Backcountry Truck Repair Stories

Had a 72 Toyota Land Crusier I had put a 327 small block in when I was a young man living in Bishop Ca. One day I took it up Silver Canyon to the top of the White Mtns in the Bristlecone forest and my electric fuel pump went out. Now what to do? My buddy and I took the radiator overflow reservoir off and duct taped it to the top of the windshield frame and ran a piece of fuel line down to the carb. Had to stop quite a few times and siphon gas out of the tank to refill the bottle but got it home and I ran it that way for a few days untill I could afford another pump.
Had the same thing happen about 5 years ago on a hunting trip with my Yamaha Rhino and did the same trick with a water bottle and a brass fitting screwed into the cap to get back to camp about 15 miles away.
 
Good topic.

About half way through the Ducy trail the frame broke on a Jeep. This caused the motor mount to break which resulted in a broken fuel pump and sheared oil pressure gauge line. After winching for 2 hours and moving 10 feet it was decided a trail fix was needed. We had some welding rod so with 2 batteries, jumper cables, a stack of sunglasses and some steel off a grill the frame was sort of together. The motor was then strapped in place with ratchet straps, the fuel pump glued together with J B Weld and the oil line was crimped.

We traveled about a 1/4 mile when a tie rod end broke - totally unrelated. This was fixed by welding a washer on the rod end to hold it together.

These patches held together for the remaining 15 miles of trail. When we hit the highway the fuel pump finally fell off but we were able to tow it from there.
 
Long before I knew much about trail repairs I also had a motor mount break. Really bad design let the positive connection to the starter hit the frame. Fortunately I had a crescent wrench handy, hopped out and disconnected the battery (all the while with visions of it exploding in my face). I was able to use a tree branch as a lever to move the engine back from the frame, shove a chunk of wood between the engine and the frame and limped on back to the station.

I've never had the sequence of events camelracer has had fortunately. I have seen fuel pump issues on the trail before though. My Jeep has a mechanical fuel pump so I decided to put in an electric fuel pump as a backup. Flow through design so all I have to do is hit the switch. Haven't needed it yet on the trail but it does come in handy priming the carburetor after the Jeeps sat for a month.
 
camelracer said:
Good topic.

About half way through the Ducy trail the frame broke on a Jeep. This caused the motor mount to break which resulted in a broken fuel pump and sheared oil pressure gauge line. After winching for 2 hours and moving 10 feet it was decided a trail fix was needed. We had some welding rod so with 2 batteries, jumper cables, a stack of sunglasses and some steel off a grill the frame was sort of together. The motor was then strapped in place with ratchet straps, the fuel pump glued together with J B Weld and the oil line was crimped.

We traveled about a 1/4 mile when a tie rod end broke - totally unrelated. This was fixed by welding a washer on the rod end to hold it together.

These patches held together for the remaining 15 miles of trail. When we hit the highway the fuel pump finally fell off but we were able to tow it from there.
Click to expand...
Wow! :eek:

If it had happened to me I'd probably still be there. ;)
 
My last broken vehicle adventure was a few years ago GM fuel pump failure in a Suburban. JUST FYI all you GM guys the Napa Auto Parts guy in the middle of NO WHERE Nevada explained that he keeps many GM fuel pumps on hand because he sells 5-6 a WEEK!

After spending 3hrs under the truck in the parking lot. My advice for you GM guys if you have over 100K on your fuel pump have a new one handy or just replace it. Or know how to replace it and do not be surprised when it goes. I wouldn't have any issues having a GM Truck but I would for sure know how to do the fuel pump replacement and probably have one handy if it had 100+K on it.

This was on a 2003 Yukon with 110,000 miles on it. We dropped the drive line at the front end of the drive line then dropped the tank you do need a special wrench that grips the plate on the top of the tank so you can break the screwed plate loose. We had to use the tire jack handle extension to tap on the plate to get it loose. We put the truck on 4 by 4 wood tire blocks we had for the trailer and aired up the rear airbags and had enough working room to do the job. Solid 3hr job with two people working.
 
Hydro locked a jeep and stuck it in an water hole for a day. Pulled it out, changed the oil, pulled the plugs and cranked the engine to clear the water. Cracked block but it limped home.

Punctured a gas tank one, some chewing gum made a temporary patch (I now usually carry some steel putty along).

Gas line leak got some duct tape till I could change the line.

Blew a rear ujout out and trashed the mating flange on the rear axle on a jeep, pulled the rear drive shaft out which was slip yoke style so a plastic bottle and hose clamp went on the back of the transfer case to "seal" it up and ran it home in "4x4" aka front wheel drive.

I try to take it easier these days. ;)
 
pods8 said:
Hydro locked a jeep and stuck it in an water hole for a day. Pulled it out, changed the oil, pulled the plugs and cranked the engine to clear the water. Cracked block but it limped home.

Punctured a gas tank one, some chewing gum made a temporary patch (I now usually carry some steel putty along).

Gas line leak got some duct tape till I could change the line.

Blew a rear ujout out and trashed the mating flange on the rear axle on a jeep, pulled the rear drive shaft out which was slip yoke style so a plastic bottle and hose clamp went on the back of the transfer case to "seal" it up and ran it home in "4x4" aka front wheel drive.

I try to take it easier these days. ;)
Click to expand...
Pods recent off road guided trip the trip guide in a 60's Mercedes Gwagon gave me a list of things you should have.
Bar of soap it plugs holes in gas tanks! He actually ended up doing this on our trip. A potato it can be cut and fashoned into a plug for radiator holes -or feed you. LOL
 
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