Bushmechanics

Bushmechanics

Here are some more bush remedies for older 4bys before they became too bloody technical. Suppose you can butcher a newer one as well"K¡K

Broken suspension"K.jack vehicle body up and place a stump of wood between the body and chassis and tie down tightly with wire. Drive slowly "&cause vehicle will drive like a go-kart.

Broken shockie¡K..remove and ignore

Broken rear axle or tailshaft universal¡K¡Kremove broken axle bit or remove tailshaft and drive home in 4x4 on front wheels

Stuffed clutch¡K.depress clutch pedal with the help of another person or a heavy object. Remove clutch inspection cover. Wedge bits of wood or rope or bits of rubber tube between clutch disc and pressure plate. When the clutch cannot move, select first gear and start engine. Vehicle should start and move forward. You can match gear changes with engine revs. You can also do the latter if you have lost all the clutch fluid.

Gearbox full of neutrals¡K¡K.remove inspection hatch on top of gearbox. A broken gear lever can be replaced by a screwdriver. Try to select a gear. Even if it is reverse. At least you will be able to see where you have been on the way home ƒº

Busted radiator hose¡K¡Kwrap tape or anything of similar use around the hole and drive slowly with the radiator cap removed.

Busted radiator¡K.isolate hole and bend radiator fins over to cut off leaks. Use araldyte or similar to seal. A wooden wedge can also be used to stop a leak. If it is only a small leak and you have no Bars Leaks with you then a few grains of pepper into the radiator inlet should do the trick.

Leak in fuel tank¡K..the old soap trick works well as a temporary measure. Or the blue and white putty kneaded into a consistency should seal the hole permanently.

You"'ve sunk the 4by in the creek and slurped some water into the engine¡K¡K¡K¡K..If it has a Petrol engine your are OK. Get the vehicle out of the creek. Remove all the sparkplugs and crank the engine. When all of the water has been squirted out of the chambers replace the plugs. Dry any other electrical equipment. Check sump for water ingestion. If there has been water ingestion then the oil will be milky. Drain oil and replace with new oil. Crank starter and vehicle should start.

BUT if you have done this with a diesel powered vehicle then there is no salvation. Best to be on friendly terms with your bank manager because it will necessitate a complete engine rebuild.

Snorkels on diesels are a must.


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