Bush repairs that are still on there.

never done such a thing:))))

I had a started motor problem on an Isuzu diesel in a Range Rover. It would just spin without engaging. The problem was caused by a worn out bush on the drive end.

I was flood bound at the time, so couldn't get a new bush. I ended up cutting a strip of aluminium (softer than the shaft) about the same thickness as the bush wall should have been. I bent this around the shaft to shape it. After trimming the ends and a bit of filing, I had a nice fit.

It worked fine, and I never did fix up the temporary repair. I don't think it would have worn out too quickly anyway.

Brid

Not exactly a 4X4 bush mechanic repair but anyway...

A mate and I had a big weekend of riding booked and organised and the afternoon before we were to leave we went for one last ride. It was getting dark and I noticed everytime my mate landed from a jump his Suzi RM had a few sparks coming from the swing arm. On a closer inspection we found that the swing arm bush was shot to pieces! We ripped the wheel and arm off that night to assess the damage and it became obvious that without a new bush (that we wouldn't be able to get in time) our weekend was over before it began! That was when we found this rather wierd piece of pretty solid black plastic (no idea what it was) that looked like it could be fashioned into a new bush. We filed it and cut it and ended up with a bush that worked and went riding that weekend!

The same bit of black plastic from under the cupboard was still on his bike 2 years later when he sold it! ;-)

Cheers
Scoey!

While travelling along a station track recently, my passenger noticed a few dribbles of green coolant leaking into his footwell. Seems it was coming from the heaterup behind the glovebox.

As we could not access heater hoses etc from in the cabin (GU Patrol),
we by-passed the entire radiator / heater system of the cabin, on the engine bay firewall, with a bit of hose. That was about 4,000 km ago.......no issues at all.

The cook was driving the car back in town the other day & had the heater up full bore...........she was unaware of my bush-fix..............didn't complain of lack of heat.................maybe I don't need to fix that heater!

Cheers

I had a Suzi few years back and the dizzy points spring broke. Just stuck a piece of foam I took from inside the car seat cover in behind the movable point and it lasted a week. Kept doing that until I could get new points. Purfik!

Strawb

Not 4x4 but I used to drive a Mini and many years ago I was driving from Brisbane to Sydney on a Sunday.

Accelerator cable snapped and I was stuck. This car had a manual choke with a small handle mounted on the dash (if you could call it a dash). At the carby end I disconnected the choke cable and connected it where the accelerator cable attached. I had to use the choke handle on the dash as the accelerator but I got home. Changing gears was fun.

Kept it that way for a couple more days until the new cable came in. Probably not the safest arangment but its what you do when you are young and stupid.

Still love Minis

Used to have problems with the old 85 pajero standard fuel tank.

Full tank and corrugations and it used to get small splits along the folds from flexing.
Fuel would start dripping.

Had it welded a couple of times.

In the end what worked best was minties, you know the lollies.
Kids always complained and they always had to come out of my share of the packet.
Chew them up soft, and they stick real well, even with the fuel on the tank.
Then use to cut a bit of old inner tube to put in as packing between the tank and the tank guard.

Could drop the guard off, prop the tank (same bolts) and repair it in about 15 mins on the side of the road after the 5th one.

Those temporary repairs lasted well over 6 or 7 years.

Still have a few bits of fencing wire holding heat shields on the exhaust on this one to stop rattles.

Had a CV boot go on my old Subaru out near Alice Springs one year.

(not that that's unusual for a Subie)

Cleaned it up and packed it full of grease, then sealed up with duct tape. Lasted a few months until Port Hedland. It almost took as long to pull the repair apart as it did to replace the joint......

Same car in 1987. Lost the drain plug out of the bottom of the radiator at Port Lincoln. Welded on a coin (can't remember which one) and it's still there........

Many years ago I had a fuel tank holed in a Holden Ute between Port Headland and Carnarvon (back in the days when that was all dirt.) Patched the hole with a piece of wet soap. Drove around in Perth for several weeks as I could not afford repairs. Then it rained and the soap melted and I lost a tank of fuel overnight.