Another Mudd Ox report from Alaska

[tinman]

I have had my Mudd Ox for about a month now and must say I am very pleased with it. It is built like a brick outhouse beefy and stout. This is my first AATV but not my first experience with them. Have a couple of buddies who run Argos so I am not a complete novice, just a wet behind the ears rookie. So far the Mudd Ox has performed extremely well handling the swamps, tundra and creeks I must cross to get the cabin I am building. I have used Argos equipped with tracks to get there in the past and did not have any more problems with getting stuck with the Mudd ox with out tracks. Found it to swim extemely well when crossing flowing waters. The hydro-static steering sure makes it easier when changing direction in the swamps and on the hills. It seems like I can keep my momentum going better vs the Argo. Yes I have been stuck, poor choice of lines on my part, stuck the Argos with tracks too. It takes very little winching to unstick which is great as at times the only thing to winch from is a three foot black spruce tree in the middle of the swamp. It really has surpassed my expectations in its abilities. Now to be perfectly honest I have had one issue with it that is more annoyance but have had issues with it getting hot and vapor locking the motor. Cools off quickly and is good to go. This has happened on warmer days (for us Alaskans anyways) temps in the high 60s. The first time was on the intial drive out on the Knik river running flat out engine running at max and little stick movement. The second time was running in to the cabin again running the engine at max running flat out in the swamps with little stick movement. I have found that if you do not max the throttle and cycle the sticks it really helps but is not a sure fire fix. I have been working with Mark the local dealer who has been in contact with Matt on this issue. I knew when I purchased this machine that there probably would be hick ups and glitches just because this is such a newly designed machine. By no means is this issue a show stopper and I would make the purchase again. The question of speed has come up on different posts on the Mudd Ox I was able to reach just a tad over 20mph based on GPS readings with over 550 lbs of driver and passengers running on semi packed glacier silt.
Attached are some pictures of the mudd ox and the terrain that it has been used in. Thanks to Matt and his crew for building this work horse and to Mark, Travis and Ben at Alaska Mudd Ox for answering numerous questions and being a great bunch of guys to deal with.
Tinman

I will add the photos after I figure out how to shrink them. Still have not figured out how to shrink pictures so posted some in the gallery under using the mudd ox in alaska. Not the most computer savy person that you will meet.

[AKTrail]

From the videos I saw on Youtube, those Oxx are very capable machines. I'd like to see some swamp/muskeg vids from riders of all makes. I ride alone alot so I am curious how well AATVs handle the really deep damp moss before I shoot out into the middle of the taiga.

[hancock]

Interesting timing of this thread. Very positive. If it is a response to my new thread about Mudd Ox questions and answers, (it comes off that way, although possibly coincidentally), you could have just added it as a post to that thread.

Sixty degrees. I can see why you don't really have temperature problems if that is one of your warmer days. Those warmer temps in the cab actually come in handy on a cold winter day.

I haven't heard of anybody's Ox making the advertised 24 mph yet. My 17 seems to be on the low end but the high end seems to be 20-22 or so....at least from anyone I've talked to so far. I hate to keep beating a dead horse, but I keep bringing this issue up because when I was deciding between the Avenger or the Ox, one of the decision makers that tipped the scales for me towards the Ox was the slightly faster top end speed.

I knew when I purchased this machine that there probably would be hick ups and glitches just because this is such a newly designed machine. By no means is this issue a show stopper and I would make the purchase again.

That pretty much sums up my feelings, as well. Sooner or later I figure I'll have those hiccups and glitches worked through. I'm still a pro Mudd Ox guy. I'm just trying to work through my own problems as I run across them and alert others to potential issues at the same time.


Hancock

[Yooper]

I'm one of the Argo guys that Mike spoke of and am very impressed with the mud ox, it's a very well built machine compared to the argo. The biggest issue for me here in Alaska, is being confidant that a machine will get me back to the truck (all the wanging and banging in the argo drive train concerns me) the mud ox runs smoothly and makes a lot less noise. That said there are a few things that i think should be addressed. First the over heating issue has to be fixed it turns a 2 hour trip into a 4 hour trip if its 65 or warmer. The machine never fails to restart but waiting for it to cool down is a pain in the butt. has anyone tryed to ceramic coat the exhaust? The other thing is that the clutching could use some tweeking. It runs great in the sand, and going down a trail (21 MPH by GPS) but in the swamps it's not back shifting like it should (I don't think Matt was able to test under the conditions we have here in Alaska). when in the swamps under a load you actually have to pull back on the sticks a little and it will speed up. If you push forward all the way the motor bogs. Maybe needs a little stiffer primary spring or a taller helix, could be all it needs is the lower gearing for our conditions. Anyway just a few thoughts It's an Awesome machine congrats Matt you've done you're home work.

