Major League Nor'Easter coming!!!!!!

[FISH4BUGS]

I am in NH just in from the seacoast by about 25 miles, but still out in the woods....The forecast is for 24"-36" of snow with winds as high as HURRICANE force starting at around 3 pm. it is snowing lightly now but it will definitely turn bad this afternoon.
Well prepared.....generator hooked up and gassed up. Snow blower gassed up and ready. 50 gallons of gas at the ready. Freezer and fridge stocked up. Casting shed ready to go.
The generator is wired to make sure that I can cast even if the electricity is out. It runs the casting shed (priorities you know), freezer, fridge, sump pump, furnace, well and septic pump, and kitchen and living room lights. The well is 600 feet deep and requires a 240v pump, so the generator does just fine providing water, lights and heat. The ice storm of 2009 we were without power for 11 days......
Actually kind of looking forward to doing battle with mother nature. When the snow stops, and the driveway is cleared, we are going snowshoeing.
Be safe out there you New Englanders......

[HATCH]

better you then me.

[P.K.]

Hope you have some seasoned HW set aside too. ;-)

18-36" used to have me up in front of the T.V. waiting for school cancelation notices....Fat chance of that. I think the only time Sagadahoc County Schools ever canceled was for a shortage of salt/sand. The plows never stopped.

[Wayne Smith]

Very glad I'm no longer there! 20 years ago we left Concord, NH for Virginia Beach. Great choice! Just rain here, maybe 2" by the end of it.

[Doc Highwall]

Forecast is for 19"-29 of snow with high winds here.

[farmall666]

we are getting it too. Supposed to get 18-30" where I am in CT.

[Love Life]

Take care during this storm.

[waksupi]

I guess I don't understand the panic over a snow storm?

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I'm jealous,
a small storm is predicted for sat, sun, mon here in MN
looks like we might get 8 to 10" of snow.

snow shoeing sounds fun...I'd do the same.
Jon

[fishhawk]

whats the big deal with a little snow?

[RayinNH]

If we're not heard from for some time please come looking. Bring shovels :-D...Ray

[FISH4BUGS]

I guess I don't understand the panic over a snow storm?
That is really a good question. Will it be difficult? Sure....but that is why I have a snow blower. We have a little farm house on a ridge and the wind will be howling. The snow accumulation will be anywhere from bare ground to 6 foot drifts.....I'll probably have to blow it three times or more to keep up. Bad? No....horrible?.....no....pain in the butt?.....yes, but that is the joy of living in the country in New Hampshire.....
But everyone if freaking out over this.....the stores were mobbed, the gas stations had long lines, banks were busy, and everyone seems to have their underwear in knots over this.
I think it shows how the vast majority of people don't have ANY backup in their lives. If the world came to a stop today, we could survive for easily a month or two ...or more if we really had to ration ourselves. Most people buy grocieries once or twice a week, buying what they immediately consume....and what would happen if there was no food on the shelves?....no backup.
We always buy a little extra weekly and put it in the pantry closet. Canned goods, paper towels, coffee, toilet paper, soap, (think for a minute how it would be without toilet paper) etc. make a good backstock of food and supplies. I gassed up two days ago when the first inkling of a bad storm came out.
I guess it shows how most of us have gotten soft. if something really happens, it would not be pretty.
Not being a prepper.....just being prepared. There is a difference I think.

[P.K.]

I guess I don't understand the panic over a snow storm?



whats the big deal with a little snow?

Must be used to "dry snow" right fellas? When you get snow/temp/humidity #'s just right it's not just a few inches of snow anymore. Your talking TONS of the stuff on roof's, tree's, powerlines etc. It's a big deal. Try shoveling a drive way full of 24" of the white stuff that has the consitancy of soft butter and weighs I dunno how much a cubic foot of water weighs but put a couple of those on the end of your favorite snow thrower and give it a whirl....;-)

[farmall666]

I think the big difference around here is the proximity of large trees to power lines. The tree huggers around here do not allow the power companies to cut back trees.
Storms like this generally leave us without power for 1-2 weeks.

