When do you plan on starting this trip and how long do you think it will take? Are you going to be traveling alone or is a group of your friends going with you?
What an adventure.
What an adventure.
Russian military trucks - from Soviet Union
- Thread starter Fastship
- Start date
- Status
To fund the trip I need to sell my house but I had to postpone the trip last year when the market made that impossible - just missed the timing. Hopefully we are half way through the downturn so it's time to start planning again - perhaps this time next year if I'm lucky.
The trip will take about three years but there's no fixed time.
Part of the trip i.e. the Russian Far East will be in company of at least one other truck but mostly I will be traveling alone.
I forgot to add that I'll also be taking my kayak - I couldn't get that on my bike!
The trip will take about three years but there's no fixed time.
Part of the trip i.e. the Russian Far East will be in company of at least one other truck but mostly I will be traveling alone.
I forgot to add that I'll also be taking my kayak - I couldn't get that on my bike!
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Bring your kayak here. We have one of the best whitewater parks in North America and we host several national and world competitions every year.
http://www.wausauwhitewater.org/
http://www.wausauwhitewater.org/
I've never done white water - I'm a sea kayaker but i should learn, it looks fun. I'd like to kayak some of the great rivers like the Lena, the Brahmaputra, the Mekong, the Amazon the Missippi and I'm sure there's mountain rivers I should take the opportunity to white water in.
You can get some idea of the amazing URAL/Zil fording capabilities here and also of some feeling for the route in the second & third clip:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CDswuA9_Nc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrIvsxSeHSo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrCAQv0mvlM&feature=related
When the weight of the paperwork equals the weight of the truck - I'm off!
You can get some idea of the amazing URAL/Zil fording capabilities here and also of some feeling for the route in the second & third clip:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CDswuA9_Nc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrIvsxSeHSo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrCAQv0mvlM&feature=related
When the weight of the paperwork equals the weight of the truck - I'm off!
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Originally Posted By: ac_tc
Swedish army used 0w-20 in everything when i went into service.(1985), the main reason was good cold weather starts. The oil selection wasent based on longlivety at all, remember that "true" service life for this eguipment is maybe a week then its either blown away or the driver is dead!
Definately think any modern HDEO will superseede the recomendations.
Even in long term peacetime service, military engines can receive rebuilds or new powerpacks altogether...
Swedish army used 0w-20 in everything when i went into service.(1985), the main reason was good cold weather starts. The oil selection wasent based on longlivety at all, remember that "true" service life for this eguipment is maybe a week then its either blown away or the driver is dead!
Definately think any modern HDEO will superseede the recomendations.
Even in long term peacetime service, military engines can receive rebuilds or new powerpacks altogether...
As for the thread starter, any multi-weight 10W-30, 10W-40, or 15W-40 would suffice. The Soviets probably didn't have multi-weight oils in the 1960s, but I bet they use something similar now if not a synthetic 5W-40...
I didn't realize this was a spark ignited engine.
wouldn't be my first choice but I have no doubt the Russians made the thing stone simple
wouldn't be my first choice but I have no doubt the Russians made the thing stone simple
Originally Posted By: Fastship
Hmm - heavy duty oil is different to "car" oil? I still can't understand the consequences of using a "40" weight when a "20" weight was specified.
That's a good question about the choice of vehicle and being a bike guy that's what I'd use too. Plenty of people do RTW on all sorts of vehicles from mopeds to Harley's. I'm waiting for the first person to do it on a Segway though...
My journey has a different theme in that I want to do almost the entire journey "off road" visiting as many as the planets sand deserts (my interest) as possible and also touching the extremes i.e. hottest place (Libyan Sand Sea - 66c) the coldest (Chokotka -89c) highest pass (Khardung La, India 5300m). This excludes the use of a bike for some of the sections due to cold, the requirement to carry sufficient water and the restricted range of a bike. I will however, be carrying two bikes with me so large parts (India, Indo China, Australia, South America, the USA) will be done on the bike using the truck as a base.
The Chukotka/Pevek/180 east/Uelen part of the journey is important to me and that requires a particular vehicle but two years later I will be at the opposite end of the world in Ushaia on a bike! I will also be traversing the length of the Himalya which requires deep fording and plenty of winching! Russian trucks have engine driven winches as standard but will also climb 100% gradiants. Also, they have Central Tyre Inflation and engagable six wheel drive.
