Mahindra MM550 XD

2010-10-12T10:49:00.002+05:30

Hey Guys
From now on, I will be updating all the posts on my new blog.
For everybody's convenience I have added all the old entries of this blog to the newer one.
Here is the LINK

http://harjeevchadha.wordpress.com/

Thanks and Regards
Harjeev

Went to recce to a new track

2010-07-20T18:40:00.000+05:30

Some Videos of us guys at a recent reccee for a new track on July 17, 2010

Ashish Bhatia's Bushranger!!
a really capable machine

The following videos are of Amit Bhatias MIG
Actually earlier this vehicle was blue on color and was referred to as the MIG!!! Now I am not sure what its called!!!

Coming up an incline.
This climb looked quite difficult to look at at first but after doing it dint feel so bad, after all!!!

The JCB have dug up the kuccha paths around the Aaravali range. We guys say the more the obstacles the better its for us!!!

The following video is the same that the Gypsy King is doing

Finally I'll Leave you with some pics of the reccee!!!

Status update on the MM550 (RANGER)

2009-09-13T17:44:00.003+05:30

Status update on the MM550 (RANGER) Update as on 5th September 2009

Work on the vehicle is progressing at a slow pace. Basically the only work on the vehicle done up till now is that we have received the alternator back from the service centre after being serviced and it will be installed in a couple of days!!!
The self-starter motor was not serviced as that was local/ fake one and I decided to buy a new one instead of wasting money on the fake one.

Picture of the engine bay showing the change in direction of the air intake pipe

Starter as received from the service company

Status update on the MM550 after my visit to the workshop

2009-08-30T07:23:00.005+05:30

Some pictures of the work in progress at the wokshop

The radiator after cleaning/ flushing!!!

Report on the Ranger (MM550) after getting it back from the orkshop/ OTR

Received the RANGER in the evening on Friday (14th August) from the workshop.

Work done at the workshop

Complete Clutch system including bearings changed/ overhauled
Both brake cylinders changed
Engine and gearbox mounts changed (I always used to say that my vehicle starts and shuts off with a big jerk or jhatka!!! I guess this was the reason.
The rear left brake was leaking. Fixed. Whether this was leaking due to the brake cylinder or something else I wouldn't know
Power steering joints on the main rod/ shaft changed
Oil change/ oil filter, diesel filter, air filter changed
Suspension set (was drooping towards the LHS by 1-1.5")
Radiator was dirty, so it was flushed completely (the pictures I uploaded earlier was after the radiator was flushed)
Direction of the air intake pipe was changed (SK said that this way water wouldn't go inside the engine in case of water crossing)
Earlier the brakes needed to be pumped twice for effective braking. Now they are as the should be

Driving impression

The engine sound changed completely for the better. The engine now feels and sounds more free, earlier it used to sound and fell the the engine was working under pressure or as they say "dab ke chal raha tha"
Brakes are now perfect.
The vehicle did stall a couple of times, but after I got the hang of the new clutch release it worked flawlessly. Maybe I needed some time to get used to the new release mechanism.
The clutch now was as good as it can be. No effort required whatsoever and I wouldn't be wrong in saying that as good as my safari or Optra's
The power steering was also working great
Earlier on pushing the vehicle hard i.e. 'pedal to the metal' the Ranger used to achieve a max speed of 80 km/hr and barely used to touch 85 km/hr now when I was driving in the morning to the OTR venue I managed to touched 90-95 km/hr. I know that this can't be the correct reading and there has to be a speedometer error and also in OTR vehicles high speed is not the main concern. But I am trying to emphasise the fact that there is still an 11% improvement in the preformance of the engine.

During and after OTR impression/ observation/ Pending work

Fuel injectors need to be changed
Heater plugs weak. Need to be changed
The starter motor is giving issue and refuses to crank sometimes. Also I think that the alternator is not in the perfect of condition. the Amp meter shows that its charging all the time. And on my way back from Manesar post OTR the vehicle stalled at the toll gate and the starter got jammed, din't crank just a loud 'click' and nothing. I had to push start it Thinking of getting it serviced from LUCAS!!! Will talk SK, if M&M's markup is high then I will send it to LUCAS directly but if the charges are not much extra I will prefer to leave the vehicle at the workshop and M&M can take care of dismantling the starter and send it to LUCAS on their own. Saves me a lot of headache and running around. (the current status is the vehicle is with SK and he has sent both the starter and alternator to LUCAS)
Power steering still not perfect when turning. Again the fluid was leaking from the pump.
Lhs door rattle
Tyres hitting the body while articulation
Oil leaking from the trf case/ Gearbox
Oil pressure light on
Handbrake lever
Windshieldrubber lining

Current status
I sent the vehicle to Sudhir Kashyap(SK) on Tuesday the 18th August. I have taken the decision of getting the alternator and the starter motor serviced from LUCAS and SK with take care of it
We have decided to replace the power steering with a the new steering box from RANE. This I think should solve the issue of the frequent leakage from the pump!!! The p/s is not faulty as the oil only leaks at OTR's otherwise it works perfectly. So its up for grabs!!!

I haven't visited the workshop in two weeks and will go there maybe today evening or tomorrow and update the status.

Thanks

Finally some sense prevails and I take the RANGER (MM550) to the right place!!!

2009-08-30T07:03:00.004+05:30

Finally some sense prevails and I take the RANGER (MM550) to the right place!!!

Hey guys
This is going to be a long post so please bear with me!!!

The vehicle along with the driver was sent to mayapuri with specific instructions of Do not let the mechanic touch the vehicle. I had decided not to show it to Mayapuri even if that meant I do not get to drive the vehicle anymore.
I was actually fedup of being tossed around

All the mountings were changed, nuts bolts, seats etc etc were tightened. The vehicle was parked there the entire day and when they tried to start the vehicle afterwards and it didn't crank. They push started it and the driver brought it home and parked it. I was out of station and came to know of the battery drain only on my return back to Delhi. Anyways the vehicle was quite smooth to drive and the music aka sounds from all nooks and corners disappeared.
Anyways I charged the battery at my office and with the help of Mandeep took the vehicle to an electrician near Dhaula Kuan. The electrician checked up the vehicle completely. He concluded that the alternator was working fine and was charging the battery, the battery was also ok as it was just 3 months old and that couldn't be the issue. So he came to the conclusion that the battery might have leaked as in mayapuri they might have left some headlight on or something else we can never be sure.