[Wayne Smith]

I guess I don't understand the panic over a snow storm?

Whiteout with the snow blowing sideways at hurricane force is a challenge. A week or more without power, lot of shoveling to do. We would have the driveway clean a day before the plows at times when I lived there, and that was in town.

[P.K.]

Whiteout with the snow blowing sideways at hurricane force is a challenge. A week or more without power, lot of shoveling to do. We would have the driveway clean a day before the plows at times when I lived there, and that was in town.

Then more shoveling after the plow goes by.....Grrrrrr.

[runfiverun]

ha.
i see ric and steve's point of 18" snow not being a big deal.
that's what i got from the last storm
it's allready higher than the mail box, another foot isn't gonna matter.

[Bad Water Bill]

Depending on where you live generally determines the amount of moisture in your snow.

In the mountains,north woods etc 12" of snow can be swept away with with a broom. Here in Chicagoland a 12" snow fall requires a shovel normally used for hand mixing concrete.

Yes snow can be that heavy.

[xrae21]

Always hated that as a kid. It was my job growing up to keep the driveway clear with a hand shovel. Then the snow plow would come by and push four feet of snow in the driveway.

[rockrat]

I remember the snow, from when I lived in Hampton, long long ago. Used to tunnel in the snow. Probably not too far from you.

Maybe New York will have a law passed, not allowing Mother Nature to have such a large storm hit. I am sure it will stop the storm in its tracks, just like the new gun laws will curb crime.

[Rick N Bama]

Got your Bread & Milk bought:) Seriously, you guys be careful. I cannot imagine having to cope with that much snow.

Rick

[Love Life]

Got your Bread & Milk bought:) Seriously, you guys be careful. I cannot imagine having to cope with that much snow.

Rick

I remember when I lived in Alabama and Georgia if it snowed everything stopped. Our towns didn't have snowplows...

[xrae21]

Same thing in south Texas. Snow here is like rain in LA everyone thinks the world is ending. Be careful my northern friends mother nature knows no forgiveness.

Went 8 weeks without power thanks to Ike. It sucked

[GOPHER SLAYER]

What can you do now that Al Gore has sold out and abandoned you. After all what you are facing is all part of global warming.

[Dale in Louisiana]

And here in southwest Louisiana I'm running my air conditioner...

dale in Louisiana

[Doc Highwall]

Last year I bought Honda 1332 snow thrower (13 Hp. 32”) and did not really need it for the amount of snow we had. It is rated for 71+ tons of snow an hour so I am waiting to really try my toy.

[dragon813gt]

4"-14" prediction here. I'm right on along a ridge and they don't know what it's going to do yet. There are times where we've gotten 12" and the other side of the ridge got only rain. I really don't care since it's happening on a weekend.

Every year the skill of drivers gets worse. We get snow enough that everyone should know how to drive in it. Unfortunately to many people don't, or are afraid. It's to the point where rain slows everything down to almost a halt if it happens during rush hour. Snow makes it impossible to get anywhere because people get stuck when we get 1/4". If you haven't noticed I can't stand drivers in my area.

[Rick N Bama]

I remember when I lived in Alabama and Georgia if it snowed everything stopped. Our towns didn't have snowplows...

If I'm not bad wrong Huntsville has some snow plows as does the extreme NE part of the state. I live in Cullman County & here regular graders are used. My road was graded a couple weeks ago when we got 5" of snow which was the first time it's been graded in the 21 years I've lived here.

Our snows come with the temp around the freezing mark & turns to slush as it's driven on. That slush then becomes ice overnight which is almost impossible to drive on.

It's hard for the Counties & Cities to justify the cost of snowplows when they'll only be used ever 2 or 3 years. Our roads aren't salted either which sure helps vehicles to last longer.

Rick

[dragonrider]

Right now 8:30 PM we have 7" out there. Getting about 3-4 inches per hour now. By morning there should be about 30" Wind is not too bad at the moment, maybe 15 to 20 mph.