Russian military trucks are ideal for this as they are cheap ($1500 with 2,500 km!)designed as off road vehicles and extreme climates are virtually indestructable, will run on anything that burns and are easy to repair. I can also live in the back with my bikes and a tonne of water so save on costs.
Tyres are about $300 each but there's 9 of them and they are hard to get outside Russia
These trucks do about 6 mpg so I'm designing a new cam, will fit an eddelbrock carb to improve that and extend the range to 1,600km. Outside of Europe fuel is cheap enough not to be a issue though (9 cents/gal in Libya!).
My route (at the mo) takes me down through Spain into Morocco as far south as Mali then up through Mauritania into Algeria, Libya, Egypt crossing the entire Sahara, Jordan, Syria, Turkey Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan into Russia around Baikal. Follow the Lena to Yakutsk then across the Russian Far East to the Kolyma River then head north to Pevek and the East Siberian Sea. After 180 east and Uelen (100km’s from the USA – I’ll wave!) down via the Chara Sands Baikal and from there to Mongolia and the Gobi, into China and the Taklamakan, Tibet then cross the Himalaya into Nepal. After Bhutan, traverse the Himalaya east to west then into India and the Thar. Have a mooch around India then ship to Singapore from where I can strike north into Thailand, Laos, Cambodia & Vietnam. Malaysia and Indonesia too but after that ship to Australia from East Timor and cross the red heart west to east up to the tip of Cape York then down the east coast.
Ship to Valparaiso then down to Ushuaia up into Argentina back across the Andes and up the spine of Chile into Bolivia and the Atacama then into Peru. From there across the Amazon to Manaus and up to Venezuela and Angel Falls. Head west to Colombia then up through Panama and C/A to Mexico. Drive the Baja route (maybe enter my Zil in the race!) and then into the USA and check out a few deserts there before heading into Canada then back into the USA and Montana then across to the East coast via the TAT and New England then ship to Liverpool. End.
That’s a gross oversimplification but in general it is my route. Any oil company want to sponsor me?
ANYONE else Jealous?????
Would love to see photos when your done or on the way thru it...
Gotta love you Brits, not afraid to go , explore and run amuck thru even the biggest Sh*t hole countries!
Hmm - heavy duty oil is different to "car" oil? I still can't understand the consequences of using a "40" weight when a "20" weight was specified.
That's a good question about the choice of vehicle and being a bike guy that's what I'd use too. Plenty of people do RTW on all sorts of vehicles from mopeds to Harley's. I'm waiting for the first person to do it on a Segway though...
My journey has a different theme in that I want to do almost the entire journey "off road" visiting as many as the planets sand deserts (my interest) as possible and also touching the extremes i.e. hottest place (Libyan Sand Sea - 66c) the coldest (Chokotka -89c) highest pass (Khardung La, India 5300m). This excludes the use of a bike for some of the sections due to cold, the requirement to carry sufficient water and the restricted range of a bike. I will however, be carrying two bikes with me so large parts (India, Indo China, Australia, South America, the USA) will be done on the bike using the truck as a base.
The Chukotka/Pevek/180 east/Uelen part of the journey is important to me and that requires a particular vehicle but two years later I will be at the opposite end of the world in Ushaia on a bike! I will also be traversing the length of the Himalya which requires deep fording and plenty of winching! Russian trucks have engine driven winches as standard but will also climb 100% gradiants. Also, they have Central Tyre Inflation and engagable six wheel drive.
Russian military trucks are ideal for this as they are cheap ($1500 with 2,500 km!)designed as off road vehicles and extreme climates are virtually indestructable, will run on anything that burns and are easy to repair. I can also live in the back with my bikes and a tonne of water so save on costs.
Tyres are about $300 each but there's 9 of them and they are hard to get outside Russia
My route (at the mo) takes me down through Spain into Morocco as far south as Mali then up through Mauritania into Algeria, Libya, Egypt crossing the entire Sahara, Jordan, Syria, Turkey Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan into Russia around Baikal. Follow the Lena to Yakutsk then across the Russian Far East to the Kolyma River then head north to Pevek and the East Siberian Sea. After 180 east and Uelen (100km’s from the USA – I’ll wave!) down via the Chara Sands Baikal and from there to Mongolia and the Gobi, into China and the Taklamakan, Tibet then cross the Himalaya into Nepal. After Bhutan, traverse the Himalaya east to west then into India and the Thar. Have a mooch around India then ship to Singapore from where I can strike north into Thailand, Laos, Cambodia & Vietnam. Malaysia and Indonesia too but after that ship to Australia from East Timor and cross the red heart west to east up to the tip of Cape York then down the east coast.
