French Tickler Buggy

[Bebop]

It's a basic gen3, early LM7 so nothing like AFM/DOD nor VVT in it.
Oiling sucks so it has an accumulator, a Melling high volume/pressure pump and whatever cheap filter is on sale at Walmart or my auto parts store... Tall filters stick out 2" past my oil pan so I use the small ones. PF46E style. I use the tall ones on my DD truck.

I really need to change the bypass spring in the pump since it has a lot of pressure at cold oil temps (see the dash picture above), but that's low on the priority list.

 

[DesertCJ]

It's a basic gen3, early LM7 so nothing like AFM/DOD nor VVT in it.
Oiling sucks so it has an accumulator, a Melling high volume/pressure pump and whatever cheap filter is on sale at Walmart or my auto parts store... Tall filters stick out 2" past my oil pan so I use the small ones. PF46E style. I use the tall ones on my DD truck.

I really need to change the bypass spring in the pump since it has a lot of pressure at cold oil temps (see the dash picture above), but that's low on the priority list.

Right on. The PF63E doesn't stick down past the stock pan though. Maybe yours is different? Size of the filter is probably much less of a concern on a toy...vs a daily driver. My truck goes to 60psi cold/startup down to about 40psi hot with the melling high volume/high pressure. Stock pump was only like 25psi at operating temp:rolleyes:

 

[Bebop]

I have a MAST motorsports oil pan. Low profile, some baffling and cooler/accumulator ports built in. The small filters are almost as tall as the oil pan. Def no room for a tall one.

Engine gets like 90psi cold, 70 hot.

 

[Bebop]

Well, the screen mount happened this weekend.

Massive thanks to my buddy Donny who's the AL TIG master and handled all the welding on the unit.

Fit-up, blending and keeping everything looking good is hard as shit. The pictures look good but I'll just say it was a learning process haha Huuuuge respect to those who make it look easy, like the WOD guys or Matt Cutler. BTW, Matt is cool as shit and gave plenty of pointers and feedback to help. Thanks a million Matt !

The 2 "knobs" on the side are waterproof USB ports that are wired as pass through, one goes to the screen to retreive the datalog files and the other one goes to the ECU for laptop hook up / tuning.

 

[Bebop]

 

[Bebop]

Went to Windrock this weekend. Buggy keeps killing it.

Needs more shock tuning and a bigger engine.
Steering is too slow for my liking. Still pondering how I'm going to play this one. I've got a lot of ideas.

Big hill on Trail 2



Made it up the left exit on Cadillac Hill



Of course the video doesn't do it justice, but the ledge is 6ft tall and undercut

Wrapped it off by helping a standed rider and taking him back to camp, about 1h away

Fucking love this buggy !

 

[Eric]

Nice. Build thread with wheeling coverage!!

 

[Bebop]

I build my shit because I can't afford to pay someone else to do so.
I like driving more than building.

 

[The Unknown]

Buggy looks like it does well. The Bent Fab chassis have always been some of my favorites. I may have missed it but what size radiator are you running? I'm in the process of shoehorning mine into the front of my buggy right now and am wondering how small I can get away with.

 

[Bebop]

I may have missed it but what size radiator are you running? I'm in the process of shoehorning mine into the front of my buggy right now and am wondering how small I can get away with.

Griffin 2 rows of 1.25" tubes, 27.5x15.5. Dual pass. Twin 12" SPAL30102029 fans.

First fan comes on at 180. Second fan at 200.

If you're crawling around it will take about 5mn for the second fan to cycle. Takes less than 2mn to drop the temps back down to 185 where the second fan will cut off.
If you force both fans on it will sit at the thermostat temperature (165) all day.

If you are actually beating on it, with both fans on it will take about 5mn to bring it from 180 to 200. By beating on it I mean full rev limiter beatdown, not brap brap in the woods.

Planning an engine upgrade. Will shoehorn a bigger unit in there somehow. LS engines can run way hotter than that but I just like overkill.

 

[The Unknown]

Griffin 2 rows of 1.25" tubes, 27.5x15.5. Dual pass. Twin 12" SPAL30102029 fans.

First fan comes on at 180. Second fan at 200.

If you're crawling around it will take about 5mn for the second fan to cycle. Takes less than 2mn to drop the temps back down to 185 where the second fan will cut off.
If you force both fans on it will sit at the thermostat temperature (165) all day.

If you are actually beating on it, with both fans on it will take about 5mn to bring it from 180 to 200. By beating on it I mean full rev limiter beatdown, not brap brap in the woods.

Planning an engine upgrade. Will shoehorn a bigger unit in there somehow. LS engines can run way hotter than that but I just like overkill.

Awesome.Thank you for the details. I am planning on roughly the same size (dual pass 26x15.5x3 with the 1.25 tubes) but wasn't quite sure. Based on your observations I think I'll be alright. I'm more of a brap brap kinda guy rather than a full limiter beatdown type. I'm going to run with it and see what happens. Thanks again.

 

[Bebop]

Another good weekend ride in the books.

Balanced food and proper hydration is important.

Randoms from the day

Ol'Red waterfall from the bottom

Got lucky and one shot it.



