[PhantomLord]

Alignment: When I was at Mysore thought of getting alignment done, alignment Tech could not get camber number correct.
I was asked to visit again saying by then they would have their systems updated for BS6 Gurkha.
So left and took it known shop in my home town, got into pits and camber adjustment was limited.
I could see bolt was not sitting flat when camber moved to one side.
Closer inspection showed poor weld of alignment bolt limiter, weld splater(green) would lift bolt washer making bolt foul(red) and move outside limiter.



After grinding weld, repainting and new bolts.



Diesel Filter: Thought of replacing diesel filter, did not find much muck, factory recommendation of replacement every 20k looks ideal.



FilterCap: Filter cap had an issue, the retainer clip was installed wrongly in main(right) filter and was loose.



Filter Elements: Both pre and main filters are identical, only differ by filtering element.




Wiper: Rubber on factory wiper was bit brittle, the replacement(left) wipers I got had smaller length, coverage looks fine though.

[tanmay324]

Superb writeup!
Mine is a March 22 manufactured truck, has done 7.5K now. I am also seeing some wear on rear sway bar bushes. Maybe will have them replaced at around 15k.
I also noticed the front camber adjuster welds are poor and not symmetric on both sides. Similar issue with idle rpm of 1000, seemingly random. Engine oil filler cap is leaky and sweating oil over the head, can be a probable cause. Waiting for its replacement.

[PhantomLord]

There was oil leak near diff rear cover, I was concerned it could be from case spreader hole. Gurkha has elaborate arrangement to vent diff and transfer case above 700mm, such leaks mean water will enter diff or transfer case while water wading. Force representative told oil leak from spreader hole is not likely, so planned to re-seal the cover.

Leak location



Diff cover removed.





Cleaned Cover


After sealing the cover and re-filling oil it was clear that leak was from spreader hole.



Case spreader holes are not properly sealed, weld looks poor.



Used JB weld to seal it, as of now it's working fine.

Originally Posted by tanmay324

I also noticed the front camber adjuster welds are poor and not symmetric on both sides. Similar issue with idle rpm of 1000, seemingly random.

In my case idle RPM still hits 1000 randomly, I checked with force representative and was told every 150KM DPF auto regeneration raises RPM to 1000, in case you are parking then wait till RPM drops to 800 (have not verified this). But I see it happen every alternate drive, manual states DPF regeneration RPM as 1800. Overall I feel BS6 is burning more fuel to hide smoke.

[PhantomLord]

From what I could gather from Force representative 2022 Gurkha has 3 updates.

• Updated Steering hose routing and new rack/pinion setup.
• Dead pedal.
• Insulation above transfer case or silencer end can.

Steering Hose : For me major concern was steering hose mounting clamp, every day before taking Gurkha out I had check if clamp was fine after re-welding. Weld did not last a week, luckily I saw it before drive and used large hose clamp to tie the fluid cylinder to stabilizer bar.



May 2022 Steering Update Parts



Mounting Clamps



Note that these clamps are present in 2021 Gurkha, since mine is early batch Gurkha, I guess it is present all BS6 Gurkha. If you are planning this update you can skip these clamps, this also indicates unaddressed known issue before delivery.




Old Steering Hose Setup



New Steering Hose Setup




New Steering Hose and Bleeder Cylinder Installed





Bleeding: Workshop manual does not have any information for steering components. I just drained oil after removing hose union/joint near cylinder and installed new hose. Filled new steering oil into reservoir and gravity bled at the cylinder while turning steering wheel, re-filled as reservoir emptied. Later started Gurkha, re-filled steering oil and bled till no air bubble was seen.




Other Updates

Dead Pedal: When I was the local dealer, was told that 2022 dead pedal was available. But for installation tinkerer was on leave and there was no information on how to mount it. Dead pedal has two bolts, I could not find a mounting point for it in driver foot well of 2021 Gurkha. Improvised and mounted it as I wanted it. Initially dead pedal felt too close to clutch, now I am used it. Since pedal is sheet metal you can bend to suite your angle of preference.






