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Post by PICTUP on Dec 6, 2020 21:33:14 GMT -8
The Iltis has finally vacated Don's at home garage. Wait till you see what has replaced it!!! It didn't vacate for long... less than a few days of driving the Iltis around intermittently I noticed on one start-up that the charging volts were in the red, over 32V! Not good! The results of overcharging are seen here. A little acid from the battery was boiled out the vent: So I set about trying to determine the problem. The alternator has a built in regulator so I figured diagnosing whether it was operating up to snuff was better left to a professional. Well, it tested fine apparently so I set about trying to determine another cause. The alternator guy suggested it may be losing its positive connection to power. Nope. Someone on the Iltis forum suggested suggested to check to see if one of my batteries was not charging properly. I tested that by changing out one battery at a time. Didn't change a thing. It was also suggested that my ground was a problem. Nope again. By this time I had ordered a replacement 28V Alternator from the Iltis parts supplier. The alternator as it appears in the manual: The package from the mail. Hmmm, things don't look promising! Did the bubblewrap save it? Once it was all installed and the belts on but not tightened, I realized that there was something amiss. Take a look at these "ears". One should be threaded like this: Upon closer inspection, these threads are formed by a helicoil threaded into the hole. Now I could have just sent it back, but what a hassle...Why not cut threads and put in a helicoil? So that's what I did. Worked like a charm! So the Iltis is back on the road. I hope soon to get some pics off the road soon
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Post by tony on Dec 11, 2020 19:44:54 GMT -8
You used too many 'soon's. How much did they "charge" you for the alternator?
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Post by Volktales on Dec 11, 2020 21:21:39 GMT -8
Watts and watts of moola...
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Post by PICTUP on Dec 12, 2020 9:45:48 GMT -8
You used too many 'soon's. How much did they "charge" you for the alternator? Ironic as it may sound, my Iltis parts supplier in Edmonton is named Soon
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Post by PICTUP on Dec 28, 2020 16:57:12 GMT -8
The "no rain day" called for an Iltis outing. Went thru a fair bit of narrow trail with brush scouring both sides of the vehicle, but came out rather unscathed. At this point I hadn't put my driver's mirror back out. The passenger's is out because I had to turn around using the 6 point turn technique. It might not have power steering, but being rather light, the Iltis is not a brute to steer. Here we are at the Rotary Look-out above Ladysmith: Same place, looking northeast. Can barely make out the smoke/steam from Harmac in the middle right(by the beginning ridgeline), and the airport in the middle left. It was all much easier to see in person!
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Post by tony on Dec 28, 2020 18:21:46 GMT -8
........and the Iltis is happy once again........ 👍
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Post by PICTUP on Feb 7, 2021 21:16:54 GMT -8
Another nice day called for another foray on the logging roads behind Ladysmith/Chemainus. I was on the search for the way to Copper Canyon, not Head you Steve Earle fans, Road. I didn't have much luck finding the way through, but the drive was fun. Turns out it wasn't the driest up there so afterward the Ludlow Car Wash was the place to be with people washing off their side by sides(5 went by me all in a row on the way to their transport trailers at the start of the gravel). Still pretty dry at this stage Up one very lesser used side road I was able to get quite close to a grey phase Ruffed Grouse. I watched him for a while creeping ever closer in the Iltis with the engine running to try and get a decent pic. Sorta worked I guess. The road turned quite slick with a skim of mud...with lots of potholes of course! Up near a new major culvert Stocking Lake Looking back at the rain/hail/snow(sleet?) I went thru The hide and seek sun conditions. All told a pretty nice day though.
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Post by magikbus on Feb 9, 2021 9:22:26 GMT -8
You went by lots of geocaches up in that country. And you didn't stop and photograph any of them? I'd love to have one of them to geocache in but I couldn't bear to leave it at the closed gate to go rambling off into the back country. Afraid it wouldn't be there when I got back to the gate. Stan
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Post by PICTUP on Feb 28, 2021 8:43:48 GMT -8
Test video from imgur. Click on the image and it should take you to the short clip.
