Singapore again. Waiting for the next plane to Manila, and then some vacations in the mountains. Baguio maybe?

It was a huge surprise to figure out that I would have to work on a Drott hot-bulb engine again. That was a '62 model still fitted to a small fishing boat.

How could we expect CNG to work for Venezuelan people if its availability is still limited?

Natural Gas is really going to save Venezuela? I don't think so.

The seemingly-Nazi government of Venezuela had ambitious plans to increase the usage of Natural Gas as an automobile fuel in the domestic market in order to save cash from the subsidies currently applied to keep the prices of petrol and Diesel fuel artificially low and leave more crude oil and its byproducts to be exported at international market prices and put some dollars in the crippled Venezuelan economy. Installation of CNG fuel systems, dubbed "dual fuel system", is sponsored by the local oil & gas company PDVSA for both public service and private vehicles, either retrofits in used vehicles or OEM installations at importers and the few local auto manufacturing plants that are still active. It's a country that imports about 80% of all the food it consumes, and already facing scarcity of staple items such as bread, and even McDonald's had to replace Argentinian potatoes with locally-sourced cassava roots to keep the McFries available. Meanwhile, the dictator Nicolas Maduro set an agreement with the Palestinian Authority to supply Hamas with all the Diesel fuel it is going to need to keep its terrorist attacks against Israel. Well, any reasonably-minded person can agree that it would make more sense to support the few heroes who insist to develop the agriculture in Venezuela, not just to provide food to their fellow countrymen but due to the potential to develop a range of low-complexity alternative fuels too. And why not shoehorn some Isuzu 4JA1, 4JB1 or 4BC2 into those landyachts that are all around with their boat-anchor V8 engines thirsty for some petrol?

Finishing this journey in Suriname. An interesting country, one of the few countries with traffic to the left in the Americas, but there is no restriction on whether the steering wheel and the pedals are.

Have seen some boat owners running their 2stroke outboards on kerosene instead of petrol. They are supposed to take less oil, and carbon deposits around the spark plug electrode are not so frequent.

Body repair is not my specialty, but now I am giving a hand in the refurbishment of an early Isuzu Panther. Would be nice to drop a twin-scroll turbocharger on it by the way...

Refurbishing one of those Chinese portable gensets with a single cylinder engine around 10 horsepower gots me thinking about swapping one into a motorcycle.

One of my favourite second-hand Japan imports had been the Toyota Caldina, and seeing one from the second generation with the 3C-TE engine and AWD makes me a bit sad to remember used car imports are not allowed in the Philippines anymore, only trucks and heavy machinery are still OK.

It was an enormous surprise to see a VW Beetle in Suriname. Cannot deny it is one of the most reliable bantams ever.

Overhauling a single cylinder Yanmar after some years. From tractors to boats, from generators to well pumps, these beasts were used for basically any thing.

Indirect injection diesel engines are cheaper to build and overhaul, and operate easily with many low-quality degree fuels, not just conventional diesel but biodiesel and vegetable oils. If some care is taken to ensure a proper lube at the injector pump, even kerosene becomes safe.

Fishing is always entertaining. And one of my favourite protein sources. Even tried to roast a fillet over the head of a Toyota 2L-T in a Landcruiser 71, while my host put some pork ribs and cassava roots right next to the turbocharger housing. All wrapped with banana leaves, as it would be expected...

It does surprise me to see petrol-powered trucks in a country like Suriname, where the weather is perfectly suitable for biodiesel and even straight vegetable oils to be used as a renewable fuel that can be sourced locally for cheap. Have seen about two early Isuzu Elfs with 2-litre petrol engine still struggling to survive.

Really did not expect to spot a Bedford Harabas in Suriname. It was powered by the Isuzu 4FB1 out of a rusty Isuzu Gemini and had a 5 speed gearbox. Opening the differential case, a surprise: lots of sawdust and banana peels used to feel gaps between the internal gears.

Fishing is always a good entertainment. This time I could get some piranhas that are going to be cooked in a calderetta.

Replacing a KE31 out of a Mitsubishi jeep with a 4LE1 Isuzu engine.

Asbestos is still a popular choice for gaskets, but now I would rather use silicone gaskets for the engine and leaving asbestos only for the exhaust tract.

Finishing an overnight work with Isuzu 4LE1 engines, ready to be fitted to compact pick-ups and SUVs. A good match to a 4th generation Toyota Hilux.