Forty Below Zero Deuce

[cranetruck]

RE: Re: Forty Below Zero Deuce

I'm okay with the hot water "plate", got one from Joe Young, just curious about the type of insulation used, polyethylene?

 

[sprucemt]

RE: Re: Forty Below Zero Deuce

What you see in Ernies box is original. A wild guess is acid resistant closed cell foam. Type, I have no clue. I have no paperwork or data on the few boxes that I have left.

 

[SasquatchSanta]

Well here it is 11 months later and I'm finally finishing the "Forty Below Zero Deuce" project.

It was always my intention to add dual freeze plug block heaters, oil pan heaters and a float charger to the mix. I elected to go with two 600 watt freeze plug block heaters versus one large 1,200 watt unit. IMHO, the two smaller units spread the warmth throughout the block a little better AND one can be used to keep an already warm engine within starting temp. If the heaters haven't been plugged in for a few days then both freeze plug block heaters can be plugged in for a quicker warm up. The same rational plays for the two oil pan heaters. Given that I've got the pre-lub system I feel it best to keep the oil warm so the oil flows better and the pump isn't overworked.

Pics of the battery heaters have already been posted above --- here are pics of the oil pan heaters. The front heater is 450 watts and the rear is 150 watts. Sorry but no pics of the freeze plug heaters were taken. They are mounted in the front and rear freeze plug openings and for the record they are Car Quest part number 78266HTR. In case there is any confusion, the heaters I'm using were originally for a 1987 Jeep 6cyl.

As you can see from the second picture, there was a lot of cords to contend with. I added a control box behind the passengers seat. A gang of toggle switches allows the different heating devises to be brought on line. This may sound like overkill but you don't need everything activated if you're only stopping for a three or four hours. If, on the other hand, the unit has been cold all night you need a lot of power to warm it up without having to wait half a day.

The first switch allows for utility power to be selected, or generator power, or no (off) power. I have a 3,500 watt generator secured in the bed, behind the cab for those times when no utility power is available. There are switches for the front block heater, back block heater, front oil pan heater, rear oil pan heater and battery heaters. Also, Anywime the unit is plugged into utility power or is on generator power the float charger is running.

It's always been my intention to turn this truck into a dependable, reliable daily driver.

 

[Offroadfabworks]

Looks good and clean

 

[rosco]

RE: Re: Forty Below Zero Deuce

Simplicity & an engine pre-luber, were both mentioned above. Any time your in serious cold weather, a 20# propane bottle & a weed burner (some call them a tiger torch), should be part of your Survival Kit. That & a joint of 6" stove pipe with a 90 degree elbow. Stick the stove pipe under the truck w/ weed burner in the end of it. You have to use some common sense, but the propane torch acts as a venturi. It puts out a large volume of good hot air, that not only warms your oil/engine, but also more exposed important things like your air compressor. Actually, you can start the truck from scratch like that. After the engine is going, put some heat on the tranny/t-case, & rears etc.

With the new lubes today, minus forty is not too bad. Its when things are cold soaked for days at -50 & -60. After -40, there is a good "Light Year" of difference between every 10 degrees of temperature drop. Its also a fact that propane will not vaporize at below -40. Pour some water/pee on it, to get it going, then just turn the torch on the bottle for a few moments, when the torch starts to fade.

Lee in Alaska

 

[SasquatchSanta]

RE: Re: Forty Below Zero Deuce

I've used a propane torch and stove pipe more than once. It's a very effective tool and one of the bad things about the electric oil pan heating pads is once they are installed you can't use a torch or pan of charcoal without destroying the heating pads.

 

[rosco]

RE: Re: Forty Below Zero Deuce

I Know! Life is full of such complex issues.

Lee in Alaska

 

[SasquatchSanta]

This past week, while working on the M37 I've been driving the Deuce.

It's been cold with a couple of mornings at zero or a little below. I've been plugging in one of the 600 watt freeze plug block heaters and the 150 watt oil pan heater. With a shot of ether Rosie has been starting like it was the middle of August.

I mentioned this in previous posts but over the past few days, the realtively cold weather has confirmed that multi fuel engines don't run good until they are at 180 degrees or above. Evidently, it's because of the multi's extremely high compression but they just don't run good until they are hot --- not worm --- hot.

The shop where we're building the M37 is five miles from my house. When I get ready to go home at night I'll start the engine and let it run at around 1,100 RPM for 15, 20, sometimes 30 minuted. Even with the water pump fan removed and the winterfront closed, when it's zero outside, the temp gauge won't go over 160 degrees until I get it out on the road and build a fire in it. I should mention that I have a 180 thermostat.

