Patroling through South America

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Re: Patroling through South America

Post by Nicolanders »

PART 4: Finding a Patrol Oasis in Southern Bolivia - mid-June 2014
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From the border, we continued on northward. We had only ten days to reach Lake Titicaca in Peru in order to meet up in time with visiting family. This lack of time put a lot of pressure on us.
The jolt and crunching sound that came when engaging the clutch kept getting worse. About half the time we started, it was so violent the engine set out. It felt similar to instantly releasing the clutch pedal without giving gas.
On the forum, people kept on prying their heads for a solution, while we kept uploading videos of the movement and sound. No one could say for sure, but since the mechanic in Jujuy had said 'transmission' and the main repair in Tucumán had been done on the transfer case, it seemed like the most likely culprit. We were starting to think it would not be possible to carry on. We started to accept the idea that we might have to sell the Patrol - a tough one to swallow after having driven only 1000 km after spending almost four months at various mechanics. Selling it would be difficult enough in itself: between the nearest port city and us were a few thousand kilometers and, not least, the high peaks of the Andes Mountains. The idea was more or less to try and keep going to see how far we could go.

Arriving in Tupiza, a town of some 100,000 inhabitants in a low-lying valley at 2700 meters, we got a much-needed night's sleep. The next day we started looking for a mechanic to have a more thorough evaluation of the jolt-problem as well as our low-power issues.
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Tupiza is a starting point for many tourist trips into the southern Bolivian nature reserves, most importantly the Salt Flats of Uyuni, the biggest salt desert in the world. These trips are done with 4x4's, and we saw lots of Toyotas, Nissans and Mitsubishis. We got the idea to ask one of the tourist agencies which mechanic they used for their vehicles. The drivers themselves solved most problems, but major operations were always done by the Ugarté Brothers.
We went down to their shop during lunchtime and got to see this before we even talked to them:
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What a surprise! The victory-cheer we gave out awoke the Brothers from their siesta, poor fellas. Even though they were pressed on time, they agreed to take a look. We did a small trip and one of them immediately said 'clutch pressure plate'. But we insisted they also take out the transmission to have a look at the repairs from Tucumán as well as look for metal shavings in the oil. This was of course on advice from the forum. Our English-Spanish Patrol Dictionary grew and grew. Whenever we went to a mechanic, we would carry with us a number of instructions that we had collected on the forum - surely not something these people were used to. Then again - they were not used to young gringos entering their shop with 60s Patrols either.
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The work went on for a few days over a weekend. We hung around the shop a lot; interested to see what was going on and learn more about the Patrol. Moreover, whenever they had the chance, the Brothers went upstairs in what would later become their office (still under construction) to watch the World Cup. In Tupiza, they do this while chewing coca-leaves and drinking pure alcohol mixed with pomelo soda. They are also generous hosts in that respect. There were especially in to this on Saturdays, starting to taste the stuff around 10 am, being wasted by afternoon. We told them it would be okay if they finished on Monday instead...
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The Brothers took out the clutch and the transmission, and confirmed that they were right. The pressure plate was aligned wrong, and it was not an original Patrol part. Fortunately, the Brothers had one lying around. And they would even be able to get new parts for our Patrol if needed. It was hard to believe that a place like this existed having spent four months in Argentina. This meant we could get proper repairs, not only temporary solutions. Very important for us, not least because we had already spend twice the amount we thought we were to pay for the Patrol in the first place.
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On request from the forum, they also checked the clutch bearing retainer (that was broken and soldered in Tucumán), it was okay but could do with a replacement, as could the clutch release bearing. But they did not have better replacements on hand.
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During the repairs, we went back and forth to the forum to give updates and get advice. It was fun to learn so much about the Patrol, and we kept being impressed by how much these guys knew. On some of the photos we uploaded, the clutch pilot bushing was not clearly visible, so we were advised to confirm it was there. The Brothers said it was. But we got a feeling that it was not so. It is not rational - they would know what they are talking about - but we still wanted to have it checked again later on, if we got the chance.
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The transmission oil did indeed have metal shavings in them. But the repairs were holding. The Brothers said everything was fine. They gave the case a good cleaning and put in a heavier oil. They also added oil to the rear differential. It was leaking a little bit all the time.
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We also had them check the engine since our confidence in the Jujuy-mechanic was not high. The crankshaft was fine, and so was everything else. But they did discover that the sparkplugs could use a change, and that one of them was soaked in oil. It turned out that we had been running on five cylinders. That was the reason for the low power! With a carburetor adjustment and six cylinders, surely it would be stronger from now on.
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While sitting around the shop one lazy afternoon, we suddenly heard a big crash behind us. Turning around, the parked Patrol was moving straight at us! What happened? It came to a halt against the sidewalk, and a very confused Bolivian taxi driver appeared from a car behind it. He had smashed straight into the rear of the Patrol. His breaks where not very good, and when he attempted to make a quick parking behind the Patrol, they gave in. The front of his car was smashed in, he was not going anywhere. The Patrol? Apparently, they supplemented the tractor engine by armored bumpers, and the accident was only visible by the broken rear light glass cover. Fortunately, we had a spare.
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After overcoming a stubborn food poisoning (which it seems like all travelers get in Bolivia), we headed back out the valley and up onto the highland. The engine made far less noise and was strong as an ox (or a P-engine, as it were). Combustion was also much cleaner which helped our headaches - there was a big hole in the muffler and a long crack in the exhaust pipe, so fumes were leaking into the cabin.
And, not least, the clutch worked like charm. No jolts, just dependability. What a relief.
Repairs and food poisoning had taken more time than we had hoped though. We were down to only four days before having to be in Peru, and there was still more than a thousand kilometers to go. And we would not be driving on your average European/American highway: these were winding mountain roads at an altitude of 3500-4000 meters.

