Dane
11-16-2014, 08:43 PM
If you think you've had a bad day when you Gator broke down and left you in the woods... I've been down in Florida hunting. After hog hunting in the morning several of us were kicked back relaxing. B who owns the swamp buggy asked if we wanted to go for a ride and we piled on. This is what it looked like before we started out. The tires are 60" high. A big, loud beastly thing.
http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad67/pilotdane2/2014/Florida%20November%20Hunt/SwampBuggy1_zps5b2b26ab.jpg
Riding deeper into the swamp B drove us into a really nasty area to the point we could go no further. Lots of engine revving and spinning tires. Back and forth in a 5 point k turn to at least get pointed toward firmer ground. At this point we realize we're in trouble. The vehicle is bogging down and sinking. The engine is at redline in the lowest gear and it soon becomes apparent that if we make it out there will be major damage to the machine. The engine and transmission were majorly overheating and in danger of snapping a drive shaft or universal joint.
The clutch pack in the transmission could no longer handle the torque and started to slip billowing acrid smoke. The engine temp was off the gauge with steam venting from the radiator. We stop and let the engine and transmission cool then flog it some more to get us 50 feet closer to dry land. After several slogs it becomes more apparent that the transmission isn't going to make it out alive.
One more slog and the smoke and steam pouring out from below is particularly bad. D a big, soft spoken guy leans over the edge to eyeball things below. In a booming, almost scripted, calm, confident voice he says "gentlemen... we're on fire".
Everyone else just jumped into the buggy for the ride as they were. Shorts & flip flops. I grabbed my sun hat and snake boots. Since I was the only one wearing boots I was first over the side. My knee high waterproof snake boots were not tall enough and water poured over the top. They tossed me a Solo cup and I quickly flung swamp water to put out the fire. Water on an oil fire only seemed to cause it to flare.
The guys above are frantically looking for something bigger to bucket water. They found a gallon jug, cut the top part off and D jumped into the swamp to help fight the fire. I got a half second warning to close my eyes as D flung the contents of the jug on the transmission and me. Antifreeze bath for Dane.
After several minutes the main fire is out. The transmission fluid is still so hot as it leaks out it instantly flames as it hits the air so I continue to fling oily, antifreeze nasty swamp water on the searing hot metal to cool things down. Lots of stinky steam but after five minutes things seem to be cooling and I slow down flinging water.
Up to now everyone's been looking over the side where D and I are. Since things seemed under control M starts looking around and glances over the other side. "Shit"... "fire on this side". He was only wearing flip flops and kicked them off and jumped in bare foot and started flinging water to put out the fire on that side.
Eventually all the fires are out and we get the transmission and engine cooled down and there is no more risk of flare-ups. We all climb back up on the buggy. I took off my boots and poured out the water and we took stock of the situation. Nobody is in camp so nobody will be coming to help but there is a air boat. D volunteers to walk out and come get us in the air boat.
D wades out and after a while we hear the Corvette LT1 and see the air boat approach the edge of the swamp. 100 feet from the swamp we see the air boat stop and a second later the roar of the LT1 stops dead. SonofaB! D is a genius mechanically and can bush rig any possible fix so we give him 10 minutes before calling on the phone. OK, another half hour and he still can't get the engine running. A prissy, fuel injected, computer controlled engine with lots of wires, connectors and fuses is not a good choice for a air boat but I digress.
Those of us on the buggy look at each other and know what the other is thinking. Nobody thought to bring any beer or a gun!!! So, one by one we climb down and do the wade/walk of shame out of the swamp. We joke and cajole each other as we walk out to distract from... everything; alligators, snakes, mosquitoes, leaches, sharp grass, hot sun and no beer.
http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad67/pilotdane2/2014/Florida%20November%20Hunt/SwampBuggy1_zps5b2b26ab.jpg
Riding deeper into the swamp B drove us into a really nasty area to the point we could go no further. Lots of engine revving and spinning tires. Back and forth in a 5 point k turn to at least get pointed toward firmer ground. At this point we realize we're in trouble. The vehicle is bogging down and sinking. The engine is at redline in the lowest gear and it soon becomes apparent that if we make it out there will be major damage to the machine. The engine and transmission were majorly overheating and in danger of snapping a drive shaft or universal joint.
The clutch pack in the transmission could no longer handle the torque and started to slip billowing acrid smoke. The engine temp was off the gauge with steam venting from the radiator. We stop and let the engine and transmission cool then flog it some more to get us 50 feet closer to dry land. After several slogs it becomes more apparent that the transmission isn't going to make it out alive.
One more slog and the smoke and steam pouring out from below is particularly bad. D a big, soft spoken guy leans over the edge to eyeball things below. In a booming, almost scripted, calm, confident voice he says "gentlemen... we're on fire".
Everyone else just jumped into the buggy for the ride as they were. Shorts & flip flops. I grabbed my sun hat and snake boots. Since I was the only one wearing boots I was first over the side. My knee high waterproof snake boots were not tall enough and water poured over the top. They tossed me a Solo cup and I quickly flung swamp water to put out the fire. Water on an oil fire only seemed to cause it to flare.
The guys above are frantically looking for something bigger to bucket water. They found a gallon jug, cut the top part off and D jumped into the swamp to help fight the fire. I got a half second warning to close my eyes as D flung the contents of the jug on the transmission and me. Antifreeze bath for Dane.
After several minutes the main fire is out. The transmission fluid is still so hot as it leaks out it instantly flames as it hits the air so I continue to fling oily, antifreeze nasty swamp water on the searing hot metal to cool things down. Lots of stinky steam but after five minutes things seem to be cooling and I slow down flinging water.
Up to now everyone's been looking over the side where D and I are. Since things seemed under control M starts looking around and glances over the other side. "Shit"... "fire on this side". He was only wearing flip flops and kicked them off and jumped in bare foot and started flinging water to put out the fire on that side.
Eventually all the fires are out and we get the transmission and engine cooled down and there is no more risk of flare-ups. We all climb back up on the buggy. I took off my boots and poured out the water and we took stock of the situation. Nobody is in camp so nobody will be coming to help but there is a air boat. D volunteers to walk out and come get us in the air boat.
D wades out and after a while we hear the Corvette LT1 and see the air boat approach the edge of the swamp. 100 feet from the swamp we see the air boat stop and a second later the roar of the LT1 stops dead. SonofaB! D is a genius mechanically and can bush rig any possible fix so we give him 10 minutes before calling on the phone. OK, another half hour and he still can't get the engine running. A prissy, fuel injected, computer controlled engine with lots of wires, connectors and fuses is not a good choice for a air boat but I digress.
Those of us on the buggy look at each other and know what the other is thinking. Nobody thought to bring any beer or a gun!!! So, one by one we climb down and do the wade/walk of shame out of the swamp. We joke and cajole each other as we walk out to distract from... everything; alligators, snakes, mosquitoes, leaches, sharp grass, hot sun and no beer.