Kawasaki Mule 3010 project

[Rat]

Should have boiled it with a thermometer BEFORE I ordered a new one... it's an 82°C and opens slowly at 82.5°C fully open by 85°C

It turned out the coolant system was air locked with a bigazz bubble... I figured it out by dropping the rear end into a ditch, with the rad cap off I pinched a line shut to trap some pressure. When I let go, it let off an obnoxious loud snort/slurp and started flowing normally. Thankfully this thing has a little sight bubble filter thing so it's easy to tell if things are flowing or not.

Now that that's figured out I really need to drain it and put actual coolant in seeing as I diluted the hell out of it chasing myself in circles

 

[Rat]

Found a shop manual PDF for the engine... turns out getting a thermostat was actually a smart call.
Apparently it supposed to begin opening at 63-65°C (145-150°F) and reach 7mm full open at 80°C (176°F)

Gonna grab a gallon of coolant tomorrow to have on hand.

 

[Rat]

Fresh recap

•Replace the gas cap
•Replace the fuel gauge
•Replace fuel pump
•Replace radiator fan switch
•Replace thermostat
•Rebuild or replace carburetor rebuilt
•Replace all hydraulic brake lines
•Replace drivers floor panel support between main and side rail
•Resheet the cab floor (24x24 panels x2)
•Replace a few bed braces
•Resheet the bed floor (53×47 panel)
•Replace 1 tire
•Replace the rear shocks
•Replace the front struts
•Replace R/R (passengers) parking brake cable
•Replace both rear light assemblies
•Replace the intake air filter hoses between the filter and carb, and the filter/roll bar connection
•Modify exhaust or spend $300 on OE muffler
(most likely modify) Modified
•Replace CVT Belt
•Rebuild CVT Primary
•Replace or find a way to seal 2 wheels (rims leak air) sealed

Runs better than it ever has in the time I've had it.

 

[Rat]

The water pump blew

I was looking at the engine bay space and started thinking it would be kinda fun to stick a small 4 banger in there... an old air-cooled VW F4 would simplify things but cost me the 4wd.

Then I thought... 80's Subaru Brat I4 would fit AND support 4wd.
In either case I'd be looking at making clutch linkage, shifter linkage, and the mystery 3rd pedal.
Not really worth the effort, to do that level of swap.

Upgrading the manual hydraulic brakes to POWER brakes would be nice... not that the brakes don't work well, they could just work better.

Maybe I'll just go around all 4 corners and knock the drums off for a wellness check, scour the brake surfaces and what not.

 

[Whitetrashrocker]

Just gotta keep finding the weakest link.
I'd fix the water pump b4 the brakes. Can't stop if you aint going.

 

[Rat]

Just gotta keep finding the weakest link.
I'd fix the water pump b4 the brakes. Can't stop if you aint going.

Again the brakes work fine, had you actually read that would have been obvious.

What is annoying is that essentially it's a motorcycle rear hydraulic brake system (reservoir and master) that drives all 4 wheel cylinders/drum brakes. I would like to simply make them more sensetive/powerful in response to mechanical input.

Thankfully the waterpump is rebuildable, the plastic spur gear opposite the impeller sheared at the shaft pin face that makes it turn the impeller shaft. It's a $12 plastic gear versus an $80 waterpump assembly, and either one means buying or making gaskets separately.