[artist1018]

I still wonder if you guys could remove the thermostat during warmer weather like we did with our cars in the old days!?!

[akexpress]

It is an aircooled engine and the problem is the fuel line gets hot and vapor locks after it is shut down. A larger engine bay cooling fan is in the final testing stages and adding an exhaust insulating blanket, these two things appear to solve the problem.

[Roger S]

In the interest of humor, I'll get off topic for a sec. A GM instructor was discussing vapor lock on carbureted engines, and said vapor can only occur before the pump, because after the pump it's pressurized. He embellished with a story when he was a teenager, probably in the 1930's.. his group of guys was out driving, hot summer and cold beer. The vehicle was prone to vapor lock, and they would reluctantly pour a cold beer on the pump and continue on. As the day progressed and the beer was consumed, their strategy evolved to drink the cold beer and pee on the pump.

[hancock]

sounds like a sound strategy to me. practically genius.

[chapy]

sounds like a sound strategy to me. practically genius.

I'm with you on that one for sure. I think I would just wait for the pump to unlock untill I thought of the pee thing.

[FGuedon]

I live in hot Mississippi. My solution to vapor lock is to never kill the engine, until I know I won't be going anywhere until it has had a chance to cool. The Kohler engines are used in generators all over the place down here and are made to run for weeks without stopping. Mine actually cools down while it is idleing on 95 degree days. I put a Kohler tach on mine and a digital temperature guage so I could monitor it better. By the way, I carry an extra gas can if I know I am going to be gone long, although it doesn't use much gas idling.

[Yooper]

AKexpress that's not Mikes problem, his starts to run bad ( if you feather the throttle you can keep it running ) He shuts it down for 10 to 15 min and its good to go again for a while. Engine temps are right around 200-210. when it happens. when running in 50-55 ambient the engine temps run about 160-165
and no problems. I thought it was strange a 10 degree increase in out side temp raises engine temp 50 degrees

[FGuedon]

Are you talking about hydraulic temp or engine? If it is engine temp, what kind of temp guage does it have?, since they don't come stock with a temp guage.

[akexpress]

Yooper is talking about the hydraulic temps not engine temps. I have talked to Mike about this and the problem we have here in Alaska is the ability to run very long distances at wide open throttle and full hydraulics. In most other places you could not find a area to do this for 10-12 miles. The way the system is designed at full sticks forward about 2 1/2 gallons a minute is exchanged with new cooled hydrualic fluid, at less then full sticks forward much more is exchanged and no problems with over heating of the hydraulic fluid. When manuvering thru things the sticks are constantly moving and much more cooling takes place of the fluid and again no problem even if the machine is working much harder in mud ,climbing etc. I have also found on my machine and my sons that now have about 70 hours each on that the problem is much improved as the machines have broken in. The seals on the motors after breakin begin to leak a little more. this is not a leak in the normal sense in that there is hydraulic fluid leaking out but the fluid inside the moter leaks past the seals and is returned to hydraulic cooler in addition to the 2 1/2 gallons that the shuttle valves automatically return for cooling. If you run at less then full sticks forward the probem is no longer there, but sometimes it is hard to resist going flat out when you can. Mikes machine is also geared high so it does put more load on the hydraulics. I also find as Mike did that having the sticks slightly back from full forward seems to make the machine faster when under load, Matt explained this to me a while back but I have forgotten the technical explanation but there is one. I am sure that an expert on clutch tuning to also get a bit more out of the machines but they are set up to run quite well with the white springs in the primary clutch from the factory. Some people have also stated improvments in hydrualic temps by changing to different hydraulic fluid like Amsoil or John Deere. We are going to put our machines in a 4th of July mud bog event in Seward Alaska the weekend and see how they do against the buggys and jeeps etc one on tracks and one on wheels it should be fun. Also the larger fans and exhaust blanket will help with hydrualic temps and the fuel vaporization. My son and I were talking last night and said with out reservation we are very confident that we can take our machines as far back in the boonies as we want and they will get us back and we have been abusing ( ie riding them hard) them as much as possible to help Matt improve the machines .