Mongol Rally 2008 updates

[RuffianDick]

Thought I'd start a new thread for this seeing as we're no longer overheating in Turkey!

We've had an emotional few days since the last post. We set off from Almaty in Kazakhstan in search of a mechanic to retorque the head, but we left a bit late and all the garages had closed. So we changed the oil ourselves and pushed on determined to find someone the next day. Unfortunately the only mechanic we found didnt want to know - I dont think he fully understood what we wanted, but was basically gesturing that he couldnt do anything for us if we had head issues. So we pressed on again...

Then it all went a bit wrong! Lots of white smoke was coming out and when we stopped the car the whole engine siezed!! I couldnt believe it, we were really convinced that was the end of the road. We got towed back to another mechanic (at 100 km/h, faster than we could drive it!) and they dragged the car around a car park in gear until the wheels started moving again.

We've got to a proper town now on the back of a transporter and have another new gasket winging its way to us from Holland via DHL. We've has a very good mechanic look at it now and he doesnt seem to think we have done any serious damage to anything else, so fingers crossed we could be on the road again in a few days. We're definately getting it dont properly this time though! Head skimmed etc. They seem very professional this time.

So we had a few days thinking the car had finally died. That was tough! but its looking fairly positive now. Our only problem now is running out of time for visa and to catch flights from UB!

Will update you on how it goes!

 

[RuffianDick]

In case any of you can read Spanish heres the blog from the Spanish F6 team http://www.amongoliapaque.com/

 

[malcolm]

It would be a really boring trip if everything went right.

I wonder why it seized. Hopefully not the fuel getting into the sump. Probably not as that trouble at it's worst would make holes in the engine due to bits falling out rather than have the engine just stop. Did you also order another fuel pump from the Dutch folk just in case?

White smoke was probably the cooling water getting into the engine so a good plan to get the head skimmed and a new gasket. It could seize up through overheating, that'll damage the cylinder bores a little but once unstuck you ought to still make it maybe with a little blue/grey smoke from the exhaust along the way.

How far do you have to go from there?

 

[mr-reno-139]

white smoke would of been water vapour as it was being burnt along with fuel
it would also seize up if water is sitting on top of piston as water doesnt compress like air does
did they manage to get it to run after freeing it off as it is possible to bend conrods unless you take spark plugs out to release trapped water( although turning engine backwards might of freed it)

keeping my fingers crossed for you

paul

 

[malcolm]

Can't believe that much water would have found it's way in (unless it seized while starting in the morning). In what circumstances did it actually seize?

I once drove a VW camper van into the sea. That needed the whole plugs out thing but made it back to the UK without trouble (body rusted out quickly after that though).

 

[angel]

Can't believe that much water would have found it's way in

Look in cylinders 3-4...After serious overheating I left it cool one day then drained the water from the block tap.
The head was warped 0,4mm by the way...

 

[RuffianDick]

hahaha, the VW thing just made me chuckle!!

The mechanic did indeed take the spark plugs out before freeing it and it looked like a lot of liquid had come out, so i guess that was the issue. Turns over now but hasnt been started.

We had been running fine, then stopped for a minute to swap driving duties, but with engine still running. About 5km after that the temp light came on so we stopped, then almost immediately when we got going again we got the white smoke, so stopped and thats when it seized.

We actually forgot about the pump at this point knowing we had bigger issues, and knowing we could probably do something with an electric pump if needs be. The mechanic is investigating that while he's doing our other bits, so we'll see about that.

 

[RuffianDick]

By the way, these are the guys that sorted us out with the part, they might be worth a try if anyone is after bits that havnt found else where - http://www.drive.to/windclassics

 

[RuffianDick]

Hello again finally,

It was a hectic couple of weeks since the last post so havnt been able to update you, but I can tell you now that Isabelle the R4 did finally make it all the way to Ulan Batur!

We ended up waiting 7 days for the gasket to arrive in Karaganda, Kazakhstan, where we were stuck. It actually arrive in the country before that but frustratingly arrived on a friday then customs was shut for the weekend. My team mate had a flight out of UB that we had to get to by a certain date, and we were 9 days drive away, so were seriously running out of time to complete the rally. On top of this the Mongolian border is closed at the weekend, so if we didnt get there by the friday the extra two days wait would have meant game over for us...

So by the time the gasket arrived (at 9pm on a Tuesday) we had 3 days to get it fixed, get it retorqued, drive about 2000km, and do two border crossings (kazak/russia and russia/mongolia) before the border closed at 6pm friday.

We thought that was pushing it but then the next morning the mechanic who had started work on the car (already skimmed the head etc) said he was booked all day but could start at 6pm and we'd be driving away by 11pm!!! Not good news. When we said we HAD to get it fixed by then and would have to seek another mechanic they basically hinted that bits of our engine might get lost if we did that!!

So we eventually left at 11pm wednesday night - with a load of redbull and drove non stop (driving/sleeping in 2 hourshifts) to get to the border, which we eventually crossed at 5:55pm!!!

It was unbelieveable timing, and a really exciting couple of days drive! The car had absolutely no engine problems after that. The only issue was that we forgot to put the thermostat back in, so in mongolia when it was cold in the mornings one of us had to squeeze the radiator hose closed like a manual thermostat for 10 mins until it was warm.

I couldnt believe we actually made it to Mongolia. Driving across to UB was amazing, 1600km off road. We had a few worrying moments when we hit rocks on the bottom - in the end the gearbox guard was trashed, the fuel tank was dented and the exhaust muffler had a huge hole in it, but nothing to stop us going.

The only other problem we had was the gear lever snapped where it joins the pole that goes across the engine. That was fixed with gaffer take and string.

So the car was left in UB, a very sad moment for us I can tell you. Hopefully she's now out pulling a plough or rounding up sheep somewhere in the Mongolian wilderness.

Thank you so much everyone for your help and support while we were away. We really were clueless when we started to your advice was a lifesaver for the car really.

And thanks to everyone that helped us out before we left with the locks, keys, wheels, seats, windows and of course the car itself. I didnt get a chance to post a thanks before.

We dont have any photos up online yet but should do soon so i'll let you know when we do.

Rich

 

[malcolm]

Well done for making it! I'm looking forward to seeing the photos.

It was excellent fun trying to diagnose problems from a very long way away. Between us we got most of them right - it's good to have jjad, MrReno and Angel on the forum.

After your month in a Renault 4 are you tempted to get another to run back home? Or are you fed up with the things now?