First trail breakdown

[jonboy1919]

Generally I don't venture too far from base camp, but on this jaunt I was 20 miles out and 5000 feet above sea level when my brand new power steering pressure hose blew.

Luckily I had my spare pressure line with me, as well as a 1-1/2 quarts of power steering fluid. After one hour of repair time, assisted by multiple biting deer flies, I was ready to head out on the trail and do another 40 miles to a great overlook of Mount Baker.

 

[PaRenegade]

Great looking Jeep and scenery. Breakdowns suck and while you can't carry a spare everything, it's a great feeling to know you have the parts with you to repair it on site. Especially when your a solo vehicle.

 

[Torxhead]

So was it that you had a bad hose to begin with? Congrats on bringing that stuff with you. Traveling alone does has its risks, like Pa said, "You can't bring everything". Breakdowns are a lot more fun when you are with a group and its somebody else's rig.

 

[mtnwhlr]

Nice looking CJ, sucks your new hose broke but smart having the old one with you with fluid. Where did you get the hose? By any chance was it made in China?

 

[jonboy1919]

After installing high steer, I replaced steer pump, hoses and gear box. So I had new hoses made by a local shop. The 90-degree barbed fittings on the gear box side worried me, but they promised me there would no problems. Prior to leaving, I did a once-around in my shop and thought, "I should bring the old hoses just in case." And if I'm going to bring hoses, better bring steer fluid.

When I got to the top of that Forest Service Road, I attempted to turn around when sure enough, the pressure hose backed off the barbed fitting blowing oil everywhere. I did smile inside knowing that I had this one covered, except Deet does not deter motivated deer flies.

 

[Torxhead]

Well, at least your hunch paid off along with not listening to the "Guy behind the counter". I have had issues with those flies also.

 

[IOPort51]

Karma has a lot to do with off roading. I have always had (knock wood) just enough tools and assets to get home. I have even broken things as I pull into the driveway.

 

[Turbogus]

If all of our trips were uneventful, without breakdowns or other we wouldn't have stories to tell. Not that this story is Jeep specific but it emulates road failures;

Back in the early '90's I was down on my luck. What was supposed to be a life long family career had ended due to what was once a Masonic and family friend's treachery. This, coupled with my Mom's passing a couple years before, a very devout Lady but with a gentle, caring manner. How She hooked up with my Father, a manipulating, profane, bigoted 30 year lifer Marine, I'll never know. (Although I've come to terms with my feelings about my father since).

So it was during this troubled time I decided to head out for an aimless putt on my old Kawasaki Z1R tc (turbo). From where I was living, in Albany, Oregon I headed south on I-5 to the town of my birth, Roseburg, Oregon. Cruising around my old neighborhood I recognized what I thought was my families' old house (1959-1963). Pausing for a moment a little old lady came out and said hello. I greeted her and mentioned that my family once lived there, whereupon she invited me in for a tall glass of lemonade. Being a life long resident she recollected changes to Roseburg since my family left for Montana when I was 3. Taking a brief tour of this home that was one of a tract I came to realize that ours was actually the house next door. Nonetheless it was a nice visit and good to cool off after what was shaping up to be a hot summer ride.
I headed east on Hwy. 138 that went from heavily wooded forests when it happened....
The old Z started blowing main fuses.

I always kept spares as well as a tool roll on the bike on all runs so replacing the fuse wasn't a problem. I continued along and in about another 15 miles and the fuse blew again. After inspecting the wiring as best I could without finding the issue, I carried on in this wilderness. Another 20 miles or so and I'm on my last 20 amp fuse. Remembering years before my Mom's reminder, "Never underestimate the power of prayer" I knelt down next to my Z and asked for specific help to get me home. By this time in my life I wasn't even a regular Church goer so this was rather unusual for me. I buttoned up the bike and continued on to what I intended as my destination when I left Roseburg, Crater Lake.

By the time I reached the red colored access road (they used volcanic cinder as the aggregate when they built the road years ago) to the rim drive on the crest of the lake, the sun was beginning to set. It was late in fire season and Crater Lake is at a higher elevation than many of the peaks and hills in the local area and all of the valleys between were filled with smoke. When the sun set it was bright crimson and it cast this smoke the same color of red. The surreal image of the peaks and hills that protruded at this time appeared to be islands in a red ocean, not unlike some of the psychedelic album covers of the '60's and '70's. Pity, I had the wrong speed of film in my venerable old Minolta SLR but that image has remained with me to the present day. Had it not been for the delays along Hwy. 138 I would've missed this.

Leaving Crater Lake after dark I made for Hwy 97 northbound where I would junction off to Hwy 58. After the first 20 miles or so after getting on 58 I noticed that the day before there had been road work resurfacing. As there was no shoulder I had to roll right through several miles of scarified asphalt. (Imagine 3" rain grooves and you'll get the idea). Hwy 58 eventually gave way to I-5 and I made my way back to Albany in the middle of the night for an exhausted sleep.

The following day, late in the morning after I eventually got up I pulled the side cover off and inspected that last remaining main fuse....

The fuse box was slightly melted, the glass fuse was brown and black and the contacts were likewise discolored, but that circuit never failed. I later found the culprit and replaced a section of the harness.

I leave it to the reader to draw their own conclusions.

 

[WHATROAD]

Off subject but I gotta ask, Where did you get your bikini top? Sure looks to fit a whole bunch better than the new strapless I purchased.

 

[CJim7]

Beautiful country.....I've always loved WA state.

I happened to be wheeling in eastern WA, up around Lake Pen, when I blew my power steering line. I didn't have a spare and had to cut the line, insert it back into the pump through the fill-hole, and ductape around it. I lost my power steering for the day, but it saved the pump from burning up.

 

[jonboy1919]

I purchased the Jeep with the bikini top (along with a hardtop) but the brand is "Bestop."


"Round Jeep is Good Jeep"