Ready to have a landy?

Having an old Land Rover is like having a pet, did I tell you that land rover is a living things?? some land rover are just nice and easy... but most, I can tell you... they ask a lot of attention... I mean A LOT....they sometime can be really grumpy or just went berserk.

In my case, Sotong is really like to give me a quiz, after I did everything to cure the shimmy, she give me another puzzle to resolve... it suddenly went dead last weekend when I was going home from Gumati restaurant at Sentul (not the one in Bogor). It was raining hard, and nothing seems to be wrong, no more shimmy and everybody is happy (kecuali yang duduk pas di tempat yang bocor... :) ). when we are at highway to Pondok Indah, whithout any warning, the engine choked like it runs out of gasoline.

It can not be run out of gasoline... I just topping it off today before we go, and my fuel gauge is showing a high level of gasoline in the tank... the engine temperature is also normal, so I think it must be carburettor problem. I took out an umbrella and check the carb... nothing falls off, everything looks normal, probably a dirt is blocking the way. Before I dismantle the Carb... I am checking the gasoline pipe just in case it blocked in there as it is easier to check the gasoline pipe than dismantling carburettor.

Sotong is still use membrane (not yet electric) gasoline pump... So I can pump it manually... no gasoline came out... I ask my better half to start the engine... again not even a drop of gasoline came out (under normal condition the gasoline will come out very strong when the engine started) so something must be blocking the pipe, but I do not know where... is it in the tank, is it in the membrane, or is it in the gasoline filter (the one with a glass bottle under the engine). So no point to dismantle the carb... and laying down under the engine, in the highway, on a heavy rain is not an option, not an option at all... So I give up and call the highway patrol, thanks God Sotong is so understanding that she stops near exit gate.

The highway patrol came and we have a good chat about Sotong, where she come from and how she survive in modern day. With their experience and may be challenged by Sotongs quiz, they try to solve it by blowing in the gasoline pipe. I already said it is no good because it use membrane, not electric pumps, but they try it anyway which of course they failed. So accepting the defeat they call "mobil derek" to carry Sotong which we agree for about US$ 20 to carry Sotong from depok exit gate to the garage of my choosing which is quite far away (around kampung melayu). This probably the most efficient gasoline consumption for Sotong, it moves about 15kms without loosing a drop of its gasoline.

Anyway that is not the whole story, the next day the garage owner can start the engine without doing anything... it just went live... just that... still not believing, I pick her up at 8.00 PM and (it still rains!!!) , this time she happily cruising at least up until in front of Pasar Festival. Just in front of pasar festival, I heard very hard (clanking) noise.. very hard noise indeed... something is broken... is it half shaft? if yes I am a dead man... I thought. Very worried.. I went out with a battery light and see that the front shaft (which connect the transfer case and "gardan") was loose, and just about to drop. I can bring this home very slowly (if I can bear the noise) or just take it off completely. As I think is will be easy to completely take it off (you only need 2 size 14 spanners) I call some one from tukang tambal ban to take it off for US$ 2.5.

Sotong give me hard time twice in only two days, this can happen to you mate... are you really really sure to have land rover as a pet??? Here is the picts when sotong need to be carried.