• Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!

  • Microsoft MSN, Live, Hotmail, Outlook email users may not be receiving emails. We are working to resolve this issue. Please add support@steelsoldiers.com to your trusted contacts.

Alcohol Evaporator, Block Heater etc.

JDToumanian

Active member
1,655
14
38
Location
Phelan, CA
Bjorn, I just caught your note on the bottom of that PS Magazing article about not forming the J-bend at the top of the vent line due to the risk of clogging...

My truck has already had this MWO installed and my truck has the j-bend in it. Is it worth modifying? What is the risk of clogging and what clogs it? Gunked up brake fluid? Ice? (That wouldn't be a problem out here...)

Regards,
Jon
 

cranetruck

Moderator
Super Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
10,350
75
48
Location
Meadows of Dan, Virginia
Jon, as you know the little breathers are spring loaded and do work in any position, but upside down you open the possibility of filling the cap with water, condensation, oil or whatever and in that case it wont open. When it doesn't open your brakes wont release.

I took it one step further and separated my airpak vent completely from the other vents. I hear a distinct hiss as the brakes are released.
Kind of a confirmation of the workings of the brakes.
 

baja_power

New member
331
0
0
Location
Marysville Ohio
Bringing back an old one here....

Since the majority of the air still will come from the engine air filter, will only a part of the incoming air be from the alcohol evaporator? Would it be overkill to build a massive evaporator with the intake using the 1" ID fitting on the bottom of the intake?
 

cranetruck

Moderator
Super Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
10,350
75
48
Location
Meadows of Dan, Virginia
Bringing back an old one here....

Since the majority of the air still will come from the engine air filter, will only a part of the incoming air be from the alcohol evaporator? Would it be overkill to build a massive evaporator with the intake using the 1" ID fitting on the bottom of the intake?
The vaporizer shown in the TMs is all you will need, vapor of methanol is taken in by the compressor and mixed with the (if any) water in the air system. The system uses about a pint of alcohol every 1,000 miles or so in my experience....
 

Stonewall

Member
191
2
18
Location
Peoria, IL
Please check out a thread from sasquatchsanta, titled forty below deuce. It discusses the block heater option and gives a p/n for the heater from carquest. He used the front and rear freeze plug on the passenger side of the engine.
 

bgekky3

New member
243
2
0
Location
Huron, Ohio
This is what I set up for the alcohol evaporator. Before you laugh at the duct tape and the foam insulation, take into consideration I had to swap in a broken engine last weekend and next weekend I am moving across the country. I used some fittings I had in my scrap brass bin and a pasta sause jar with a steel lid. Once I get to Ohio I will fab up a bracket and make it look nice.
 

Attachments

FMJ

In Memorial
In Memorial
4,210
37
0
Location
Las Cruces, NM
This is what I set up for the alcohol evaporator. Before you laugh at the duct tape and the foam insulation, take into consideration I had to swap in a broken engine last weekend and next weekend I am moving across the country. I used some fittings I had in my scrap brass bin and a pasta sause jar with a steel lid. Once I get to Ohio I will fab up a bracket and make it look nice.

If you get to Ohio.....:razz:

You know, making moonshine is a Federal Offense....
 

bgekky3

New member
243
2
0
Location
Huron, Ohio
I can always put it in the tank like the Duke boys, and if I getted dipped I can tell the officer that it is not a diesel truck it is an E85 truck. At least I am putting my BS in Chemistry to good use.
 

jesusgatos

Active member
2,689
28
38
Location
on the road - in CA right now
Während des zukünftigen…

Napa makes bleed kit with a check valve so bleeding is a one man job PN is in the tool catalog under KD service tools #2838 and sells for a whopping 12$...
I'd like to read more about how that brake bleeder works.

You may also be interested in checking out this thread. http://www.steelsoldiers.com/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=6664&highlight=brake+bleeder Kenny built this handy little unit and I have helped use it first hand... It works WONDERFULLY!!!
Dead link. I tried the 'old' trick, but it's not working for me.

I took it one step further and separated my airpak vent completely from the other vents. I hear a distinct hiss as the brakes are released.
Kind of a confirmation of the workings of the brakes.
I've been reading everything I can find about the air lines and fording kits, and have found a lot of your posts to be VERY helpful. Thanks.
 

