A cruise amp rebuild..
 

I'm a masochist.
That's the only explination.
Really.

So I picked up a 1998 dated cruise amp the other day.
I posted about it briefly. Does not work(surprise).
It's clean, I can actually read most of the ID numbers on the resistors, IC's and such. I can get the parts pretty cheap.
I'm going to attempt a rebuild.
I figure on replacing the transistors and the IC chips, all the resistors *look* ok. If that does not work, I'll either start replacing resistors or take the Mauser to it.

Interistingly, I can't find it's part number listed anywhere.

412 205/007/014
12v
11/98
178 41/98

It's similier to the amp from an 86 SDL, but not quite.
No codeing plug either, I thought an 85 or 86 would have that.

Add-in question, little 201 cars, 190's, cruise amp in pass side kick panel, is it different from the older VDO amps? I had one of my guys pull one from an 86 190E and either it's different or he pulled the wrong thing.

Will report back at some point. Think I need a lower wattage soldering iron. And patience.

Wolf, you must have an enormous amount of patience, got any extra you want to sell?;)
I would have taken a Mauser to my amp long ago just to vent my frustration but I don't have one. I guess I can use one of my Rugers.

Damn......If you was closer I would Loan you mine.

1924 Yugoslavian 8mm Mauser. My deer rifle for heavy brush. I use 196 grain Norma Ammunition.

I think my Ruger .44 magnum carbine using 240 grain rounds will do a nice job of reducing the amp into finely divided particles.:D

I'm damn good with a rifle. But would have to get close enough with a handgun I woudl get hit with the shrapnel.


My hands just are not steady enough to be good with a pistol at any distance.

Personally I prefer my Klingon Disrupter. :D

You don't really need steady hands with the Ruger. It's a rifle and deadly accurate.

1938 dated, Nazi markings intact, 8mm. Love it to death. I was a Mosin-Nagant fan for years, but this Mauser makes them look like broomsticks with steel and gunpower tossed in. Even my Finn M39 in 54R(which is still a beautiful weapon).

Anyway, I looked up the IC's and transistors last night, less than $20 for all of them. I'm going to gamble the resistors are alright for now. Will order this week sometime.

And I only have patience for machines if it's any consolation, absolutly none for people out in the world.

Wow, that is pretty suprising, I didn't know there were many other C&R collectors here. I just picked up a couple VZ-24s a year or so ago, I don't really want to get anymore until I get a C&R license because paying 10% markup, 6% sales tax, 3% CC fee gets old quick. I pretty well stole them at $50ea (before fees :eek:), one is completely matching with the remanents of the crest on it, the other is mostly matching but had a cracked handguard. I wouldn't mind a k98k eventually.... :)

My pride and joy is 1953 FN Browning with '98 Mauser action, in 257 Robert's cal, crome vanadium steel barrel, Herder's glass bedded cherry wood stock, and 7.5 Leapold scope. It's amazing the range of use with 75 g BTHP, 90 g BTHP and 120 g BT Spitzer. Longest sucessful shot, 500 yds approx.

The resistors are all probably ok, unless they are burnt and discolored to the point that you can't determine what the color codes are. I replaced two of the transistor pairs on my cruise amp. I ran out of extra parts, so I still have one pair to replace.

I'm betting though the the transistors fried when the actuator failed. The amp couldn't source enough current to get the amp to do anything and it finally failed.

I'd like to know what kind of input the actuator needs to move. Is the output of the amp a high side or low side driver. Do you have to pwm the output? At what duty cycle and frequency? Is there a troubleshhoting writeup for the amp?

I know, I have a Stainless steel Ruger Mini-14 with a folding stock.

.223 and compact, Also have a Pre-ban Colt AR-15 chambered for 7.62 X 39 Russian from the factory.

There is an Unusual rifle.

That is odd. Cheap little commie rifle that it is, I love my SKS's.
I have a 58 Romanian that was the first rifle I refinished the stock on(like most of them, it needed it bad). I have well over 2000 rounds through it just since I've owned it, and it was heavily used. 2, count em, 2 FTF's, and it shoots as well as it ever did.
Out groups any non-mega$$$ AK too.

I've really gotten into old bolt guns, the semi's are fun and all, but for the same reasons I like the cars I do, I love old Mausers and such.

My first rifle was a bring back M14, select fire and all. No I don't have it anymore. :(

I built an FN-FAL once awhile back from a parts kit, that was a lot of fun. If I can ever get my car(s) sorted out I might get more activly into it again..

I agree on the resistors. The transistors going from high current draw by a worn actuator is a common thing, bad design in my opinion. I'd like to know more about what the servo needs as well, always wondered if one could impliment some sort of relay system to actually bear the load of the servo, instead of the relaticvly fragile transistors in the amp.

One could get the duty cycle and such if they were inclined to spend a day with a working system and the right meters. I have a frequency counter somewhere still, believe someone borrowed my osciliscope though. There is trouble shooting info online, but it all amounts to external stuff. From what I gather even the MB dealer stuff is basicaly a set of tests and a plug in module that says replace this, replace that, etc, etc.

How is the group on the SKS? A couple people told me they were horrible with accuracy and that the Albanian version looks nice but has very crude machine work. The quality put forth in many of the mausers are just like the old mercedes, unsurpassed quality that even new ones don't have anymore. I've never been out to a gun range and I doubt how safe it is to fire behind me since the 8x57 can go through something like 80cm of pine before stopping! :eek: So I haven't even gave my mausers a try yet. I know one is good to go, but the other I think I'll get a new firing pin just to be certain.

Unfortunately I don't know much about electronics, maybe after I get my B.S. in ME I can head back and get some circuitry classes. I also wouldn't mind being able to program logic into chips either, I've done that a little but not enough.