A wintery assembly of vehicles
Diesel fuel in the back country of Alaska is a challenge on a warm winter day. Fairbanks with an average low temperature of -19F offers a wealth of challenges to a diesel F-250. January 2013 didn’t break the record low temperature of -66°F; however, just 40 miles north of town we recorded -45°F at noon with a drop to -55°F in the evening. No chance at all to start the F-250 without a lot of specialized help.
The right equipment
Just getting to and from backcountry trips in Alaska can be a great challenge. Don’t leave home if you can’t thrive in the cold! Lots of gear is required. We travel with a variety of equipment depending upon how cold it may be. Bigger is always better, but sometimes there just isn’t enough room for everything!
Temperatures down to -35°F
- Winter Fuel Mix of diesel (avoid summer fuels as they will jell up quickly)
- Diesel 911 – keep one container in the truck as a spare and add another to the tank before heading out
- 6 – 1lb propane tanks (Note: that propane flows slowly in the cold so rotating tanks can be helpful/required)
- 2 – Little Buddy Propane heaters - make sure it fits under your oil pan in an upright position
- Wind block to keep area under oil pan warm when running heater – we keep a folded piece of cardboard handy
- Tarps to cover the vehicles
Temperatures -45°F and below (The boiling point of propane is −44°F allowing it to vaporize as it is released from a container)
- Winter Fuel Mix of diesel (avoid summer fuels as they will jell up quickly)
- Diesel 911 - keep one container in the truck as a spare and add another to the tank before heading out
- 2000 watt generator
- Arctic grade extension cord
- 100,000 BTU or greater forced air heater – make sure you have fuel that will not jell up in the heater!
- Belly pan
Dealing with jelled fuel using Diesel 911
Diesel 911 into the tank of the F-250
Even at -55°F the two new Motocraft batteries in our truck provided plenty of cranking power to the motor. The sounds of the engine turning over without starting validated what was already guessed – the fuel was frozen up. The winter diesel fuel mix sold in Alaska has proven for us to flow without jelling down to at least -35F. Its hard to say exactly at what temperature it begins to have a problem. But I am quite sure that -45F is well into the trouble zone.
No diesel powered Arctic adventurer is complete without a container of Diesel 911. The first step was to pour Diesel 911 into the tank. Frankly, had we known the sudden drop was coming we should have dumped it in a week before and let it run through the system when we left the truck to head off into the back country for an adventure by snowmachine. Experience and learn I suppose – we will act differently when we are out next. We let the Diesel 911 do its thing in the fuel tank for a few hours.
Powering up the scene with a Honda Inverter
Honda EU2000i
A Honda EU2000i provided the juice needed to plug in the block heater. Using a Kill-o-Watt tester our F-250 block heater sucks down a maximum of 893 watts making the 2000 watt Honda inverter a great fit. Unfortunately, its not enough to simultaneously operate a heater burner/blower and the block heater on the truck. The unit rode in the back of a van and despite running the vehicle’s heater, bottled water was freezing on the seat next to me. Yes, bottled water in a “warm” vehicle or rather as “warm” as we could get it, was freezing solid. Only bottles kept on the dash or in the cup holders nearest the vents kept from freezing. Taking the Honda from the vehicle we did not delay in getting it started – two easy pulls and the motor was humming. The making of electricity – what a great sound!
Heating the Arctic with 155,000 BTU’s
Honda EU2000i and Master B155DT
A Master B155DT 155,000 BTU heater offers plenty of heat to warm up the block, lines and filter of the diesel. The Master’s web site rates the heater with a -30°F rated cold weather start. By the time we were able to get ours to the truck it had warmed up to -45°F. As with the Honda inverter when taking the heater out of the van we did not delay in starting it up. No problems in getting the heater running. Our extension cord did not fair so well. Pulling it from beneath the truck seat the plastic EXPLODED as it stretched from coiled to straight exposing bare wires at the bends. This cord is certainly not arctic grade!
Belly Pans are a Must
Belly pan connected to the heater
An important accessory in warming up a vehicle is a belly pan. Connecting to the heater, the belly pan channels the heat under the engine and directs the flow upwards at an angle towards the rear of the vehicle. This allows the heat to follow the floor boards all the way to the back. The top of the truck was covered with a tarp down to the the ground and along the sides. Additional smaller tarps and a variety of dry bags sealed off the remaining gaps keeping the heat from easily escaping.
Don’t burn out the starter
Our supervisor checks the cables providing a boost from the van to the truck
After 1.5 hours of heat we tried to start the truck. Beginning with three consecutive glow plug warms, the engine cranked but would not start. I am not big on putting a heavy load on a starter. If the motor doesn’t start up in under 5-10 seconds or almost start there is no sense in continuing to thrash the starter. After three brief but failed attempts the starter was allowed to cool down, and the battery charged using the van. Resetting the heater the air flow was directed up and onto the fuel lines, filter and flowing back to the tank. Two hours into the warm up the truck cranked over easily and started right up!
Happiness is a running diesel
A second rescue fails!
On the ride back to Fairbanks we came across another party with a frozen truck. The owners eagerly accepted our help. Hauling out all the gear for another round of fun we began heating the belly of the stranded Chevy pickup. The owner was impatient. After a mere 30 minutes he began to crank and crank and crank on the starter. He refused to let the truck take a rest. Finally a POOF and the starter faded out and a small column of pungent smoke arose from the back of the engine. The starter burned out and all was lost for the night. This truck would need a wrecker to make it home. It was -45°F. We had spent 5 days of winter fun snowmachining and camping along with an additional 12 hours in the frigid cold rescuing vehicles. Time for a warm shower and something to eat!
About Mike Baker