To be continued…
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Re: Patroling through South America

Post by miksum56 »

:clap: :clap: :clap: Just caught up on last 2 chapters. Good story!
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Re: Patroling through South America

Post by RiverPatrol »

I love the Spanish English Patrol dictionary, and the rear bumpers. :D
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Re: Patroling through South America

Post by moore_rb »

Esteban's dictionary sure demonstrates what a nice guy he is... :handgestures-thumbup:


The "Au Naturale" photo of the light blue Patrol is a very cool picture
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Re: Patroling through South America

Post by bosque »

By the time you get to Columbia, where the parts are, your Awesome Patrol will be in tiptop shape. ;) :lol: ;)
Great story and photos.
I am glad you have a clear answer on the jolt.....those adjustment screws on the release arms were tough to adjust correct for me and had that "earthquake" effect when driving too! At least the Patrol is fairly simple and you can get at the problem.....oh and look how much you two have learned about Patrols.....and each other! :think: :doh: ;)
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Re: Patroling through South America

Post by Swerve »

Loving this story and photos, hanging on my seat for the next installment !!!!!

So glad all seems fixed now as driving and worrying about your car is a horrible thing.
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Re: Patroling through South America

Post by ratpatrol66 »

I really don't like reading much, but this has been a great read! So glad you didn't give up on the Patrol! When everything is right your Patrol will just keep on going with only minor tweeks. You two are far more adventurest than me and a great insperation for people to get out and live. I have had lots of fun in my Patrol but nothing compares to this. My best trip was taking my Mom for a ride. Have fun and keep us posted. Thanks, Craig
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Re: Patroling through South America

Post by Nicolanders »

Thanks a lot for the comments! Very nice to read. And thanks for coming along! :)

Just updated the posts with some maps to make it easier to follow the movement.

And part 5 coming up soon!
Anders & Nicoline
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Re: Patroling through South America

Post by Nicolanders »

