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???? for the mudders


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Question for yall...I noticed the alternator hangs kinda low on the manche,...has anyone run into any problems while wheeling? If so what was your fix?..if not an issue thats cool too!!! Thanks!

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I've come up with a few things to save my alternator. First we tried to fab up a little box around it to keep the water out, didn't work very well and caused more damage then it saved. Second we attempted to re locate in the ac region. My best advice is just pick up a second hand alt from the junkyard. They usually run me no more then $30 and it's defiantly a good thing to have a extra of. Although my current alternator hasn't crapped the bed yet and it has been through some deep deep water.

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Not a mudder, but my truck has a habit of going through ponds, deep puddles and creeks off road. Fied one alternator before I installed a front skid plate, which helped a lot. Still fried two more before I moved it to the top of the engine. Still went through two more after that because of filled with mud, last one with my 13 year old driving. How she managed to cover the inside of hood and everything in engine compartment covered solid in mud (including the alternator filled with it and over top of battery, air cleaner and engine front to back) while not getting any inside the air cleaner beats me.

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I've had two bad experiences with alternators in MJ/XJ's:

 

First on was on The Mohawk Jeep Jamboree ~1994.

 

 

 

 

 

After a week of HEAVY rain, no one pre-ran the trail (the now closed 'Catamount' Trail).

 

My XJ was only on 31" TSL's back then, and even the guys on 34 & 36's had to winch in spots.

Some pics from earlier in the day (when there was still some daylight):

 

My alternator had started making noise just as we turned off the road to get on the trail,

guess I should've listened.

 

Long-long-long story short:

 

 

park rangers delayed us getting on the trail till someone could go get the permission paperwork (that was weird)

so the start time was delayed about an hour.

Every inch of the trail was mush, and borderline unpassable/bottomless in spots.

 

 

 

We probably hit the 1/2 way point just as it was getting dark (another bad sign)

then spent few more hours winching EVERYONE in the first half of the group up a huge mud trench of a hill.

 

At that point, it was so late, the front 1/2 of our group split off, and left the rear half to finish on their own.

 

 

Couple more hours later the second half cleared the hill/mountain, and that's about when my alternator SEIZED, belt melted off, and I was without:

the alternator (duh)

power steering

and water pump,

at the top of a frickin mountain. :thumbsup: :rotfl2: :rotf:

 

Oh, and FWIW, it was after 11pm by now.

(ever hear of a Jeep Jamboree out after 11pm?, yeah, me neither :rotfl2: ).

 

I wasn't carrying a spare alternator, or belt,

so I finished the (mostly downhill) part of the trail with my buddy pushing me up to speed from behind with his CJ-7,

then navigating most of the obstacles with no power steering, no engine power, no headlights, and only using the wipers sparingly

(did I mention it wa POURING RAINING the whole time?). :doh: :doh: :doh:

 

 

 

I did start the engine, and power over a few of the obstacles, but without a waterpump, to cool the engine, or an alternator to charge the battery after starting & running the engine, I only did that when absolutely necessary.

 

 

Eventually we all got off the trail.

I got yanked back by to base camp by our 'back up' trail leader (official trail leader had left hours ago),

The 'back up' trail leader had a huge (for the times) V8 Scrambler on 36's, and didn't mind taking the tiny side streets at 40-50-60 mph, with me behind on a tow strap,

to the point where we actually lost my buddy's CJ-7 (he couldn't keep up)

My buddy's CJ7 had a 258/5spd with 2.73 gears & 32's, so there was no real option to have him tow me instead.

 

 

We made it back to the Jamboree base after Midnight,

and they had our hot meal waiting for us. :cheers:

 

I spent the next day swapping the alternator & belt, laying in a puddle, under a tarp (yep, torrential downpours the whole next day too).

 

 

The 2nd story was worse, but I'll save that one for now (already gone way past my daily typing limits with the first story ;) ).

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The previous story.....WOW...sounded like a cluster F of a day but also sounded like a great day wheeling!!! :D

 

Thanks to all the comments.....I guess I'll be doing some precautionary fab work soon...

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I've gone through 6 alternators. I just buy the lifetime warranties, and keep my fingers crossed that I am close enough to make it home or to a parts store before the battery dies. :D

 

 

Now I just stay out of the mud, the occasional water crossing hasn't hurt it, since its usually clean water.

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hardcore mudder right here. only because thats all there is around my area. i havent really had a chance to rip it up in the manche yet but I'm going to rig up a thin rubber mat and hang it off where the front bumper was and mount it either up on the frame rails or over the steering somehow. worked good on other trucks i put it on.

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