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Moses Ludel

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  1. Moses Ludel
    Well, this ought to get the hardcore four-wheelers jumping! Not exactly Rubicon Trail material, but you know, not everyone's idea of the backcountry demands a rock buggy. When I was writing the Owner's Bible book series on Jeep and other 4x4 light trucks, I also freelance wrote and tested vehicles for the Portland Oregonian. I recall a Mazda 4WD mini-van that was extremely well built. As a member of the Lane County Search and Rescue volunteer 4x4 Jeep CJ contingency from Oakridge, Oregon, I found the van of little interest at the time but did write a positive review. In hindsight, that Mazda van could easily have handled some of Nevada's well graded gravel roads that reach miles into the desert valleys...Different strokes, there could be some outdoor lifestyle use for these AWD vans after all! Your comments about carrying quality food in packages is very wise. We use a great ARB 12V refrigerator for that chore. Over time, we also have learned to purchase quality food in advance of travel. This helps avoid the extortion and junk food at convenience stores and fast food outlets...Eat better, it's often much cheaper when you're on the road! Moses
  2. Moses Ludel
    This does repeat itself, even with historical artifacts. Bodie, California, was a highly successful mining venture in the high mountain range just east of the Sierra Nevada. The engineering for the mines and community reflected the huge profits drawn from the region. In response to the isolation and need for electricity, Bodie boasted the first hydroelectric power plant in the world, a stream powered generator on Green Creek. As a kid, I first saw Bodie around 1959. Model T Fords and other cars, plus late 19th through mid-20th Century artifacts, still abounded at a town that declined through the Depression Era and ended during the WWII period. Between 1959 and 1963, many Southern California "collectors" and car buffs combed through the town and dragged off property. The State of California had to make the site a State Park. Today, many people visit Bodie, where buildings have been reconstructed and restored by the State Parks Department to an enjoyable state of "arrested decay". I've covered Bodie, as have others, in magazine articles. Time to do an HD video? Any excused to revisit Bodie, just 120 miles away! While some rail against "Big Government" and the intervention of land use agencies, an agency is often the only way to preserve natural wonders and historical artifacts. If folks would behave themselves, we wouldn't have these issues. Your neighbors, the Iroquois, inspired our country's Founding Principles. They put it this way: “The Constitution of the Iroquois Nations: The Great Binding Law.” In all of your deliberations in the Confederate Council, in your efforts at law making, in all your official acts, self-interest shall be cast into oblivion. Cast not over your shoulder behind you the warnings of the nephews and nieces should they chide you for any error or wrong you may do, but return to the way of the Great Law which is just and right. Look and listen for the welfare of the whole people and have always in view not only the present but also the coming generations, even those whose faces are yet beneath the surface of the ground – the unborn of the future Nation. —Seven Generations
  3. Moses Ludel
    Sounds like the flex plate might be cracked or damaged. When you change transmissions, replace the converter and closely inspect the flex plate for cracks and fatigue. The flex plate is a relatively inexpensive item when you've already stepped up for the cost of a transmission rebuild and a fresh torque converter. If you replace all of this, and the linkage, motor mounts and transmission mounts appear okay, this should work out. Moses
  4. Moses Ludel
    Well, for just a hint, Europeans are very conscious of reducing their transportation costs, and fuel sells for upward of $7 U.S. per gallon equivalent in many places. As a footnote, there is so much diesel market in Europe that U.S. oil producers find it lucrative to sell diesel fuel there. This is one reason why we pay an inflated price in the U.S. for a less expensive to produce fuel. Diesel fuel, involving less production cost as a whole, is now $0.50 per gallon higher than unleaded regular at our area. At one time, it was assumed that diesel fuel would always sell for less than regular gasoline. (That's another reason many of us wanted to own diesel vehicles!) And Low Sulfur Diesel fuel is not the reason for the high price, it's just the excuse... One practical solution is biodiesel. This fuel, however, needs to be more efficient and yield a cleaner crankcase. The GDiesel process on biodiesel stock would be a sensible, long-term solution for diesel engine fuel. Moses