Rear View Mirror: Manual dimming of rear view mirror was always pain with Gurkha due to excessive flip spring tension, everytime I tried to dim, mirror lost its alignment. I had spare 124(black) mirror so mounted till I get a auto dimming mirror.




Turbo: Turbo Oil leak via PCV returned, so concluded issue is not oil level related. Cleaned the turbo again and disconnected PCV, will update how this goes.




DPF 1000 RPM issue: I saw this issue again during a stop, so wanted to verify if this goes down after 30 minutes as Force representative mentioned. Waited for 38 minutes and RPM stayed at 1000, looks like this issue may not be DPF auto run.

My Lift Kit(tens)

[Manuuj]

Read through the whole thread again and have shared the link on my WhatsApp Gurkha Group.

Lots of useful and wonderful information.

Though i fear the only way i can have Asterix upto the mark as your Dawg is if i drive it down to your location and have you work on it (at gunpoint if needed). I certainly do not know of anyone with the knowhow and skills to carry out the job.

Thank you for all the info and especially the periodic check points.

I wonder if you could brainstorm an issue that i am finding annoying me in Asterix?

At any speed over 20 kmph when i apply brakes even lightly the steering wobbles and at higher speeds there is pronounced body judder.
One can even feel a pulsation in the brake pedal. Almost as though the disc and pad are not seated well.

I have already had the disc skimming carried out alongwith changing the brake pads.
(Since i felt that the metallurgy on the discarded brake pads was faulty and was causing lines on the disc instead of getting worn themselves. Even after 10,000 kms they were almost like new and hardly worn at all)


What do you think is causing this brake judder and steering wobble?

1. Disc and brake pad?
2. Wheel bearings?
3. Alloy wheels not seated well? Mine are 110 CB 8J -ET 0- 160×5 PCD. But if it was Alloys causing this then i would have had this issue since day 1.
4. Brake drums
5. EBD ABS?

At the FM workshop they want to swap out my Alloys and Tyres with Stock Alloys and tyres of their test drive vehicle and see if the brake judder and steering wobble persists. I know this will be an exercise in futility but am going along in the interest of removing it from the list of possible causes.

I really look forward to any ideas you may have.

Thanks again for this wonderful thread!

[Kosfactor]

Originally Posted by Manuuj

At any speed over 20 kmph when i apply brakes even lightly the steering wobbles and at higher speeds there is pronounced body judder.
One can even feel a pulsation in the brake pedal. Almost as though the disc and pad are not seated well.

As you press the brake pedal the pad is making uneven contact , most likely the caliper guide /slide pins are the culprit - assuming the discs are okay as you have inspected and that this is a new vehicle.

An older article for reference.

link (DIY: Caliper slide pin cleaning & Brake pad replacement)

[Manuuj]

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

As you press the brake pedal the pad is making uneven contact , most likely the caliper guide /slide pins are the culprit - assuming the discs are okay as you have inspected and that this is a new vehicle.

An older article for reference.

link (DIY: Caliper slide pin cleaning & Brake pad replacement)

Thank you so much Kosfactor. I will surely have it looked into this Sunday!

[PhantomLord]

Originally Posted by Manuuj

What do you think is causing this brake judder and steering wobble?

1. Disc and brake pad?
2. Wheel bearings?
3. Alloy wheels not seated well? Mine are 110 CB 8J -ET 0- 160×5 PCD. But if it was Alloys causing this then i would have had this issue since day 1.
4. Brake drums
5. EBD ABS?

• In Gurkha I find there is relatively more brake disc wear vs pad, normally seen when ceramic pads are used.
• Removing Disc needs splitting the hub, you are looking at least partial hub rebuild with collapsible bush replacement.
• Skimming is best avoided, mainly because with operator error you could end up making it worse, secondly amount of work required to the remove disc is huge in Gurkha.

