Even though we hope that all mechanical work on the tractors, trucks, and equipment can be done in a heated shop, it just doesn't seem to work out that way. As my son and I run a snowplowing business, we have learned some "survival" tricks that may help you avoid the effects of frost bite. (by the way, I still am in awe of the army of folks that built the Alaska pipeline about 35 years ago....they really learned the winter survival tricks needed to keep their machines working.)So here are a few that may be of help: 1) Do not lay in the snow or frozen ground, it sucks heat out of the body terribly fast. So I keep a cut scrap (about 30" x 6') piece of carpet that I can throw on the ground first. A second smaller piece can be used directly beneath the work, to place tools on.. so they don't get iced up, and also if a part or bolt gets dropped, it doesn't get lost in the snow, but is quickly found on the carpet scrap. Sure, the "magic carpets" get oil and antifreeze on them and they get thrown out, but meanwhile have done many jobs before being tossed. 2. If it is going to be a long job, I have used a metal tool box, a flat scrap of sheetmetal, and a Coleman stove. Put the sheet metal on the grate of the Coleman, and the toolbox on top of that. Turn on the flame to "low". Now the tools don't suck the heat out of the hands. 3. If working in windy conditions, use a tarp or carpet scrap or cardboard or sheet of plywood as a wind break. 4. If the diesel fuel has gelled up (my 8000 Ford tractor did this while running), it is usually a problem in the fuel filters. It can be ungelled with a hand held propane torch directed on the fuel filters and the fuel lines. If there is no winter diesel available, straight kerosene can be added to the fuel tank to "winterize" the existing fuel. This mix is safe up to 50-50 kero/diesel, and will prevent gelling to about -40. 5. Winter gasoline is a different formulation than summer gas. This means harder starting, as the summer gas does not vaporize very well at cold temps. I have found gas that contains ethanol is hygroscopic and draws moisture from the air in spring, summer, and fall. It becomes much more difficult to ignite in a cold engine. Thus maybe some ether starting fluid is needed until that old gas is used up and fresh winter gas is in the tank. 6. Even though you may have a tractor plugged in (some kind of coolant heater), it only gets the top of the engine warm. The oil stays thick and cold. We have used torpedo heaters, big propane torchs, and even a big metal dish of hot charcoal to warm up the oil. This is maybe even more important for the transmission, as todays tractor transmissions are more expensive to fix or replace than the engines are. 7. ???? I'll bet that many other folks from MN, Dakotas, Montana, Idaho, and the western Canadian provinces can add a whole bunch of cold weather tips to this list. Lets get this thread going! Paul in MN
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