  5. Moses Ludel
    The family that protected the writings and drawings in the caves was intelligent. At Nevada, artifacts have been disturbed, stolen and vandalized over the last century and a half. First Americans lived for 11,000 years in the Great Basin, it took less than 150 years for very inconsiderate "modern people" to overrun and deface sites. Many sites and sacred grounds are now protected to prevent further loss of archaeological insights, cultural artifacts from pre-"history" and antiquities of Paiute, Shoshone, Washoe and other peoples. Moses
  6. Moses Ludel
    Your father-in-law has impressive credentials, biggman100...You have a wonderful "teacher" and guide there! The Iditarod is quite an accomplishment, just to compete and more so to complete it! I drove the Alaska Highway and spent time at Alaska in 1975, traveled there with a good friend, made a lot of memories. Arctic Man, wow, now that's a winter challenge! As for our motivating each other this winter, sounds like you're setting the bar. (You don't get cabin fever at your household, for sure!) Could this be the year I get back in form? Haven't taken training seriously since competing at the Land Rover Trek event. Was 47 at the time and knew I better train—or I'd make an ass of myself at best, expire at worst! Wound up on the podium with the Tread Lightly USA/UK Team...Have a method that works pretty well: Use a heart rate monitor like a tachometer. Instead of racing off like you're 18-years-old and it's the end of the football season, you pace yourself by your heart rate as you train. Results come quicker without the fatigue...It sounds like I'm talking myself into something here... Moses
  7. Moses Ludel
    Your father-in-law is a great model for your kids, biggman100! Completing two Iditarod events works for me! I like his canoeing and other interests, right up my alley, I grew up with an Old Town wood and canvas canoe. Arctic Man sounds like my friend Cody Lundin (Discovery Dual Survival co-star). I met Cody while conducting one of my Jeep/Mopar Tent workshops at Camp Jeep. He was easy to spot, the only adult at Branson, MO with pigtail braids and bare feet. We became fast friends when he shared that his total tool assortment for his 200K mile Jeep CJ7 would fit into a fishing tackle box. Cody and I co-conducted a workshop at Nevada on four-wheel driving survival and on-the-ground aboriginal skills. This was a few years before the "Dual Survival" opportunity came up for Cody. He's done some very interesting work, including a Paleo-Ice Age winter living simulation at the Grand Tetons for National Geographic. If you need someone to catch fish with his bare hands, Cody's the guy! I am bent on making the outdoors accessible and much a part of our youngest grandson's life, he's a "paleo guy", too, totally absorbed in Nature at the age of 17-months, tracking birds and anything else we point out. A fellow said the other day, when I was describing how much our youngest grandson likes the natural world, "Your best legacy for that child is sharing the outdoors." My sentiments, exactly! We each have friends and mentors...July 15th, I lost my good friend from the Alaska trip days, he was the real deal cowboy: Carson City lost a local legend this week, Bob "Bear" Stutsman. As a construction worker, truck mechanic and heavy equipment operator in the early through mid-'seventies, I knew a lot of interesting people. Bob was way up that list. We did the Alaska Highway in 1975, 'wheeling a '66 4x4 I-H Travelall with an ancient camp trailer in tow. Sharing humor and the untamed wild country from British Columbia and the Yukon down to the Kenai, that trip always stands out... Whether point shooting tossed pine cones with a vintage lever action Winchester, cowboy fast drawing with .44 Ruger single action pistols and live ammunition, taming horses or quickly settling a dispute, Bob was the real deal—and most memorably, my friend. Here's a glimpse of Bob in his later "career", part of a life led large: http://www.lasvegass...o-a-bygone-era/. "Colorful friends" and relatives make a difference. Moses
  8. Moses Ludel
    We'll take it! Subaru delivers on reliability, if the car passed the Car Fax and runs well, with the lower odometer mileage, this could be a real winner...Congratulations, wise choice for an AWD! Moses
  9. Moses Ludel