I got the starter serviced from that guy and paid 1100 bucks (including parts (bush and couple of other parts 700) and 400 labor)

So the hunt was on for a good workshop and whomsoever I asked had many suggestions but I really din't know where to turn to.

Quote from my previous post 2nd August 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by harjeev

I again dont want to spend the money and still not find a permanent solution to this problem!!! What I've learnt is that these (mayapuri mechanic) are good for small small issues but now I would like to go to a decent guy who even if he charges me a little more money, but not take me for a ride.
I actually don't mind going to an authorised service station provided the guys doing the work there understand jeeps.

While I was with Mandeep at the electrician's shop (I think it was on Tuesday the 4th of August) naturally I asked him to what to do and he advised me to go to Mahindra First Choice's outlet in North Delhi. Its owned by as the name says its all by M&M and comes under Mr. Sudhir Kashyap who is the Dy GM- North. I had met Mr.Sudhir Kashyap (SK) at an OTR once in the past & I called them the very next day had an appointment fixed for Sunday.

Observations @ M&M's Automart

Jobs for which i went to the workshop

Oil/ oil filter, air filter change,
Clutch hard excessively and a weird noise when in momentum the clutch is pressed.
Power steering too hard

Issues observed by the workshop

Engine mounting driver's side broken in two :-(
Excessive play in the rod that connects the steering rod to the power steering pump. The mechanic was able to pull up the steering almost 1.5-2 inches :-(
Clutch bearing issues (thats the reason for the clutch so hard)
The 2 rear reflectors missing
The fuel pump is leaking diesel and this was supposed to have been overhauled at Lucas by the workshop in Greater Noida where I got the work done earlier or pardon me for saying S%$#%ED. Now I will come to know whether it was actually done at Lucas or I was again duped. He SK told me that he would run the serial number in the system and check. If it was done @ lucas it would be free otherwise I will have to redo it again.
They will add a lamp in the engine bay
The steering has so much play and SK told me that the joint/ cross holding them together are almost worn out and as per them could have anytime given way.
The suspension rod or the jumping rod is missing. I do not know whether this favor to me was done by the mayapuri guys or by the GNoida workshop.

Work to be done and cost estimate explained to me

8k approx parts and 3k labor
Clutch overhaul & Engine & gearbox mountings change
Full Service
Power steering overhaul
Brakes check
Change the side view mirrors to original

Estimate cost for the parts

3800 for the clutch setup & Clutch cable, bearings etc
2100 (700 each for engine(2) gearbox(1) mountings)
1500 engine oil, oil filter, diesel filter etc
Rest misc

I have decided to leave the vehicle in the workshop for the work to be done and they estimate that it would take about 3 day tops 4 days for the job to be completed.

Some general observations when I was at the workshop

I really liked the attitude of the staff and and that of Mr.SK. He SK was very warm and courteous and showed me around the complete workshop
Took the estimate of the complete repainting of a vehicle(Jeep) with 2k paint and complete under body antirust, clear coat with denting, painting, metal patchwork, etc etc 28-30k. Quite acceptable and affordable too. Plus the paint done in a paint booth is always much better and long lasting than the one done in the open. They also use only genuine stuff from Asian Paints and this paint I believe is about 1800 bucks a liter and amongst the best.
Liked what SK told me that "M&M fixes the labor rates and the cost of the parts are also fixed in the system, so even if some employee wants to charge extra he cant do it, as everything is governed by the system and ultimately they have to work in competition with other multi-brand workshops". Now this is how things should work and I have always like people who are straight forward and truthful rather than beat around the bush.
At the workshop they were using something for denting maybe spot welding or tick welding I am not sure what its called, but they were not using the traditional first heat with a blow torch and then hammer approach.
Parts or things are constantly getting worn out and need replacement like the body mountings, steering play, etc etc. This is especially true for our OTR vehicles and it is not possible to discover what needs to be done by someone like me who is not really of a technical bent of mind. People like me need good workshops rather than to go to unauthorised people or places like Mayapuri or Greater Noida and get robbed and fleeced to the last penny we have in our pockets and still not get the work done.
Infact last week when i had the body mounts changed from Mayapuri the vehicle was there the entire day and just look at the expertise and attitude of the guys they were changing the mounts. They din't even bother to check whether the engine mounts are ok. Are they really that dumb Or maybe on the contrary they are so smart that they must have noticed and not do anything about it so that the vehicle comes to them again in future and they charge the labor charges all over again.
I am not saying that the workshop guys will discover everything in the 1st instant and nothing will escape their eyes. But I am just impressed with this fact that they atleast were specifically looking at places to see whatever's not right with the vehicle and do what needs to be done.
I had also told them to remove the power steering and put in a new sterring box but SK advised me to leave the power steering as it is and assured me that they will make sure that the power steering works like feather touch.

Now compare the 3k labor of the workshop with the 4k estimate the mayapuri guy gave me for just the clutch work. I have now started believing that they(mayapuri guys) have different charges for guys like us (Tbhp & NIOC guy) than what they normally charge. They have started to simply rip us off. Quality of work is pathetic, and genuineness of the parts used is best if left to anyone's guess.

Also learnt something amazing while I was chatting with guys as the workshop. A I asked them what would be the approx cost of a complete mechanical overhaul (parts and labor included) of a MM550 pickup up from the junk market. I learn that it should cost somewhere around 1.50Lacs just excluding the seats, hood & tyres which I think is not bad at all. even if the cost accelerates by 10-15% still I think that its a very good option. Atleast the work will be done under the supervision of competent people, proper tools will be used and if I would have got it done this way I would have had the mental satisfaction that genuine parts have been used. If I knew this initially i would opted for something like this any day rather than to go to unauthorised workshops and uncompetent people and waste 5 month of my life. Plus they(automart) give a 6 month warranty on the job done.

