 1973, with the body, lots of good parts, and a good tub / frame with the bottom cut out.

Let’s Start:

But where to begin.. I pulled the wheels off.. and put the TJ up on stands. Then I got down and had a good look under the TJ.. well I found five cracks and holes.. and the underside looks like it was in WW II .. So we could be looking at a new bottom, and I’ve done that before.. looks like the frame is welded into this one too.. So.. I need to compare this tub to the one outside #3 TJ.. the bottom is already cut out.. And it’s all in pieces. This is what number three looks like..

And the tub looks better… But I still have to take the 76 apart.. I need the transmission no mater which tub I use. And taking things apart on something old and rusty is never easy.

The rear axle is the most fun! It is through the transmission with a long key.. and after all these years ..refuses to let go. We did get the hubs off with a torch, a puller and a lot of banging. And so far all the aluminum bearing holders are in great shape. Now I’ve seen others doing this and cracking the transmission case… so I’m trying a different way.. by pushing on the transmission final drive where the axle passes through.

I’m using a pipe that slides over the axle and presses on the transmission. And using the axle nut / washer to pull the axle out. This is proving to be very difficult. Finally I had enough and took a big hammer to the axle.. and it came out. All is good.. So we removed the steering and the front axles … and flipped the tub over to see EXACTLY how bad things were.

VERY BAD.. There was two fiberglass patches.. and a few places where I could just poke a hole with my finger.. Plus it’s bent up bad.. So I’m thinking the tub from the 73 jet is looking better and better… And the fact that it’s all apart and the bottom cut out is a time saver. looking like I will have a Frankenstein Terra Jet.. 73 and 76 parts. and Honda power.. new bottom.. yahoo. Here’s a quick video with a look at the better tub..

Transmission :

I took the time last night to clean the grime off the transmission we just removed. It had a bit of oil showing on the dipstick. Also functioned as it should.. So I figured all is good. Well maybe not !

Once cleaned I discovered that it had been welded to repair some cracks. so the big question here is dose it leak ? I will finish cleaning it good and fill the oil up and see. It’s now 3/4 full of oil.. and no leaks.. The axle seals look like new.. and lots of form-a-gasket was used. so I’m not taking it apart.. It’s good. On to other stuff…

The Tub:

I finished stripping all important stuff from the 76 tub. Even cut the frame out.. And it all got dragged outside. The tub from the 73 TJ got brought in and flipped over.. And its’ great..

Someone even painted the bottom of the frame ! BONUS ! Plus the metal is in way better condition.. A few patches are needed..

Which you can see in the above photo.. They did not know how to remove the steering and the chain tensioner.. so they cut holes ! Geeze.. oh well I can fix those.. it’s just more welding..

And time for a new page .. Rebuilding the tub

PAGE 2

1987 Dodge Raider 4×4 Page 3

Feb 24 2017

Other things to fix :

Now that the carburetor is changed over and working good.. It’s time to address some of the other things. And the first and somewhat urgent fix is the exhaust leak at the bottom of the header, where it joins the two into one pipe . It’s never good to have a leak in the exhaust system. Plus it can be noisy.. this wasn’t too noisy but you could hear it. So I thought it was simply the gasket that goes there.. And while trying to get the very rusted nuts off we sheared the studs.. Oh boy now we got a can of worms.. But I looked at it as an opportunity to remove the exhaust manifold and remove some more of the not needed stuff . So we pulled the both pieces of the exhaust out. And this turned out to be a very good thing.. because the leak was not the gasket ..but a crack in the pipe.

The crack is right up against the weld.. That will not do so I welded the crack up and drilled and tapped out the studs… got new studs & nuts.. Also welded shut a hole where the pipe came off for the silly reed valve.. ( pollution control stuff). The new carb has no place to hook up that stuff.. so it’s doing nothing but taking up space. Plus it could be another exhaust leak down the road.. When all is done I should have a very quiet Raider.

Isn’t that pretty ! This is going to put the rest of the motor to shame.. You can see my plug for where the pipe was.. Oh and the heat shield will not go back on.. it’s only real purpose was to provide warm air to the air intake.. Again no place for that.

Well I’m all done that job.. and the exhaust is going out the back where it should.. That crosses a few things of the list.. It’s good to drive till the weather is warmer.

Nov 2017

Well I did get the brakes done,, And used the Raider for most of the summer.. then I put it up[ for sale.. It’s sold now to someone I know and he wanted a good hunting buggy.. Prefect.. That chapter closed !

1987 Dodge Raider 4×4 Page 2

Feb 22 2017

It’s February… Late February.. And the Carb kit is here !