    biggman100, this is very helpful, especially for families just breaking into outdoor travel or on a tight budget...The fuel think prompted our use of the Transfer Flow fuel tank for range (2200-plus miles under light load; 1600 or more pulling a trailer) in the Dodge Ram 3500. This gives use plenty of choices around how and when to fuel! Food is a big item. Your mention of "campers", which for Westerners means "travel trailers" (campers go into the bed and hang over the cab), is important. I do Moab at the Easter Jeep Safari each year, a business trip, and the hotel and motel rates get hiked substantially that week. Each year, I come home shaking my head, ready to buy a travel trailer, which I have every intention of doing soon! I used a neighbor's toy hauler for the 2012 King of the Hammers coverage, a week dry camping that worked out very nicely and allowed me to eat "at home" cooking, pre-prepared and frozen, for that entire week. I slept with the Honda XR350R motorcycle, but the bike emitted no gas fumes, and I was okay with that, too. Those who stayed at local motels spent a small fortune on food and lodging, which is what you expect to do at Las Vegas during the SEMA Show. Actually, the Circus Circus, where I've stayed for many years, has a KOA onsite. When I get the travel trailer, that's a real prospect as opposed to staying in the hotel during SEMA. I can cook meals in the trailer, keep my clothes hung in a closet, full-hookups for heat and air conditioning, I can shower and such, and I'm sleeping in my own bed—without the need to do a bedbug inspection! (In fairness, the Circus Circus has nice, clean rooms and no bedbugs.) www.gasbuddy.com is brilliant, I don't use it because of my fuel range, but I'm constantly watching prices as I pass through towns, largely the billboards at the highway. Maybe forum members can help each other by suggesting better fuel stop areas. I can make suggestions for those en route to Moab, UT from the S.F. Bay Area, Sacramento or our Reno Area. Tent trailers (your "campers") are a mixed bag. All of the comments you make are valid; however, there are some points to consider when deciding whether a sheet metal trailer is better than a tent trailer. (I'll start a topic in the travel and trailer sections to address the differences.) True, tent trailers can have a lot of features for those wanting to tow behind a lighter vehicle. See my topic for further comments! As for Walmart, that's an interesting one. Many think there's some kind of stigma staying at a Walmart parking lot. Something to the effect that this is low brow...We have a Walmart locally, and those who park overnight, (totally self-contained, this is not a trailer park or KOA) are more apt to drive a $500K diesel pusher coach home with a new Jeep JK Wrangler on the back! All for free, and the parking lot is somewhat secure with the Walmart store open all night. For self-contained travelers, this could work, though don't expect trees or a creek, just an asphalt pad for catching some much needed winks. Buy some goods at the store, this is all that Walmart expects. Moses
  10. Moses Ludel
    Lots of history, RareCJ8! I would like to retrace and either four-wheel or dirt bike the route from Goose Lake to the Rogue River Valley...Are there maps and remaining accesses that could make this possible? This would be a great HD video for the magazine! Enjoy the meteor showers on the Black Rock! Moses
  11. Moses Ludel
    Ghost towns are very "alive" for me, more than history, a part of the culture at Nevada... I grew up at Carson Valley when there were 1,200 people in the valley, and the crest of Kingsbury Grade to Lake Tahoe was still a dirt road. My graduating high school class at Gardnerville consisted of 49 students. Into the early 'sixties, silver dollars were still in circulation, handed out as change at the grocery store. The two mercantile stores had pot bellied stoves and plank floors, we had the rodeo grounds and our fishing path to the Carson River, where pheasants burst from the hedgerows lining a sea of alfalfa fields in this cattle country. We hunted ducks, geese, quail and pheasants, deer in fall, both before school and after football practice. We learned respectful land use from ranchers, Native Americans and public land managers—how to appreciate every bit of Nevada's sparse, often fragile high desert country...The mean elevation of Nevada is 5,500 feet, with 125 mountain ranges running primarily north to south. The tallest peaks range above 13,000 feet. When I drive across Highway 50 ("Loneliest Highway in America") toward Moab each year, it's not a theme ride or reality TV segment. For me, it's a reunion. During early high school years, I attended Nevada Range Camp south of Austin, sponsored by the U.S.D.A. Extension Service. We traveled to the Native American ranches, forty miles down a washboard