July 1999   Newsletter for The San Luis Obispo County Four Wheel Drive Club
Editor Debbie K.

OVERLAND TRAIL & BALD MT. TRAIL RUN SHAVER LAKE June 25, 26, 27, 1999 Attending were Steve & Barbara S., Al & Judy J., Brian & Jenelle T., Randy & Kathy P., Jim & AJ H., Gerald & Roxie T., Pat & Carol G., and Trailboss/host Jim & Ava Z. We arrived at the "Z" camp Friday afternoon and barbecued spare ribs and filet M. Saturday we drove the Overland Trail from campsite to Big Creek and back. The trail was dusty with off camber rocks' it was a good run. The camp fire was warming with Randy, Steve, and Al dozing off to the songs of Kathy P, Jim Z., and others joining in. Sunday we left camp, drove to shaver Creek to Trailhead on Dinkey Creek to Bald Mountain. This trail had some rocks but was an easy trail with the best views of the lakes and the valley. We returned to camp by 4PM. A good time was had by all.

July 1999 General Meeting, SLO 4 Wheelers Officers Reports: President: Lynn raced in from a land use meeting up in northern Cal and arrived a few minutes late to give the official presidents report, although he was able to lead and contribute to the rest of the meeting. Vice President: Mentioned push for gate at entrance to Lopez Canyon trail by homeowners along the road to the trail. Treasurer: we need more T-shirt and sweat-shirt sales, and don�t forget to buy your license plate cover. Events: trail cleanup day is planned by gold coast four wheelers on Saturday morning, members are encouraged to head out Friday night, camp, and help clean up the trail CA4WDC: membership fees have been paid and problem issues dealt with. Lynn is on the CA4WDC payroll, working for the future of our sport! CCORE: possible adopting trail of a few miles on Logan Ridge to Cable Corral. Be aware that groups are trying to close down the entire Southern Sierra�s to all motor vehicles! Hume: had a great time, hot showers & ice cream! About 57 people 1st run: the scout broke 2nd run: got the chance to look out from a lookout tower! Rubicon: July 14 Thurs- mon or tues -Meeting @ Rays @ 4:30 pm -The trail is about 35 miles long, but Ray�s only been there once, so watch out! There�s also fishing, camping, and of course a great view. -Bring all the extra parts you can get your hands on, just in case. Virtual Committee: the website takes less work than Mark�s Jeep, and might soon get its own domain name. Mark will keep us apprised. Al�s Run: eight hour drive, great camping, water crossings, waterfalls, fairly tough trails, no bypasses for the faint of heart, truly beautiful experience. Plans to be gone Sep 9-12 Run After: everyone seems to be busy already! submitted by :SLO County 4WD Club Secretary Joanna C.

UPDATE -What was announced as Strawberrry Lake Run is Actually SWAMP LAKE RUN) UPDATE

TEMPLETON 4TH OF JULY PARADE

Saturday July 3, 1999 Lynn S. was the Trailboss for this fun run... attending were: Lynn & Jane S., Brad & Carrie J., Dennis & Charlotte C. and passengers, Richard and Debbie K., James & Cindy B and kids, Joanna D. and sister.

All vehicles were dressed for the 4th of July occasion... flags flew, streamers galore, Uncle Sam rode with the Trex....

Before the parade started Charlotte decided that all lil ladies in shorts deserved to get their legs squirted..then it turned into everyone who walked by should be squirted. As the parade started being last we had the privilege of watching it go past us. All entries except for the horses felt the tiny droplets of the SLO 4WD clubs tiny squirt guns. All in good fun.

Finally our turn came to take off in the line. Squirting the participants of our group well before we got in line, Debbie K. proceeded to soak the crowd and our group as well. Lynn and Jane expected to stay dry (of all the silly thoughts) being in the lead and placing Richard and Debbie K as tailgunners. Hah.. little did they expect a side attack. Oh what fun I had.

A big thank you goes out to Brad and Carrie J. for the Most Soaked in the Parade presented to me with the very lovely wet picture and Super Soaker at this months General Meeting.

This is a great parade to have fun in... We need all of you to join us next year!

Debbie K.

* Complete AMC 20 rear axle - 4:11s w/ Trac Lok, Genuine Gears one piece axles. Drum to Drum Fits 82 up (wide track). Was in use, could use rebuilding, minimum pinion bearings needed but 1-piece shafts are worth the price. Also included front Dana 30 4:11 gears. $400 or OBO for all.

* Two 5 bolt Warn Factory style locking hubs, like new, $20 OBO (w/free hubs & wheel studs. Hubs have new bearings but 1 has bolt broke off. Usable, just cant keep locking hub bolts tight).

