Yes, it’s true. Though it was done for the 2024 Sun Valley Serenade, there were a couple of issues that needed to be addressed. It was in its new home In Colorado, and WBJ1 was okay with dealing with the issues himself, but that isn’t right. “Our name is on it”, and it needs to run right. The Gorilla and I went to Colorado to pick it up….
We had basically used the same fuel system setup as we did on Thundercat. Though Thundercat’s has worked flawlessly, CHUGSzilla’s rubber fuel line from the fuel pump to the combination filter/pressure regulator leaked. Both machines were set up with Airtex electric fuel pumps. Those pumps were discontinued when we installed fuel injection on the 1544, so we used a Walbro pump on that project. The Walbro pump can be plumbed with AN fittings instead of rubber fuel hose as required by the Airtex pumps, so we removed the Airtex pump and installed a new Walbro pump on CHUGSzilla. The two rubber fuel lines; from the water separating fuel filter to the fuel pump, and from the pump to the filter/pressure regulator were replaced with bent steel lines and a combination of AN and JIC fittings. (We think this is a better design and we’ll make the same changes to Thundercat’s fuel system.)
New fuel line from the water separating fuel filter to the new Walbro pump. And from the pump to the filter/pressure regulator. The Walbro pumps are much louder than the Airtex pumps, so we wrapped the pump in adhesive backed neoprene to reduce the noise. And yes, Scott stuck to his “I’m done bending fuel lines" obstinance.
When we changed the radiator to the Ron Davis Racing radiator the airflow from the electric fans blew across the air filter element. That isn’t ideal so we re-plumbed the air intake system to a similar configuration we used on Thundercat.
“Before" air intake plumbing.
New air intake plumbing setup.
The engine’s ecm had been sent to LSX Power Tuning in Texas for reprogramming. The engine ran pretty well, but it triggered the check engine light. We were able to address most of the issues, but not the “Bank 1 Too Lean" and "Bank 2 Too Lean” trouble codes. They (LSX Power Tuning) suggested we buy some fairly expensive hardware where we could download engine parameters while running the machine in snow at altitude. We’d then send that data and the ecm to them, and they’d adjust the programming.
Well, WBJ1 found a company in SLC that did dyno tuning. The only problem was their dyno wasn’t set up for snowcat tracks. So, The Gorilla and I removed the carriers and tracks and put CHUGSzilla back on wheels and tires so they could run the machine on their dyno while making programming changes. “While we had it apart” WBJ1 asked us to change the sprocket drum fasteners to the same setup we had recently upgraded Thundercat to. We also used the 60º chamfer bit and modified the sprocket drums for conically shaped lug nuts.
While at the dyno tuner they found the two rubber vacuum fittings between the engine and the transmission modulator had cracked. Those were simple molded rubber 90º fittings, but they both failed. There is one of those same fittings on Thundercat, and it’s fine. There is precious little room between the Allison modulator and the Tucker truss frame and installing the fittings is a challenge.
Here’s a pic of Thundercat’s set up.
New fittings made from three ply reinforced silicone have been ordered. We’ll install those presumably much stronger fittings on both machines.
Here’s the ugly green machine back on tires at the dyno tuning company.
And on the trailer behind Scott’s truck.
We’ve started the process of reinstalling all the carriers and tracks. If we’re able to get that done fairly expeditiously we would like to take the machine out to the mountains and verify everything is working properly. There really is no substitute for testing in real world conditions and verifying operational performance beats blindly hoping the dyno company got it right. As the saying goes, hope is not a strategy.
Hideous machine with front tracks reinstalled.
BTW, rumor has it that The Infamous WBJ1 will be buying a suitable tow vehicle and CHUGSzilla will make it to at least one snowcat event in 2026.
He keeps mentioning a Cybertruck…. Talk about an ugly duo; a Cybertruck pulling a hideous green Tucker. That could only come from the mind of The Infamous WBJ1. And knowing him? He'd have in wrapped in a hideous green wrap.
We had basically used the same fuel system setup as we did on Thundercat. Though Thundercat’s has worked flawlessly, CHUGSzilla’s rubber fuel line from the fuel pump to the combination filter/pressure regulator leaked. Both machines were set up with Airtex electric fuel pumps. Those pumps were discontinued when we installed fuel injection on the 1544, so we used a Walbro pump on that project. The Walbro pump can be plumbed with AN fittings instead of rubber fuel hose as required by the Airtex pumps, so we removed the Airtex pump and installed a new Walbro pump on CHUGSzilla. The two rubber fuel lines; from the water separating fuel filter to the fuel pump, and from the pump to the filter/pressure regulator were replaced with bent steel lines and a combination of AN and JIC fittings. (We think this is a better design and we’ll make the same changes to Thundercat’s fuel system.)
New fuel line from the water separating fuel filter to the new Walbro pump. And from the pump to the filter/pressure regulator. The Walbro pumps are much louder than the Airtex pumps, so we wrapped the pump in adhesive backed neoprene to reduce the noise. And yes, Scott stuck to his “I’m done bending fuel lines" obstinance.
When we changed the radiator to the Ron Davis Racing radiator the airflow from the electric fans blew across the air filter element. That isn’t ideal so we re-plumbed the air intake system to a similar configuration we used on Thundercat.
“Before" air intake plumbing.
New air intake plumbing setup.
The engine’s ecm had been sent to LSX Power Tuning in Texas for reprogramming. The engine ran pretty well, but it triggered the check engine light. We were able to address most of the issues, but not the “Bank 1 Too Lean" and "Bank 2 Too Lean” trouble codes. They (LSX Power Tuning) suggested we buy some fairly expensive hardware where we could download engine parameters while running the machine in snow at altitude. We’d then send that data and the ecm to them, and they’d adjust the programming.
Well, WBJ1 found a company in SLC that did dyno tuning. The only problem was their dyno wasn’t set up for snowcat tracks. So, The Gorilla and I removed the carriers and tracks and put CHUGSzilla back on wheels and tires so they could run the machine on their dyno while making programming changes. “While we had it apart” WBJ1 asked us to change the sprocket drum fasteners to the same setup we had recently upgraded Thundercat to. We also used the 60º chamfer bit and modified the sprocket drums for conically shaped lug nuts.
While at the dyno tuner they found the two rubber vacuum fittings between the engine and the transmission modulator had cracked. Those were simple molded rubber 90º fittings, but they both failed. There is one of those same fittings on Thundercat, and it’s fine. There is precious little room between the Allison modulator and the Tucker truss frame and installing the fittings is a challenge.
Here’s a pic of Thundercat’s set up.
New fittings made from three ply reinforced silicone have been ordered. We’ll install those presumably much stronger fittings on both machines.
Here’s the ugly green machine back on tires at the dyno tuning company.
And on the trailer behind Scott’s truck.
We’ve started the process of reinstalling all the carriers and tracks. If we’re able to get that done fairly expeditiously we would like to take the machine out to the mountains and verify everything is working properly. There really is no substitute for testing in real world conditions and verifying operational performance beats blindly hoping the dyno company got it right. As the saying goes, hope is not a strategy.
Hideous machine with front tracks reinstalled.
BTW, rumor has it that The Infamous WBJ1 will be buying a suitable tow vehicle and CHUGSzilla will make it to at least one snowcat event in 2026.
He keeps mentioning a Cybertruck…. Talk about an ugly duo; a Cybertruck pulling a hideous green Tucker. That could only come from the mind of The Infamous WBJ1. And knowing him? He'd have in wrapped in a hideous green wrap.
) at the bottom of the truck list
