Episode 728 – Jeep Raffle SCAM?

This Week In Jeep

Jeep Raffle Looks Like Probable SCAM!

Imagine this, you enter to win a Jeep, a one in a hundred thousand chance to win, but you gotta be in it to win it!  So you buy a raffle ticket, maybe two, maybe a couple of dozen. It doesn’t matter, what matters is you have the raffle tickets…. All that needs to happen now is the raffle. But it never comes. How would you feel? What would you do? Nearly 17 months later, ticket-holders of this raffle to win a Jeep, are still waiting for a winner to be announced. Hundreds of people plunked down money in 2021 for a chance at winning a brand-new, custom Jeep that was set to be awarded to the lucky winner at an event at the Wattsburg-Erie County Fairgrounds in July of that year. Yet here we are, the end of 2022… Almost two years later, no raffle has yet to even be held, let alone a winner announced… Despite all the entries, and of course, all that money collected. And so, to that end, the Erie County District Attorney’s Office is now investigating the raffle as a suspected scam. County detectives are looking into the Jeep giveaway that was part of the 2021 Great Lakes Jeep Jam, according to information recently posted on the District Attorney’s Office’s website. Investigators say that there are over 200 victims in the raffle, which county detectives first learned of through a cyber tip. They said dozens of people have reached out to them since the information was posted on Dec. 2 on the website of the District Attorney’s Office.

No one with the Great Lakes Jeep Jam could be reached for comment through a phone number listed with the event and published in the Erie Times-News in June 2021.

Detectives are asking anyone who might have purchased a ticket for the Jeep raffle to contact them at a special email address set up as part of the investigation: jeepjamscam@eriecountypa.gov 

Respondents are asked to include their names and contact number for detectives to use in reaching them.

Jeep Parts Supplier Also Has Amazing Jeep Museum

OMIX-ADA has been selling jeep parts and accessories for over 24 years. Company owner Henk Van Dongen also has a private Jeep museum. The OMIX-ADA jeep collection at the company’s headquarters in Suwanee, Ga., reflects the former owner of Omix-ADA, Al Azadi’s passion for Jeeps. There are dozens of Jeeps in his collection, including three prototypes. Eat your heart out Chuck! The collection includes a Willys MA, a Bantam VRC40, and a Ford GPW. There’s also a GPA, which is the amphibious version of the Ford jeep that we talked about in episode 698. And no collection would be complete without an MB, a GPW, an M38, an M38-A1, and an M17. In addition to these famous military models, there are about two dozen collectible civilian jeeps as well that would make any aficionado jealous.

The motivation for the museum was to protect the legacy of the jeep and honor its history. The museum also includes a workshop area to restore and maintain Jeeps such as a very rare Willys CJ2A Farm jeep with agricultural equipment. They also have a Jeep J10 pickup truck with only 2,440 original miles. Another outstanding vehicle is a Jeep forward-control FC-150 fire truck that has its original paint. The lacquer paint is flaking off a little here and there, but it’s all original.

The special interest jeeps residing in the collection today were found and acquired in a variety of ways. Azadi built up a network of people and contacts who knew his interests and goals. He bought Jeeps online and from people who had original, nearly untouched Jeeps. Here’s something not many people know, on Azadi’s acquisition list, there were actually Jeep models such as an original Gladiator pickup and a 1995 Jeep XJ as well. A long-range goal of the museum is one that may sound familiar to one of the hosts here on the show…. Their goal is to have one of every model of Jeep. Sound familiar Chuck? Then, the OMIX-ADA technical department will be able to look at the vehicles to develop new products. The company’s goal is to have its restoration parts look just like the original components. The collection is private but is happily opened to the public by appointment. That’s because they need to have someone there to open the door, turn off the alarms and explain what visitors are seeing. If a guided tour of this private, one-of-a-kind Jeep collection is something you may be interested in, we’ll have the links and info for you to reach out to. I wonder if they’d let us do a show from there? 

