My Senior design project - a "Swamp Thing" tracked vehicle clone

[MossRoad]

The first thing I see when I look at a machine like that is NEAT!!!

The second thing I think of is how many decades those tire ruts are gonna be there and the irreparable damage that thing will do to the environment in just one pass over an area.

 

[PILOON]

Once had a tracked snow vehicle that used a VW engine mounted up front with exhaust facing forwards.
They somehow took power from the differential (upwards) and had 2 largish v belt pullies one of which was manually activated to open/close and transfer more or less drive to the other side.
The drive belt system very much resembled a manual version of what most snowmobiles use today.

It was branded Wesmizerskinner* and was extremely agile and fast as it could do 40+ MPH.
Since it was the complete VW power/traction package it had 4 speeds forward plus reverse.


Scooting around was great fun as it could turn on a dime and with the cleated tracks climb a cliff, well almost.
The cab was all aluminum and had an escape hatch in the cab roof in case of avalanches I presumed.

*was an Austrian product designed for the Alps and presumably to access the mountain cabins.

Actually wish I could have kept it as it was a great versatile vehicle but alas funds and a young growing family came first also I did not have a suitable place to store and work on it.

 

[airbiscuit]

 

[Al 2]

As far as damage to the environment goes , take a look at this video. When on the 'moss' or muskeg or whatever there appears to be little or no damage to the terrain. Something else left those deep ruts.
Look here: Extreme Sherp Adventures | Impassable places!! Other ATVs won't pass here!!! - YouTube
Al

 

[Garauld]

Project update: I recently received delivery of the tub frame sheet steel, pipe spools for the drive sprocket and idler wheels, aluminum for the radiator support frame (I'm using the old Echo radiator) and the conveyor belting (20 LF of 20" wide 5/16" thick 2-ply rubber) which will be cut up into (4) 5" wide strips for the tracks. Four 6-ply 4.80x8 LT trailer wheels also showed up today (4 more to be ordered at a later date). Over the next week, I plan to weld up the tub, reassemble the engine and weld up the radiator housing. I'll post photos when some of this gets welded up. Stay tuned...

 

[jason silliker]

Status update: over the last couple weeks, I have refined some of my part models on the computer and have also been working on the Toyota Echo engine. The 1.5L engine came from a car that was flipped upside down after the driver lost control on an icy road. Luckily, the driver was not hurt. The wrecker driver tried to start it but to no avail. Over a year later when I went to see/buy it, it ran but had a fairly loud tink noise. Long story short, it has a pair of bent connecting rods that need to be replaced. I pulled the cams today and will, hopefully, get the head and lower housing off tomorrow so I can get access to the conn rod bolt nuts. Once I get it back together, I plan to mock up a full sized cabin from 2x3s and cheap paneling. I ordered some conveyor belting for the tracks and bid out the steel sheet I will use for the tub (or frame, if you will).

When the driver tried it after being flipped it probably had oil leak by causing it to hydraulically lock, bending the rods.

 

[Garauld]

Yes, there was oil in the intake manifold so hydrolock probably occurred. The Echo engine is now back together with straight rods and new gaskets. No other damage was noted. I finished making up the two idler wheels and two sprocket wheels, all made from 8" sch 40 pipe. I also have the tub sides drilled out for the various undercarriage attachments. I hope to weld up the tub in the next couple of days and then I can put the wheels on it.

 

[pmsmechanic]

I'm going to follow this project.

 

[farm boy00]

Yes, there was oil in the intake manifold so hydrolock probably occurred. The Echo engine is now back together with straight rods and new gaskets. No other damage was noted. I finished making up the two idler wheels and two sprocket wheels, all made from 8" sch 40 pipe. I also have the tub sides drilled out for the various undercarriage attachments. I hope to weld up the tub in the next couple of days and then I can put the wheels on it.

Got to follow tbn rules. We need pictures

 

[Garauld]

Yup, I got to follow the rules. Here's some images of the reassembled Echo engine, the idler & drive wheels, and the drilled tub side rails. I still need to drill the perimeter holes on the drive wheels for the sprocket teeth.