Snow coming, preheating the engine and hydraulic tank

[Brad_bb]

Before more snow came today, I had to get some Firewood Ricks Out from where they were trapped behind a gravel, pile and snowbank, so I can take them over to my old milling Partner?'s place this week I had to drive the forklift through the yard to get to them, but the ground is frozen, which is good. I didn't wanna start up the Forklift being as cold as it has been so I decided to preheat it. 




I did manage to get them out in along the driveway.

[GRANITEstateMP]

Being inside and out of the wind helps a lot.  It also helps to keep your "heat tent" in place!

[scsmith42]

I've done the forced air heater trick before trying to start the crane (after the original block heater went bad).  

Took around 2 hours of heating before she would kick over.

[Nebraska]

Gee looks familiar haven't had to do it for a few years.  I really dislike winter. 

[Brad_bb]

I wish I could keep the forklift in the heat.  Maybe I figure something out in the future.  Cold hydraulic fluid means my forks drop very slow.  My heated shop is full of building materials right now.  I'd rather have it out in this building that it's in now, but maybe I could make  some kind of removeable insulated panels with hinges for the winter and keep it heated inside the hut?  Once I rearrange things and get more room in that shop, I can look at it.  Need to use up a lot of the materials in the shop first.

I did this once a few years ago with my mill outside with a tarp over my mill head and it was about 1 deree outside.  My lube line was frozen.  I got it too hot with the heater too close and melted part of my lube hose!

[Andries]

A mechanic up at Lac Seul has the same problem, and figured out a good system.
He found used insulated garage doors at a salvage yard and fashioned an engine-to-cab doghouse. Where the doghouse came up to the cab, he had shaped styro panels to block hot air. 
His torpedo heater pointed at a short piece of ducting that branched out to distribute the hot air inside the enclosure.
It's easy to move, has lasted a long time and works really well.

[Resonator]

Had a bon fire going all day the other day, and filled a pan with hot coals. These I put under my wood splitter to preheat before starting. (But made sure not to put it too close.)
I heard back in the day guys would do the same with a bag of charcoal under a machine in winter.

[doc henderson]

If you have flat surfaces, the mag Katz heaters work fine.  on oil pan, hydraulic tank, and diesel tank if so used.  also, the additives for diesel with a backup like diesel 911.

[21incher]

That scares me after seeing all the wild fires 🧐.  Atleast move those logs away.

[doc henderson]

The first college I went to, did a ski trip over Christmas break.  they took school vans.  My old Physics instructor was a sponsor, and he would get up early and start charcoal in foil pans bought locally to warm the engines in the mountains of Colorado.  he slid the pans under the engine.  Hope for not too big an oil leak.

[Resonator]

And make sure no CO2 is getting into the cab. 

[doc henderson]

Or CO (carbon monoxide)