To Inquire About Museum Visit: https://www.omixparts.com/

…or email: CSTeam@omix-ada.com

Tech Talk with Jeep Talk

Transmissions can be scary, there are a ton of moving parts, repairs are ALWAYS expensive, and oftentimes take specialty tools most of us Jeepers don’t have in our garage. Let’s not forget that most of us aren’t trained transmission techs either. So there’s that. But that doesn’t have to stop you from learning a little more about your manual transmission, how it works, how to take care of it, and how to diagnose those little problems before they become big repairs. I love automatic transmissions, they’re convenient and easy to use, and the ones found in most Jeeps can generally take a fair amount of abuse. But I do love a manual transmission. I’ve owned about 30 rigs in my life, and only two of them have been automatics. There’s just something about having control of what the drivetrain is doing, and being able to manipulate the final drive of the vehicle with a combination of throttle, gear selection, and creative clutch work. The clutch, rather than one specific part, is actually a series of moving parts that act as a sort of domino effect on each other. Of course, this means if even one part fails, the entire system ceases to function. When this happens, knowing how to diagnose the issue at fault is the key to getting back on the road… or the trail depending on where you are when the peanut butter hits the fan. I’m going to try my best to explain how a Jeep’s clutch works and what some of the more common problems are too. I’ll also go into steps of how to diagnose certain issues and what to do about them.  First, a little background on that domino effect that helps you switch gears. The clutch, essentially, is a system that transmits the rotational energy of the engine to the transmission, which in turn transmits this energy to the wheels.

This system is made up of six major parts, each with a unique function. The flywheel is the clutch’s connection to the engine and the crankshaft. With the clutch engaged, it allows the starter to crank the engine and maintains engine speed. The clutch disc is a steel plate situated between the flywheel and the pressure plate. The pressure plate is like a spring-loaded clamp that bolts to the flywheel. When the clutch is released, the clutch disc is then allowed to spin with the flywheel and get your Jeep moving. This is accomplished because the pressure plate moves in reaction to the clutch pedal is pressed; lifting off the clutch disc to allow it to separate from the flywheel so the Jeep can change gears. When the pedal is released, the pressure plate tightens on the clutch disc again to transfer power from the spinning flywheel. The release bearing, also known as the throwout bearing, in turn, engages and disengages the pressure plate, held in place by the release fork as the clutch pedal is pressed in or released. Finally, the pilot bearing keeps this all running smoothly by supporting the transmission input shaft during engagement and disengagement when the flywheel and pressure plate are turning at different speeds from the disc assembly and input shaft. Pretty simple right? I know, even saying it out loud it sounds like a jumble, but it’s all quite orderly. When it’s broken down into its basic functions and explained one at a time it becomes a lot easier to understand just what’s going on under your Jeep. Ok, now that we have a better understanding of the manual transmission, let’s get into some of the procedures for testing common clutch problems. Commonly the biggest clutch problem is when the friction material on the clutch disc wears out. This will cause your clutch to slip.

Another problem is clutch sticking. When your clutch doesn’t release properly, the input shaft continues to turn to cause grinding or completely prevent your Jeep from going into gear. If you think you are having clutch problems, I’m about to teach you how to do a simple diagnostic test, in your own parking spot or driveway to find out what might be going on. Alright Jeeper, with your parking brake engaged, start your Jeep’s engine and shift into neutral. While your engine is idling, listen for a growling noise. It might sound like someone blending a batch of golf balls in their garbage disposal three blocks down, or it might sound like a very dull metallic scratching. If you hear anything more than the engine’s exhaust note, or those exhaust leaks you still haven’t done anything about, you may have a transmission problem. Ok, let’s see if we can’t dig a little deeper. Now try slowly pushing the clutch pedal in, not all the way, and make sure you push nice and slow, listening for noise. If there is a sudden change in the sound, or if there is vibration, grinding, or anything other than the engine is heard, you might have some problems. This could range from throwout bearing issues to a pressure plate going out, to even cracked, broken, or worn clutch plates. Finally, push the clutch pedal all the way to the floor. Listen for a squealing noise. It may be very faint, so you may want to have someone do this for you, so you can climb around under the Jeep to listen.  If you hear this squealing coming from the middle of the Jeep, it may indicate a bad release bushing or pilot bearing. Just by following these simple steps, and doing regular testing and inspecting of your Jeep’s clutch every so often, you can help avoid more costly repairs. But don’t stop at the clutch…. This advice goes for all the parts and accessories on your Jeep. So the next time you’re sitting in your driveway, remember this test and do it often. As I always say, a little bit of prevention in regular inspection goes a long way.

Links Mentioned in this Episode

NEXEN Tires USA https://www.nexentireusa.com/

Trails 411- POWERING Your Adventure https://www.youtube.com/user/backcountrydriver

The 4×4 Radio Network http://4x4radionetwork.com/

Interact With The Show! https://jeeptalkshow.com/contact

Jeep Talk Show on Facebook https://facebook.com/jeeptalkshow

Rat Bastards Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/ratbastard

Rat Bastards Webpage https://ratbastard.lol

Looking for Amazon products we’ve talked about on the show? https://jeeptalkshow.com/amazon

You are invited to our Discord Server!  https://discord.gg/txeYMs45sm

Show notes powered by sevenslats.com