PART 5: Getting to Peru in a hurry – late June 2014

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We were back on the road after the repairs in Tupiza, back up in the high mountains of about 4000 meters altitude. Whatever problems the Patrol had or did not have driving at high altitudes would definitely be put to the test. Moreover, as told earlier, we still had to meet up with family in Peru. Because of the weeklong delay in Tupiza, we now had only four days left to get to the border. This meant driving about 250-300 km per day to arrive at the border on the fourth day. Normally, this should not be a problem. But we had serious altitude-issues, and something always came in the way just when it seemed we would have an easy day.
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On the first day, we got going towards our first destination before noon: Potosí (4000m), the former El Dorado of silver, where the Spaniards first started breaking ore (or rather, coerced the Indians to do so) to fuel the colonizing bonanza. Even though the silver lodes are almost depleted by now, ore is still mined today, but in a very primitive way by small groups of locals who barely keep out of poverty.
However, we did not get to see any of this. We arrived in Potosí after dark and were so tired that we just stumbled in to a hotel and crashed. The trip during the day had been a very beautiful one, but also one suited badly for our Patrol. The road winded up and down the mountains going through one valley after another. For almost no time during these 200-some kilometers was the road level. And these inclines were serious. Several kilometers long, backbreakingly steep. No amount of drugs could make Lance Armstrong cross these mountains at these altitudes. We did indeed see a few people on bicycles, causing our jaws to hit the floor.
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These brutal inclines caused loads of engine stops for us. After a while, we got the feeling that there would be less engine stops the less fuel we used. So we tried to climb in the least fuel consuming way we could. That meant going at 15 kph in first gear for the worst inclines, 25 kph in second gear for the ones a little less steep. But it could not prevent the stops completely. On a long incline, we would make several stops for 10-15 minutes at a time. In the end, we drove for more than ten hours meaning our average speed was only about 20 kph.
The transfer case was making noise, but not so much that we could not live with it. Curiously, it seemed to make the most noise when engine breaking - and we did that a lot going down all these mountains. The downward slopes were steep enough that the Patrol would go more than 80 kph even when in gear if we did not use the brakes.

The second day we left before 9 am thinking the early start would give us the afternoon off to go enjoy Bolivia a bit. Once again, we arrived at our destination, Oruro (3700m), at night. The trip had been much like the one on the first day: driving on roads winding up mountains and down into valleys, through gorges, with one spectacular view after another.
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This also meant frequent engine stops, once again doing no more than 20 kph on average. We became more and more frustrated as we traveled on, and we worried that we would not make it to the border in time and would have to leave the Patrol somewhere in Bolivia. Stress levels were high, and the Andes Mountains seemed like an unsurmountable wall in front of us. We dreamt of the ocean and the abundance of oxygen they have down there.
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It was relieving to see the terrain start to change in the afternoon. It seemed we had finally arrived at the Altiplano, the Andean highland, which is just as level as anywhere outside the mountains. Driving through these vast open plains for a couple of hours, we only had a single engine stop.
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The stops were definitely more frequent when going uphill, and they were more frequent when it was hot outside. But we could not figure out exactly what the problem was. On the forum, vapor lock was suggested. Also, either not enough fuel or too much fuel. The electrical fuel pump got hot when ascending steeply, but it was cold at one point where we had a stop on a level stretch. There was no clear pattern.
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Nonetheless, on the third day, we were hopeful that we could do the required 250 kilometers in far less time than the previous days, since we were driving on level road. But we were delayed leaving Oruro because we had to get car insurance required for entering Peru. The one we had bought in Argentina did not cover Peru, and they do not sell it at the border. A couple of hours went by going to no less than five different insurance brokers to get an international insurance, with no luck at all. The only company who offered us a policy backed out in the end when they finally realized that they did not insure foreign cars. Just great.
We decided to take matters into our own hands. Our Argentinian insurance policy had been emailed to us. A little editing meant the policy suddenly stated that it included Peru. We printed the document in a shop and put it with the official stamped receipt we had received, inside the proper wrapping. It looked authentic enough.
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Due to our fruitless efforts, we did not get the La Paz (4000m), the capital of Bolivia, before late in the afternoon. The main Bolivian highway goes through the city, instead of around it, where rapid increases in population has given rise to massive suburbs and an impossible traffic situation. It was pure chaos. This must be what it is like to drive in one of the Indian or Chinese mega-cities. People literally fought for every inch, risking side mirrors and fenders in the process. At times, it was almost joyful how we rolled down the windows and bargained with our neighbors for a few inches here and there. Anyone feeling constricted by how organized Western society is today, should go here to catch some fresh air.
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In the end, we got out of the city as rush hour traffic died down a bit. After driving in the wrong direction for ten kilometers or so, we found the road towards the Peruvian border. Once again, we arrived late at night. This time at Tiwanaku (3800m), site of some important, thousand-year old ruins, only some 50 kilometers from the border. We drove straight into the annual Aymara-indian celebration of the winter solstice. They were going to load up on cheap rum and coca leaves until sunrise at 6 am, and then, they told us, the real celebration would start. Everywhere in the street, small stands served food and te con te (meaning 'tea with tea". Hint: the second 'tea' was not really tea at all...). A really nice break from the road. We did not follow through until the morning, though, being very tired from traveling.