gravel road to the bottom end of the Reese River Valley. Surrounded by pungent sage and majestic mountain peaks, the area provided sustenance for cattle and people. Our nights were a camp at Big Creek, its headwater a tiny pool of snow melt that you could jump across. I landed a native 14-inch trout from under the grassy bank, a thrill rivaling steelhead I would later catch at Oregon's big rivers. The town of Austin holds a special lure, once a thriving mining district during the heyday of Virginia City. My Nevada...Tonopah, where the Mizpah Hotel has the oldest elevator in the state—and several ghosts according to staff and certain television programs...Goldfield produced enormous wealth and hosted the famous Gans-Nelson boxing match in 1906...Ely, once flourishing with copper mines and currently host to a large elk population...Elko County with its Basque sheepherder heritage, vast cattle country, the majestic Ruby Mountains and today's richest producing gold mines in the United States...Winnemucca, also in a mineral boom, where I ran heavy equipment on the swing-graveyard shift in the fall of 1975, and our crew moved 1.6M yards of earth fill on the I-80 bypass of the town...Much more to Nevada! For me, Las Vegas is the SEMA Show annually and my drive down Highway 95 through Mina, Tonopah and Goldfield on the way there...Wild burros, cactus and history, don't miss the courthouse stop at Goldfield. You'll find displays of early Nevada cattle brands, barbed wire, motor vehicle and other legal titles, plus artifacts from a living ghost town that once hosted 20,000 people and thrived at this high, harsh desert country. Watch out for blizzards on this section of highway in late fall, winter and early spring, you're approaching 6,000 feet elevation! That's just a glimpse, there's much more! Tom Willis shares his own vantage in his columns at the magazine: http://www.4wdmechanix.com/Tom-Willis-OHV-Trails.html. Click to this lead page, there are also a number of subpages that follow. Mina, a back country travel theme for one of Tom's books, is still an active mining district! Moses
  12. Moses Ludel
    When I start covering Nevada's ghost towns and remote reaches, you'll likely add Nevada to your bucket list, biggman100. We're an hour from Silver City and Virginia City, but I'm actually talking about Central Nevada and the NE part of the state. Imagine a state where 87% of the land is pubic. Even allowing for wasteland and the inaccessible Nevada Test Site, this state has a massive amount of open country. Nevada is the fifth largest state in the U.S. Like you say with NYC versus your home Upstate, most have no sense for Nevada's geography. The Reno/Tahoe Area is actually further west than Los Angeles or San Diego—and we're 417 miles from Las Vegas (the place most think of as "Nevada"). Las Vegas and the Nevada Test Site are much closer to Los Angeles than Reno! Nevada is rich in mining history, there are First People artifacts and petroglyphs throughout the Great Basin (11,000 years of "pre-history"), much to talk about and share. Expect an overview as time passes! I'll even put out this teaser: Given time and enough interest, I would consider conducting a ghost town tour of Northern Nevada...How does driving 120 miles without crossing a paved highway sound? Moses
  13. Moses Ludel
    Want solitude without lakes and forests? We have the Black Rock Desert just 70 miles from home. Just don't plan a trip here during the Burning Man, as the quietude turns to a temporary swell of 50,000 people! The BLM and Burning Man have an agreement that after this event each year, the desert playa must be completely restored. The revenue from this annual event is more than sufficient to do so...At the week's end, thick alkaline dust of the Playa tracks its way down the asphalt from Gerlach to Fernley, Nevada, our town, then onto I-80 in each direction! The local Walmart, Starbucks and restaurants do a thriving business during the event week, catering to the ghostly looking participants! In addition to the Black Rock Desert, there's High Rock Canyon, where Oregon Trail wagons left their mark on the canyon walls at Fly Canyon—where they were lowered from the cliffs by ropes! This is the "oasis" after the treacherous desert crossing, and Mud Meadows' artesian springs spew cool water from the earth, feeding people, livestock and local wildlife! Moses
  14. Moses Ludel
    Yea! Good pick, I would think, with the traditional Subaru engine design...The automatic has overdrive, so the mileage should be quite good...Let us know how this works out and what kind of mileage to expect...Moses
  15. Moses Ludel
    What a great lead! Thanks for sharing with all of us, biggman100!