[FISH4BUGS]

Ready to crawl into bed at 8:30 and read. Wind is averaging about 30-40 mph, the snow is coming down sideways, can't even see the stone wall just 50 feet from the house, and the worst is yet to start. I have been watching the doppler radar all evening and the real body of the storm is just about to hit us.
Maybe 6-8" on the ground now but the drifting makes it hard to tell. Estimates are still from 24" to 36" total, with some areas maybe even more.
I didn't even try to snow blow it. I am going to wait until morning and just go at it. I have a 24" 2 stage Craftsman and it should handle it ok.
Should be a fun morning....it is supposed to do this (with even higher winds coming) until noon tomorrow. Accumulations from 2" or more per hour.....just do the math.....let's see....low side.....30"....high side......I don't even want to think about it.
This is really going to be a BIG storm.......but we are snug and prepared.
Went out in the casting shed (connects the house and the barn) and actually thought about doing some casting or reloading, but the wind is just ferocious.....maybe next time.

[FISH4BUGS]

Seriously, you guys be careful. I cannot imagine having to cope with that much snow.

Rick
Rick:
That's funny......I cannot imagine having to cope with that much heat. I'll take these snowstorms anytime. Our summers are in the 70's and 80's....spring summer and fall are beautiful....you just have to embrace the winter.....
The longest year of my life was spent at Fort Gordon, GA just outside Augusta. I think is started to get in the 90's in May and stayed over 100 many days until September.....and that was with 100% (or darn near) humidity.
No thanks, man.....I'll put up with winter to get the other seasons.

[2HighSpeed]

Growing up with those storms we know how important it is to be prepared. We have turned our "linen" closet (a 8 foot long room by 6 feet wide with shelves all around) into our emergency area. We have enough supplies to last at least 5 months. Stuff like TP, body wash, deodorant (living with 5 males that's a MUST), laundry soap, canned food, water and drinks, movies and the like. Also 3 50lb bags of dog for because the furry members of our family need to eat too. However our generator the military would not ship and we had no room left of my husband truck when we left SC so we gave it to the elderly neighbor that was living on $400 a month social security. We also have him 70 gallons of gas that we had forgot we had out behind the shed. So while we are prepared, without a generator we would be up sh*t crick without a paddle if a bad storm rolled through. The sacrifices of the army. SMH



That is really a good question. Will it be difficult? Sure....but that is why I have a snow blower. We have a little farm house on a ridge and the wind will be howling. The snow accumulation will be anywhere from bare ground to 6 foot drifts.....I'll probably have to blow it three times or more to keep up. Bad? No....horrible?.....no....pain in the butt?.....yes, but that is the joy of living in the country in New Hampshire.....
But everyone if freaking out over this.....the stores were mobbed, the gas stations had long lines, banks were busy, and everyone seems to have their underwear in knots over this.
I think it shows how the vast majority of people don't have ANY backup in their lives. If the world came to a stop today, we could survive for easily a month or two ...or more if we really had to ration ourselves. Most people buy grocieries once or twice a week, buying what they immediately consume....and what would happen if there was no food on the shelves?....no backup.
We always buy a little extra weekly and put it in the pantry closet. Canned goods, paper towels, coffee, toilet paper, soap, (think for a minute how it would be without toilet paper) etc. make a good backstock of food and supplies. I gassed up two days ago when the first inkling of a bad storm came out.
I guess it shows how most of us have gotten soft. if something really happens, it would not be pretty.
Not being a prepper.....just being prepared. There is a difference I think.

[2HighSpeed]

I'm running my AC too. It was in the mid 70s today. I slept from 5ish till 7ish. Poor kids had take out pizza again for dinner.



And here in southwest Louisiana I'm running my air conditioner...

dale in Louisiana

[xs11jack]

Good preparation is 90% of coping with bad weather. Oh, by the way, water wieghts about 8 lbs per gallon and with that weight at the end of a stick, ya, your back is going to talk to you about the situation at hand.
Jack

[Charley]

I'll stick with South Texas, 71F here today. 20% chance of rain tomorrow/Sunday.