Now I understand what Darbar Bheram & GTO means when they say that there's only one way and this is the only right way.

When I had the clutch issue in corbett I was weary of again have to go to Mayapuri and show it to them as I had the feeling in my mind that whatever I spend there will be a big waste.

I am very happy that I finally stepped out of Mayapuri and took the right step as I had always believed that quality always has a price and though Mayapuri sounds cheap its actually the people there who are cheap.

And with regards to the cost part it looks cheap as money is given in small installments but towards the end we end up spending much more in cost and time and still don't get the satisfaction.

Here at the authorised workshop atleast I am getting a bill for all the stuff gone into my vehicle and have told them to do whatever they need to do and I am not showing the vehicle again to Mayapuri, atleast for mechanical.

I am glad I came to the correct workshop at last. "better late then never"

Jeepers trip to Corbett, Ramnagar

2009-08-16T16:45:00.016+05:30

The Rangers's 1st outstation excursion

Hey guys
I have actually decided to name the MM550 as "The Ranger". I always wanted to name the vehicle but couldn't decide an appropriate name. Now I am thinking a good name for my CJ3B

So when I updated this thread last I had done some updated on the Ranger and had given notes as watermarks in the photographs!!! What I couldn't write is that I also changed the Clutch Wire and bought a set of Radiator hoses, fanbelts, tubes etc as preparations for the corbett trip. Also I put a new cap on the radiator which I dint do earlier as I was told that this should be left open untill I run the vehicle for for 1k kms!!! (maybe as it was a newly built engine)
So these were the normal updates!!!

Corbett Trip
I took the Ranger for the Corbett trip and it preformed remarkably well!!! During the entire trip the vehicle din't overheat, no major issues, and everything was perfect!!!

My conclusions after the trip were

The clucth again became very hard
The vehicle was squeking from all nooks, corners, joints imaginable.
After I came back I had to get the body bush changed as when I went to Mayapuri before my trip the denter who was tightening the seats, doors etc told my driver that they were wornout and needed to be changed. I apparently got them changed at the 1st workshop (read greater Greater Nodia), but maybe it couldn't be done on time or whatever!!!
The power steering fluid leaked on the way back and fluid container was completely empty!!! Strangely I din't feel the steering becoming heavy at all but we stopped at Kashipur and bought 1/2 a liter of fluid (90 bucks) and filled it up. The culprit was loose bolts. I think that must have loosened by the contant usage at OTR's!!!

Apart for this there were no issues whatsoever. i did alot of river crossings, boulders, etc and was pretty satisfied with the vehicle!!!

On the return trip we were travelling alongwith Shashanks vehicle occupied by Shashank himself, Randeep and Sudhir (Randeep's friend) started at 11AM from the resort and left Ramnagar at 12 after buying souviniers, Diesel etc etc were at Delhi at 8PM.
Now this looks like a long time but took 4 breaks of approx 15-20 minutes and stopped for lunch for about a hour and 15 minutes!!!

Pictures of the Corbett Trip

Going for a Recce at 5 in the morning

Me and my Brother

The Ranger

Randeep, Myself & Shashank

Couple of pictures of the river crossing

A Video of the river crossing

All the pictures of the Corbett Trip are as follows

Album I Album II

Current Issues

Firstly the battery has completely drained out!!! I mean completely drained out!!! I cant find a reason!!!
The clutch is very hard and I showed it to a mechanic in Ramnagar as he said that the issue is not with the clutch wire but something else!!! I am not able to understand this too.

So now I want a find out a good mechanic as my driver went to Mayapuri and the guy there says that "this is how jeeps clutch's are, change the cable again!!!!"

Now I think that I again don't want to spend the money and still not find a permanent solution to this problem!!! What I've learnt is that these (Mayapuri mechanic) are good for small small issues but now I would like to go to a decent guy who even if he charges me a little more money, but not take me for a ride.
i actually don't mind going to an authorised service station provided the guys doing the work there understand jeeps.

HELP NEEDED GUYS

A small writeup on jeeps produced around the world with a summary on engine specification, gearbox and transfer case!!!

2009-08-15T21:18:00.008+05:30

The following information was upload by a friend of mine on this thread

It is a small writeup on jeeps produced around the world with a summary on he type of engine, gearbox & transfercase

Quote"Ok here is my answer to your query. Some of the data may wrong as I consolidated from the internet after a long crawl.

The following models from Willys, Ford and Mahindra are called SWB (Short Wheel base i.e. 81inches wheel base)

1. Willys MA (Godevil L-Head 134 4 Cylinder 60bhp / 3spd T90 gearbox with T18 2 lever transfer case)

2. Willys MB (Godevil L-Head 134 4 Cylinder 60bhp / 3spd T90 gearbox with T18 2 lever transfer case)

3. Ford GPW (Godevil L-Head 134 4 Cylinder 60bhp / 3spd T90 gearbox with T18 2 lever transfer case)

4. Willy CJ2A (Godevil L-Head 134 4 Cylinder 60bhp / 3spd T90 gearbox with T18 2 lever transfer case)

5. Willys CJ3A (Godevil L-Head 134 4 Cylinder 60bhp / 3spd T90 gearbox with T18 2 2 lever lever transfer case)

6. Willys M38 (Godevil L-Head 134 4 Cylinder 60bhp / 3spd T90 gearbox with T18 2 lever transfer case)

7. Willys CJ3B (Hurricane F-Head 134 4 Cylinder 72bhp / 3spd T90 gearbox with T18 2 lever transfer case)

8. Willys CJ4 (Hurricane F-Head 134 4 Cylinder 72bhp / 3spd T90 gearbox with T18 2 lever transfer case) - o nly one jeep was made under this name and sold to factory employee, so don't search for this model