  16. Moses Ludel
    Here's a link to the future!...Now at Mazda, apparently, a lower compression diesel with high tech injection and variable valve lift and timing means lower emissions, plenty of power, great fuel efficiency, and that our "diesel now" request for light duty emissions cars, SUVs and trucks has an answer: http://www.economist.com/blogs/babbage/2013/07/diesels. The diesel may well keep the internal combustion engine alive for the foreseeable future...These lower-compression diesels need to be the backup in hybrids like the Prius...Advancing emissions technology must eliminate the need for exhaust urea and expensive soot removal devices.... Moses
  17. Moses Ludel
    Hi, joemac51! This trailer looks great, what a deal! Assume you're upgrading the tire load range and size? I know Mac well, our vehicles shared BFG booth space at the 2011 Lucas Off-Road Expo. I also filmed Mac's publicity stunt at this year's Moab Jeep Safari. See the video for ideas on tying down and what Mac does when he wants to hang 8000# from a crane! Mac has this down to a science, follow his guidelines for tie-downs and D-rings. I surely trust his judgment after seeing the JK and trailer twenty feet in the air. Like you, joemac51, I would like to see others jump into this trailering a Jeep discussion...This is a great way to save wear and tear on a trail rig plus backup if you need to tote a wounded Jeep home from an overdone rock crawl. We find trailering is a better way to travel—it's much more comfortable driving our 140.5" wheelbase Dodge Ram 3500 4x4 those 720 miles to Moab with the XJ Cherokee on our car hauling trailer—and we're still getting 17 miles to the gallon! I am a strong advocate of trailering, not at all fond of flat towing, and if anyone is curious why, start a question/topic on that subject, and I'll provide my two-cents worth! Moses
  18. Moses Ludel
    biggman100...This sounds like a shift linkage problem, either external or inside the transmission case. From what you describe, "The shifter was in park, and the engine started up fine, but before i could do anything, i watched as the shifter jumped into reverse, and the truck tried to jump backwards." The manual shift valve, detent lever and the spring-loaded detent are not fully engaging Park when the column shifter reaches "Park" position. If the column shift linkage is adjusted properly and the engine cranks over in Park or Neutral only, then the problem is either the linkage on the outside of the transmission case or inside. This can be due to loose, misadjusted, damaged or broken shift linkage, or a loose or damaged detent lever, defective spring-loaded detent or other issues with the linkage. The linkage has the transmission partially in Park, and the manual valve in the valve body is headed for Reverse. Any vibration or even the shake of the engine starting is enough to cause the linkage to move away from Park and into Reverse. Chock the wheels, set the parking brakes, drop the transmission pan and drain the ATF. Have someone move the shifter from Park down through Reverse to Neutral, then up again. Note the movement of the internal linkage, check for loose retainer nuts or roll pins. Make sure the parking pawl engages in Park position, test by rocking the truck. The pawl should lock the transmission output shaft from rotating. Your problem is a transmission not fully engaging Park. Simultaneously, the manual valve in the valve body is not aligning properly. If the manual valve is not aligned properly, the transmission's fluid circuits will route fluid incorrectly...At the transmission end, you should feel a distinct click and spring-loaded tension when the shift linkage engages each gear position within the transmission. The internal transmission linkage, manual shift valve and the column shift linkage must act in sync, otherwise what appears to be Park is actually somewhere between Park and Reverse. The manual valve at the valve body must align properly with each gear selection at the column linkage. In Park, the pawl must engage. Let me know what you find...You want to isolate a very specific problem. This is a safety issue that sounds mechanical, not electronic. Moses
  19. Moses Ludel
    Cold works for testing compression...That's time honored, as a compression test was historically performed as part of a routine tune-up, while the spark plugs were out and other work was underway like changing the points, condenser and rotor...One way to further test with a compression gauge is to take a low compression cylinder and squirt a small amount of clean motor oil into the upper cylinder—just enough to establish a seal around the piston crown to cylinder wall. Crank the engine now, and if compression jumps right up with this oil seal around the piston-to-wall gap, the valves are likely okay, and the rings have wear. Of course, this diagnosis can be confirmed with a cylinder leak down test. Ring leakage will be audible from the dipstick tube and oil fill hole at the valve cover. You'll hear the steady hiss of tester air past the rings, into the crankcase, then up through the dipstick tube or valve cover. With the leak down test, a bad exhaust valve is air hissing out the tailpipe. A bad intake valve is air hissing out the air intake. In any case, make sure the piston is at exact TDC on its firing cycle before condemning valves or rings! Moses
  20. Moses Ludel
