Archived -23 below zero...HELP!

[LandShark]

Ditto on the synthetic oil for the power steering. Makes a huge difference. The problem will be finding any. Valvoline had it a few years back, but no longer makes it. The only synthetic I've found in stores is Royal Purple (NAPA), but it's not nearly as good as the discontinued Valvoline synthetic PS fluid.

 

[HHhuntitall]

Power services is made in Weatherford, Tx. They don't really know much about cold weather in Central, Tx. They can claim Russian Cossacks use their products in Siberia, but that still doesn't mean their product works as well as it should. I trust Stanadyne or Howe's. Cummins trusts Stanadyne, and that was not an accident.



Several companies have synthetic power steering fluids; amsoil, BG Oil Company, Royal Purple..... I've used several hydraulic oils in steering systems when I didn't have anything else. Personally, I'd suggest covering your truck with a tarp or building a garage for it. I've worked in the cold on farm machinery all my life. Protecting it from the wind chill will help a lot, and a good spot or heat lamp will do wonders if you can keep the heat in the engine compartment. Definitely change the fuel filter and get some better fuel additive or go the kerosene route. I was given an old Ford f650 for a service truck when I was in Ukraine, and after I transplanted a Perkins out of an old Massey Ferguson combine(the 7. 3 had to have ether in 50 degree weather!!), I never shut it down except to change the oil before I left in the fall.



FWIW, yesterday I talked to a friend in Kiev, Ukraine, and he said it's been -20 every night for the last week, with the same expected this week. His Cummins powered DAF truck and his European New Holland with a 4 cylinder Cummins clone have been starting just fine whenever he needs 'em ... ... parked in his shop with no heat. Stanadyne should be thanked for that.

 

[Newf Limo]

Just to clear up a point, and not to be picky, but your truck is actually not affected by wind chill. So, if it is going to be 25 degrees out but high winds will make the wind chill go sub zero, don't be to concerned for your truck. It will be affected only by the 25 degree temperature, so you only have to prepare your truck to that temperature, as far as you normally do.



What you have to do for yourself, and your animals is a different story. Those things are certainly affected.



By the way, I had to have the service department add power steering fluid to my Volvo Tractor (service controls the lease, and the fluids). I could swear he put in ATF (Auto-matic transmission fluid). It was the same red color and poured the same. I meant to ask the mechanic but got distracted for a moment and ultimately... forgot! I wonder if it was ATF or a Synthetic PS fluid. I'll find out.

 

[jeepit]

Ditto on the synthetic oil for the power steering. Makes a huge difference. The problem will be finding any. Valvoline had it a few years back, but no longer makes it. The only synthetic I've found in stores is Royal Purple (NAPA), but it's not nearly as good as the discontinued Valvoline synthetic PS fluid.

Discontinued?? Are you sure about that?

 

[DGamelin]

We only use 911 we have used it on service calls for big truck on the side of the road to help get them going. If it is going to get that cold put it in be for you get home and stay away from biodiesel when it's cold.

Your power steering pump should have a bypass valve in it that opens when the fluid is thick. If it didnt or the fluid froze it would blow the pump up.

My trucks sit out side all winter I haven't had the problem yet, nock on wood. Good luck.



_________________________

93 250 2wd xc 354 auto 281k

04. 5 3500 4wd qc dully 373 6speed

 

[Newf Limo]

Our Volvo Rigs use Dexron II or III (ATF) as the power steering fluid. They also have really strong pumps and our trucks ... don't. In the future, as reccomended here, stay off the Bio in deep winter. Let your truck warm up ( 3 cylinder idle and a cold front make short work of it) and your power steering will be (should be)fine.



Look at the bright side, Colorado is about done with the real deep freeze temps for the season! I was in Rifle in January. I like the sub zero temps there! -15 and 25% humidity! WooHoo! Here, it's not as much fun. -15 and 75% relative humidity. Brrrrr.

 

[GAmes]

my power steering is frozen, can't turn the wheel at all. Here in Colorado I've heard the fuel is a blend with Bio and only tested to -10

Redline produces a synthetic power steering fluid that costs less than the RP. Since Valvoline discontined theirs, I have been using it with no problems. DO NOT use ATF unless your owners manual calls for it. Dodge changed to ATF some time in the 3rd gen era from what I have read. ATF is not compatible with 2nd gen systems.



I believe that only MN and OR (both 2%) have mandated Bio in every tank. WA has a 2% mandate, but they allow it to be the average so some fuel might be 0 while another is 10%. Oregon increases to 5% on the 1st of April. I can find no reference that CO fuel is blended.