• Primary cause could be rotor, suspension (ball joint) or wheel bearing.
• Since you skimmed the disc, you have touched both Disc and wheel bearing, did your problem improve or worsen after skimming ?
• In any case jack up the wheel and check for bearing play, see

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMpQ4xuMIoQ

• In Gurkha's case Stock Alloy is aftermarket, I was told some owners are struggling to balance these wheels(Sticking weight all around the wheel :-))
• So, if you are testing alloys ask FM to arrange for steel wheels(Gurkha's hub is built for steelies).
• To check if its ABS/EBD, you can try disconnecting ABS sensors and test.
• Gurkha has 4 POT fixed caliper, slide pin related issues can be skipped.

[batish]

Originally Posted by PhantomLord

Rear cabin, wheel well sheet metal is well formed and has thick gauge.
Attachment 2309389

What exactly is this foam carpet called? I miss this in Thar, Mahindra has just provided thin layer mats on bare metal.

Can this material be purchased just like dampening sheets? I enquired in car market but only got hold of sponge.

[PhantomLord]

Originally Posted by batish

What exactly is this foam carpet called? I miss this in Thar, Mahindra has just provided thin layer mats on bare metal.

Can this material be purchased just like dampening sheets? I enquired in car market but only got hold of sponge.

Mostly Wool Felt, this needs to be thick to be effective, which will lead to fitting issues. See post #36 (damping) for better option.

[ajithvpl]

I had initially only skimmed thru these posts and assumed this was done at some local garage in Coorg. So had made plans to get down to Virajpet and get the same stuff done on my Gurkha. Only on re reading did I realize you have done all these yourself. Hats off to that.
PhantomLord you need to open a Gurkha Service Center and please do all these on our Gurkha's too or atleast go train the Force Service centers to address these concerns for its users.

Great stuff and true Team BHP material. Love the content.

[PhantomLord]

Posting 36K quick pictorial update, Gurkha BS6 has been serving me well for past 2 years. Did not do much of maintenance or mods expect for oil change every 10K due to lack of time, yet to change the air filter.

Gurkha somewhere near Gaali Kere


Handing occasional towing duty


Gurkha Night view, lighting up a mountain(ok mound )


Shaft catcher catches a stick while off road.


BS6 had some recall of sorts where some early Gurkha's were missing thread locker on steering knuckle bolt, mostly cause of early steering related accidents ? Mine had thread locker, but one of the bolts had some slack, this could be added to 10K maintenance check list.


Old and new bolt, I changed the bolts just incase and used Loctite 262 and torqued bolts to spec.


Right upper ball joint boot had a tear.


Upper ball joint mount had some rust, cleaned it up.


Time for changing Radar RT+, it lasted 25k approximately.


BFG 235/85/R16, GTD 290 to D 90 ?


Black Cat Commando guarding Gurkha

[Manuuj]

So you are the first one to use BFG 235 85 16 on the BS6 Gurkha brother. How was the fit? Any bumper trimming required?

Also am surprised that your Radars only lasted for 25,000 kms. Mine have crossed 35,000 and still atleast 10,000 kms of life left.

[PhantomLord]

Originally Posted by Manuuj

So you are the first one to use BFG 235 85 16 on the BS6 Gurkha brother. How was the fit? Any bumper trimming required?

Fit is pretty close, I thought it would foul the fender but it did not. It does foul with inside rubber skirts more than Radar though.
Have run 5k on it, below are some observations.

• Drive is smooth on tarmac, corners and handles as good as radar despite increase in ride height and less width.
• During emergency braking wheel locks up early and ABS kicks in.
• It will not match Radar off road though, easily looses grip on gravel.

Weight: Weighs 1 KG more than radar 245/75/R16

Originally Posted by Manuuj

Also am surprised that your Radars only lasted for 25,000 kms. Mine have crossed 35,000 and still atleast 10,000 kms of life left.