    Thanks for joining the discussion, hsporterfield! The XJ Cherokee in the article is our 1999 Cherokee Sport 4-door with power windows, power door locks, power mirrors and remote keyless entry (RKE). The passenger side front door module is the "brains", containing both relays and switches. A quote from Chrysler helps: "If the power lock system is inoperative with either front door power lock switch, test the Passenger Door Module (PDM)...If the power lock system is inoperative with only the driver side front door power lock switch, test the Driver Door Module (DDM)." I can help you troubleshoot beyond these symptoms, too. If your trouble fits either scenario, or your RKE will not activate and you suspect a bad PDM, or if your passenger front window will not open from either the left or right front door switches, then you need the PDM like we did. Many replace both switches, can't hurt, but why pay $175 when you could pay $75 (as we did via an online genuine Chrysler/Mopar parts source, including shipping)? With the relays and switching that take place within the PDM (right passenger front switch module), it's best to replace this right front door module/switch assembly—in any case. Simply replacing the right front passenger door switch/module assembly restored the right front window lift function from both the driver and passenger switches; restored the power door lock function from either front door; and restored the remote keyless entry (RKE) door unlock and lock function from the fob. Make sure the fob's battery is in good order, too. Let us know how this turns out, this is a common switch failure, and the part is usually on hand! We look forward to your topics and posts! Moses
  21. Moses Ludel
    Sounds like MT2500 will do a lot, though it's limited in the same ways any other tool would be regarding proprietary and emissions related functions or security items. Surprised you could change odometer readings, however, you were installing a used ECM at the time, so this may be allowed within the computer. New and rebuilt computers are available, and they do need programming per vehicle, part of service work. The dealerships use a key code with Wi-Tech that has TechAuthority at Chrysler talk directly with the PCM or ECU. The whole idea is that OBD-II and CAN-Bus can allow independent shops to "work" on the vehicles; however, they cannot change parameters that could degrade EPA approved tuning, programming and certification for a given model...Repairs and even tuning reflashes, if approved for better performance, are okay—but emissions tampering or modifications is not. Slight adjustments are allowed on basic tuning functions like spark timing, maybe even pulse width of injectors, only to a limited degree. ELMSCAN sounds more like Wi-Tech, although there is still the lack of access to proprietary Chrysler (i.e., EPA certified) settings. I am surprised you can change pulse widths, as that's fuel enrichment, although you likely had very limited parameters here? Sorry to hear that everyone else's StarSCAN is collecting dust, too. Guess you can still diagnose a 2004 Durango or select Chrysler vehicles to 2009 with StarSCAN, although who would bother with PC-based Wi-Tech available and capable of legacy coverage back to these first CAN-bus models? Presumably, Wi-Tech can be as simple as a VDT and keyboard in a dealership service bay. Or a portable laptop fed from a Wi-Fi router? Given this, who would yard the StarSCAN case out of the tool room and spend precious flat rate time blowing dust off the case? Moses
  22. Moses Ludel
    Like the idea of the flip switch and only draining one battery at a time...Thanks for clarifying the "automotive deep cycle" versus my thoughts about a marine or RV deep cycle battery... Moses
  23. Moses Ludel
    Very interesting about New York emissions law. California, essentially, is that the engine must be the same year or newer, the emission controls must all be in place, and the vehicle must pass emissions equal to or lower than the OEM engine in good operating condition. The engine must also be from the same emissions "class" of vehicle. From a diesel standpoint, if I wanted to install an Isuzu 3.9L diesel into my Cherokee, which I actually wanted to do, that would not be acceptable in California—regardless of the tailpipe readings. The Isuzu four-cylinder diesel is only available in medium-duty trucks, and the Cherokee is in the passenger car/light duty truck emissions category. Catch-22: For many years now, the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Liberty and BMW's SUV have been the only U.S. market, light duty emissions SUV or truck models (1/2 ton capacity to 6000# GVWR) built with a diesel engine. Prior to these recent developments, the only diesel engines offered in light-duty emissions, full-size trucks and SUVs were the ill-fated GM 350 and the improved GM 6.2L V-8 models of years ago—and for swap material, both of those GM engines would fail the "same-year or newer" California guideline for a swap into a '99 XJ Cherokee. The 6.5L GM V-8 does not qualify, nor would a Duramax, as they were only installed in medium-duty emissions class vehicles (2500-series and higher GVWR). It's not coincidence that diesels in recent times, like the 6.5L GM, the Duramax, the Ford Navistar V-8s, and Cummins' ISB engines are only found in 3/4-ton and bigger trucks. This is in part due to the chassis, geartrain and axle differences I've shared: Also important, these engines were not able to meet light duty passenger car/truck to 6000# GVWR emissions. If new Ram 1500 trucks come