7. Mahindra CJ3B (Hurricane F-Head 134 4 Cylinder 72bhp / 3spd T90 gearbox with T18 2 lever transfer case)

8. Kaiser CJ5 (Hurricane F-Head 134 4 Cylinder 72bhp / 3spd T90 gearbox with T18 2 lever transfer case)

9. Mahindra CJ340 (Peugeot XDP 4.90 2112cc 4 Cylinder 62bhp / 4spd KMT90 gearbox with T18 2 lever transfer case)

10. Mahindra CL340 DP (Peugeot XDP 4.90 2112cc 4 Cylinder 62bhp / 4spd KMT90 gearbox with T18 2 lever transfer case)

11. Mahindra CL340 DP -Classic (Peugeot XDP 4.90 2112cc 4 Cylinder 62bhp / 4spd KMT90 gearbox with T18 single lever transfer case)

The following models Mahindra are called MWB (Medium Wheel base i.e.91inches wheel base)

1. CJ4A (Hurricane F-Head 134 4 Cylinder 72bhp / 3spd T90 gearbox with T18 2 lever transfer case)

2. CJ500D (International Harvester B275 2350CC 38BHP / 3spd T90 gearbox with T18 2 lever transfer case)

3. MM440 (Hurricane F-Head 134 4 Cylinder 72bhp / 3spd T90 gearbox with T18 2 lever transfer case)

4. MM540 DP (Peugeot XDP 4.90 2112cc 4 Cylinder 62bhp / 4spd KMT90 gearbox with T18 2 lever transfer case)

5. MM540 XD (Peugeot XD3P 4 Cylinder 2456CC 72BHP/ 4spd KMT90 gearbox with T18 single lever transfer case)

6. MM550 ISZ - ([COLOR=black]1.8L Isuzu PETROL ENGINE / [/COLOR]5 spd BA10 with borgwarner single lever transfer case))

7. MM550 XDB (Peugeot XD3P 4 Cylinder 2456CC 72 / 5 spd BA10 with borgwarner single lever transfer case)

8. MM550 XD (Peugeot XD3P 4 Cylinder 2456CC 72-76BHP / 4spd KMT90 gearbox with T18 single lever transfer case)

9. CJ500DI - (International Engine aka. MDI3000 ????? )

10. CL500 MDI /CL550 MDI - (International Harvester B575 2650cc 59BHP / 5spd BA10 gearbox with borgwarner single lever or Electric transfer case)

11. CL550DI TC - (MDI 3200TC 2650cc 68BHP / 5spd BA10 / NGT520 gearbox with borgwarner single lever or Electric transfer case)"Unquote

types of jeep jeeps 4x4 willys cj3b MA WILLYS MB GPW CJ2A CJ3A WILLYS CJ3B CJ4 CJ5 KAISER CJ340 MAHINDRA CL340 CL340DP CJ340 MAHINDRA CLASSIC SWB CJ4A CJ500 MM550 MM540 MM550 XDP XD3P CJ500DI CL550DI CL500MDI CL550MDI T18 T90 KMT90 B575

types of jeep willys MB GPW CJ2A CJ3A CJ3B CJ4 CJ5 KAISER CJ340 CL340 CJ340 CLASSIC SWB CJ4A CJ500 MM550 MM540 XDP XD3P CJ500DI CL550DI CL500MDI CL550MDI T18 T90 KMT90 B575

Ownership of the MM550 XD

2009-08-03T11:03:00.003+05:30

Sent my driver yesterday(July 18th, 2009) to Mayapuri to resolve small small issues.

I have to rush now will do a writeup later

Added the D-Hooks in the front

Small Red Covers (topis in mayapuri language) affixed on the rear wheels

Another view

I had to change the air filter intake pipe as the earlier one was not right and its direction was downwards. So during the moonsoon OTR's it might have caused a problem had it taken in water

I changed both the fan belts. One of the old one was completely worn out!!!
I have purchased a pair or fan belts and radiator hoses as spare!!!

I also changed the Clutch Wire and bought a set of Radiator hoses, fanbelts, tubes etc as preparations for the Corbett trip. Also I put a cap on the radiator which I dint do earlier as I was told that this should be left open untill I run the Ranger for 1k kms!!!

So these were the normal updates!!!

Tomorrow I will update the Corbett OTR report with loads of pictures!!!
Take care

The 550 goes to its first OTR

2009-06-07T14:53:00.007+05:30

I took the 550 to its 1st OTR on 31st May, 09.
The weather couldn't have been any better. It was raining the entire night and I was hoping that the OTR won’t be canceled.
SMS'ed the MODS early morning and received the confirmation that the OTR was
on!!!
I was out of my house at 5 and at the OTR venue at 5.30. The drive was great and the engine temperature was below 60 for the entire drive to Gurgaon. By 6am everybody was in and we were off.

At the meetup point

Randeep and Me

Me & Shashank

THE OTR

The sky was overcast and remained so till almost at the end of the OTR. Everyone couldn’t help thanking the weather gods.
The performance of the MM550 was great. The vehicle din't heat up. I wouldn't be sure whether it was because of the good weather or what. But hey I am not complaining ;-)
Did quite a lot of obstacles and it din't let me down anytime. The tyres also preformed great, but again din’t do a lot of sand and the terrain we guys did was rock, vegetation, thorny shrubs and the likes. The sandy terrain was miniscule. So will have to reserve my verdict but on the above terrain the performance of the tyres were great.

While on the way back too it had become quite sunny but the temperature stayed at 80 degrees, but rose to 90 at the toll plaza where we had start & stop traffic and the stop time was about 15 minutes. So I guess that this is OK.
Another thing I have observed is that When I drive around 60-65 km/hr the temperature is around 80 degrees, but if I drive in the range of 70-80 km/hr the temperature reaches 85 degrees. Is this normal?

