Semi, Noel, still have to do the finish work, you know seat, fuel cell, final wiring, mount the winch, but yes I took it out for a short spin around the yard in pitch dark. The boys and I helped one of my brothers start the clean up of a huge mess made by having a massive oak taken down, so I did not get to work on it today. It was a beer, burn and chainsaw kind of Saturday.
DESTRUCTION is just a couple of vowels down the street from DISTRACTION
Finished the wiring yesterday and plugged all the bolt holes that were not used. Drove it for about 20 minutes yesterday evening, I'll try to post some pictures this evening, maybe sooner, the power is out at work, I might leave early. Still have to build a seat and a few other things.
DESTRUCTION is just a couple of vowels down the street from DISTRACTION
Here are 3 new pics. Still have to build a seat, the driving we've done was while sitting on a board. Having issues with the track tension system, the right carrier pops out of the cap which allows it to slide out and loose all track tension. Seems as though the track is too long. That side has already been extended 1 1/2" added another 1 1/4" today. Will do same to other side tomorrow.
On a side note I figured out how to rebuild the solenoids for Warn winches.
DESTRUCTION is just a couple of vowels down the street from DISTRACTION
Ok, got the other side done. Did some leak testing and fixed a couple of minor trickles. Still need to build a seat. Once that is done, I will be selling it. Too much to be able to ever enjoy it, maybe someone else will.
DESTRUCTION is just a couple of vowels down the street from DISTRACTION
I had major trouble keeping the tracks on in water so I extended both tensioner assemblies to fix the issue and built rollers which only touch the tracks if they start to move towards the tub. Then realized that the last 2 times a track jumped was in the same spot, while entering or exiting a creek. So I'm not sure the rollers were necessary, I do know I haven't lost a track since. I'm not sure buying the maclaren tracks were the best idea, they are very aggressive and make for difficult steering on hard ground but JESUS do they ever grind up briars! I've taken it into and through places that the 950 would never go. One of the first spots I went was the hole where Mudbug stuck his Max IV after I changed all the bearings, an axle and did a few mods and upgrades. I made it through to the creek with much difficulty and slapping of mosquitos but because the beavers have a dam right there the silt/leaves were built up to within a couple of inches of the water surface and progress was only made by grinding forward, reversing then grinding forward again. I spent about 30 minutes moving forward about 3 feet and said screw this I have a winch. Wouldn't you know it, I pull the cable out, hook to a tree, winch about 6 inches, catch a burried log and walk right out, ain't that the way it goes? After that I drove right up the creek for about 3 tenths of a mile but had to exit due to a cypress knee thicket that I just didn't want to deal with right then.
I added a cargo carrier on the rear and built an uncushioned seat, I'm thinking of just using boat cushions that can be used in other arrangements during duck season. We'll see how that works, then decide. Also I had the exhaust run out through the tub but the flex pipe was so big that the heat was melting the fiberglass. That got removed, the holes glassed up solid and the flex pipe shortened and routed through expanded metal vents which were cut into the hood to allow heat to escape. The hood was getting so hot we had to wear gloves to touch it. I'll add a fan to help exhaust the engine heat tomorrow, and install the volt guage also.
I promise, as soon as I can get one of the kids to drive I'll get some video posted. I have a few crappy phone videos on my facebook page, I'll change the settings on those so the puplic can see them.
DESTRUCTION is just a couple of vowels down the street from DISTRACTION
Outstanding. The machine looks like a Weasel amphibious jeep from WW2. Keep up the good work. FYI we will have to get together this fall and do some comparison riding.
If anyone is interested look for Gregg Gentry on Facebook and hopefully you can see a short video of the trackster in a slough. It isn't the best quality but its all I've got for now. The water in the slough is really low, as we have had zero rain for going on 2 months now, and it has dropped several inches since the video was made. That's ok though, its the best time to eliminate some of the area's undesirable residents and clear out a few logs that have washed in. Please let me know whether you can see the video so I can change the settings on it if needed.
DESTRUCTION is just a couple of vowels down the street from DISTRACTION
Noel, we will have to work something out for a get together for sure. I took the beast out to do some trail widening yesterday evening and then decided to drive into a beaver swamp that I always avoided when I had the 950. It is spring fed and the grass is grown up fairly tall which hides a minefield of fallen logs and stumps. All that covers what would be the closest thing I can think of to the muskeg of the north country, I never would attempt driving in it because of the dozens of logs which make walking through there more than difficult.
So, I'm sitting on my side of the creek staring at a massive jumble of sticks logs and mud which are the result of years of battle with the beavers to decide if the creek will be open and free flowing, or dammed up and they are winning. I'm trying to decide where to attack this time, the mosquitoes are out in force and I'm just not feeling like tearing into that dam. Across the creek is the swamp formed by this and several other dams. It occurs to me that pond and a few more like it is why I built the machine I'm sitting in, its the reason I went through all the expense, the frustration, aggravation, and misery to finish and drive it. It's right there. I finished my beer, fired that Honda off and crossed the creek.
Now let me say driving this thing is just different from any other machine I've owned the set and forget t handle takes some getting used to, as does the fact that one does not have to go all out full forward full throttle. Nope I can set the throttle to maybe 1\4 and just tweak the handle and it will creep along so slow I have to look over the side to see that it's actually moving. Or of course I can go all out. The dash is the perfect height to lean against when standing and I can set the t handle and hold on to the grab bars and just let the machine go while I look for logs. After going over a few small logs I was tracking along and collided with a big one, time to see what this thing is capable of, I eased the handle forward felt the rear dig in and up it went. I was stunned almost zero effort and we were over it. Along about there is where that grin showed up, that log would have been a roadblock for the 950.
More later...
DESTRUCTION is just a couple of vowels down the street from DISTRACTION
I know it's been a long time coming but finally here is a short video. This was taken in a snake infested log choked beaver swamp (as most are around here) near home. Hope you all enjoy it.
Last edited by Mike; 08-20-2015 at 08:57 PM. Reason: embedded video by using the full URL and not the shortened youtu.be
DESTRUCTION is just a couple of vowels down the street from DISTRACTION
Thanks for sharing the video. That looks like a good place for a floating Trackster. It's like a mini dozer.
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