I have seen signs in several fuel stops during my travels that state the fuel was blended for local conditions. IOW, if the local average is +10 degrees there is only enough #1 diesel added to the #2 for that temp. The farther north, the more #1. If I have the misfortune of being dispatched to the great white north in the winter I add anti-gel to my southern bought fuel. When I buy fuel in the north I add nothing and have never encountered a gelling problem. The point of these ramblings is the source of your fuel could be a station that had not received fuel blended to the current conditions. The circle K on the corner could be selling summer fuel for all you know. For that reason, buying fuel from high volume dealers is important, especially when it gets cold.

 

[HEMI®Dart]

Just to clear up a point, and not to be picky, but your truck is actually not affected by wind chill. So, if it is going to be 25 degrees out but high winds will make the wind chill go sub zero, don't be to concerned for your truck. It will be affected only by the 25 degree temperature, so you only have to prepare your truck to that temperature, as far as you normally do.



What you have to do for yourself, and your animals is a different story. Those things are certainly affected.



By the way, I had to have the service department add power steering fluid to my Volvo Tractor (service controls the lease, and the fluids). I could swear he put in ATF (Auto-matic transmission fluid). It was the same red color and poured the same. I meant to ask the mechanic but got distracted for a moment and ultimately... forgot! I wonder if it was ATF or a Synthetic PS fluid. I'll find out.

But if it's 25° and windy bringing the wind chill down to sub-zero the engine will cool down faster. After that is it it 25° again.



If you get the point.

 

[HEMI®Dart]

I run RP EZ-Max power steering fliud, but I'm going to swich over to the Amsoil product.

 

[ChrisOlson]

HOWES fuel treatment has ANTI GEL



Been using it in all my remtal properties and my home Fuel tanks as well as MY CTD

never a gelling Issue this stuff rocks

cant comment on the power steering issue.



CHris

 

[LandShark]

Discontinued?? Are you sure about that?

jeepit: Straight from the Valoline web site:

Has SynPower Power Steering Fluid been discontinued? If so, what is your recommended replacement?

1. SynPower Power Steering Fluid has been discontinued. We recommend Valvoline Performance Chemicals Power Steering Fluid as a replacement. Please note that this product is not synthetic.

 

[icman95]

So, Rkroeker, it's been a while. Have you come up with a solution? Curious to know.

 

[Bigiron]

I live in MN and trust me we get cold. I always mix 12 oz power service in every fill up. We do have winter blend fuel here and my truck is plugged in for three hours before start up and I have never ever had a problem with start up or gell up. I do have a cold front that blocks the grill opening completly all winter. I do let it idle 5-10 minutes in neutral before driving away. The clod front is S/S and it definetly holds the heat in the engine compartment, it will melt snow off the hood even well below zero.

 

[RMachida]

Here in interior AK, we get some colder temperatures.

I have never used any fuel additives though we definitely have winter blended fuel. If the truck has been plugged in, I rarely let it idle for more than a minute before taking off as there doesn't seem to be a need. If the air temperature is -40 or so, I'll let it warm up for maybe a couple of minutes.



If it hasn't been plugged in, it'll barely start at -15°F and needs to idle for a few minutes before taking off.



The only "issue" I have is the first shift from 2nd to 3rd is usually pretty difficult. It has been this way since the truck was new at sub-zero temperatures. Otherwise, no issues at all.

 

[retirednak]

Like I mentioned before,since you don't have access to power so that you may use the block heater. Your best bet is to get a 5-20 LB bottle of propane with an weed burner attachment,along with a piece of 5 or 6" inch stick of exhaust pipe. I had a piece of Aluminum HVAC left over when I built our home. Throw a big wool blanket over the top of your engine to trap the heat. Next fire up the weed burner and set it on low,set the head on a rock and position your pipe under your engine and let it cook for a min of one hour. If your truck has been sitting all night or longer,you may have to add an hour. The first time you do this,make sure only heat is coming out and no flame. Make sure the hot air is not directly close to any wiring,it make take a time or two to find the sweet spot. I leaned this trick while working up in Prudhoe Bay oil fields on the North Slope. At times we had to cook frozen heavy equipment for a couple days to get them to fire off,we also had to build a tent over them if weather got any colder then the usual -35+ degrees. I always carry the propane tank,weed burner and Pipe when ever I know I'm spending the night out without power. I've not run across an melted wire,fuel lines and nothing has concerned me except last time I found an axle U-Joint going bad. Since I've been mixing 2 stroke oil/Power Service in ever tank,I haven't dealt with any gelling issues. Be sure and let us know what you decided to do.

Casey

 

[KB0OU]

A heated garage helps a lot.