By the time I drive the five miles to the house it is just getting at 180 degrees and the oil temp is around 10 degrees less. It rattles and vibrates and runs like it's got a million miles on itl. Nothing to be concerned about but there is a definate difference in the way it smooths out and quiets down when both the water AND oil temps get up to between 180 and 190.

Last night, instead of heading straight home I drove on into the town of Orr MN where I made a quick stop. I left Rosie idling and by that time I'd finished my shopping the electric fan was cycling and she was warm and ready. The difference in the drive home was striking. The overall performance when the engine is thoroughly warmed up is like driving a new truck versus an old clunker. The opriginal LDT engine in my deuce was the same way.

 

[chicklin]

Getting the tires warmed up makes a big difference, too, I think.

 

[SasquatchSanta]

chicklin wrote:

Getting the tires warmed up makes a big difference, too, I think.

Ohhh...The Old Square Wheels Factor

Very good point.

 

[OPCOM]

I finally opened the valves to the heater core.. but it warmed up gain to 65 degrees so I don't need the heater much. I don't move out till the engine's at 120, and don't get on the highway till it's at 160. The cold weather kit "bra" is aomething I don't really need here, and having to take it on an off can be a pain. I usually just bungee a 1x1FT piece of cardboard to the front of the beast. You guys up north have all the fun. I recall Bjorn's place a few years ago when he kindly let me stop the night there in his guest cabin. It was below freezing outside and the wind was howling through the trees. Fascinating waether.

 

[dabtl]

It was about 65 degrees here yesterday. I did not notice the diesel jelling in the tank.

 

[Bighurt]

It was about 65 degrees here yesterday. I did not notice the diesel jelling in the tank.

Which brings up a good point. SasquatchSanta how are you dealing with the gel factor. Are you running #1. I know 0°F and below my 08' Ford has problems without additive when running #2.

With the fuel pickup exposed on the Duece you must seam some temp related Gel problems no?

Curious as to how you contend with this. Great project.

Cheers
Jeremy

 

[dittle]

You're still getting straight #2 in ND? By law here in MN they have to start mixing in Octoober I believe. No matter what the year is if you're running #2 straight in below zero weather its going to have issues; something about injectors/pumps not wanting to deal with solids. Going to interesting this weekend when I go to fire up the M60A3 for PMCS.....might have to buy a jug of PowerService 911 and let it work for an hour before I try to fire it up.

 

[Bighurt]

Yup still #2 at the pumps, I fill at the truck stop as it goes quicker big nozzle and all. They still have #2, most the little stations sell a mix. There are #1 pumps at the TS only seasonally. I run an additive in my 6.4 just curious as to weather you fellas foot the bill for #1 or do the same for your MV. Or do you run the mixed?

As most MV's don't require ULSD I'd think any additive would work. Some of the new models get kinda picky.

Cheers

 

[dittle]

Out at the museum we run the mixed stuff that we can get at most stations. I haven't noticed too much of a difference running the ULSD (which doesn't burn worth crap), but we don't put the artifacts through much of a workout when we do use them.

As far as what people put in their MV's, I guess it would depend on their state. Right now in MN you can't buy unblended fuel at stations. If I had a choice I would run a 50/50 mix, thats what we did on the farm and never had an issue with the farm equipment. Just don't run straight #1, its a little hard on things not being lubricated.

 

[SasquatchSanta]

I'm running straight number one with a quart of Marvels Mystery Oil in a 50 gallon tank. A pint would probably do the trick but I don't plan driving the deuce (Rosie) much until spring and I'd rather be safe than sorry. When I was running a Nr 1 & Nr 2 50-50 blend I used a pint of MMO per tank. With straight number one you don't have to worry about jelling. I had a jelling problem last winter when running 50-50 blend and power service.

 

[jeli]

I had real good luck running Koch's Arctic Diesel but I think it went away with the ULSD stuff.

Dittle, you could get off road diesel instead but it probably isn't worth the trouble of transporting.

 

[dittle]

I guess all I was trying to say in regards to running a mix rather than straight #1 is that if you run straight #1 a lot of the lubrication is removed in the form of wax to prevent gelling. You can run straigth #1, I do agree with that but I would put an additive or something to give the fuel a little bit higher of a lubrication value. With as old as these vehicles are the last thing they need is less lubrication.

In regard to the "farm fuel" a bunch of my family who farms and their friends say that farm fuel in the older equipment does not burn very well.

 

[SasquatchSanta]

... In regard to the "farm fuel" a bunch of my family who farms and their friends say that farm fuel in the older equipment does not burn very well.

There are a lot of loggers up here where I live. Many have old equipment. No problem.

I agree with number-one needing a lubricity boost. To be safe (keep from walking and paying a big tow bill I'd rather run Nr-1, add lubricity (Marvel Mystery Oil) and suffer the reduced power and added cost of Nr-1.