WARREN 2021 December holiday adventure planning

Service completed a very succesful undertaking fan-belt / front brake pads / air-filter needed to be replaced, so it wasn't just a case of "Oh, it's still OK" but pay anyway ... Things got done

Only the front diff needed topping up all the other fluids are good to go - Had a small engine oil-leak because the oil filter was not screwed on tight, that's sorted.

2 wobblies happened:-

One I accidently broke the resrview mirror off the windscreen while trying to adjust it! ---- YIP I was a twat wouldn't move. thought it was stuck, applied force and TWACK it came off ---- Fixed it with one of the pratley range --- Can't remember the one I'll look tonight --- Worked extriemely well, except my arm suffered while holding the thing in place until the glue hardened---

Then I noticed that I don't have a flexable pipe from the airfilter box to the bracket on the fender panel ---- Fat help it'sgoing to be to fit a fancy air intak and it does not link to the airfilter box ---- Time is too short now, but I'll try and get the part, but in the meantime I made a pretty darn good "boer-maak-n-plan" with 2 two litre coke bottles cut the top off around the top at the size to fit the shape of the fittings, cut them to length, then pushed the opposite open end one-into-the-other---------------- Diddn't fasten anything, I'll wait for Saturday and the air intake then use a couple of cable ties, clamp it and some duct tape to cover the "joins" 

Explain this --- All the bloody bolts on the Landy are metric ---- EXCEPT the bolts that fasten the propshafts --- So when I fixed my propshaft, I battled like hell to get it off, the No 14 stripped the damn nuts but eventually I was able to come right with a 13mm ring & a small shifting.

But I battled like blazes (side of the road repair about 3 months ago) felt propshaft not so lekker, stopped checked & universal on the front one was ---- well shot so I had to remove it there & then

Turns out they are 9/16 so it was down to the Landy shop got new "nyloc" nuts and this weekend on the auction line I got 2 of 9/16 spanners --- Nogal Starwille --- one is an open end - ring and the other 9/16 + 1/2" so I'm replacing all the nuts as well come Saturday

All in all a damn productive weekend, got a lot of fiddly things sorted

I've now reached a significant point in planning --- more things are comming OFF the ToDo list than going ON the list....

yaaaay

With only 2 weekends left to get it all done ----

Elevated air intake's booked for fitting on Saturday -- then its a whole wack of smaller things

Yip, it now has a chimney - at last -

Na al die gekonkle om hier uit te kom --- THEWHERTHEFUCKAREWECAR het n skoorsteen

I'm told by the clever guys on the Landrover 4x4 forum that know all about Landrovers ------------I have to drive in reverse to avoid getting rain in the header -----

Never had reason to ride through more than 400mm or so water depth,  even when launching & recovering my 18.5Ft cabin cruiser with a 115 Yamaha,  off a standard trailer (not a breakneck) – or my seaworthy rubber duck into the surf, and have absolutely no intention of ever doing so

As you know, The elevated air intake reduces heat & dust intake—

As the intake head faces forward <and so too, does  everybody else's > I was wondering about the ingress of rain as there are no apparent drain holes at the bottom of the down flue

 Hence the humorous reply to “drive backwards in the rain”

However someone kindly took the trouble to take a picture and point out that there is provision made for drainage, between the head and the down flue – so now I know---- And more importantly, --- I’ve learnt something

My prep list gets shorter & shorter.....

It has been a very long time since I went River rafting --- The tour guide was Felix Unite, who are still operating BTW.

But what I do remember was that, any "kit" you brought, much like the Natal Park board at St Lucia who examined your boat / safety / and permits  before you where allowed to launch at sea, was examined and checked quite properly --- Doubt if that's still the case with the NPB, but that's not the point.

Anyhow back to river rafting----

As I rememeber, your life jacket was examined for type / suitability and specifications including the recommended weight it was designed for ---- This was because any bad safety incidences reflected directly and obviously very badly on the tour operator, (Felix Unite) and they did not want to get a bad reputation....

So --- It dawned on me to me that, perhaps where I'm headed in December, Orange river rafting lodge, may also have a similar set of rules, and give your gear the once over before allowing you access to the water in your own gear ---- After all, a bad safety incidence would also negatively affect their reputation.

And so it came to my safety equipment: -

My boat is first class - class 5 rated with bigger pontoons it's just awsome. They will know that

All the rest is pretty good, including an aliminim water bottle for hydration, / floating paddles / whistle / protection from the sun / ETC ETC but my life jacket is a bit iffy ---

It's ok for flat, calm water, but I actually don't know it's rating and its a tad small for me. Truth be told, I just keep "any old life jacket with" because the ranger at Bloemhof may ask you to show him your's but he don't know from adam --- So long as you actually have a life jacket ----- I'm not fussed about it.