[gbrown]

Hurricanes on the Gulf Coast, snow storms in the Northeast, all the same--preparedness. Some have foresight, some no sense. I sympathize with you up there and hope for the best for you. However, early in life, I resolved never to live north of Austin, Tx, because me and the white stuff just don't get along. BTW, what's a snow blower?

[Rick N Bama]

Rick:
That's funny......I cannot imagine having to cope with that much heat. I'll take these snowstorms anytime. Our summers are in the 70's and 80's....spring summer and fall are beautiful....you just have to embrace the winter.....

OH our summers here in N. Alabama are in the 70's & 80's as well IF you don't take into account the daytime temps:).

I'm 65 now & the hot days do take their toll on me, however I surely wish I was well off enough to fly south at the first hint of winter along with the other Snow Birds I see come through here. I think the winters hurt me much more than the summers do.

Rick

[dragonrider]

It's 8:40 AM and there is 24+ inches out there, and still coming down. It has slowed down some but not much. Just got off the Kubota and came in for breakfast and hot tea. Am watching the news right now and they say there are over 400,000 without power, but not here, we still got it. Hope it continues to stay on, although I do have a generator. I have not heard of any deaths yet, but I expect there will be some. There is a voluntary evacuation for some coastal towns that are going to get hit with higher than normal tides today.

[Gliden07]

I live in Western Mass and I think SNOW SUCKS!! We got about 12-14" going out soon to spend 2 hours to move it so I can move it again when the next one comes!! YUCK!! Can't wait for Spring!!

[Gliden07]

It's 8:40 AM and there is 24+ inches out there, and still coming down. It has slowed down some but not much. Just got off the Kubota and came in for breakfast and hot tea. Am watching the news right now and they say there are over 400,000 without power, but not here, we still got it. Hope it continues to stay on, although I do have a generator. I have not heard of any deaths yet, but I expect there will be some. There is a voluntary evacuation for some coastal towns that are going to get hit with higher than normal tides today.


I heard of 1 Death in Boston elderly man was struck by a car.

[Doc Highwall]

It looks like I have 24+ inches here, I will be going out abs soon as I finish my coffee.

[dragonrider]

It has stopped as of an hour or two ago, and now I get to go out and finish the cleanup. Da** glad I got my Kubota with 50 inch snowblower. When I went out this morning at 6:30 it was 24+ deep but the tractor when through without effort. Of course the rule of wind in your face applies, that being that in whatever direction you are blowing snow the wind changes to blow it right back into your face. Always hated that rule.

[Gliden07]

Just finished up 2 hours or so, managed to get to the Girlfriends and plow her out too! That should be good for a Brownie point or 2!! LOL!! Now a nice cup of coffee and some lunch!!

[marlin39a]

Hey Gliden07, don't you just love it when you get shoveled out, and the plow comes by and puts that big wet, icey, wall of snow in front of the driveway? I remember it well. I was there in the Blizzard 0f '78. Oh, how I love Arizona!

[cbrick]

I cannot imagine having to cope with that much snow. Rick

We got hit with a blizzard several weeks ago. I know it was a blizzard because the next day the headline read "Christmas day blizzard hits county".

It was tough but I had plenty of supplies to get me through just fine. We got a half inch of snow and it didn't melt until the next day. [smilie=1:

Rick

[Gliden07]

Hey Gliden07, don't you just love it when you get shoveled out, and the plow comes by and puts that big wet, icey, wall of snow in front of the driveway? I remember it well. I was there in the Blizzard 0f '78. Oh, how I love Arizona!

Yeah!! Its really funny that when that happens things come out of my mouth I didn't know I knew?? LOL!!! I am looking to move after I finish my retraining (school) HVAC/R Arizona would be a good market!! LOL!!

[nhrifle]

Well, the storm has come and gone. I got to sleep in this morning and now I'm enjoying a cup of coffee, looking out the windows. We got a little under 2 feet of snow, and the evergreens are just beautiful today! There is a stiff breeze blowing now, so shovelling is not going to be fun. Oh well, warmer weather is coming.