1stDeuce

Member
351
15
18
Location
Farmington, NM
Just a quick not on the block heater... I don't recall the dia, but the the block heater for a 90ish to 2003 Jeep 4.0L works good. I think they're only 600w heaters, so I used two, one in the front and one in the back. I have a magnetic oil pan heater too, and all three plugged into one three way adapter. Takes a few hours, but gets the old girl running even at -20F. On WMO mix nonetheless. (Flame heater doesn't seem to work well with WMO mix...)
Chris
 

Srjeeper

New member
1,505
40
0
Location
NE, Pa.
Here's part #s

Here's some info on the evaporators. They can be purchased at any heavy duty truck parts supplier and the cost is minimal. I would not recomend riding around with glass jars full of alcohol or any other liquid under your hood.

I will tell you that the AE-1 is what the military use to use, but it's no longer available to the best of my knowledge. So AE-2 is what you'll find now at most places. I lucked out and got a military one off e-bay several years ago, so keep an eye out there also.

Good luck...........
 

Attachments

Srjeeper

New member
1,505
40
0
Location
NE, Pa.
Hmmm, why would Bendix not approve of using alcohol in air-brake systems?

They don't want you using it on the newer trucks with air dryers as it 'could' cause an explosion when it gets to the heated dryer.

On the systems like are used on older trucks and the deuce it's totaly safe.
 
Last edited:

Srjeeper

New member
1,505
40
0
Location
NE, Pa.
My understanding is, that the older systems are less affected by alcohol than the newer systems. The reason given to me was that the older seals were made with more real rubber and most internal parts were some sort of metal. Nowadys these seals and internal parts are made from various plastics and nylons.

Thats not to say older parts won't at some point fail, but I was taught over the years that moisture and rust were whats most harmfull to brakes.


I've owend and driven trucks for 46 yrs., so much of what I learned is from experience not tech bulletins.

You decide what your most comfortable with in regards to your equipment and go with it.

Above all, make safety your first priorty.

:rant:
 

wdbtchr

New member
883
3
0
Location
St. Louis, MO
The air system on my DTC 8606 forklift has the alcohol evaporator AFTER the compressor in the airline going to the wet side of the air tank. The thing is the manual doesn't say how to get the alcohol into the evaporator. There's a drain on the reservoir, but I can't find a cap or plug on the top.
 

jesusgatos

Active member
2,689
28
38
Location
on the road - in CA right now
My understanding is, that the older systems are less affected by alcohol than the newer systems. The reason given to me was that the older seals were made with more real rubber and most internal parts were some sort of metal. Nowadys these seals and internal parts are made from various plastics and nylons.

Thats not to say older parts won't at some point fail, but I was taught over the years that moisture and rust were whats most harmfull to brakes.


I've owend and driven trucks for 46 yrs., so much of what I learned is from experience not tech bulletins.

You decide what your most comfortable with in regards to your equipment and go with it.

Above all, make safety your first priorty.

:rant:
No, I'm not trying to dismiss anything you're saying. These are EXACTLY the type of answers I like. The only thing I don't want to hear when I ask a question is, 'I dunno, but it works for me'. I'll take technical information and anecdotal experience any day. I like having enough information to do exactly what you said (make an informed decision for myself). In this case, I'm trying to build a motorhome (M109) that I can take ANYWHERE - from one extreme to the other. But this isn't a zombie-apocalypse / weekend camper: I'm living/traveling in it full-time.

I like the simple/effective alcohol evaporator on one end, but what about some of these high-end air dryers? I've read about the Bendix AD9 on here, but I know there are a lot of different units on the market (Bendix, Haldex, meritorwabco, etc.). On the other end of the scale, what are the best uber-overkill options? I like how some of those systems are redundant and alternate between the dryers while the other one is being recharged (automatically). That's sort of a theme with this project. We've got back-ups for back-ups...
 
Top
AdBlock Detected

We get it, advertisements are annoying!

Sure, ad-blocking software does a great job at blocking ads, but it also blocks useful features of our website like our supporting vendors. Their ads help keep Steel Soldiers going. Please consider disabling your ad blockers for the site. Thanks!

I've Disabled AdBlock
No Thanks