out with a light duty emissions legal diesel engine option (more than rumor), that could be a future "donor engine" for a vehicle like our 1999 4WD XJ Cherokee, albeit very expensive, or for a swap like a Jeep Wrangler. The fact that the Isuzu 3.9L in current form has a very good emissions record means nothing, the California regulation is arbitrary and very likely a precedent for any EPA or multi-state standard as well. Given this situation, the current diesel swap engine for California-legal emissions is something like a VW TDI (passenger/truck light duty class emissions), a Volvo diesel or a Mercedes diesel car engine, each very expensive, with questionable performance in a 3800#-plus curb weight trail/street Jeep. This conundrum has been the basis for endless consumer requests, in particular the J-8 Egyptian military 2.8L four-cylinder diesel in the JK Wrangler. Consumers have wanted that engine in the TJ and JK since the Liberty CRD came to 49-State market. This 2.8L engine could solve a lot of issues, it's essentially the Liberty CRD diesel, made in Italy, very reliable, though small in displacement. To be continued, I'm sure... Moses
  24. Moses Ludel
    Can't leave this one alone, biggman100! Quickly, some basics about why we want a diesel and the gains. The main advantage of diesel power is much higher torque output, a quicker torque rise, and subsequently better fuel efficiency. This higher torque has trickle down effects, including a much higher load on the geartrain and chassis. Using your two examples of possible chassis choices for diesel swaps, let's look closer. The Dakota has an AX15 that is considered by Chrysler the "lesser" transmission for a 3.9L V-6 versus the NV3500 for the V-8. (This one's debatable, but we'll leave that alone for now.) Diesel 2500 and 3500 trucks use NV4500 and NV5600 level torque ratings...The rear and front axles on your Dakota are lighter Dana units designed for the weight and load rating of your truck. The frame is engineering to withstand the torque and loads of the V-6 or a smaller gas V-8. A Ram 1500 has lighter axles than the diesel models, too. While the engine bay will accommodate a V-10 or even the 5.9L inline Cummins diesel, this is not Chrysler's plan. The only chassis intended for a 5.9L or 6.7L diesel is the 2500 HD or 3500. Modular sections of the frame and torque/twist rating are much higher than the 1500, despite outward appearances that the bodies will interchange. Axles for the earlier diesels are beam Dana 60 caliber, the later models like my 3500 use an AAM 9.25" front and an 11.5" AAM axle in the rear. The rear springs stacks are enormous on the 3500 SWR, and the frame can handle both the spring rates and the axle sizing. New 1500s are slated for a modern, higher speed diesel, and it will be interesting to see if the lighter duty IFS axle stays. 2500 HD and 3500 trucks still host a large beam front axle. So, if I were considering a full-size Dodge 4x4 for diesel conversion, it would begin with the 2500 or preferably a 3500 chassis. That said, there is also the chassis electronics as you hint, and yes, the diesels do use OBD functions. (My truck is OBD-II, essentially, and the diesel engine does have a Cummins engine ECU.) If emission laws enter the picture, you must be in a state that allows diesel retrofit into a gasoline chassis for registration purposes. If all of that is met by the state's standards (engine same year or newer than chassis, emissions in place, etc.), you would have the wiring to sort out, including any computer differences, and the engine's cooling system would need a dramatic upgrade to meet the diesel's thermal needs. Transmission and driveline stamina would require diesel grade components. The Dakota might be a candidate for the rare and likely expensive recycled 3.0L V-6 diesel found in '05-up Grand Cherokees. That would not be as much strain on the powertrain. This engine might also be a candidate for the 1500; however, the truck's additional weight could prove self-defeating for this engine. These engines were higher speed designs for Euro emission standards, and fuel efficiency, in my view, was not that impressive, especially for a Grand Cherokee. Maintenance cost would be high, too. I can go further, that's the big stuff...The easier route is buying a used diesel model with the right history, and they're out there! Moses
  25. Moses Ludel
    Does the Battery Bug provide an automatic switch-over when batteries get low? That kind of management actually saves enough voltage at one battery to start the engine. "Automatic", the full management systems take the guesswork out of battery management and provide a means for storing a re-start without your having to monitor gauges or listen for a beep while the party is going on! The automatic switching systems work well for winching in the remote back woods. As for deep cycle batteries, do you use this for your main vehicle battery? There's controversy about deep cycle RV or marine batteries preferring a complete discharge before recharging—unlike an automotive battery that constantly gets drawn down slightly then brought back up. The inverter sounds like around 16 amps of available 110V current...If that's enough, you're in business. I have an inverter from Harbor Freight that's 2000W continuous and 4000W short peak. This model goes on sale occasionally for around $130. If your inverter does not hold up, you might look here... Moses
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