Pictures of the OTR

Regrouping before the accent

Me, Aditya, (dont know the name), Ankit. Shashank & Saif

Me & Ankit

Lineup before the accent

Shashank trying to get a better look

Randeep at the wheel of 550, negotiating an obstacle

Randeep, me and Naveen

Regrouping post OTR

MODS on the 550

I still haven’t fixed the number plates and due to the rain on the 31 the front printout on paper had worn out quite a lot. I am still in a dilemma whether to get it painted or get those reflective types, the ones that we get in cars etc. Also I am not able to decide the placement of the number plates. Any advise suggestions!!!
I removed the blackout lamps from the fenders and in it place mounted reverse light. In my opinion the blackouts were of no major use, and I find these better. The new lights have been wired with the parking lights and look cool.
Got the reverse light wiring done. The reverse light now works automatically when the reverse gear in engaged. Might get a bigger lamp in its place.
Also I am thinking of removing the rear bench seats. No problem or issues though. I wanted to do this as the 550 has a very large blind spot and thought if the sides are rolled up and the seats not there, It might look better and blind spot hindrance will be solved. Also as nobody ever sits in the back, I can sell these and put a front facing bench seat if required.
Bought the D Hooks and given them for painting
I haven’t added any foglamps on the front bumper. What I was thinking was if I add one or two pair of the same reverse lights either on top of the windshield or on the bumper, will it look good. I plan to wire it with the blackout switch. The Fogs will cost me anywhere between couple of thousand bucks and these reverse lights will cost couple of hundred bucks. So even if I don’t like it later on I can always loose these and add the fogs later.
Changed the inside cabin light to a high wattage bulb.

That’s it for now

Some more shots

There are many more pictures of the OTR at Picasa web.

To access please visit here

The complete writeup and ownership experience has been documented here

My Other Blog www.jeepcj3b.blogspot.com

My 550 is 2 weeks old today ;-)

2009-05-23T12:21:00.000+05:30

Hey guys
Update on the MM550

Today it has been 2 weeks since I got the 550 home so I thought that I might do a little writeup on the ownership experience so far

The vehicle has been behaving wonderfully, actually much better than my expectation.
There are no heating issues, that too when its more that 42-43 degrees celsius. Infact yesterday I drove t for about 50 kms or so in the heat and traffic and when I topped up the radiator today morning it was just half a liter of water or so.When driving on straight empty roads the temp stays at 80 degrees celsius and in traffic or when moving slowly it notches upto 90.
There were many small small issues, and i have got a large percentage of them resolved. so Ill just mention the ones that are pending
- Clanking noise when the vehicle passes over potholes, and not only potholes but also when driving on a well paved road, the noise is very prominent
- Oil pressure meter not working. The electrician says that the oil meter will have to be changed

Some modification/ additions/ cosmetics that I have planned are
- The passenger side footrest does not seem right to me. But the denter says that its ok. So I will wait for an OTR to see what others have to say
- I want to add a footrest below the rear tow hook (whether its advisable, as I will be doing this purely for cosmetics???)
- Reverse light. Can this be added, I mean that as soon as I engage the reverse gear will the lamp switch on automatically or I will have to switch it on manually
- Fog lamps between front bumper and the grille
- The inside cabin light is of a very low power and want to increase the wattage
- Cigarette lighter
- DC-AC power inverter
- A pair D-hooks (same as my 3B)

I have been driving the vehicle quite extensively, and have driven it for about 170-200kms or so. This is considering that I dont drive to my office and the heat wave in Delhi does not help you with your decision to drive the jeep these days.
The tyres have still not been delivered as yet and I am still waiting for the Apolo Bullets. Tomorrow I will be going to Noida and then will get the diesel toped up, so will get an estimate of the FE of the jeep.

So in a nutshell this is the experience so far.

Harjeev's MM550 - Finally the delivery day arrives

2009-05-14T13:55:00.005+05:30

I have not been able to update the site in the past few weeks. I am now fast forwarding to the day when I took the delivery of the vehicle. Anyone wishing to read on the work done between the last post and this one please visit my thread on TeamBHP

Hey Everybody
After a very long wait of 5 months, (well almost 3 days short), and 3 months ruined by me sending the vehicle to everybody knows where, and wasting wads of money. I finally got the MM550 home.
There are still many small small issues to be sorted but nevertheless it driving great.
Chalo at least I have the consolation that the engine and the gearbox rebuild have been good and the extra money that I paid is the price for good labor. A little more or less cash here or there, hardly matters.
No Hard feelings
I believe in the theory that everything happens for a reason.

Anyways I have written loads in the past few months and will not bore everybody with more writing.
In a couple of days I will be sharing the details of the cost's involved and also the initial niggles that are there in the vehicle

So here are the pics

More Updated of my MM550

2009-03-29T21:19:00.004+05:30

This following were uploaded on my thread at TeamBHP and I am reproducing it as it is.

This was checked up by a friend who is in the Indian Army and are his comments

History of My MM550 XD 4x4

"Hi Harjeev,

The best part about your jeep is the history.

It is a class V jeep and hence it is free of any major accidents.
Secondly, the jeep has been used by service corps(not by fighting arms) and hence it has undergone very less abuse.
One can deduce that it will have less wobbling compared to others standing besides it.
The four wheel drive would have seldom been used. Better to have it checked for functionality,if not done so far.
The tailgate would have been rattling/cracked. That would need immidiate attention if not already fixed before its' auction while it was in service.

Thanks"

Posted on 23rd December 2008

Restoration work started

Had a talk with my friend and he has completely striped the vehicle. He said over the phone that the engine is in a good shape as it was overhauled by the army in 2006 and a new engine head was added then. We would be needing to get the pistons re-sleeved. I don’t know what that implies??

I am going to the workshop today afternoon and will be getting a fair idea on the costs involved for the mechnicals and labour.

My current list is as follows

Complete overhaul of the Engine
Complete overhaul of the Transmission (gearbox, transfer case, front & rear diff,) basically everything mechanical
LSD's in the front
Power steering
Change of the entire wiring
Checking the brakes, clutch, ignition for faults/ wear & tear
Change of front dashboard
Good soft top
Side door windows & front glass
Good tyres (thinking of NDMS)

This is a tentative list that i can think about. I would be having a much clear idea by the evening today abouit the cost aspects as there would be many small and big parts, changes that i would be needing to do/ buy.