[RayinNH]

Just about done only a few flakes in the air, many on the ground a few behind the wheel. It looks like we have about 18"ish. I have a snow drift on my bulkhead door that is about seven feet high so it's hard to measure accurately. The lights didn't even flicker so no power loss. I'm about 6-8 miles away from FISH4BUGS so it will be interesting to see what he ended up with. Half the driveway is plowed the other half will follow after lunch...Ray

[Dale in Louisiana]

Just finished up 2 hours or so, managed to get to the Girlfriends and plow her out too! That should be good for a Brownie point or 2!! LOL!! Now a nice cup of coffee and some lunch!!

"Plow her out too!"

That could be mis-read on soooo many levels, but does point a very pleasant way to pass the time in bad weather.

Unfortunately during my last hurricane evacuation, my employer wanted me in a different place than my sweetie evacuated to.

dale in Louisiana

[Bad Water Bill]

CAUTION---CAUTION---CAUTION---CAUTION---CAUTION---CAUTION---CAUTION

Birth rates ALWAYS rise 9 months after a disaster in your area.:mrgreen:

[Gliden07]

"Plow her out too!"

That could be mis-read on soooo many levels, but does point a very pleasant way to pass the time in bad weather.

Unfortunately during my last hurricane evacuation, my employer wanted me in a different place than my sweetie evacuated to.

dale in Louisiana


CAUTION---CAUTION---CAUTION---CAUTION---CAUTION---CAUTION---CAUTION

Birth rates ALWAYS rise 9 months after a disaster in your area.:mrgreen:


LOL!! I thought this was a Family Show!! LOL!! But maybe I could use the Brownie points??

[P.K.]

It has stopped as of an hour or two ago, and now I get to go out and finish the cleanup. Da** glad I got my Kubota with 50 inch snowblower. When I went out this morning at 6:30 it was 24+ deep but the tractor when through without effort. Of course the rule of wind in your face applies, that being that in whatever direction you are blowing snow the wind changes to blow it right back into your face. Always hated that rule.

They offer a cab upgrade with that model? ;-)

[dragonrider]

Yea I can get a cab for it, but it's more than I want to spend right now. Maybe in a couple of years.

[dragon813gt]

I'm glad it didn't come further south and hit my area. Ended up w/ about 2" of snow w/ a 1/4" of ice in top of it. The ice had all the secondary roads a mess this morning. I have no desire to shovel over 2' of snow at once ever again. It's happened to many times in my short life.

[Doc Highwall]

I just finished and came in to get a cup of coffee and the coffee pot broke. I am waiting for the plow to come back again so I can call it quits. I had 20" of snow in the low spots and about 24" elsewhere.

[PB234]

a bit of music for the snow http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DUCPdV3VwA

[FISH4BUGS]

Well, the storm has come and gone. Like Ray in NH, it is hard to tell really how much snow we had.....it went from a bare patch to seven foot drifts around the barn. Since we are up on a ridge, the wind is unmerciful.
I think we got around 30" or so. I started snow blowing at about 7:30 this morning and finished at about 11:30. The snow blower worked like a champ! The snow was so deep that it lugged the motor pretty much all the time but it still threw the snow 10 feet or more to the side. The wind rule, referred to earlier, was definitely in play. No matter which way you blew the snow, it always came back in your face. Kind of like the campfire smoke rule.....
Shoveling out the entry ways to the house was a real pain. I HATE shoveling through a 6 foot snow drift! The was really the only real grunt labor...the snow blower just needed guiding and turning around.....let the machine do the work.....but it still took four hours.
All in all , a hell of a snowstorm. This one was one of the all time biggies.....no harm, no foul.....casting shed is warming up and I am going to go reload some 308's and sort some brass....
The surprising thing is that we didn't lose power. Public Service Company of NH said screw the tree huggers....we are cutting back the trees. They had an agressive cutting program this past summer and here is the result....no loss of power in one of the biggest snowstorms in history for us.
Glad its over.....but as they say here in New England....it was a pisser wicked bad storm.

