Cold weather prep - anyone do this?

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notjustair

Well-known Member

• Nov 26, 2014

• #1

When I drove school bus the winterfront went on it in December and didn't come off until March. One particular bus the thing was buttoned tight with NO air opening at all the whole time. Since then I have gotten in the habit of covering a portion of each tractor's radiator. Anyone else do that? I usually make a piece the size of the rad and then make a circle in the center where the fan would be (maybe 6 inches across) so that it doesn't stress the fan too much. I hate seeing a tractor not get up to operating temperature. Especially if it is open station blowing cold air on me!

 

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Bryce Frazier

Well-known Member

• Nov 26, 2014

• #1

I lay my chain saw chaps over the radiator while our little diesel is warming up so that I can plow snow with it.

Just helps it get up to temp and running a little better, a little more quickly, but I don't leave anything on it. I am planning on trying it this winter though...

Neighbor puts something on his log truck every winter, and has never had problems with it...

 

Hendrik

Member

• Nov 27, 2014

• #1

For engines (tractors, cars, trucks, ...) without thermostat or radiator shutters it certainly makes sense to (partly) cover the radiator in cold conditions, the purpose being getting the engine to run at proper operating temperature.
Would like to keep an eye on the temperature gauge though!

 

rusty6

Well-known Member

Location

East central Sask.

• Nov 27, 2014

• #1

Definitely. I will have either a piece of carpet or cardboard cut to fit the grille and use it all winter. An old winter coat hangs well over the grille on the Cockshutt tractors. One winter I ran my IH Scout II with the fan removed and it worked ok that way too. Lots of cold air up here in Sask. this time of year.

 

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vscummins

Well-known Member

• Nov 27, 2014

• #1

I pull the fan of my truck and also cover the radiator in my dodge 3500 can even pull stock trailer without the fan this time of year

 

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JMS/.MN

Well-known Member

• Nov 27, 2014

• #1

A few years I put a piece of cardboard between the radiator and oil cooler on the 4240. Just slipped in, covered most of the radiator. Worked nice over winter, only use was blowing snow. Got too warm while agitating the manure pit one spring, and remembered then to take it out.

 

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2underage

Well-known Member

• Nov 27, 2014

• #1

Some tractors came with radiator shutters. Today I am inclined to go with a good thermostat and leave the cold blooded summer tractors in the shed.

 

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David G

Well-known Member

• Nov 27, 2014

• #1

My dad did that, but had to remember and leave heater fan running while idling. He forgot, shut the fan off one time, and it boiled over.

 

tomstractorsandtoys

Well-known Member

• Nov 27, 2014

• #1

Dad did that to his 2510 with loader.Come spring it was running to hot and one day he opened the side screen and found he forgot to remove his cardboard. We do it to the tractors we use most in the winter.

 

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Allan in NE

Well-known Member

• Nov 27, 2014

• #1

Yep,

Cardboard every winter.

Allan

 

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Jason S.

Well-known Member

• Nov 27, 2014

• #1

(quoted from post at 06:14:20 11/27/14)
When I drove school bus the winterfront went on it in December and didn't come off until March. One particular bus the thing was buttoned tight with NO air opening at all the whole time. Since then I have gotten in the habit of covering a portion of each tractor's radiator. Anyone else do that? I usually make a piece the size of the rad and then make a circle in the center where the fan would be (maybe 6 inches across) so that it doesn't stress the fan too much. I hate seeing a tractor not get up to operating temperature. Especially if it is open station blowing cold air on me!

Click to expand...

I had an old Ford truck that had a 360 in it and I covered the radiator up on it in the winter. Those motors don't make enough power to get hot. I about froze to death driving it before I covered the radiator.

 

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fixerupper

Well-known Member

• Nov 27, 2014

• #1

This reminds me to get the cardboard on the 1086 rad. I usually don't worry about it at thanksgiving time but this years cold came a little early. -7 this morn.

 

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Determined

Well-known Member

• Nov 27, 2014

• #1

Don't forget if you have an automatic transmission cooler it needs air as well and you may be blocking the flow to it.
Pulling a load your egine might be at a nice temperature but your tranny may be on the verge of a meltdown.

 

OP

OP

N

notjustair

Well-known Member

• Nov 27, 2014

• #1

The bus that got completely covered had the 370 with a 4x2. It
was the same way. With 190 thermostats that old thing
struggled to keep the heaters hot. Mighty good engine, though.
I drove a Ford with the 427 in it and with 160's in it that thing
ran so hot I only had to run one heater for the whole bus.
Those engines ran hot no matter the temp outside. Even
though it was kind of gutless, the 370 was my favorite bus
engine.

 

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sd pete

Well-known Member

• Nov 27, 2014

• #1

Covered radiators every winter

 

R

racsan

Member

• Nov 27, 2014

• #1

I cover the grille on my ranger every winter, otherwise even with a new thermostat it would never fully warm up, the blazer has no issues warming up and i dont have to mess with it.

 

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M w J

Member

• Nov 27, 2014

• #1

I had a neighbor that always drove ford cars the first thing he did when he got them was take the fan off . He said they didn't need them if moving if not moving shut it off. He said gas mileage was better and water pumps lasted longer.

 

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vscummins

Well-known Member

• Nov 27, 2014

• #1

Ya I was doing some off roading the other day and got it little warm I have to pieces of cardboard so I can slide one over and have half the radiator covered half open

 

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Fatamus

Member

• Nov 27, 2014

• #1

I live in Alaska and when it gets below -10*F or so depending on the vehicle we use cardboard to block the air flow across the radiator to increase the water timp even on new cars and trucks. We run 195*F thermostats BUT it is a must to have an accurate temp gauge. It is the easiest to cut a hole in the cardboard to allow some air flow through. If you are using a bra it is easiest to Velcro or zipper an overlap in thee center.