TRS Banner Across North America 2012 - Alaska to Key West Florida (OFFICIAL)

[RangerSVT]

If Josh can't meet up with you, I can meet you in nashville on saturday, I'm up in Evansville, IN through Friday...

SVT

 

[AgPete139]

Safe travels, Ab Slack!

 

[doorgunner]

Safe travels, Ab Slack!

Yep.....don't go to sleep on us on the Interstate (been there )

Take about a hundred pics of the snow on your way back...

in Loo-z-anna we only see snow on post-cards

 

[RangerSVT]

in Loo-z-anna we only see snow on post-cards

I remember back in I think 1985 Marrero got snow. Shut the the entire westbank down. What took 30 minutes to normally get home from Harahan took almost 4 hours...

SVT

 

[JoshT]

This is the first I've heard about meeting this weekend and it may not work. Friday is definitely out for me, Saturday may be as well. Had to lay out on an overtime draft last Saturday to help family. If I get drafted again for this weekend I gotta be there, possibly next weekend too. Won't know until Thursday if I am drafted to work.

Best I can plan for next two weeks is afternoon on Sunday. Might be best for SVT to get it from ab_slack then I can get it from SVT as soon as possible.

If I get it need to know who in GA wants to sign this thing so I can plan to meet them.

 

[ab_slack]

Well I cursed myself listing expected dates. My BII left me stranded in the middle of Nebraska.

Since my fuel gauge doesn't work, and banging on fuel tank it sounded empty I suspected it was just fuel although I was pretty sure I filled it just 200 miles earlier and should have been good for at least another 150 miles. She did act like it was running out of fuel before it died completely and wouldn't restart.

The good news I was within within 2 miles of a gas station. Which is something given the very long distances between exits much less gas stations. Better news it was actually quite warm. Even better a road crew was doing work in the area and one gave e a ride over and back.

And best of all, after putting in 2 gallons she started up fine.

The bad news though. When I did fill her she only took 8 more gallons in addition to the two I put in. That means she still had about half a tank left. That is what I would have expected based upon miles driven.

So just why she stopped is a mystery and given the large spacing between exits it sits in the back of my mind what could be the problem.

Some sort of vapor lock? Faulty gas cap? Fuel pump getting weak? An electrical problem? There was all that salt caked on the radiator, I noticed while stopped the whole engine was covered knocked off what I could.

Maybe just junk in fuel filter. Far as I know my BII only has the one "lifetime" filter on the frame rail. I have not touched that given what I hear about the clips breaking and how difficult it can be to recover if they do break. Or maybe I have bad info on that. I think it takes a replaceable internal filter.

I was driving 75mph continuous pretty much for 200 miles before the even. Engine temperature was fine. I didn't notice anything else at the time.

So that was a small delay. Within an hour of my visit in Utah so on schedule still

Sounds like it will probably go to you Ranger. Lets see what day I get out of Texas.., Keeping my fingers crossed as to engine problems.

 

[RangerSVT]

Could be your pickup line in the tank is cracked or broken. I doubt the fuel pump is weak, it'd do it randomly even with a full tank. Same with the filter. Might want to carry a 2 gallon can with you, and start making sub 200 mile fillups till you can drop the tank...

SVT

 

[ab_slack]

Good point. I kept the can I had to buy to bring back fuel so have that two gallons with me.

Of course, out this way 2 gallons isn't enough to reliably get to next gas station.

At home I usually been filling it every 300 to 350 miles. At this trip with stops for other reason I usually been filling it at less than 200 miles, but I did have a longer run the day before. So this would be new, of course any problem starts sometime.

Now if anyone between Wichita Falls and TN wishes to sign it, now is the time to speak up.

 

[doorgunner]

Good point. I kept the can I had to buy to bring back fuel so have that two gallons with me.

Of course, out this way 2 gallons isn't enough to reliably get to next gas station.

At home I usually been filling it every 300 to 350 miles. At this trip with stops for other reason I usually been filling it at less than 200 miles, but I did have a longer run the day before. So this would be new, of course any problem starts sometime.

Now if anyone between Wichita Falls and TN wishes to sign it, now is the time to speak up.

I'd replace the inline fuel filter before dropping the tank since that would be the easiest repair....there is a special tool for about $10 that will remove the clips on the frame filter without breaking them or you can buy extra clips also....you'd be surprised at the junk in an old fuel filter.

2nd thing would be a bad fuel pressure regulator.....remove the vacuum line that connects to it and look/smell for gasoline in the port or in the vacuum line.

Last.....like RangerSVT said.......suspect the tank suction line is bad.

 

[ab_slack]

A small hiccup today. Only made about half the distance I wanted. I woke with some irritation in my left eye. It got worse all day till I just had to stop. I think the altitude and dry air of the west has contributed. My sinuses, mouth have been really dry. This also tends to happen to me when I am not getting enough sleep and not drinking enough fluids and both of those likely contributed

I am going to get a good rest. May not make it for handoff Wednesday but will do Thursday.

On the technical side with the vehicle. It very definitely is showing some hesitation on hills in 5th gear and even 4th gear while trying to maintain 75mph. It is more than just not having the torque. It doesn't have the torque but instead of just not accelerating when I push the gas further, it starts missing and doing worse than if I hadn't tried giving it more gas. To me that suggests fuel filter is limiting flow. And the fuel filter is one item I have not touched so I will go there first. Maybe I should do it while on the road now while it is warm instead of waiting till back in the snow.

 

[--weezl--]

Could be your pickup line in the tank is cracked or broken. I doubt the fuel pump is weak, it'd do it randomly even with a full tank. Same with the filter. Might want to carry a 2 gallon can with you, and start making sub 200 mile fillups till you can drop the tank...

SVT

i agree with this, from the first post mentioning what the symptoms were i didnt hear fuel filter at all, but with that last post having trouble going up hill, it could be a million things, but fuel filter makes sense too, fuel filter is often noticed with high rpm and wot, where the demand for fuel is highest.

speaking of fuel filters i should try to do mine, those clips are a complete pita though, its like 25% of the time they cone off no problem, 75% of the time they take your full body weight to get off!

 

[RangerSVT]

I'm good from Saturday through Tuesday, Wednesday I gotta work. So if you need another day of rest, let me know.

Josh, pm me your number again. I got a new phone since then and wasn't able to keep my numbers. I'm planning to meet up with slack and drive it straight to you...

SVT

 

[JoshT]

It will be tomorrow before I know how Saturday looks to meet. I know I won't be working Sunday. It sounds like ab_slack won't be getting the banner until tomorrow, so Sunday might be about right. If its after Sunday I'll need SVT to hold on to it for the following weekend. I'm currently working 1pm to 12 am so during the week isn't going to work.

SVT check your inbox, bout to send.

 

[RangerSVT]

SVT

 

[ab_slack]

I started the day in Laramie, WY and just settled in tonight in Amarillo, TX

Feeling much better today after good rest last night.

I am planning the banner pickup Thursday a bit after noon. I will then head to DFW area to my sister's. I will stay there overnight. I am not sure if I will head out early Friday or later in stay another night till Saturday morning. Depending on that, I will hit Nashville either Saturday or Sunday. Thank you RangeSVT for being flexible.

Today, I took a side trip to Pikes Peak which I found was right off my route. After taking her up to the top of Pike's peak...well that bit of hesitation on the highway seems like nothing at all.....lol....she had trouble going up in second most of the time. Can't blame her, once on the summit (14K ft) I was finding myself feeling a bit light headed.

Now that she is out of the mountains she is happier. So maybe the thinner air was a contributor. Still got to do something about that filter.

I think I have put almost 3,500 miles on her since last Friday.