Sand Mountain and Scouts and a problem

["John Hofstetter" <hofs@domain.elided>]

Digesters,
Spent the long weekend at Sand Mountain, Nevada east of Fallon on
Highway 50, "the loneliest highway in America". 

Had a great time. Didn't try climbing the giant dune with the Scout,
but while son and friends did that with Quads and Dune Buggies, we did
ghost towns and the wonderful War Canyon trip in the Clan Alpine
mountains. 

Saw a lot of Scouts in Nevada and as could be expected, I think, they
tended to suffer very little from rust, but many looked well used, so
to speak.  Saw an 800 with a spring over, I think Dana 44's front and
rear, and a driver whose girth made me look slender. Saw that Scout at
the AM/PM in Fallon and wondered if that person is a digester?  Pretty
obvious that this Scout travels a lot of adventure trails. 

There was a Dodge Power Wagon with paddle tires front and rear that
went about everywhere on the mountain, so I have no doubts that my
Terra would do as well, including getting high centered on the ridge
of the dune. Took some doing to get that big pickup off its high
center. I got my SSII high centered on a dune at Pismo Beach one time,
and it took a flock,   herd,   pride,   gaggle,  NO TROOP of Boy
Scouts who were hiking through to push the SSII on over the high
center. No Boy Scouts on the top of Sand Mountain, so a group effort
of guys crossing the ridge was required to tip the Dodge on down. 

My Terra and its Pro-jection EFI performed flawlessly in the Clan
Alpine high elevations and also in the return over the Sierras via
Highway 4, one of the steepest and highest passes over the mountains
between California and Nevada.  Based on the next paragraph, you'll
see that this flawlessness occurred because I seldom ask my 345 to
exceed 3000 rpm. 

Interesting problem first pointed out by Allan E. when he drove my
Terra from Death Valley to Tulare for me. The darn thing completely
cuts out at 3000 rpm. It's as if it had a governor on it. You can be
going downhill with very little gas demand, and at 3000 rpm, it cuts
out. You can be going up a heck of a steep grade, accelerating very
well, and at 3000 rpm, it is as if a governor cut off the ignition. I
think I'll call MSD today, and see what they have to suggest. The MSD
had a 6000 rpm rev limiter in it because none of the choices that came
with the unit were appropriate, but I took that out and there is no
limiter in the unit now.  Hmmmmmmmmmm. 

John H.