tatra 813 new owner

[tatra813]

Quoted for truth!

The tanks on my truck were eaten up. They werent bad but if I had left them the way they were they would have burst a long time ago. The metal really isn't that thick on these tanks so I would recommend that you line them even if they are still nice inside just as a preventative measure.

I took mine and strapped each to a wheel on my tractor and threw in a quart of muratic acid and a handful of gravel (little pieces and all). Do a little low speed churning and the insides will look like they are chrome plated. Blow them out with compressed air then line with a liner like the one offered by www.por15.com They make an AWESOME liner and rust preventative and their liners will not flake off.

You can also use the regular POR-15 coating inside your air tanks. Do the same above then pour some in the tank and slosh it around. The stuff dries but remains flexible and will stretch and contract with the tank as it pressurizes, its sort of like a liquid plastic. Good for springs and other moving undercarriage parts. My trucks springs have been treated with this for 10 years now and have not flaked or rusted yet.

Good info!

by the way I checked my injector pump and its the same brand as yours, including the spare I have.

 

[EZFEED]

I figured so, MotorPal is supposed to be the best of the best from what I've heard. My fuel pump, filter canister, IP, and a couple other items are MotorPal and the engine is a Tatra-912-2 which is a modified version of the Tatra-912 which is basically just half of your V-12

Does your IP look the same as mine but longer? Do you have one or two governors?

 

[duncan]

Hey! Found that choke thing, and the neutral switch. Switch doesn't do anything yet, but Im guessing thats because Ive got no air pressure (well, no more than 3 bar), theres a leaking valve near the rear air tanks.

Moved the truck indoors today. Thank god I've got powersteering with the engine running Got room now to take the bed off and do some proper work on the frame.

I will replace the tanks at some point soon, got contact to make some plastic fuel tanks to size for me. Will take care of the rusting for now and ever. Also have someone lined up to make a new tent to replace the knackered old piece of plastic currently on the back.

Now if only I can get the neutral switch to go, I'll be set!

 

[tatra813]

Check the neutral selenoid pull the hatch off over the tranmission in the bed. The electro pnumatic selenoid for the neutral sits on the passanger side behind the tranny. Make sure you have power to the selenoid (24v?) the make sure you have air. You could always pipe a bypass around it with a valve.

Nice pics by the way.

 

[duncan]

Yeah got the solenoid. When we picked it up in England they opened it and hammered it to neutral to get the truck onto the trailer.

Will have to reconnect it now, but since I have no air pressure yet, it wont switch.

 

[duncan]

Right got the bed off, bit of a mission with the forklift, but now we can do some proper work on the truck. Most of the air lines are somewhere between rusted and completely fubar. Will see if I can get a few hundred yards of plastic lines to replace. Won't be going anywhere before that's done.

 

[EZFEED]

How about stainless?????

 

[duncan]

Well, with all the twists and turns the lines make, its way easier to replace with reinforced plastic lines, not to mention a lot cheaper. Just cut to length and connect, thats all.

 

[duncan]

Right, today's update Got the mechanical handles in the cab working smooth now, they wouldnt move earlier. Engine is starting to run better and better too.

Fixed the master brake valve thing, and some leaking valve near the back of the truck. Still no air pressure though (well nothing over 3 bar), so I can't drive.

Can anyone tell me wheter the clutch is air assisted or hydraulic? It doesn't do anything any the moment. When I push it down it seems to have a hard time coming up again, takes like 15 seconds.

 

[tatra813]

Right, today's update Got the mechanical handles in the cab working smooth now, they wouldnt move earlier. Engine is starting to run better and better too.

Fixed the master brake valve thing, and some leaking valve near the back of the truck. Still no air pressure though (well nothing over 3 bar), so I can't drive.

Can anyone tell me wheter the clutch is air assisted or hydraulic? It doesn't do anything any the moment. When I push it down it seems to have a hard time coming up again, takes like 15 seconds.

Clutch wont work without air pressure, once you get your air pressure issue fixed you should be fine. Also trace out your air lines there are lots of valves someone may have closed. There is also a valve by the rear passanger side of transmission that puts air to the axles etc to keep water out for fording.

 

[EZFEED]

Hope you cange that baby going soon! Take some pics of your work when you can and show us your progress

 

[duncan]

Clutch wont work without air pressure, once you get your air pressure issue fixed you should be fine. Also trace out your air lines there are lots of valves someone may have closed. There is also a valve by the rear passanger side of transmission that puts air to the axles etc to keep water out for fording.

Thats good news, one less problem to think about for now. Found that valve behind the cab already, now I know what it's for.
Theres also a valve (and pressure gauge) next to the neutral solenoid. It seems to shut off air to some stuff in the back, since it stops leaking air there when I shut it.