I'm actually a pretty good swimmer & can float for long periods --- Something to do with my bone structure --- Apparantly it's "more pourous" and therefore lighter than most people

But I don't want to arrive at orange river rafting lodge there and have to "hire" a life jacket, at probibily quite a high fee ---- They got you so you pay type of deal ---

I also don't want to pitch there looking like a putz --- With half baked gear --- That's just downright embarrassing ----

A bit like Anton going to the 702 bike rally on a pink kiddy bike with training wheels ----

I do have some class you know ---

So last night I did the dirty deed and bought a "Zero" ski life jacket that's appropriate for my weight and size --- And importantly, the neccessary information is still clear on the tag.

Nice, well maintained, and suitable for paddling --- does not intefere with your arm movements while paddling ---

New they cost between R1500 - R1800 ----- me being shy to spend, I got a really nice one for R700

Just another thing that suddenly came to light ----

Knock me, mock me , call me names ----- Just another reason I plan long in advance for these adventures ----

Hi Wildehond, No Scruffy does NOT go on the water with me --- She's quite comfortable hanging around at camp --- If things go turtle on the water there's way too much going on already ---

But thanks for the concern

Weet nie ----- Anton help saam-blief, draai die ding

My elevated air intake header --- Pretty much what you get

I'm not a fan of this type of header - here is why

I got (had) a problem ---

If any of you knowledgable & well traveled guys have ever ridden a motorcycle with an open-face helmet through a bug storm ---- You will clearly understand what I'm on about

Jaaaaaaa - neee !

As it stands, should this happen I cannot clean out the intake without a hell of a lot of effort & probibly dismantling ---

Ultimately there is only 1 solution: - Fit a Donaldson header which has a filter at the top

But to do that, I have to get one, pay R 700 fit a rubber spacer which has to be stiffened with a short length of pipe (which I have to arrange)

Now I don't have a problem with all of that - except I'm out of time --- Got ONLY this Saturday to go to Boksburg, collect it, modify the rubber spacer & fit it --- Ain't gonna happen.

So to get out of my issue of a bug-storm, I came up with a short-term solution: -

I have / had a "summer golf shirt" whose material is very pourous & does not really restrict air-flow, but the holes are quite tiny

I placed it over the end of the down-flue marked it off about 15mm from the top & cut out the circle, then used the header over the cloth to clamp it in place

VIOLA ! A cheap temporary top side filter ----

It may function as a dust filter but that's not the objective --- I've already lifted the intake out of the dust zone & thereby improved "dust"

What it WILL do is prevent a thousand million bugs landing up in the piping - and for now, with that --- I can live

My Philosophy in life is: - If you see a thousand headlights coming at you, you are driving the wrong way down a one – way

All the headers I’ve seen that look like mine ---- Face forwards

Fixing engines is moer expensive – Until I absolutely know why, mine stays forwards facing

praat van min dae - Hierdie Saterdag is so te se die laaaste dag vir regmaak

So vrieskas en diep-cyclus-11A- battery laaier aaangeskaakle gistraand - vanaand toets ek nou die 12v stelsel - DVS vries/ ys-kas oorskaakle na die diep cyclus en dan Sondag toets ek die laaste van die Landy se battery en die altenator ---

Maak net seker ----- Willnie kos morse

Bietjie herskikking van herwinnings "kits" onder by die passiesier's voetplek gedoen en die 110A battery geskyf van in die middle tot by die agter deur --- maklik om out te kry en ontkopple vir my boot ----

"big-tools" kit naagegaan alles lyk of dit daar is behalwe my my heining-draad tang --- weetnie --- moet seker een gaan koop by Ardendorf.

Kom ek agter dat my muskiet goeters is gebruik --- moet aanvul ---

More is dit hier daar en ooraal ----

Volgende week is kos / vrieskas oor ja en diesiel ---- Wonder ek nou of ek genoeg geltjies gaan he vir die rit ----

So ver as dit by die "skoorsteun" kom, stem ek heeltemaal saam --------- Voorentoe wys maar ek bly by my concep van n' "barrier" boe --- Ons sal sien as ek terug kom of die ding vuil is keep you posted

I'm tickled pink that I was able to get the jolly thing installed before this trip --- as you say dust, but I add heat intake reduction --- can only be a good thing --------- Don't think I need to worry about "wading depth" in the Richters of hoe?

I have to add, I'so enjoy the planning phase of my adventures --- frantic lists of lists --- crossing things off as they get done ---- Sense of accomplishment --- It's great fun