tatra 813 new owner

[tatra813]

Duncan.....your trucks looking great! I took mine out this weekend and got in some gnarly mud holes and soft dirt. I just kept on going and going It still surprised me when I push it these trucks drive like they are on tracks!.....seriously I think this unique drivetrain is what really makes the truck and the performance

 

[srodocker]

hey tatra i still have to come down and see your truck...you coming to our rally in july?

 

[duncan]

Well, it was an interesting day, but we failed to get the vehicle imported. The paperwork I got with it is no good This might take a while.

Altogether we did about 250miles today. She runs 55mph nicely, no problems uphill either, kept doing 50/55 (at least not on the speedbumps we call hills in this flat country). Found out she's definately a female truck, and needs tender love and care when driven. The nicer you are, the better she purrs and performs. She's also a huge attention-magnet. Rubberneckers everywhere

Also used to opportunity to scrap some old metal parts that were too big to get on a regular trailer.

 

[saddamsnightmare]

April 28th, 2010.

The yellow TATRA in the videos of pushing sand is quite a piece of machinery, I think even the Texans around here would get out of your way, which they never seem to do for either a deuce or a Unimog.... I love the locking differntials on the S404.114 Swiss that I have, but even a steep enough climb on loose sand or topsoil will foil the system if there's not enough speed on it to start with.... I'm still Drooling over the restoration, though.....

 

[duncan]

Thanks for the compliments. She's a beauty (a stubborn one though) to drive. Maybe some day I'll get a chance to test your theory about driving in Texas, but it's a long way from here. Would love to make a tour of the USA and Canada some day, see some of you in person and maybe join everyone at haspin or something... ah, a man has to dream

 

[duncan]

Well it's been a while, and I'm still chasing the proper paperwork. Meanwhile, since Im not allowed to drive without said papers, its time for some more TLC.

There were a few oil leaks I had to address. Traced one to the gasket between the engine and the compressor. The compressor is belt driven but gets oil from the engine.



While it was off... wait, why not clean it up a little while I'm at it? So, took it completely apart, sandblasted, cleaned and coated everything. Thank god I did, because I found one of the circlips for a piston pin was missing. Just pure luck that the pin had not scratched the barrel yet Also cleaned a lot of gunk out of the labyrinth.



Anyway, new sealing rings, and stick every back together, so now it looks like this. Which, obviously, makes one think "oh no, now the rest of the engine looks bad in comparison".



So for the next "small" project, I removed the top engine air duct, the air intake and all the high pressure fuel lines. That'll take a while to clean up, for sure and I already caught myself thinking about having a go on the front cooling fan too. What would I do with my time without a project like this

 

[cranetruck]

Thanks for the update, Duncan, learning a lot about the Tatra from your posts.
I end up doing a lot of those same kind of projects due to limited funds, Take something apart and end up spending a lot on small parts anyway....no way around it.

 

[tatra813]

Well it's been a while, and I'm still chasing the proper paperwork. Meanwhile, since Im not allowed to drive without said papers, its time for some more TLC.

There were a few oil leaks I had to address. Traced one to the gasket between the engine and the compressor. The compressor is belt driven but gets oil from the engine.

View attachment 182055 View attachment 182056

While it was off... wait, why not clean it up a little while I'm at it? So, took it completely apart, sandblasted, cleaned and coated everything. Thank god I did, because I found one of the circlips for a piston pin was missing. Just pure luck that the pin had not scratched the barrel yet Also cleaned a lot of gunk out of the labyrinth.

View attachment 182057 View attachment 182058

Anyway, new sealing rings, and stick every back together, so now it looks like this. Which, obviously, makes one think "oh no, now the rest of the engine looks bad in comparison".

View attachment 182059 View attachment 182060

So for the next "small" project, I removed the top engine air duct, the air intake and all the high pressure fuel lines. That'll take a while to clean up, for sure and I already caught myself thinking about having a go on the front cooling fan too. What would I do with my time without a project like this

View attachment 182061 View attachment 182062

Looks great!......**** you have some serious time on your hands!!!

 

[tatra813]

hey tatra i still have to come down and see your truck...you coming to our rally in july?

You are welcome to come down.....I would like to come to the ralley ....whats info on it?

Ill be at Mogfest also Illl probably bring my 805 and my lohr

 

[srodocker]

The link is in my sig. you should DEFIANTLY COME! im bringing the deuce down to washougal racetrack this year aswell

 

[duncan]

Well, I went and removed the cooling fan too. Cleaned and sandblasted everything. Spend a bunch of wire brushes on the inside of the engine and had to use an industrial size vacuum cleaner to get all the dirt out from between the cylinders.

Coated all the diesel pressure lines in brown, the air intakes blue, and the engine covers in green. A little brighter green than I expected, but hey, noone will see it with the engine covers on

Next project will be to get the communication equipment set up. I have a full duplex rally intercom with 2 headsets, and it will be connected to the car stereo on one side, and to a 27mc radio transmitter on the other side. This way we can listen to the radio, talk to the co-driver and go 10-4 rubber-duck over the same sytem.

As an extra, Im thinking of linking some outdoor speakers/PA system to the set, and putting them on the roof. Might be handy for talking to people in the troop benches, and definately will be nice to tell some of the other drivers what you think of them in their annoying little cars Ah, a man has to dream

 

[cranetruck]

The nature of the projects take on another color when the basic vehicle is up and running...

 

[duncan]

Finally had a chance to put the truck to good use today. Some no-brainer parked his car right on our driveway, trapping all the other parked cars.

Well, at least I didnt buy a tank recovery vehicle for nothing

Please dont burn me for using a chain to tow, it was the only thing handy that would fit such a small car, and its a hoisting chain rated for 14 metric tonnes

Edit: and if you look closely (thats you, bjorn ) you can see a USMC jeep in the background, belongs to my neighbour.

 

[srodocker]

HAHA so you just pulled the tiny thing out of the way thats classic...saves him a tow truck bill

 

[cranetruck]

Like the wide lane marked for bicycles. Traveled a lot of those back in the early sixties....including Holland.

 

[Radegast]

Tatra

hello guys, I´m new in here, so I´m only watching around, but I wanna let you know that I can send you any needed TATRA parts (I´m in city Ostrava , it is maybe 20 miles from city Koprivnice where TATRA facoty is located and I have manny friends there and I have friends who have TATRA parts from Czech army). let me know what you need and I´ll check for how much money it is aviable here in Czech republic.

 

[duncan]

Well it's taken a while, but I finally got the required stamps and approvements! Truck is now officially titled and registered This means I can finally use it's full potential (use it to buy loads of beer)

Mandatory pics follow:

 

[Maverick1701]

dang those trucks are cool!!!

I am very jealous!!!

congrats on the rig

 

[wgtactical]

dang those trucks are cool!!!

I am very jealous!!!

congrats on the rig

 

[Flat Black]

just spent the last two weeks reading every page of this thread (only when I had some extra free time of course). I cant say anything that has not been said already. Congratulations on a very cool truck that you have put a lot of hard work, love and time into.

Did you see any 815 crew/double cabs at ATH Tatra? Would love to have one of those and put it onto a domestic cabover chassis.