On the fourth day, we only drove for an hour or so until we got to the border. The crossing was at Desaguadero (3800m), a small town on both sides of the river, filled with all the hustlers and dodgy hostels you might expect from a place like this. It was very exciting. It seemed like we had made it! So many worries, so many hours. Because of the problems with the car and the deadline we had to meet, it had been three full weeks of our trip where everything had been about these two things. Quite exhausting.
Now, we were at the border. Exiting Bolivia went easily enough, except we had to wait in line for a few hours. It was a busy day at the border. When entering Peru with a car, you have to go to two different offices: the first one is immigration (for people) where everybody goes. The second is the Customs Office to get a temporary import permit for the car.
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After getting our visas without problems, we went to the Customs Office. They were having lunch so they asked us to wait for a minute. We had no problem with that; we were not going to give them any reason to scrutinize our insurance papers. While waiting, we observed several people coming and going at the office, shaking hands with the officials who promised to "help them out" and what not. A man came in with gifts for one of the officials, praising him loudly, telling everybody how this man was the best. It was not hard to see what was going on. Nobody honestly loves a customs official.
After the wait, a young customs officer was instructed to do our papers. She was confused about something and called her superior to ask for advice. Then it struck: “Sorry guys, we cannot let you enter, since you are not the owners of the vehicle in question”.

We could not believe it. Four months earlier, back in Buenos Aires, the ownership of the car could not be transferred to us since that can only happen in Colombia, where the car is registered. Instead, we got a power of attorney that gave us the right to do with the car more or less whatever we wanted. We were told that many travelers did it this way without issues. In addition, our guidebook, which prides itself on being very well researched, states that entering Peru with a power of attorney is indeed possible.
None of this made any difference to the customs officer. She pointed to a document on the wall that stated what you cannot do. We tried to argue that we could not possibly become the owners without driving the car to Colombia. And for that to happen, we had to enter Peru. It was a Catch-22. Talking to some of the other officers did not help either. All they could say was for us to return the following day when the boss would be on duty. We did that, but he was not there, and the officer who was, gave us the same reply as yesterday.

We could not enter Peru with the Patrol. We were back in Customs Hell. We drove the Patrol back across the bridge to Bolivia where the border guards saw nothing wrong with us putting the car in a garage without having visas or import permits of any sort. What a nice country Bolivia is.
We left the Patrol behind, and got on the bus towards Cusco, having caught another food poisoning to boot. The good thing was that we got to the airport in time for the family visit. For the next two weeks, we traveled around seeing many nice sites in Peru: The Inca ruins of Machu Picchu, the jungle in Manu, and the islands of Lake Titicaca. It felt like a vacation from all our troubles and gave us time to relax and think about other things.
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Nevertheless, we would have to go back and face the problems eventually. We had time to talk everything through and figure out what our options were and what we wanted. In the end, we decided there was only one thing to do. We would drive the car through western Bolivia into Chile and the port city of Arica on the border with Peru. There was a small chance that this border crossing might be more willing to make exceptions (we were told Desaguadero is the worst crossing in South America), but if not, we would put the Patrol on a container ship and try to sell it in North America. At least in that way, we might get back the money we put into the car, and be able to continue our travels in another way.
We heard the road down there was beautiful, going through sparsely populated areas and two national parks, so we would get to do some camping and use some of the many things we had acquired, in that way having a good last few weeks before saying goodbye to the Patrol.

Of course, this would be a sad ending to our trip with the Patrol, but there seemed to be no other possible solution.

To be continued…
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Re: Patroling through South America

Post by RiverPatrol »

:doh: Oh, what a cliffhanger! Now I must wait expectantly for the next episode. Great stuff! :D
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