Posted on 24th December 2008

Status on the restoration

I went to the workshop yesterday. The vehicle has been completely stripped. The engine, gearbox, Transfer case opened up. There was water in the gearbox when it was opened up. The front and rear differentials will be opened in a couple of days time.

The engine head is in a good shape. The vehicle was overhauled in May2006 and the a new engine head was added new back then. Will be adding new pistons & sleeves.
The fuel pump has been sent to the company for service & repair if any.
The gearbox has been opened up and all parts that even appear to be faulty or worn will be bought new and replaced.
The complete wiring will be changed.
I have decided to keep the leaf spring suspension as of now.Will be changing all the shocks absorbers.
Will not be getting it re-painted at present but would just put a cheap single coat of dark green paint to hide the army markings. A year or so later I would be getting a good paint job. As the body shell has been removed I would be getting anti rust treatment for the entire under body shell.
Power steering and maybe a tilt steering if we find one. The rubicon copy at the workshop has a tilt steering in it.
Conversion of rear axles to full floating and LSD in the front. these will be bought from mayapuri and we might get it cheap.

In about a week, my cousin will be able to give a a final estimate on the mechanical costs of the vehicle. Once I have that then I would start working on the cosmetic job for the XD.

All the above have been copied text to text from my thread on www.teambhp.com

My thoughts, belief, trust on people, etc have changed over time as and when I have gained more experience with regards to restoration of this vehicle

Will update the pictures in a couple of days time

Pictures of the 4x4 Jeep

2009-03-12T19:42:00.007+05:30

So in my first post I said that I bought my jeep on December 13th, 2008. I clearly remember the day as it was a Saturday and the 13th. These two thing are of significance as 13th is considered unlucky by some and also some people don't by metals on Saturdays.

But anyways I dint care as I was too eager to buy the 4x4.
Negotiated the price, and arranged the for the jeep to be towed to Greated Noida. It was to be towed to Greater Noida and Poddy had his workshop there.

Many people discouraged me not to send it to G.Noida saying that it was too far off and it not be easy to go there time and again. But anyways I had full faith in Parvinder(Poddy) and wanted to get it done under his supervision only.

Here are some pictures of the jeep as and when I bought it. We liked this particular piece as the body was the perfect on this one would have involved the minimum of tinkering of metalwork.

Registration

After buying the jeep the next big step in front of me was getting it registered. All these army disposal vehicles cannot be registered in the major cities as being non Euro IV compliant. As they do not meet latest pollution standards. Therefore these have to be registered about 200 kms from NCR.
To make make matters worse I had heard many horror stories saying that registering them is next to impossible, all guys in Mayapuri give out fake registrations etc etc.
But at the same time I was also thinking that I wouldn't be the first guy in the whole of India to buy an Army Disposal and get it registered. So how difficult could it be????
Therefore a little prepared, I told the seller 'Beenu' who was a very helpful, always smiling and nice fellow about what I'd heard and that I will give him the minimum advance for the registration. And after the vehicle is regsitered, he will give me the photocopy of the registration book and I will personally take it to the registration authority, get it verified and only after that I give him the balance amount. He agreed!!!

So after this was sorted out I was ready to embark a big project.

Technical Specifications (MM550)

2009-03-11T20:01:00.006+05:30

Mahindra 550 XD

Mahindra MM 550 XD is a defence vehicle operating on a 4 cylindered in-line diesel XD3P engine with a capacity of 2498cc and a compression ratio of 23 : 1.

The vehicle has a thermostat controlled cooling system and a synchromesh gearbox with four forward and one reverse gear.

Mahindra MM 550 XD has a recirculating ball type steering with a turning circle radius of 6.34 m.

The vehicle has a disc brake at front and a drum brake at the rear. The brakes are hydraulic with tandem master cylinder with vacuum assisted servo.

This model has a fuel tank capacity of 45 liters.

Featured Components:

Speedometer (kms/hr)
Temperature and fuel gauges
Volt meter and Oil Pressure gauge
Light indicators for battery charging
High beam
Parking brake and turn signal light
Hazard warning switch

Specifications
Engine	DIESEL XD3 P
Type	4 Stroke : 4 Cylinder, Inline
Bore/Stroke	94 mm / 90 mm
Capacity	2498 cc
Maximum Horse Power	76 @ 4500 RPM (DIN70020)
Maximum Torque	15.3 kgm @ 2000 RPM (DIN70020)
Fuel Injection System	Distributor Pump
Compression Ratio	23 : 1
Weight of engine (Dry)	200 kg
Cooling System	By Belt driven Pump or Cylinder head. Thermostat controlled
Clutch Type	Single Dry Plate,diaphragm. 235 mm
Transmission: Ratio	Type: 4 speed, 2nd, 3rd and 4th synchromesh,floor shift 1st gear 3.986 : 1 12nd gear 2.368 : 1 3rd gear 1.473 : 1 4th gear 1.000 : 1 Reverse 5.315 : 1
Transfer Case (for 4WD only)	Two Speed single shift lever provided on floor, Ratio : High 1:1, Low 2.46:1
Transfer Case (for 4WD only)	4WD : Full floating hypoid type. Ratio : 4.88 : 1 with free wheel hubs Capacity : 907 kg (For 2WD/4WD)
Rear Axle Capacity	Semi Floating Hypoid Type. Capacity : 1134 kgs. Ratio : 4.88 : 1: with limited slip differential
Steering	Recirculating Ball Type(optional). Ratio. 20 :1
Turning Circle radius	6.34 m
Brakes	Service : Hydraulic with Tandem Master Cylinder with vacuum assisted servo. Front disc type Rear drum type(11'' * 12 '') HNSS Parking : Operates on rear service brakes Hand lever and cable type
Suspension	Front & Rear : Semi-elliptical lsprints with hydraulic telescopic shock absorbers
Wheels, Rims, Tyres	Rim size : 16 x 4.5'' Disc type . Tyres : 6.00 x 16.6 PR . Mud and Snow
Frame	Ladder type with steel channel side members, four intermediate cross-members
Electrical System	12 Volt battery / 70 Amp.hr. Alternator 65 Amps
Instruments	Speedometer (kms./ hr). Temperature and fuel gauges. volmeter and Oil pressure gauge. Light indicators for battery charging, oil pressure, high beam, parking brake & turn signal light. Hazard warning switch
Fuel Tank	Capacity : 45 litres,electrical fuel guage
Curb Weight	1425 kgs with Army fitment
G.V.W	1950 kg

The Thought Process

2009-03-11T11:33:00.000+05:30

Harjeev's M&M MM550 XD 4x4

The making of an off-roader

Hi
I came to know of this blog only recently and was earlier updating all my posts on TeamBHP. So quite a few of the initial posts will be just copy and paste from my thread on TeamBHP Harjeev’s MM 550 XD – Army spec - Bought, with some occasional editing etc.