[runfiverun]

we got about 6" and it's still snowing.
i was gonna use the tractor but fired up the suburban instead.
hooked up the plow, turned on the C/D player and pushed some snow.
almost spilled my DR.Pepper once when i hit a drift.
i had the heater up too high for a minute and my right foot got to sweating,so i took off my tennis shoe and finished in my stocking foot.
i'll wait for the snow to slide off the metal roof and have the kids go finish around the doors.

[RayinNH]

I have to up my total to about 24 roughly". My wife reminded me the I plowed about 6-7 inches of snow last night before bedtime. Well after lunch plowing din't go so good. My 1992 S-10 with the vacuum assisted locking hubs refused to lock, so I've got half of the driveway plowed and without 4 wheel drive the truck will barely move on flat land .I may have to drive it to my mechanic in unregisterd and rusting away badly condition. Tommorrow I trudge out to the back shed and see if I can start the snow blower that hasn't been started in ten years. Not holding out a lot of hope for it... Disgusted in NH...:cry:

[Gliden07]

Talked to a friend of mine in CT they got 38" of the white stuff!! Little better than an hour away from me!! So I think 12" is a blessing!!

[brassrat]

I'm in Ct. with close to 40" The wind always whips up drifts in driveway due to buildings and fences. This time is insane. Around 6' or more, down the drive and It would take a REAL big truck to move if there was somewhere to push it.

[Alan in Vermont]

Of course the rule of wind in your face applies, that being that in whatever direction you are blowing snow the wind changes to blow it right back into your face. Always hated that rule.

If you haven't figured it out yet try running with the chute deflector turned down part way. You sacrafice distance for comfort but it's usually worth it. That tall, feathery plume looks impressive but really lets the wind get a grip on it. Keeping the snow in a tight stream closer to the ground makes a huge reduction in how much you get to wear. I often run my tractor blowers (I got two of 'em) where they are only moving the snow 6' to the side but it's a lot more comfortable to handle it twice than it is to wear a big percentage of it.

We only ended up with 8-10" up here and no wind until after it was all over. Not much of a "blizzard" by my standards. A snowstorm isn't of any big importance until it hits 20" or more.

[Alan in Vermont]

I have to up my total to about 24 roughly". My wife reminded me the I plowed about 6-7 inches of snow last night before bedtime. Well after lunch plowing din't go so good. My 1992 S-10 with the vacuum assisted locking hubs refused to lock, so I've got half of the driveway plowed and without 4 wheel drive the truck will barely move on flat land .I may have to drive it to my mechanic in unregisterd and rusting away badly condition. Tommorrow I trudge out to the back shed and see if I can start the snow blower that hasn't been started in ten years. Not holding out a lot of hope for it... Disgusted in NH...:cry:

Ray, chances are that the issues is what GM calls a "switch", located on the side of the transfer case, that controls vacuum to the actuator. Any time mine failed (we ran an 88 and 91, along with a couple full size GMs in commercial plowing operations) it was to stick with the axle engaged but I don't see why it could fail disengaged as well.

There's a couple temporary fixes you could try. Easiest one is to find the vacuum line going to the actuator, it will be coming up around the battery tray(the actuator is hidden under the tray). Going from memory here, it has been a few years, there's a tangle of hoses under the hood, one goes down to the "switch" and another comes back up to the actuator. A third is a vent line that releases vacuum from the actuator when the "switch" opens. If you can find a vacuum source, seems like there is a manifold somewhere in there, you can tie it into the actuator line to hold it engaged whenever the engine is running. Second option is to pull the battery and tray, then disconnect the pull cable that actually engages the dog clutch in the axle and pull it out as fr as it will go, manually then wire it off to something to hold it in place. Either one will get you operating. In a bunch of years plowing with the S'es we never had an actuator fail so I heavily suspect either the switch or a bad vacuum line. They either get hard and cracked or oil soaked and softened to where they collapse and won't allow vacuum to pass.