* Wrangler factory 4:11 gears front & rear. 40000 miles at take out from an '88.$100 OBO

* New 4Cyl CJ Fan shroud $10.00, New 6CYL CJ Fan Shroud $10.00

* J.C Higgins tent trailer 1960's vintage. All Aluminum box. Tent still usable but will need repairs 'for winter. Bed on top, Lots of storage (has NO accessories, basically bed on a trailer) owned since '80, great for camping, moderate back road use, NOT an off-road for serious trails trailer. $500 OBO

* Wanted- air conditioning to fit 82 CJ -ideas?

Mark/Margaret email [email protected]. Will consider trades,

Desert Duelers Rd 604's
Size 32x11.50 R 15 LT

1. Good Tread
2. Worn Down but not Bald

both have bead damage from dismounting and will require tubes, but are useable

Frank A.

Name that Jeep....

In case your wives and moms think you have too much spare time and money laying around, I thought I'd let you know about this Jeep I saw for sale in Santa Maria yesterday. It was parked in front of a house of Miller Street in town here.

It's a white, steel-body CJ5. I don't know the year, but the gas tank fill pipe is under the driver's seat, still, and it had an open frame. It had ProComp hubs and springs, the front end was kinda weird 'cause it had a HUGE ball joint where the housing meets the wheel assembly. It had the three stick shifts and at the front of the rear drive line, where it attached to the tranny, was about an 8"-circular disk that looked very vaguely like a hub or thick clutch plate (about the same size, but lighter in mass). On the back end was a spare tire/gas tank rack.

Gosh, I'm feelin' pretty clueless here when it comes to terminology! I must've been away from club stuff too long!

Since we're in Santa Maria, I didn't dare lift the hood for fear of being shot.

Anyway, if you want more information, call the guy at 349-8966.
Jenn B.

(continued from April newsletter, Part 1)... But I figured that the Landcruiser had many other things going for it and that I could figure out why it was running hot. Yep. Maybe this was too good to be true.

...Part II - I met the soon to be previous owner at DMV and closed the deal. She had just had it smogged. This is where her mechanic told her "it was running hot". I drive it off confident that I could figure out the problem. Yep. She wasn't kidding. It was running hot. The temperature gauge was moving towards territory where it should never tread. O.K. Here we go. The systematic elimination of all potential problems.

Thermostat - Pull it out. Run the vehicle. It still gets hot. Put the thermostat in a pot of water with a thermometer and watch it open and close. Operates perfectly. Re-install thermostat.

Water pump works fine. Fan clutch works fine. All of the belts and hoses are good. I noticed that there were some precipitated minerals in the thermostat housing. The radiator had been re-cored four years earlier and the vehicle had pretty much sat idle for the whole time. All right, I'll get the radiator rodded out and the system "professionally" backflushed. The radiator was fine. No change, it still runs hot.

The guy at the radiator shop pulled out an infrared thermometer and started pointing it at different parts of the engine block and head. "It's not running hot" he said. "It must be your temperature gauge". I drive the Cruiser home and check on the price of a new gauge - $84. I run the diagnostic as described in the Toyota shop manual for the temperature gauge - it checks out just fine. There is another gauge that is tested the exact same way as the temperature gauge. Since I know it's working properly, I went ahead and tested it to compare the results with the temperature gauge test results. Everything checks out.

I run a diagnostic on the sending unit (as per the Toyota shop manual) that tells the temperature gauge what is going on in the top of the head. Hmmm. The results could be interpreted to conclude that the sending unit is at fault (hey, I'm running out of options here). A new sending unit is $24. It's worth the gamble. I install it. Start the engine. I patiently wait as the engine heats up. My eyes are glued to the temperature gauge. I watch it go past ¼. Good. Then past ½ . I'm holding my breath. This is it. I've fixed it! Then the gauge continues onward into the grand oblivion of overheating madness.

All of this has taken about three weeks to get completed. I'm thoroughly frustrated with the whole thing by now. There's this box shaped steel and rubber (mostly steel; it is a Landcruiser you know) object sitting in my driveway that is only good at this point for driving to the store and back before the engine gets to hot. I look through car repair books for some sort of clue as to what is going on. I even considered installing a mechanical temperature gauge. I don't know. There has got to be an answer to this problem. THE answer. That answer will have to wait until the next newsletter. Dan G.

Ted Miles Jeep

The ONLY place to buy new Jeep!

Great selection of pre-owned vehicles too!

Ted offers a 15% discount on all parts
(& 10% off accessories like hats)
to club members who present their 1999 Membership Card!

Ted Miles Jeep/Eagle

7380 El Camino Real

Atascadero 466-2411

Tip of the Month:(None was presented at the meeting this month, but Vice President Joe Duhon has an afterthought from seeing how wet his blazer got from the fourth of July parade.)

And the tip is: When parading on the fourth (or 3rd), be advised that Debbie K. will find a way to soak you, your truck, and everyone else around