Jim the Truck - a mercedes 1823

[nick disjunkt]

I've now added a load of additional photos to the blog, all as links to photobucket and flickr galleries.

You can find photos I took when converting Jim in the 'Converting Jim' tab...

And you can find photo's of our recent trip in the 'North and Central America' tab.

 

[nick disjunkt]

Hi all,

Something which has been puzzling me since I last tilted the cab, is the identification of an object I noticed for the first time on the back of the engine. Stupidly I forgot to geta photo, but I should be able to get a bad shot looking past the gearbox from under the truck.

The object is a metal cylinder, roughly 200-300mm long and about 100mm across, and is fixed to the lifting plate on the back of the engine, roughly at the same height as the cylinder head.

The only two connections are metal and rubber hoses out of each end, one of which seems to join directly to the turbo, and the other seems to join directly to the air compressor!

I cannot find this object on the parts catalogue, and I cannot see it in any other photos of OM906LA engines, even when all the ancillaries are attached?!

It seems to have no vents on it, and I cannot see any electrical connections to it.

I figured that it might be something to do with the oil supply, but I relaly have no idea.

Anyone got any suggestions?

Thanks

Nick

I got struck by curiosity about this again and started doing some research. I am still none the wiser, and cannot get a photo without tilting the cab, but I did work out that it is attached to the suction pipe of the air compressor. Presumably this travels across the back of the engine to take an air feed from the filtered air supply to the turbo. I can't imagine that it is a filter because it is not easily replaced, but if it was something like a damper, why would it not be fitted to all om906 engines.

You can see the end of the object on the pipe beneath the exhaust below:

 

[peneumbra]

Still mucking about in London, are you? It was 62 degrees (F) here in FLG today, and it's supposed to be just as pleasant all of this week. Regards from all your friends in the New World...

 

[nick disjunkt]

Jim's sitting forlorn and unused in the back yard. I've got a long list of repairs and improvements to make when the whether warms up, but for now I'm stationary in London. It's about 45 here, the winters been pretty tame even by SE England standards. All the best from the civilised old world

 

[k9lestat]

If you do come back ship to Brunswick again, I don't what holiday it is, shoot me a line. We will get together so you can experience some southern hospitality.

 

[Kiomon]

Have you decided what's the next trip? Been following your build and aventures for inspiration. Love the back 'porch' on Jim.

 

[nick disjunkt]

Have you decided what's the next trip? Been following your build and aventures for inspiration. Love the back 'porch' on Jim.

Thanks! It'll be a while until I have the money and goodwill from my employer to let me take any significant chunk of time off again, but I'd love to drive the route shown below.

I had a little time recently to repair the shower tray which was cracked and rapidly disintegrating.

http://jimthetruck.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/why-you-should-always-listen-to-your.html

It would have been a huge pain to remove the old tray, and so I effectively fibreglass a new one inside it.

 

[Anton2k3]

Nice job Nick. I have to do the same a mine is also cracking. How did you deal with the bobbles on the old tray? use resin to level it off?


Edit: should have read the blog first! Good idea sanding flat. My other though was to make a stainless steel tray and drop it on top of the old one. However the edges of the tray and sealing it in becomes problematic.

 

[nick disjunkt]

My other though was to make a stainless steel tray and drop it on top of the old one. However the edges of the tray and sealing it in becomes problematic.

I did consider this, although in my case I would have had to remove the towel rail to get such a fabricated tray in place. Another option that I considered was to have the tray sprayed with a hot applied bed liner product such as Line-X or Speedliner. Time will tell whether I made the right decision, but I am happy with the finish.

I recently had the chance to take a couple of outings in Jim. A total of 10 days away.

First trip was just to a local music festival, the second trip was to Cornwall and Devon. No wild camping but we had a chance to visit some beautiful parts of England.

http://jimthetruck.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/jim-gets-some-exercise-in-cornwall-and.html

 

[nick disjunkt]

After our recent trips I got another chance to monitor the fuel economy since arriving back in the UK, and was pleased to see that the English air is good for Jim's constitution, as we've been getting 9.5 mpg US (11.4 mpg UK, 24.8 l/100km).

Last weekend we took a trip out to the Adventure Overland Show in Stratford Upon Avon

http://jimthetruck.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/jim-enjoys-being-home.html

 

[nick disjunkt]

Hi all, I hope you're out there enjoying your travels. Ours have been limited of late, but Jim is getting a little love at the moment,and we're currently a couple of days into a two week trip around the North of England and Scotland. I've put a new post on our blog, but here's some photos of what we've seen so far.

Wasdale Head, at the end of a long, rough and narrow single track road.

The view from Scafell and Lingmell

The view from High Cup Nick near Dufton, Cumbria

 

[Anton2k3]

Hey Nick,

Nice to see you posting again and that the truck is out. Will you be attending AO this year?

 

[Sturmy]

Glad to see High Cup Nick 😀
Not many people discover it and I think it is one of the most awesome places in this part of the world?
Always reminds me a bit of Iceland.

Enjoy your travels, I' m just about to leave the Lakes behind for Dumfries and Galloway for some peace and quiet!

Cheers

James

 

[nick disjunkt]

It's got to be one of the most dramatic views in the UK, but it's certainly windy and wild up there. We're sitting out the rain by loch lomond, headed for glencoe tomorrow

 

[nick disjunkt]

The trip is finished and we're back in London again. I'll try to get a few more small repairs done on Jim before the summer ends completely, but no plans for more trips this year. I've not booked a place at AO show this year, but if we're free that weekend I might head over.

I've put a new post up about our Journey to Skye:

https://jimthetruck.blogspot.co.uk/2017/08/narrow-roads-and-lots-of-rain.html

Whilst I am grateful that Scotland has built tarmac roads leading right out into the wilderness, I covered distance much more quickly on the graveled forest roads covering most of North America. Scotlands roads are extremely narrow, and the twists and undulations mean that it is impossible to cover ground quickly. Jim has a beam front axle, and whilst the suspension is great for a big truck, there is small amount of bump-steer to contend with. Most of the time it goes completely unnoticed, but many of the roads in the highlands are no wider than the track of the truck, and the constant roll and bounce on the roads, makes it difficult to keep all wheels on the tarmac at anything over 15-20mph.