Ken’s 2000 AWD Astro Tiger GT

[AstroWill]

Thanks AstroWill that was a good point, I edited the post to include the serpentine belt information.
Also I noticed in my earlier post with the picture of the cutout in the water tank, the plywood you see immediately behind the water tank covers my small air compressor. I couldn't go back and edit that post but I am mentioning it here in case a Tiger owner wonders where I found room for the compressor.

If you need to edit an older post, you can do that by following the directions here: https://www.astrosafari.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=124473

[Ken2.7]

It’s been a while but here’s an update on my Tiger.
I finally gave up on the ammonia propane refrigerator. It was 20 years old and crystals had formed in the tubes making ammonia flow difficult. Before giving up on it I removed it and turned it upside down and shook it repeatedly, something I read that might help it. When I put it back in it worked great for a week then returned to its old ways.
On a trip last fall to the east coast I stopped at Truckridge in Georgetown KY and picked up an Indel49 12V refrigerator (49 liter). It was smaller than the old frig so I made good use of the extra room.

Below the new unit I now have room for two 12V batteries. I used welding cable to connect my house battery setup to my engine battery/alternator and I have a Wirthco Battery Doctor to isolate the two. I read some reviews that stated there could be some battery draw after engine shutoff and this could be “fixed” by switching off the ground wire to the Battery Doctor. I did that by running the ground wire through a relay that is switched on at startup.
To monitor my house battery bank I bought a Balmar Smartgauge. It gives me the percentage of battery capacity left which will help me keep the house battery at 50% or better. It also shows the voltage of the truck battery but not a percentage of its capacity. If I ever find the engine battery won’t crank over there is a button on the Battery Doctor that allows me to pull power from the house battery.

On the outside of the Tiger I have two access doors, the lower one houses the battery bank and the upper one is in line with the refrigerator compressor and I added two small computer fans to aid cooling.
The frig cools down fast and even has a freezer for ice or ice cream and the new cabinet gave me deep pockets for storage on the left and one below which is shallow because the outside battery compartment uses most of the space.

[Ken2.7]

The Tiger had sagging rear springs when I got it and because of the bad piñon angle a new piñon bearing went in. To get it up where I wanted I put 2” pucks in front and Firestone airbags in the rear. The airbags lifted the back but I’ve never been satisfied with the airbags because anything less than 70 psi allowed the Tiger to sway. I added a rear sway bar and saw a little improvement. The 70 psi also stiffened up the suspension to the point I felt every small bump in the road.
At the salvage yard last week I started checking for some S10 springs and found a set of rusty looking helper springs which set me back $13. It didn’t take long to put them on and the transformation is amazing. I lowered the psi in the air bags to 50 and now I have no sway and a smooth ride. I know helper springs wear out quicker but maybe with the aid of the air bags they will last a while and when they are shot I think I’ll buy a set of new ones. Wish I knew what these old helper springs were rated when new.

[Leeann_93]

Sweet!




Just a note: it's pinion, not piñon

[Rockridge]

Nice work on the kitchen. Looks great

[Ken2.7]

Sweet!




Just a note: it's pinion, not piñon

I’d like to blame spellcheck but I really can’t because I didn’t know how it was spelled.

[Leeann_93]

Sweet!




Just a note: it's pinion, not piñon

I’d like to blame spellcheck but I really can’t because I didn’t know how it was spelled.

Sorry...I’m the resident English major

[sixsix]

Sweet!

Just a note: it's pinion, not piñon

I’d like to blame spellcheck but I really can’t because I didn’t know how it was spelled.

Sorry...I’m the resident English major

Ha ha, I did not know that.
No more, "they're breaks is all i ( sic ) got's" or "well, I cant thinking off everyone?"
Where can a guy buy an upside dn question mark...



Mike

it did gif to me a haf our of nice g00gle -tyme - well, I looked up "all your base are belong to us", too

[AveryStella]

We love Tigers, indeed! Great information, Ken. I'm about to chase down some vacuum lines as well just to make sure everything's in order there. Also going to try an eight of a turn on the steering box adjustment.
And I HAVE to get the info on the custom box IRGEBHART posted - that is phenomenal!
Charles

[Ken2.7]

In 2020 my main goal was to get rid of the steering box that I have adjusted for years. I ordered a Redhead steering box (details in the link below) but in summary I also replacing the power steering pump and new hoses. It’s really nice to drive now and I should have done this sooner.
https://www.astrosafari.com/viewtopic.p ... 0#p1562738

A dragging passenger door needed work so I put in new Dorman sleeves and pins. I strapped the door to the overhead garage door rail and balanced it with a jack underneath.

I used locking pliers and a hammer to get the pins out but the sleeves were more of a problem. I found a small diameter bolt that would slip through the sleeve, a socket small enough to force the sleeve out and a stack of washers. I tightened the bolt to push the socket against the sleeve and force it down into the washer stack.

After two months I’m finding that door again has a slight drag. It’s nothing like it was before but still discouraging. The drivers door is all original with no drag.

My fresh water tank holds just under 20 gallons so it has irritated me to see it slosh out from the overflow vent when I’m making a sharp corner. I tried plugging the vent only to learn now the air had to exit the filler tube causing me to get soaked. Then I read how someone solved the issue by extending the vent tube and looping it up high within the walls before returning to the overflow outlet. It was an easy fix and solved the water spilling.
I decided to put Eternabond tape around the perimeter of the top edge. I ordered a 1.5”x50’ roll and had some left over. The narrower tape made it easier to go around corners.

I decided to update my taillights since I always have bikes on the back and I wanted the brake lights to be brighter. I put in 4 Bargeman 47-84-610 LED units which are much brighter. I had to cut and splice wires and have since learned there are Bargman units that you can just plug into the old light socket.

I also updated the back up lights with plug in LED panels 48SMD-3528. While the backup lights are much brighter they still aren’t as bright as I want. That will be future project.

There were no long distance trips this year but spent a great summer exploring more of Colorado. The 12V frig I put in last year worked great and even kept ice cream frozen.

[SportsBoy]

Awesome.

[dcsleeper]

is the bed over the cab, in the attic, where you sleep? How can that be strong enough for two people?
cool Tiger and update thread.

[AstroWill]

They reinforced under the roof above the front two seats. Probably a picture of it in my GTv8 thread.

[Ken2.7]

dcsleeper, I just saw your question and under the 4” mattress is a sheet of plywood and the bed feels solid. I haven’t removed the plywood but have thought about it to see if there’s room for any insulation. I’m thinking there isn’t, but the area that overhangs in front of the cab does feel a little colder at night.

[AstroWill]

Definitely going to be colder as only the center portion is over the cab, still a bit of overhang.

Here is a picture of how they reinforced the cab, with the headliner removed. You can also see the rows of screws that go up into the bed platform. You could definitely add a small amount of insulation there.

[Morissak]

Hello Ken I have a 2000 Chevy Tiger Provan and I have some leaks....I do not have a pop. up roof, but it looks just like yours.
Can you offer any advise or point me in the right directions for help on how to track the leak??
thank you