And this is what I got.. A conversion kit. I would not say complete, because it’s not.. I’ve had to make some bits and buy some bits. So I made room in the shop for the Raider to sneak in.. And set to work removing all the crap that the Mikuni carb needed to work.. All the vacuum lines and electric sensors… gone.

This is after I installed the adapter plates for the Weber. And that was after I plugged some holes. The old carb had coolant flowing through.. so I had to plug those off. I got nice little nipples to plug the vacuum manifold. And I needed to deal with the return vent line from the fuel tank. I bought a new fuel filter that had the place for that vent line so problem solved. But there’s more things to figure out. Despite being told this kit worked for the auto transmission.. there was no way to hook up the kick down cable to the throttle. I had to invent something ..

A bicycle brake cable with a crimp on terminal.. hey it works! Took me an hour to figure it out.. But I was determined.

So here’s how it all looks .. that round thingy is a fuel pressure regulator.. adjustable too. The instructions don’t say much ..but they did say that fuel pressure needs to be 2.5 psi.. so that is the solution. One power wire to the choke and we are off and running…

Test Drive:

WOW.. I can’t believe the power now.. That old carb was a dog. The Raider is zippy.. and the shifts are good too.. initially the idle was too high. The spring was having trouble pulling the throttle back.. so I tweaked the cables a bit and got that to work. The motor idles at 800 rpm like it should now.. So back into the shop to tidy things up and check it all over.

And that is where we are at.. Here’s the finished install. I fixed a few other things while the Raider was warm and dry.. The wipers would never park properly. . So I pulled the motor out and repositioned the drive arm.. fixed ! I also installed the day time running lights that I’ve had for a bit.. last fall I wired the switch up and now we have lights too.

AND.. I made a video of the whole thing…

Time for a new page…

Page 3 Other fixes:

1987 Dodge Raider 4×4

Oct 2 2016

The replacement for the mini truck ! And the Rav 4 too.

It’s quite nice.. more room, automatic, goes faster, has more power. Could seat 4, and the steering wheel is on the proper side. This is a 1987 Dodge Raider.. or Mitsubishi Montero. 262657 kms. While not the prettiest girl in the room.. but maybe the most capable. As a 4×4 these are reportedly as good as a Jeep or Landrover. I’m not a fan of Mitsubishi motors. But this one runs great.. These 2.6 liter 4 cylinder motors were used in a few dodge vehicles from the eighties. So I’m quietly optimistic.

I like the full door on the back. Makes getting things in and out easy. And a trailer hitch is needed for what I do.. because this is not a pick-up I will have to tow a trailer for packing yard waste and mowers. Those are heavy steel bumpers too. The black paint is faded but not rusted. I’ve only driven the Raider a short distance. Today I will go get it and bring it home.. that’s about 40 kms on the highway. So we will see how that goes.

I put just a one day permit on the Raider.. mostly to get it home from Greenwood. It did ok on the highway.. not too fast. As expected it drove like a true short wheel base off road vehicle. The tires are old , so there’s some handling due to that. I drove it around town today.. and in town it’s great. In fact I went down a very rough road. That suspension seat is so cool.. Wow. great ride for the driver.

Check out the “inclinometer” in the middle… yes it tells you when you are going up hill.. down hill.. and tipped ! Jeep don’t got one!.

Now for the stuff this Raider needs. The first is New tires! I got a good deal on all weather / all terrain tires. So as soon as I get them mounted.. then that will not be an issue. The carb will need some tweaking .., the choke is staying on too long., Are the gauges telling the truth? if so then the oil pressure is a bit low. The coolant temperature shows low.. but the motor seams hot ? The transmission fluid should be changed.. as well as the diffs. It’s good to “reset ” these things so there is no worries. It looks like the wiper motor was replaced .. but the wipers don’t stop in the park position.. so that will be a little project.

So I suppose this was considered a good stereo 30 years ago ? But it sucks now. I don’t think I can find my old cassette tapes ! Do I want to .. ? Any way the speakers are tired.. and I would like to use my satellite radio. Maybe next year I’ll deal with this. It wouldn’t be hard to change. However the mechanical stuff is top on the list. I also need to make sure the Raider is good for the trip to Quesnel. That is where my good friend goes hunting.. and this I’m going too.

Oct 6 2016: The new tires are on and I’ve checked out the brakes, tie rods, suspension and bearings. We also adjusted the choke and idle.. As well I’ve installed a mount for my off road GPS. and I’ve set up my Sirus radio too.

Oct 8 2016: I got a bit carried away while cleaning up some things… and installed a winch, LED flood lights, a second power plug, a USB charging port, and while I was at it .. a switch and wiring for my daytime running lights. ( yet to come),.

This is temporary , till I build a nice mount and bush guard.