Buggy starting to be dialed good in terms of suspension and engine tuning. So I'm going to change it all.

 

[Bebop]

Some news from the Tickler !

When going over everything after the last ride, I realized my fancy trailing arm weren't real happy...
Turns out I managed to bend both of them, which I think is pretty impressive... They are 2.5x.250 DOM with a full 2" 7075 AL slug inside.

After discussion with Jake, it turns out I welded the shock mounts backwards which left a long unsupported piece of tubing. Oops...

BKOR let me borrow the big press to try to straighten them back and it took all she had to do so.

I did as good of a job as I could.
Massive thanks to Jake to let me use his equipment, I couldn't have done it with the stuff I have at home.

Then I started trussing/boxing so I don't have the same problem again.

TIG welded everything for the heck of it. Took me wayyyyy too long but I enjoy the process.
Nice weld pic below, I didn't post the crappy ones but they're here :LOL:

What the arm looks like after reinforcement. You can see the HAZ from the inside welds of the structure.

Done and installed.

She back !

Last week, my buddy Marvin (who owns the Youtube channel Flex, Rocks and Rollovers) hit me up. He was going for a day ride up to Tackett Creek on Saturday and offered me to go with him. Since I wanted an easy test day and just to get back in the woods, this was the perfect opportunity.

Plus Marvin is a great dude and it has been a moment since spending time with him.

He picked me up on the way. Love this Jeepster. I spent some sweat equity on it when it was built and I'm glad to see it kicking ass on the regular.

And we had a great day out in the woods. So good that I didn't even take my phone out of my pocket all day and didn't take any pics except this one when we were done.

There will be an episode on his channel I'm sure.

 

[flexy flatty]

How was it trying to package that passenger drop front 14 bolt? I need a new front axle and would like to run a custom 14 but can’t quite make it work with my passenger drop case, I think if I was building a rig from scratch that driver’s drop would be much more appealing.

 

[Bebop]

It was a pain.
I did it because I wanted the driveshaft on the opposite side of the driver. Weight distribution and safety concerns.

I think I have 1.5" of tube showing on the pass side.

 

[RPS1030]

There will be an episode on his channel I'm sure.

 

[Bebop]

Drinking game.

Every time I say "like", you drink.








Don't, you'll be dead in 2 minutes

 

[Ted]

Like ....sumthin Samaria, like sumthin sumthin Cherokee, like, um like.....
Fawk man! from chopsticks to teepees ....like, um like.
F awww I'm drunk now from like 'n
Way to be famous man.

 

[RPS1030]

I was halfway watching, just barely saw the ig tag of something something “Frenchie” and said wait a sec.

Can’t say shit cause it was way better than I’d be in front of a camera.

 

[Bebop]

Hardly consider myself famous.

 

[Ted]

Too late now muthrfukr, I watched you on my big tv in mah noT a trailer howse, and me 'n John jons meemaw laffed, eherybody knows there no such thang as a French injunear..
Sorry you is a famous, Internet says so.
Fangers!

 

[POR]

Drinking game.

Every time I say "like", you drink.








Don't, you'll be dead in 2 minutes

I'll take that Pepsi challenge 😄

 

[Slander]

This build is badass!! I really need to make it out to tackett creek, looks fun.

 

[ridered3]

Drinking game.

Every time I say "like", you drink.








Don't, you'll be dead in 2 minutes

Drinking game for everytime you say "like" is way safer than a drinking game for everytime you drink one of them "French Waters" in real life!

It's awesome to see you out enjoying the rig and getting to do with it what you wanted (even if it looks broken due to all the articulation and steering angles).

 

[Bebop]

Drinking game for everytime you say "like" is way safer than a drinking game for everytime you drink one of them "French Waters" in real life!

It's awesome to see you out enjoying the rig and getting to do with it what you wanted (even if it looks broken due to all the articulation and steering angles).

Hahahahaha thanks a million for the kind words and being the man when it comes to contraband french bubbly.

Too late now muthrfukr, I watched you on my big tv in mah noT a trailer howse, and me 'n John jons meemaw laffed, eherybody knows there no such thang as a French injunear..
Sorry you is a famous, Internet says so.
Fangers!

I'll take that Pepsi challenge 😄

Smart man

This build is badass!! I really need to make it out to tackett creek, looks fun.

Thanks !
Tackett Creek is a good time. Really nothing hard. At all. But it's beautiful.

 

[SLOWPOKE693]

Missed this the first time it was posted. Buggy is bad ass!!!

 

[Bebop]

Thanks man.

Current owner of my old samurai sent me a pic of it wheeling last weekend. That's the second samurai I'm talking about in the video, the one after my XJ.

 

[Slander]

Thanks !
Tackett Creek is a good time. Really nothing hard. At all. But it's beautiful.

Nice!! Yea even more reason why I want to check it out, that's half the reason I'm in this hobby!!

 

[gt1guy]

Great build. I think we should start a pool to get you some paint for that chassis.

 

[Bebop]

Ha !
Every bit of money I spend on it goes in performance enhancing parts.
I ain't rich enough to make it pretty.

That said, the billet heat echanger for the blower just showed up.