Ship to Valparaiso then down to Ushuaia up into Argentina back across the Andes and up the spine of Chile into Bolivia and the Atacama then into Peru. From there across the Amazon to Manaus and up to Venezuela and Angel Falls. Head west to Colombia then up through Panama and C/A to Mexico. Drive the Baja route (maybe enter my Zil in the race!) and then into the USA and check out a few deserts there before heading into Canada then back into the USA and Montana then across to the East coast via the TAT and New England then ship to Liverpool. End.
That’s a gross oversimplification but in general it is my route. Any oil company want to sponsor me?
ANYONE else Jealous?????
Would love to see photos when your done or on the way thru it...
Gotta love you Brits, not afraid to go , explore and run amuck thru even the biggest Sh*t hole countries!
This is my truck - Zil 131 in the woods 
http://www.russiantruck.co.uk/images/films/zil-denver-01.wmv
I might post a blog but I don't think many people would be interested. Although, I plan to do the Ho Chi Min trail on my bike, I can see why Americans might like to see that the way it is now so I might post a few pics of that.
Actually, the hardest country for me to get into might be America. The conditions of entry at the moment almost prohibit anyone from the UK entering in any way other than scheduled airline and even then you have to register not more than a few months in advance in your own country which would be impossible for me. Then you need to account for your places to stay in advance and loads of other [censored] besides
http://www.russiantruck.co.uk/images/films/zil-denver-01.wmv
I might post a blog but I don't think many people would be interested. Although, I plan to do the Ho Chi Min trail on my bike, I can see why Americans might like to see that the way it is now so I might post a few pics of that.
Actually, the hardest country for me to get into might be America. The conditions of entry at the moment almost prohibit anyone from the UK entering in any way other than scheduled airline and even then you have to register not more than a few months in advance in your own country which would be impossible for me. Then you need to account for your places to stay in advance and loads of other [censored] besides
Now that's pretty neat. One thing for sure, you won't sneak up on anyone with that truck.
Do you have a wash rack to clean that thing after getting it dirty?
I didn't envy my soldiers when they had to clean up all the gear we got when we took out our equipment to play in the woods, especially in the fall/winter.
I didn't envy my soldiers when they had to clean up all the gear we got when we took out our equipment to play in the woods, especially in the fall/winter.
Sweet looking rig.
If it was mine i would definately look into MUCH bigger fuel tanks. dosent look like it holds much in those saddle tanks
If it was mine i would definately look into MUCH bigger fuel tanks. dosent look like it holds much in those saddle tanks
It has two 130 litre tanks but I want to add more capacity to give me a 1,000 mile/1,600km range. It has mounting points to take ten gerry cans but that's not ideal.
The engine is said to be a copy of an old Ford Y block 292 312 T-bird type but it has ultra low compression ratio so it can run on any available fuel - diesel/petrol mix is popular but it will run on kerosene and I've heard brake fluid even but the result is high fuel consumption and as no parts have been found to fit from any other engine to improve the fuel consumption I'd need to redesign the cam and fit a modern carb. The engine has a pneumatic governer to stop Ivan revving the engine to oblivion! It is quite advanced in other ways i.e. it had CDI ignition in the early '70's, the aluminium in the heads is very high quality as is the special steel used to make the chassis rails (so it won't crack when it twists in the extreme cold in Siberia)but the rubber is real rubber so ages quickly.
You can engage the front axle with a pneumatic switch (even the wipers run off pneumatics)but it has no locking diffs like other Russian trucks do. It has ten forward speeds but I want to have a higher ratio top gear made - again to help with fuel consumption too.
The apparatus on the top front of the box is a heater for the box with it's own fuel supply and a huge NBC filter. The entire box is a faraday cage to protect the delicate electronics that were in the back from nuclear flash - your cell 'phone loses the signal as soon as you go inside!