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Post by tony on Feb 28, 2021 16:14:36 GMT -8
Grey Phase Ruffed Grouse ...... yummy!
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Post by Volktales on Feb 28, 2021 20:18:52 GMT -8
Grey Phase Ruffed Grouse ...... yummy!
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Post by PICTUP on Mar 1, 2021 18:36:28 GMT -8
Guess I should add "snow" to the title of this section... Made to the cabin Dave kept talking about. Snow was still pretty deep so we stopped here. After looking at the topo maps we realized we probably could have kept going and made a big loop. It was still fun though. This is up another road. When there is no "turnaround" spot, one has to make their own. Click on it to see the quick video clip We didn't have to park here, but Dave liked the possibility of a view from comfort. Laurie told me not to pull up beside him because it was a sketchier/narrower route to the other "space", but I tried it anyway. Turns out there was no view for either of us because we couldn't see over our hoods! Laurie said getting out must have been how it felt getting out of a rocket ship on a launch pad, lol! I know it doesn't look like it, but it was rather steep!
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Post by Volktales on Mar 1, 2021 20:12:21 GMT -8
Nice to see you are out there having fun in the mud and snow. You can't ever sell this one you know...
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Post by PICTUP on Mar 28, 2021 8:39:54 GMT -8
It was field testing time for the Iltis again yesterday. I tried going out last week only to find my batteries completely dead. "What the hell is that about?" I had to ask myself. Well it turns out there is a strap the rebuilders put on the replacement alternator I put in. This little strap lets your batteries completely drain. It is a little detail they don't include in the manual and I had to consult the Iltis gurus on the Bombardier Iltis site to find it out. During the week, Volktales generously lent me his time, battery big charger, and electricity to get the batteries back to operating status. I took off the offending strap and now I know the master switch operates as it should(how I know is now the cooling fans, for example, can be stopped by removal of the master key). Anyhow time will tell whether that was the only problem, but going by the gurus, it should be(knock on wood). Speaking of knocking on wood, our excursion up Spruston Rd had me nearly doing that in a couple of places....with my Iltis that is. Trees beside challenging terrain in spots had me thinking I might be physically knocking on wood! I managed to avoid all obstacles, but there was a point on some "whoop-de-dos"where I thought I was in for some bodywork. I was temporarily stuck with a front and a rear wheel being the only contact(teeter tottering) but saved by my rear diff lock. I guess that is what I get for going with some Suzukis with better articulation Bringing up the tail in the convoy Why did we stop here? This pic shows the "problem". See the little patch of road beyond the huge stumps, trees and mounds of dirt? That is where we wanted to go. Apparently Mosaic is full of little Hitlers not wanting people on "their" land. Big business at work... So we went another way. The next route wasn't that much better for me though. The Zukis made it up this but having no front diff lock made it a no-go for me. On video this looks like nothing, but it really is far from nothing! Click on the image to get short clip. Later on I was able to challenge a similar but not as steep "hill" and succeed(remember to Click) On the first one, my trailer hitch served to save the tail of my Iltis One thing my Iltis didn't need was any service at the first lake(Crystal) We made it to our destination, Timberland Lake, after some real root bumping on more trail than road. Being that my tires don't sit outside my fenders, it hardly looks like I have been anywhere but logging roads. The day was so much more adventurous than that. Most of the time I had no co-pilot so pics and movies are scarce. I did manage to drive one-handed through some of it so I could capture a video of Dave's Suzuki in front of me, but will have to figure out iMovie before posting... All in all the Iltis did very well and lived to ride again.
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Post by Volktales on Mar 28, 2021 8:55:16 GMT -8
Nice! Off-roading was a lot of fun when I partook in the past... I could never bear to do it in any of my vehicles however...
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