Backing up at -25C...

Getting cold here. Was -26C this morning. Should get another 20 degrees colder in another month. I am pleased my manually fired glow plugs will help the engine start at this temperature especially given that I have no fuel line, filter or tank heaters (I am looking for a fuel filter heater but there are none in this town that I could find).

Anyway, I had to push the truck back out of its parking spot yesterday morning. The transmission would not slip into reverse or fifth gear with the engine started or with the engine off. After pushing it back and driving it forward for about 10 minutes it would finally slip into both 5th and reverse. It shifts smoothly and there is no grinding. But when cold at the start up it does not like to enter either 5th or R.

I was wondering what was happening internally when this happens?

Anyway, the thing is, if I park it in reverse and start it in reverse below -20 it will always go into neutral and back into reverse without any problem even when cold just after starting up and not having been driven. So, I must not forget to park it in reverse. I put a sticker on the dash with "REVERSE!" on it to help remind me to do that.

I should put a winter grade transmission fluid in it I suppose. Same goes for the clutch fluid. It takes a while for things to soften up when below -25.

Soon, though, I'll be walking - hard to get it to start below -28 - I think this is fuel delivery problem; even with winter diesel and antigel below -28 I need a taxi. One time, I poured warm water on the the filter and the fuel hose coming out of the filter to the engine and it started up.

This year, I rented a little garage near my apartment building; so, I think I will eventually park it in there when the temperature is forecasted to be below -30C.

I should have installed a fuel heater in the tank; they sell those here - but it would take more work to install. I have replaced a fuel tank on a car before but that was many years ago.

I was thinking of buying up something like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Wolverine-Fu...-/370571136789

This looks easy to install...

I have a couple of thermoelectric generators here (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermoelectric_generator). Mine are just like this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Thermoelectr...-/291489104250

I bet I could make one of these fuel filter socks myself. Maybe it will provide enough heat to warm up the filter a bit? That wolverine heater may even be working with one of these TEGs inside?

Anyway, better go and start up the car and let it idle up warm given that it is a balmy -24C now.

MT

Gee mate after reading this I was just about ready to throw a jumper on. Currently experiencing mid +30C in my neck of the woods bloody hell.

If your 4b doesn't want 2 start in them temps its trying 2 tell you 2 stay in bed

I can't even imagine what those temperatures feel like... it sounds like it would hurt?
I would put a winter grade oil in the transmission and see if that makes a difference.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by modustollens

Getting cold here. Was -26C this morning. Should get another 20 degrees colder in another month. I am pleased my manually fired glow plugs will help the engine start at this temperature especially given that I have no fuel line, filter or tank heaters (I am looking for a fuel filter heater but there are none in this town that I could find).

Anyway, I had to push the truck back out of its parking spot yesterday morning. The transmission would not slip into reverse or fifth gear with the engine started or with the engine off. After pushing it back and driving it forward for about 10 minutes it would finally slip into both 5th and reverse. It shifts smoothly and there is no grinding. But when cold at the start up it does not like to enter either 5th or R.

I was wondering what was happening internally when this happens?

Anyway, the thing is, if I park it in reverse and start it in reverse below -20 it will always go into neutral and back into reverse without any problem even when cold just after starting up and not having been driven. So, I must not forget to park it in reverse. I put a sticker on the dash with "REVERSE!" on it to help remind me to do that.

I should put a winter grade transmission fluid in it I suppose. Same goes for the clutch fluid. It takes a while for things to soften up when below -25.

Soon, though, I'll be walking - hard to get it to start below -28 - I think this is fuel delivery problem; even with winter diesel and antigel below -28 I need a taxi. One time, I poured warm water on the the filter and the fuel hose coming out of the filter to the engine and it started up.

This year, I rented a little garage near my apartment building; so, I think I will eventually park it in there when the temperature is forecasted to be below -30C.

I should have installed a fuel heater in the tank; they sell those here - but it would take more work to install. I have replaced a fuel tank on a car before but that was many years ago.

I was thinking of buying up something like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Wolverine-Fu...-/370571136789

This looks easy to install...

I have a couple of thermoelectric generators here (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermoelectric_generator). Mine are just like this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Thermoelectr...-/291489104250

I bet I could make one of these fuel filter socks myself. Maybe it will provide enough heat to warm up the filter a bit? That wolverine heater may even be working with one of these TEGs inside?

Anyway, better go and start up the car and let it idle up warm given that it is a balmy -24C now.

MT

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Hey mate, where are you located? Sounds like you're going through temps like I am, but I'm in the middle of Siberia and it's a comfortable -20C right now but will drop to -40 or colder in about a month or so. My 99 GU won't start without a heater. I had a Webasto 5kW coolant/circulation heater installed and it will heat and circulate the coolant in the system and get the engine block up to 30C before I start the engine. Nice thing is that the cabin heater starts right away as well since everything is all warmed up.

That said, even with the engine heated up, my transmission gear oil is still cold and I have to run it through the gears a few times before it's ready to go and even then it takes a few minutes of slow driving to get the gear box warmed up. I swapped out my gear oil for Castrol 75w-90 full synthetic with a pour point of -50C, and it still needs to warm up. I guess it's just one of those things that happens when we are dealing with extreme temps like this.

I am in Semey, Kazakhstan. Perhaps we are close?

What about powering your heater? You plug it into external power?

I am not even sure what gear oil is in the transmission in mine...

Will you replace the fluid when the summer comes around again?

MT

We are about 1400km away from each other. I'm in Krasnoyarsk. The Webasto heater is powered by diesel fuel straight from the diesel tank. You can remote start it from your phone by SMS or app on iPhone and Android. What model Patrol do you have?

Here is a link to them Webasto Heaters

As far as the gear oil for the transmission, I will probably keep the same in the summer since it is the 75W-90, it is good for higher temps as well. If you don't know the gear oil - it's definitely a good idea to change it out so you know what you have.

That looks like the best option for me given that I must park it where there is no power to plug in a block heater. I wonder how much this type of heater would cost and if there is a place in Kazakhstan where I could buy one!

I have an 89' 2.8 TD.

Looks like there is a company in Uralsk that is the retailer in Kazakhstan. Which model have you installed?

Uralsk is on the other side of the country from me though...

Looks like they retail for $800 to $1000 U.S.... Not cheap!

MT

Yes it is expensive but it will pay for itself within 1 winter by reduced fuel costs. I have the 5kW EvoTop model. Do you have a shop near you that installs car alarm systems? Some of those shops also do the Webasto systems. Ask there to see if they can help you find a place to do it.


1999 GU RD28Ti; mechanical injector pump, 5kBt Webasto circulation heater, 33" Yokohama Geolander I/T, SaaS boost & EGT gauges, 2" Ironman suspension...more to come

Sorry, it's the ThermoTop 5kWt model.