It mostly broken rural roads

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3jSW0KnlBA

[ddbs25]

Originally Posted by PhantomLord

I think Gurkha makes a good vehicle for Audio setup for both SQ and Bass heads. It is hard to find heavy, rigid chassis with excellent shell(see my later post) sheet metal thickness for the size these days. To boot stock speaker sizes are 6.5"

Setup:

1) Front Speaker - POLK DB6502 DB+
2) Rear Speaker - JBL STADIUMGTO620
3) Woofer - Infinity BASSLINK SM2 8" UNDERSEAT (Under driver seat)
4) Amplifier - JBL CLUB704 4-Channel Amplifier (Under passenger seat)
5) Wiring only - Only added Power and RCA, for speaker used stock wiring.

Infinity BASSLINK is press fit for driver seat, its about 1mm larger than seat support, you can just press it in.
Attachment 2310035


Speaker at front are very busy, I am glad Force did not exclude it. To remove left speaker ideally you need to pull the ECU and may be blower assembly.
Attachment 2310021

Right side speaker area too is very busy, you need to pull the pedal assembly for proper acces.
Attachment 2310023

Front speaker, Stock vs Polk
Attachment 2310025

Front Speaker slot is in foot-well, even though access is pain, the slot is well made. It's shallow, can't use deep speaker like STADIUMGTO620, but DB6502 fits like glove. There is even slot which looks just made for component crossover module. Speaker slot actually tunnels and vents into A pillar, sound play is good considering speaker is near the foot.
Attachment 2310026

Front Speaker installation you can't use normal screw driver unless you dismantle the dash, looks like speaker is the first part to be assembled in dash :-). There is about 1" gap to get the screws in and out + stock screws can be used for aftermarket speakers due to different mount points. I planned to use only 2 screws and use double sided tape for sealing, used one stock screw and had to cross drill hole for another.
Attachment 2310033

Rear Speaker is walk in the park, STADIUMGTO620 is press fit (rarely I get this lucky), but stock screws can't be used. Also made improved fitting for forced ventilation vent, still using double sided tape since tabs are broken from factory.
Attachment 2310032

Tweeter: I planned to cover the coin hole and mount tweeter into it, but it sounded fine in current location and mostly is closer to recommended 12" from woofer.
Attachment 2310034

Damping: Damping plan was to inspect existing damping and damp wherever needed, just converted all 1 KG plastics to 10 KG. Gurkha plastic trims have good clearance unlike 124, so made it heavy and tight.

Lead jacket for transmission tunnel, for damping I used Texsa Tecsound MLV, 5.2mm thick sheet gives ~1kg per square feet and extremely flexible.
Attachment 2310028

Dash area is well damped inside out from factory, only weak point is cable entry hole from engine bay, its just thin rubber sheet, lead wrap is the fix.
Attachment 2310029

Audio work done ready for assembly.
Attachment 2310015

Center trim fixed, added edge binding to mask sharp edges and blend with carpet.
Attachment 2310016

Music play for this setup is brilliant even with windows rolled down, unless you rev it to the limit.


Got a set of matt from CoverWell Nexus, it is well made, but needs improvement. Noodle overlay is press fit and removable for cleaning.
Attachment 2310019

Passenger side fits well and I could tuck it under console trim.
Attachment 2310030

Driver side, noodle patch needs to extend till under pedal to properly collect dust and easy cleaning. Also it kinks with foot when releasing clutch
Attachment 2310022

Rear needs noodle patch for walking area.
Attachment 2310031

As a Gurkha owner, found it amazing the number of details you've gone into and rectified or modded on your bus. Did you do the front speaker exchange yourself? The accessory shop guys refused to work in the recessed area and the official service center people at Bangalore are a bit lost on how to change it out. Strange. Any leads on people doing quality audio work on the Gurkha will be helpful. Thanks.