The center console was the perfect place for these new conveniences. I now know how to remove the lower dash. Handy when I change the stereo, install the keyless locking system…

Carry on:

I drove the Raider to Kelowna and back on Sunday.. that was a good test for long hauling.. Found out that the fuel gauge is not much help.. It goes rather quickly to a quarter tank.. and stays there for awhile. But I got to test fuel consumption. The 60 ltr tank should get me about 450 kms.. on a good day. so I’ll make sure to record the kms and reset the trip. The choke is still an issue ! I either have cold start ability and high idle… or low idle and no choke.. I’ll keep trying to get it right. I replaced the fan belt today.. and I checked out the hubs.. to make sure they work.. Good to go. In two days I leave for a 10 hr drive to were my friend is camped.. towing the small trailer with my quad.. we will see how that goes.

Oct 24 2016:

Well I’m back from the Caribou adventure. Despite the minor inconveniences, The Raider did very well. I was towing a trailer with my quad in it. Weighing at least 800 + lbs.. The Raider can pull that.. but it really slowed down on the hills. Also fuel consumption was high. And since the gauge is not a lot of help.. I stopped lots for gas . Also for cold starts I would manually move the choke on, and then back it off once the motor was running good. This works good.

Here’s a photo of a different Raider. I took the Raider up to the hunting camp near Barkerville. We only spent a week there, I got to do some quading and some roaming around in the Raider too. Here’s the video I made….

And here’s the second one..

Raider in the willows

Most of the trails were badly over grown with willows.. Thank goodness for the skid pans ! The Raider can just push through. I’m impressed with it’s ruggedness. I drove through deep water.. up steep hills .. and over rocks.. no problem.

Things to Fix:

Fair enough.. you can’t buy a 30 year old vehicle and not expect to do some repairs. After driving the Raider for a long trip.. I find a few things.. So let’s start with the “much needed” and work down to the “just annoying”

The choke and vacuum lines: This should be working and it’s not.
Front brake rotors: Warped badly
Wipers won’t park: could be the relay.. or an adjustment .
Noisy exhaust system: Should be replaced.
A few rusty spots to fix ( holes) : Next spring
Stereo ! would be nice to swap that out.
Rear washer: you can hear the pump but nothing comes out.
hazard light switch: missing in action
Squeaking seat: needs to be removed and fixed.

Jan 2017:

After driving the Raider quite a bit since the trip up north, I’m getting used to the routine of setting the choke then backing it off. But it’s still annoying. Shouldn’t have to do that.. So I did some research and found a replacement carburetor kit for my 2.6 motor. It will cost me about $450. BUT it will simplify things tremendously. An electric choke.. not vacuum. And it comes with a new serviceable air cleaner. I can take all the electronic / vacuum crap and toss it. Money is tight so I’ll have to save up.. and that will fix the first and most important thing on the list.

I finally got the Raider into my Nephew’s shop.. He’s a mechanic with his own business. Normally any vehicle I get would have been in there way sooner.. But the Raider is driving fine .. even in the very cold winter we are having.. He wanted to clean the carbon out of the motor with the Motovac system.. Knowing that the Raider was driven with the choke on.. and dieseling a bit, he figured this would be a good place to start.. Well turns out there wasn’t much.. The dieseling is mostly caused by the high idle and the choke problems. We’ve got the plugs out so why not check the compression of the motor ? I was surprised to find 150 psi right across all four cylinders.. I think that’s good. The motor has 260,000 kms on it.. maybe it was rebuilt ? Well whatever .. this explains why it runs good.. no mater what the carb is doing. And not consuming lots of oil..

While there on the hoist .. it’s a great time to look things over.. The driveline is tight.. no bad rust.. no leaks.. I only found a few things:

Since it got cold the brake master cylinder is leaking.. So that needs to be replaced.
I’m missing the last foot of the tailpipe.. I knew this already. and it will get fixed too..
The exhaust seal between the header and the first pipe is leaking. That’s and easy fix..
The right side rear shock upper mount had been broken off.. and there is wire holding the shock on ! seams to have worked but I will fix..

That’s it ! well aside from the front brakes needing to be done.. And I would be sure to check the rears as well. I could start work on all this stuff if I finished up what’s in the shop now.. but It’s been cold and my ambition level is low.. Spring could be very busy !

Also of note: I’ve been collecting some of the bits and pieces I need to “pimp” out the Raider.. I have the keyless door lock system now.. and I bought a used but nice Kenwood stereo. AND I got some nice LED running lights . Once I get the carb kit.. I will start the fixing up.. and that will start a new page for this post..

I have the Weber Carb kit now.. so let’s start a new page… shall we.