Some guys have decontamination trucks which were used to wash down the tanks and armour but the local filling stations' jet wash is easier
The engine is said to be a copy of an old Ford Y block 292 312 T-bird type but it has ultra low compression ratio so it can run on any available fuel - diesel/petrol mix is popular but it will run on kerosene and I've heard brake fluid even but the result is high fuel consumption and as no parts have been found to fit from any other engine to improve the fuel consumption I'd need to redesign the cam and fit a modern carb. The engine has a pneumatic governer to stop Ivan revving the engine to oblivion! It is quite advanced in other ways i.e. it had CDI ignition in the early '70's, the aluminium in the heads is very high quality as is the special steel used to make the chassis rails (so it won't crack when it twists in the extreme cold in Siberia)but the rubber is real rubber so ages quickly.
You can engage the front axle with a pneumatic switch (even the wipers run off pneumatics)but it has no locking diffs like other Russian trucks do. It has ten forward speeds but I want to have a higher ratio top gear made - again to help with fuel consumption too.
The apparatus on the top front of the box is a heater for the box with it's own fuel supply and a huge NBC filter. The entire box is a faraday cage to protect the delicate electronics that were in the back from nuclear flash - your cell 'phone loses the signal as soon as you go inside!
Some guys have decontamination trucks which were used to wash down the tanks and armour but the local filling stations' jet wash is easier
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Nice shooting... documentary quality. What are those radial protrusions on the wheels?
Originally Posted By: Fastship
It has two 130 litre tanks but I want to add more capacity to give me a 1,000 mile/1,600km range. It has mounting points to take ten gerry cans but that's not ideal.
The engine is said to be a copy of an old Ford Y block 292 312 T-bird type but it has ultra low compression ratio so it can run on any available fuel -
Does it have a Weber downdraft carb?
I got to spend several hours in the late 1980s checking out a East European BTR-60. The engine looked like the engine in the 1957 Ford I used to have except it had a Weber carb on it.
Was the one in the video missing a bit on one cylinder?
It has two 130 litre tanks but I want to add more capacity to give me a 1,000 mile/1,600km range. It has mounting points to take ten gerry cans but that's not ideal.
The engine is said to be a copy of an old Ford Y block 292 312 T-bird type but it has ultra low compression ratio so it can run on any available fuel -
Does it have a Weber downdraft carb?
I got to spend several hours in the late 1980s checking out a East European BTR-60. The engine looked like the engine in the 1957 Ford I used to have except it had a Weber carb on it.
Was the one in the video missing a bit on one cylinder?
They are the air lines for the CTIS (central tyre inflation system) which take a feed from the hollow stub axles and the rest of the air system to the tyre valves. It allows you to deflate all the tyres from the cab to give you more traction on a soft surface. When you are free (hopefully!) you push the lever to re-inflate them again.
The Russian BTR has two (that's TWO!)6 cylinder engines - one to push one to pull I think which may account for the unusual sound but the Czechs and Polish armies made a simplified type called OT-64 which had a Tatra T-928-14 diesel V8.
That truck is bog standard and they all sound like that! It's a very crude vehicle. I hope to use an Eddelbroke off road carb to improve fuel economy. No one knows for sure the provenance of the engine but it's origins are in the late '50's and people familiar with American engines say it's a copy of a Ford of that time but no parts fit.
The KGB fitted them to their VOLGA's which were the fastest cars in the Soviet Union at the time - no one could out run them!
There's plenty of BTR's and every other piece of kit most of it little used i.e. T55 tanks, 0 hours go for about $15,000, BTR/OT64 about $8,000, BMP's and SA-6 go for similar money.
The Russian BTR has two (that's TWO!)6 cylinder engines - one to push one to pull I think which may account for the unusual sound but the Czechs and Polish armies made a simplified type called OT-64 which had a Tatra T-928-14 diesel V8.
That truck is bog standard and they all sound like that! It's a very crude vehicle. I hope to use an Eddelbroke off road carb to improve fuel economy. No one knows for sure the provenance of the engine but it's origins are in the late '50's and people familiar with American engines say it's a copy of a Ford of that time but no parts fit.
The KGB fitted them to their VOLGA's which were the fastest cars in the Soviet Union at the time - no one could out run them!
There's plenty of BTR's and every other piece of kit most of it little used i.e. T55 tanks, 0 hours go for about $15,000, BTR/OT64 about $8,000, BMP's and SA-6 go for similar money.
How much does a truck like yours, in the shape your is in sell for over there?
Originally Posted By: Johnny
How much does a truck like yours, in the shape your is in sell for over there?
Fully sorted & all found between £2,500 &4,500 on the road depending on how desperate the seller is! Currency rates have caused higher prices in the last year or two.
