The Madigan that wasn't - THANK YOU Brunswick Diesels
Well, the first 3 days getting from Melb into the centre were clipped with normal beestings like loose exhaust system, clips vibrating off, all related to the never end9ing corrugations. A mis navigation by the trip lead had us driving 600klm past the turn off to Mt dare Station - no i was brain dead and a passenger in effect at this point, so just blindly following. Anyway by the time the error was admitted we were too far past the point of turning, so ended up heading to Mt dare via Kulgera inside the NT. Car was running fine, apart from the mentioned stuff, then as we truned into the access track to the Clavert Centre - geographical Centre of the country, things went tits up.
I pushed on down the 12klm track, pulling up at the flagpole to find my engine had converted itself into a concrete mixer.
I assumed it was the loose exhaust, and sure enough, another hour under the car and everything tight again.
Next morning, fired up and started back to the main road to head to Mt Dare then onto the Madigan, and the growling was back with a vengenace, popped the bonnet and noise from rear bearimng area of s/c. Limped into Mt Dare - 200klm away then my trip ended. My travelling companions were bid farewell and i waited for the flatbed from Kulgera to come and get me. Inspection of the s/c next day found collapsed rear needle brgs, no lubication grease evident and the rotor shafts blue in colour. Housing scoured beyond repir and the rotors rooted. This was Sunday morning. Monday I rang Bullet Supercharging and bought a new complete unit and had it express delivered to Kulgera Roadhouse on the following friday. It was a shitful experience I can assure you.
S/C arrived at 2pm, had it fitted by 4pm, car running, had a squeal that turned out being low powersteering fluid level, easily fixed with more fluid, which was the only stuff not avail to buy in the roadhouse. Back to the recovery business, got 300ml of the gold juice and was back on the road by 10am next day.
Car runs like a dream, does not get hot, responsive and I would say was the complete package until the s/c debacle. Examination and discussion with Bullet revealed the unit was a composition of different model components and cobbled together by Brunswick Diesels and sold to me as a new kit unit - these guys really did another number on me, glad they are now done and dusted. Anway, met up with my fellow travellers in Broken Hill, heading down to a brilliant campsite we found on the Murray about 100k from Mildura, settled onto the 300m sandy beach ready for a 4 day kill carp and cans activity, then my nephew contacted their father to say the family dog was gravely ill and he must come home. Anyway we all departed the site reluctantly, and the dog simply has developed diabetes, wasnt terminal, over reaction but it is what it is.
Back to the crossing by the other guys, horrendous, 45 degC plus, hot powdery sand, billions of flies, no other people on the track at all from Mt Date to Birdsville, via the Madigan to Camp 16, then down Hay River track, over Big Red and into Birdsvilee, then onto Innaminka as a thunderstorm system shut all the roads except Cordillo Down access rod, then onto Broken Hill.
Lastly I took out the Birdsville recovery insurance and had RACV Total Care cover. The Birdsville guys were contacted as soon as it was apparent I was not doing the crossing. Tehy have been great - no refund but a credit for 2 yrs instead - who knows I might get back there, but better than nothing. RACV were spectacular also, you should not travel without the Total Care Package, its the ultimate back to civilisation cover in my view.
So from a touring perspective, Oct is far too late in the season for this area of travel, I wasnt initially concerned as we dont get the hot weather at the mine until Dec - March, but central area is savage. My brother has an FJ Cruiser and it used 140l for the crossing - petrol, the other guy has an old turbo diesel pathfinder and he used 100L.