So here is the first post which was posted my me on 15th December 2008 and don't fear as this the longest of all the posts to come.
Cheers
Harjeev Chadha.

I started to read on Team-BHP on Jeeps and I clearly remember that I saw the thread of Randeep and that he had found an Army 550 4x4. What ‘MM550’ what does that mean? I dint have the slightest idea, but I knew this much

"I want to own get myself a 4x4 and really liked the India Army version".

At this point of time i had no idea about any of the technical mambo jumbo.
Diff locks, LSD's, Gear Ratios etc etc etc. All this was rocket science or complex problems to me. This was, I think around the last week of November, 08, 25th of 26 to be exact. And from this day on I started to read on the forum TBhp.

I dint know anything and I headed to Mayapuri. I had been through this road countless times before, and passed countless times by Jeeps and what did I think, just another junkyard and just another vehicle. I couldn’t be more wrong. Anyways i reached Mayapuri at 11.am in the morning and the Market was just about opening. There were so many vehicles and i dint have a clue of what was on offer. I had PM’ed Randeep for the address from where he acquired his jeep and headed to that shop.

My 1st look at a Jeep
There were a couple of Army 4x4 there none in working condition but I had not a clue about anything. Talked to the guy a person of about 40ish. Do not remember the name. And can you believe it I didn’t even pop the hood, look at the underbody i dint even click a picture. Came back just like that. He quoted 85 K and I just asked him the price and whether it has a working 4x4. Man I tell you at that time I dint know how to tell whether a vehicle has a 4x4 or not. I used to check the lever from inside and see.

Next I surveyed the market came across another shop 'Pali'. He quoted 80K and when i told him i wanted a clean piece he said 90 but a latest version, maybe 1999 or 2000. Somehow I dint develop that kind of a trust in Pali. Don’t know why. But the guy was not warm enough. Maybe there were too many lurkers like me coming to the market each day. I don’t know. The guy was too arrogant and snobbish compared to Padam.
Just roamed around and came back home all excited.

I thought that I just needed a 4x4 jeep give it to some mechanic and lo and behold Harjeev comes in his 4x4. I couldn’t be further from reality.

The next couple of days and even the week was spent on the internet reading asking questions etc.
During this time I came across a site Jeepthrills and Nothern India Off-Roading Club (NIOC).

In a day or two after this I came across an advt on an internet site about a MM540DP 4x2. This guy was in Karol Bagh and wanted to sell it. Was a dealer and on the phone quoted 90k. Though his advt said 110k. This was a 1998 model and had Peugeot 2.1 engine. The problem was this was only 62 BHP and my heart was set on an army disposal. But I got really exited on this too.

28/11/2008
Next afternoon I visited Parvinder (Poddy’s) workshop. He is god sent to me, a person whom I can put blind trust and faith. Though we are related but now, to me he means much more than a friend and a guide. Here is the adventurous kind and has been modifying jeeps since he can remember.
On my visit I witnessed he was modifying a Mm540 DP to a Jeep Rubicon. I told him about my idea of owning an off-roader, that my usage will not be limited to OTR’s but to the hills, jungles, deserts, etc. He told me to go in for a Army 550 and then he would restore it completely. Also he said that he would work on a cost to cost basis with me.
At this point of time I had already seen a jeep in Karol Bagh and was happy if Poddy could restore it for me. Poddy always said that i should go for a 550.
The issue was the more the threads I read and people I talked to, my mind kept on changing.

29/11/2008
Next day I had fixed to meet up with Pushkin Ahuja (NIOC) at Mayapuri.
Met him at Mayapuri around 12PM. I arrived a little earlier and I started to look around. Came across a dealer 'Jeep House' who had a 540 DP 4x4 in start condition. He quoted 110k for a 1996 model, Uttar Pradesh registered. It had new tyres(retreaded, I think) , hard top, new seats and was in start condition. ODO showed 95k kms. Took it for a test run. I told him to remove the tyres, seats, battery & hood. With all this removed he quoted 80K. Papers were complete. Original Mico FIP. But dint have discs, brake booster, army rims, etc involved a lot of mechnical work .

He had another CJ3B Delhi registered and was asking 50K for it. Original petrol engine. Saw a couple of more jeeps here & there.

Pushkin told me that this MM540 would require a work of about 40-50K and after that should be perfect. So I worked out the cost like this.

Army rims 12-15k,
Tyres 20-25k,
Battery 5k,
Mechanical overhaul 50k.
Add another 25k for the 4x4 transfer case, free wheeling hubs, LSD’s, under body rust treatment, etc etc and the vehicle would cost me around 200k.

So 200k for a well restored vehicle, complete mechanical overhaul, not bad to think about.

Afterward me and Pushkin drove to Karol Bagh to see the other 550-DP. After test driving it he told me the vehicle is not worth the price of 85k. Dropped the idea.

From here I went to Mandeep's and Jasvinders garage in Noida. They are all for petrol vehicles & I agree that petrol are easier to overhaul and maintain. I was there for a couple of hours and made up my mind to buy a CJ3B only. See how my mind changes so soon all of a sudden.
I dropped the idea of a diesel and started reading on a CJ3B. I liked the jeep. But my heart was still out for an Army spec 4x4.

