LJ Tech 1100 at Coral Pink Dunes (Utah)

Posts: 206

Here are a couple of pictures and some video. It ran really well, and you could climb any hill out there in second gear with no problems. If it sounds like it's bogging down at the top, it's not. I'm letting off because the dunes are razor-backs with a sharp ridge on top and an equally steep back side. It was a lot of fun and a smoother ride than my 400ex!

Posts: 206

More pictures:

Posts: 676

Nice videos! Were you running paddles or stock tires? Any issues yet?

Posts: 206

I was running stock tires at about 8 psi. I did have a little trouble with one of the CV joints late in the weekend, but Sean has already sent a replacement and is working on sending out the new style ball-and-cage joints to eliminate any future problems. Aside from that, it ran great, the suspension worked really well, and it took me anywhere I wanted to go. The only thing I added before I left for the dunes was a temp gauge. I didn't like not being able to see the temperature, and I've heard stories of the fan on some models not working properly. It ran between 190-215 degrees, and the fan worked perfectly.

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Are you going to put a muffler on it? looks like is runs great.

Posts: 206

I have a Super Trapp style silencer on order from Desert Karts right now. I definitely need it to be compliant with the Forrest Service laws, and the buggy's a little on the loud side, so it should tone it down some.

Posts: 323

Wanna share what you did to put a temp gauge in please ???

Posts: 206

Okay, no pics yet, but I'll explain what I did.
First, I found this electrical (not mechanical) water temp gauge at Checker Auto Parts for $16: http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/Product/tf-Browse/s-10101/Pr-p_Product.CATENTRY_ID:2008 847/p-2008847/N-111+10201+600002129/c-10101
You can also order it directly from JC Whitney if Checker doesn't have it. It came with the gauge, mount bracket, sending unit, connectors, and a couple different brass reducers for mounting the sending unit in different sized openings.
Next, you'll need a radiator hose adapter like this:
http://egauges.com/vdo_acce.asp?Subgroup=Hose_Adaptors
I actually made something similar from parts from Lowes, but it ended up costing about the same.
Installation goes as follows: Drain most of the coolant out so that you can cut one of the radiator hoses. find a straight section where you want the adapter and then cut and install. You'll need to run a ground wire from the adapter to the battery negative or to a nearby engine bracket so that the sending unit is grounded. Next, install the sending unit into the adapter and run a wire from the sending unit up to the gauge. At this point, I just pigtailed the power and ground wires from the other gauge instead of running new wires; worked fine. Finally, refill coolant and leak and ops check gauge and adapter.
If you do it like this, you won't affect the original switch-type sending unit that runs the fan.

Posts: 676

For those of you who dont want to cut hoses etc., there is a temp sensor near the manifold. You need to remove it and install the aftermarket sensor and wire it.

Posts: 9836

Very nice. Sounds like it's running awesome.

What kinds of speeds were you able to get out there?

-S