 

[Finlandia]

Have you seen this video? [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2LjuIzmTH4&feature=related[/media]

 

[duncan]

Nice, can't wait. Will have to though, the bill for renting the semi just came in. They haven't been kind, to say the least. No more Scania trucks for me, expensive bastards

Now, to get some air hoses! Will make some more pictures tomorow, with the bed off and all.

 

[vtunimog]

Duncan - contact Erwin Overbosch at E.T. Coevorden He has sold me two Tatra's and has good working knowledge of their complex operating system (air). He is somewhere in the Northeastern corner of the country. Contact off he site if you want some further help contacting him. Best of Luck !

 

[vtunimog]

Have you seen this video? [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2LjuIzmTH4&feature=related[/media]

I love the SISU trucks but they are nearly impossible to get.

 

[duncan]

Duncan - contact Erwin Overbosch at E.T. Coevorden He has sold me two Tatra's and has good working knowledge of their complex operating system (air). He is somewhere in the Northeastern corner of the country. Contact off he site if you want some further help contacting him. Best of Luck !

Contacted him last week, had a good chat. He mentioned he had a full workshop manual with the trucks and sold that along with them (to you, I assume). But I also got the idea he hadn't actually shipped either the manual or the trucks to america yet. I might call again, saddle up for a road trip and photocopy the whole thing (well, digitize, while Im at it). He gave me some pointers to another company near there that used to operate 813's but I haven't been able to follow up on that one.

Meanwhile I bought a T813 operators manual from some dude on ebay who seems to continuously offer photocopies of the same manual. The thing finally arrived today, working my way through it as we speak. Thankfully in our small dutchy below sea-level country we spend more on schools than military, so I've learned understanding german rather than fighting them

I also visited some truck garages / stores to see about replacing my air lines. By the looks of it it will be a breeze. Theres plastic brake hoses available in tons of sizes and colors. Using different colors for different sections of the air system would be a nifty idea I think. They have special couplers to connect to the existing valves which I can fit myself, so it will be a case of cutting to length and connecting, one by one.
The operators manual has some good schemes on the fuel, oil and air lines, so as soon as the next pay check arrives Im set for action! Keep you updated!

 

[duncan]

Can anyone help me out with some of these oil requirments. My manual calls for these types of oils I assume they may make sense in Europe? any help with us equivilents would be appreciated.

t-nh2
gearboxes call for pp80
engine oil oa-m6ad
bearings t-nh2
winch housing pp-90h
power steering ON-1 Hydraulic fluid

brake fluid syntol 190 HD
clutch hydraulic oa-m6ad

Im assuming the gearboxes are standard 80 weight oil. Im sure 15w40 in the engine would be fine, I wanted to make sure on the power steering and clutch fluid. and brake fluid

for the air filter it calls for a mixture of oa-m6ad and petrol 2:1
I assume thats engine oil and diesel?
thanks again guys.

Did you ever answer these questions? What oil do you currently use? I'm trying to find out the same thing now.

Need to refresh the clutch hydraulics mainly. Thanks!

 

[duncan]

To follow up, I removed the clutch fluid bottle (it was almost empty), drained what was left and it seemed to be regular engine oil. It also has a sign saying "refill with same oil as engine" near it. So yeah.

Anyway, cleaned the bottle, filled to the top with engine oil (took some 20w60 I had around), bled the system, and miracles happened. Clutch works! So I started the engine, kicked the clutch and engaged first. Yeah. Thanks what I thought anyway.

I'm so used to my everyday truck (am a truckdriver) I put it in front left for first. On the tatra thats reverse. Guess my amazement when I let go of the clutch and went straight for the wall Also there still is no air pressure so no brakes. managed to kill the engine with only 50cm to spare between my rear bumper and the concrete wall

Right, so the day was saved. Engaged the real first gear and off I went. Snail's pace since I havent found out how to get it out of low gearing yet. Went for the overhead door of the garage (its a pretty big silo), and by the time I had to stop to open the door, I couldnt get out of gear anymore, clutch was broken again. Had to bleed air again to fix that.

From there it went sort of smooth. Took a short ride around the block, had to stop to bleed the clutch once, and had to stop to close the rusty right hand doors twice.

Still not getting over 4 bar pressure, but that seems to be down to the shutoff valve seals being dried out. Also one of the wheels feels major out of balance. Hope the tires arent square from being stood so long.

Either way, got to drive my tatra for the first time! Feels great! Im the happiest guy alive

 

[EZFEED]

Great news Duncan!!!!!!!!!

Have you tried pressurizing the air line with a compressor to see where the leak may be? Worst case you may need to rebuild the pump but I seriousley doubt it unless its a really, really, really high mileage unit. Maybe one of the other companents are leaking? I put some air tool oil in my tanks and it helped lubricate the lines and seals.