So did it get cold enough to kill the bugs Starmac?

[bearcove]

Heard you bumped -50.

[starmac]

We didn't just bump, actually topped it. lol
I can't answer about the bugs though. I knew a guy that worked on the pipeline back when that swore he shoveled the snow off mid winter and found loive mosquitoes. lol

[jonp]

Do you have snow fleas up your way? I remember seeing them in the North East but not when it was that cold out. Do you do anything special with your trucks other than heated tanks, radiator cover and the standard winter blend fuel?

[starmac]

I am not sure what you mean by snow fleas.
Only one of my trucks even has tank heaters, and I never turn them on. The electronic engines return enough fuel and combined with winter blended fuel they are not needed. As long as you keep them running, tank heaters are not needed with standard # 2 fuel, but if you kill them with no additive additive in it and let the fuel cool, you will have a problem.
My log truck is an older mechanical cat. I do not use tank heaters on it either. I usually keep it inside at night, and have a webasto on it if I do have to leave it outdoors in the winter.

For the most part, cold winter gear for the truck consists of a winter front. We do usually use a little better one than is readily available, ours are insulated and quilted. We also generally have a sniffer on the air system to keep it from freezing.
On my pickups I have artic power steering lines built and run airplane hydraulic oil in them.

[Plate plinker]

STARMAC you are a crafty one. When is the last time you iced up. I had it happen once on the dodge and only once. Not FUN. Most people do not realize that fuel is being circulated and keeping the tanks a little warmer. I run some sort of additive once the temps drop below 40* just for easier startup. I plug the truck in once it gets down to 20*, since she is a cold blooded old rip.

[Multigunner]

Snow fleas sound bad but the "snow snake" is the worst.
Extra points for the first one who recognizes the term.

[jonp]

When i ran over the top of the great lakes -40 was not unheard of. I used to put a small botttle of 90%+ alcohol in the tanks once a week for ice and i insulated the return lines to the tank wth foam noodle pipe insulation. Never shut off the truck either.

[starmac]

The last time I gelled up was not in one of my trucks.
About 8 years ago I flew up in febuary and hopped in a company truck and headed north.
I didn't know it but they had dug the truck out and pushed it into the shop to warm it up and melt the snow off, it had noot been cranked since summer and had summer fuel in it.
I made it 450 miles through a pretty good storm, and the engine never got over 125 degrees even on hard pulls, turned out the thermostat was stuck open. Finally 52 miles out of prudhoe she lost power and finally died. I did make it in to a pullout, but could not get it running again, it was 26 below and probably a 40 mile an hour wind. I got to spend a cold night there. lol

On my haul road truck, I did insulate the fuel lines, but it was somewhat of a mistake as the fuel stays too hot, I had to bypass the fuel temp sensor. I didn't insulate it to keep the fuel warm, I changed all the fuel lines over to syntec air line and insulated it so that gravel wouldn't wear on it.
I do have all the heater hoses insulated with foam pipe insulation and wrapped with 3M aluminum tape.

[Reg]

Yes the Snow Snake is a bad one for sure, much worse than Snow Fleas but the one to really watch out for is the Three Toed Skink. Bad bad bad

[jonp]

The last time I gelled up was not in one of my trucks.
About 8 years ago I flew up in febuary and hopped in a company truck and headed north.
I didn't know it but they had dug the truck out and pushed it into the shop to warm it up and melt the snow off, it had noot been cranked since summer and had summer fuel in it.
I made it 450 miles through a pretty good storm, and the engine never got over 125 degrees even on hard pulls, turned out the thermostat was stuck open. Finally 52 miles out of prudhoe she lost power and finally died. I did make it in to a pullout, but could not get it running again, it was 26 below and probably a 40 mile an hour wind. I got to spend a cold night there. lol

On my haul road truck, I did insulate the fuel lines, but it was somewhat of a mistake as the fuel stays too hot, I had to bypass the fuel temp sensor. I didn't insulate it to keep the fuel warm, I changed all the fuel lines over to syntec air line and insulated it so that gravel wouldn't wear on it.
I do have all the heater hoses insulated with foam pipe insulation and wrapped with 3M aluminum tape.

Odd thing about the Kenworth's we were running at the time. I liked the truck but the glass fuel filter bowl was set in such a way that the air came up under the truck and hit the bottom. Even with the heater element in the bottom it would freeze the water in it and stall the truck. I got around it by using some of that air bubble foil insulation that comes in rolls. I cut a piece to fit the filter and put it on with a couple of zip ties. Never had a problem with it again freezing up. The head mechanic laughed when I showed him and said that was ridiculous and wouldn't work. Next winter every truck we had had that set up.

[44man]

Bugs, guys! Nothing alive is more on earth. Nothing kills the darn things. First warm day and they are out.