[MtGun44]

My S10 4WD had the diaphragm fail in the vac actuator for the front axle. If it is failed, I
think you can pull the actuator wire and lock the front axle engaged. THe actuator was
super expensive or a plastic ***, so I uncrimped it, used fine fiberglass cloth and silicone
sealer over a homemade form to make a new one. Took a seconde sealing coat after the
first cured, but it works fine.

Good luck with the snow. Glad it is not here. We had 24" in the late 70s in Charleston
WV, and it was two days before we could move around town, just impossible to move
that much snow quickly.

Bill

[xs11jack]

Well, people, we gotta get some aid and assistance to RunFiveRun stuck out there in the frozen tundra of I dee ho. Maybe we could send a chopper before the poor man and his wife start to feel the effects of starvation. Hope he stays at the house and doesn't wander off in a snow daze and freeze to death in front of the Suburban. It's a terrible thing happening like that, we gotta help!!
Jack LOL

[waksupi]

I am also concerned for Lamar. I remember the winter of '95-'96. I had 18 feet of snow here. It got to the point I didn't know whether to shovel a path, or dig a tunnel to the outhouse!
Be very careful of those heaters. You can actually scald your feet, if you have good winter boots on!

[Bad Water Bill]

Would a 747 FULL of supplies be enough to keep him from starving till they can get a big enough plow in there to clear the road?

[square butte]

16 inches here in southern Vermont - And most of the wind was near the end of it. Got mostly dug out yesterday, but still waiting for the slate roofs to slide into the driveway and door yard. That's when the fun really begins.

[RayinNH]

Ray, chances are that the issues is what GM calls a "switch", located on the side of the transfer case, that controls vacuum to the actuator. Any time mine failed (we ran an 88 and 91, along with a couple full size GMs in commercial plowing operations) it was to stick with the axle engaged but I don't see why it could fail disengaged as well.

There's a couple temporary fixes you could try. Easiest one is to find the vacuum line going to the actuator, it will be coming up around the battery tray(the actuator is hidden under the tray). Going from memory here, it has been a few years, there's a tangle of hoses under the hood, one goes down to the "switch" and another comes back up to the actuator. A third is a vent line that releases vacuum from the actuator when the "switch" opens. If you can find a vacuum source, seems like there is a manifold somewhere in there, you can tie it into the actuator line to hold it engaged whenever the engine is running. Second option is to pull the battery and tray, then disconnect the pull cable that actually engages the dog clutch in the axle and pull it out as fr as it will go, manually then wire it off to something to hold it in place. Either one will get you operating. In a bunch of years plowing with the S'es we never had an actuator fail so I heavily suspect either the switch or a bad vacuum line. They either get hard and cracked or oil soaked and softened to where they collapse and won't allow vacuum to pass.

Alan, I'm loosing vacuum, probably the line. I had the diaphram that Bill mentioned, replaced about 6-7 years ago. Went back out this morning and finished most of the drive until I lost vacuum again. Had coffee then tried again, got another ten minutes worth before it stopped again. One more five minute session I'll be finished...Ray

[RayinNH]

60871

[runfiverun]

ray it almost sounds like you are warming up a hose and sucking it shut.

hmm a 747.
i don't think you can land anything much bigger than a cessna at the airport here.
maybe y'all could just do a flyover and throw out bundles of cash.
i could buy my way out of the state for the winter..

we got another 3" last night and will probably get another 1-2" today/tonight.
we rarely get 2' at once we just get 2-3-4-8-12"s of snow over and over and over again.

[BD]

We only got a dusting of light stuff up here, about 8". Too bad, we need the stuff to keep the winter economy going. In Boston and Portland 2 feet of snow is a major disaster. In Greenville, it's tourist dollars falling out of the sky.
BD

[farmall666]

We got 40"+ where I am in CT. Took over 4 hour with the case 580 backhoe to get from my house to the road. Even after that really couldn't go far as most of the roads were snowed in. By this morning most roads are at least passable. Luckly we did not loose power.
By far the worst snow storm we have seen in over 100 years.