Direct from the military broker/dealers in Czech Republic or Poland from about $1,100. In the UK we have to pay 19% VAT then shipping costs then a set of tyres is recommended then you sort out all the niggles a un-used but 30 year old vehicle standing in a communist military warehouse waiting for world war 3 is likely to have - but that's part of the fun
This decontamination Zil sold here on ebay last week for £2300
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?V..._fvi%3D1&_rdc=1
GAZ66 has the same engine as the Zil and is a good truck for the same money.
video:
http://www.russiantruck.co.uk/images/films/Gaz66-denver.wmv
People outside the EU pay no VAT and shipping rates are as low as they have ever been - not sure if you could use these legally on US roads or how you'd find out.
URAL 375D is similar to the Zil with the same engine but more modern. It also comes in a more powerful diesel version called the 4320. Prices are the same for the petrol V8 and about double for the diesel.
This Zil 157 would be my truck of choice - at ~$3,500 for an pretty much new, unused Studebaker copy it's a bargain.
http://www.mortarinvestments.eu/vehicle.php?id=186
KrAZ 255B is the monster truck and then you are on to twin engined Zil 135's or BAZ/MAZ tank & ICBM tractor units.
If you like cute and unusual trucks check out the Praga V3S from the Czech Republic - available new old stock, unsied from about $1,000.
UK
http://www.tanksforsale.co.uk/Gaz66_truck_for_sale.htm
Czech Republic
http://www.mortarinvestments.eu/
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl...l%3Den%26sa%3DG
http://www.vojenskatechnika-plzen.cz/automobilova-technika/?from=18
Poland
http://www.motodemont.com.pl/index.php?id=oferta:pojazdy_militarne
click the OFFERTA AKTUALNA tab
http://www.pa-ko.com.pl/index1.php
Zil 131: http://www.pa-ko.com.pl/index1.php?id=oferty&grupa_id=4
URAL 375D: http://www.pa-ko.com.pl/index1.php?id=oferty&grupa_id=4
PRAGA V3S: http://www.pa-ko.com.pl/index1.php?id=oferta_s&oferta_id=15&grupa_id=4
How much does a truck like yours, in the shape your is in sell for over there?
Fully sorted & all found between £2,500 &4,500 on the road depending on how desperate the seller is! Currency rates have caused higher prices in the last year or two.
Direct from the military broker/dealers in Czech Republic or Poland from about $1,100. In the UK we have to pay 19% VAT then shipping costs then a set of tyres is recommended then you sort out all the niggles a un-used but 30 year old vehicle standing in a communist military warehouse waiting for world war 3 is likely to have - but that's part of the fun
This decontamination Zil sold here on ebay last week for £2300
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?V..._fvi%3D1&_rdc=1
GAZ66 has the same engine as the Zil and is a good truck for the same money.
video:
http://www.russiantruck.co.uk/images/films/Gaz66-denver.wmv
People outside the EU pay no VAT and shipping rates are as low as they have ever been - not sure if you could use these legally on US roads or how you'd find out.
URAL 375D is similar to the Zil with the same engine but more modern. It also comes in a more powerful diesel version called the 4320. Prices are the same for the petrol V8 and about double for the diesel.
This Zil 157 would be my truck of choice - at ~$3,500 for an pretty much new, unused Studebaker copy it's a bargain.
http://www.mortarinvestments.eu/vehicle.php?id=186
KrAZ 255B is the monster truck and then you are on to twin engined Zil 135's or BAZ/MAZ tank & ICBM tractor units.
If you like cute and unusual trucks check out the Praga V3S from the Czech Republic - available new old stock, unsied from about $1,000.
UK
http://www.tanksforsale.co.uk/Gaz66_truck_for_sale.htm
Czech Republic
http://www.mortarinvestments.eu/
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl...l%3Den%26sa%3DG
http://www.vojenskatechnika-plzen.cz/automobilova-technika/?from=18
Poland
http://www.motodemont.com.pl/index.php?id=oferta:pojazdy_militarne
click the OFFERTA AKTUALNA tab
http://www.pa-ko.com.pl/index1.php
Zil 131: http://www.pa-ko.com.pl/index1.php?id=oferty&grupa_id=4
URAL 375D: http://www.pa-ko.com.pl/index1.php?id=oferty&grupa_id=4
PRAGA V3S: http://www.pa-ko.com.pl/index1.php?id=oferta_s&oferta_id=15&grupa_id=4
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