The next couple of days did a lot of research on the CL550 4x4 Mahindra Major. I really started to like the car, but again to be let down. Sent an email to Poddy with the detail specs and he said

“DO NOT BUY IT!!!!!! WE NEED TO TALK !!!”

He said that this is a city vehicle, runs as taxis and not for serious off-roading and stuff. So again I was confused. I had a very long discussion and talking to Poddy and helped me alot. His reasoning was right, as he said that buying a 5.5 Lac vehicle is not worth it, if it’s simply a hobby, and further it doesn’t have what it takes to be a true off-roader.
He said that I would end up spending about 1-2 lacs more on a new CL550 in the 2 years of ownership due to the breakage and abuse that I would be putting the vehicle thru. He advised me that even if I could spend half that amount on an Army 550 is a much better option. And will come out much better. So after discussing with my Poddy and my brother Harbeer I decided that this makes sense & I would go for a disposal 550. Talked to Poddy the next day and told him my decision.
He called up a guy in Mayapuri, Gyan Khanna, Gyan quoted him 100k for a disposal and 25k for the registration. Both of us thought that this was too much.

On Friday 12/12/2008 I went to Mayapuri in the evening. Talked to many shopowners. Also saw the 540 DP at Jeep House. There was another CJ3B in the market. Spent some time taking pics etc. Here I saw the SandGrips a MM550 and boy did they look great. But alas these are no good for slush etc. These things I will decide later.

Went to Padam and saw a couple of CJ340's and MM550's. His father was at the shop quoted 1.00L for a MM550. The son was not there and I waited. Also saw the CJ3B of Geological Survey Deptt J&K regn. (50K asking) and army CJ3B's 70K. Talked to Romi Malick(NIOC) on the phone and he told me to be careful when buying at Mayapuri.

After a lot of time waiting at Padam came and quoted me 85k and 13k for the registration in Punjab. I told him I will come tomorrow and there was no that I am paying 85k for a army disposal. He said come tomorrow and we'll talk. Also he assured me everything is complete and if anything is missing he will complete it from another vehicle. All vehicles were 2000 make and had the new bolero engine (which they say is easy to repair and service)

Also talked to Gyan Khanna khanna motors and he quoted 175K for a completely done up army disposal. Further this guy was very discouraging on my idea on buying an army disposal. He said that it’s very difficult, and I won’t be able to do it, and that he will be in awe of me if I could properly restore a disposal vehicle. We’ll see!!!

On the way back I really started to like the blue jeep that was lying at jeep house as
pros
1) it had a working 4x4,
2) it was registered,
3) car is drivable condition,

cons
1) no disc & power brakes,
2) no Lsd & free wheeling hubs
3) engine was only 62 BHP Peugeot engine
4) no army rims,
5) smaller and less powerful engine than the MM550

I made a deal with no tyres no top, no battery & no seats for 80

Now the cons could always be worked on or changed. But all this was available in an army vehicle but had a cost as tyres with army rims (40k), power booster & disc brakes (5-10k), lsd & free wheeling hubs (10K), engine would remain the same and a little underpowered, but nothing could be done about it. Suspended pedals again had a cost. And the little things always add up in the end.

But I thought that a registered vehicle always has a benefit compared to a army and I made up my mind to go in for this. Talked to Poddy and he too agreed, but again said that we’ll decide next day in the market and then discuss, but will definitely pickup a vehicle.
Also talked to Jasvinder. He said that he too passed thru this kind of phase and for 8 months he was not able to decide, and that is when he decided after having a talk with UBS sir on purchasing a CJ3B.

13/12/2008
Next morning after a very restless night, at 9ish i get a call from Poddy and he says that the vehicle is nice(540Dp) (I had emailed him the pics last night). The body work ok and we might pick that up after having a look around in the mkt. Began talking and fixed up a time around 1PM to meet at Mayapuri.
Within 10 mins got a call from poddy and he told me that if we pickup the vehicle for 90k, and just to bring it at par with the Army Spec will involve the the discs breaks 10k, tyres 5k (if we buy retreaded at the time) & rims 15k, rear LSD's and front Free wheel Hubs 10K, this along would set us back by atleast 40K. The engine and mechanical any case we are doing the complete overhaul. Also the build quality of the Army is not a comparison to the civilian. So why waste money and get A product which is 5 years older than an army disposal. For the army spec Padam was asking 85K and another 15 k for the registration will cost max 100k compared to 130K min.

All this did make sense.
So then again i decided to drop the civilian and pick up a army spec 'MM 550 4x4'

We met in Mayapuri at 2PM. Went to Pali. He had a couple of 550’s, one of which we really liked. The vehicles were complete and he said that if something were missing he would complete them.
This is when I learnt that it’s not possible for a novice to buy a vehicle from Mayapuri all alone. You need to have someone whom you can trust, and trust completely. This is what I think what Romi Malick must have meant when he advised me to be careful.
Pali was quoting 80K for the vehicles and the body work was also appearing ok. About the registration he said that he does not guarantee anything but he would introduce somebody to us and then its between us and that man. So we went to have a look around and came to Padam.
Padam had about 5-6 550’s standing. Poddy started looking around and we finalized a piece which appeared ok. The body work was also ok.
So after much looking around, reading on the internet, asking questions changing my mind a thousand times, etc etc etc, I was now about to put an end to all my restlessnes, anxiety, etc as I finalized a vehicle.

An Army Spec MM550 4x4 XD

With the final negotiations, haggling, etc we arrived at a price of 77k and 13k for the registration. Gave him the money and the vehicle was mine. At last I now had a 4x4 and was on my path to become a Jeeper. After it is restored, completely overhauled to the last bit. I will own my own Off-Roader.

Man internet is a bliss. I don’t have words that how could I have managed to do what I did without the help of everybody on NIOC, TeamBHP. Now that I have taken the plunge and the first step is complete the second task of the restoration is about start. For this again I will be needing the advise/ help/ suggestions and all the help I can manage to get my hands on.