At Shamrock Valley Enterprises Ltd., a grading and excavating contractor with offices in Elk Point and Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, employees are well-versed in the effects of cold weather on big iron. The average daily temperature in Edmonton in January ranges from 14 to -2º F. And temperatures drop below zero for an average of 41 days per year. To keep productive, Shamrock Valley employees know that preparing and protecting heavy machines for harsh winter weather is essential for avoiding downtime and prolonging machine life.

Have you done everything necessary to protect your machines this season? Read this Q&A with Site Prep and Shamrock Valley to make sure you’re taking all possible precautions to prevent damage to your equipment.

SP: How do you prepare machines for the winter?
SV: Coolants and oils. First, we make sure that all the coolants in the engines are suitable for very low temperatures. If they aren’t, the engines can freeze. The coolants have to be mixed properly or pre-mixed for the season. Oils have to be changed over from summer weight oil to winter weight oil. We usually use a 15W – 40 engine oil during the summer, and a 0W – 40 oil for the winter. The viscosity has to be low enough that when the engine starts, it can actually be pumped through the engine. Think of comparing really cold oil to tar. You can’t suck the tar through a straw, and neither can the oil pump. The pump can’t squeeze tar-like oil into the bearings or squirt it onto the pistons without a lot of extra effort (and wear)--if at all.

Operator stations. We make sure that the operator stations (almost all our machines have cabs) have all the glass in them. Then we check that the heaters work and can defrost the windows and keep the operators warm. We make sure the valves, cores and hoses are still in good shape and will work when needed. For machines without cabs, we put tarps up on the sides of the engines and turn the blades on the engine fan around so that it sucks the air into the radiator. This blows the air over the engine so it’s warm before it gets to the seat. If it’s really, really cold, we can put up blocking on the covers of the radiator so that they only pull a small amount of air into the radiator and don’t cool the engine off as much. This also keeps the heater blowing hot inside the cab or keeps the air hot that blows onto the operator.

Air and brake systems. We check that the air tanks are being drained daily, or that we are putting alcohol into the air and brake systems so that the water doesn’t freeze in the lines. Frozen lines prevent the system from building pressure or releasing the brakes.

Fuel conditioners. We make sure that the fuel we are using has the proper conditioners in it so that it doesn’t gel or freeze and prevent the machine from starting or running normally once it’s started. Usually, we don’t have to worry about this because our supplier takes care of it. Also, if there is water in the diesel and it freezes in the fuel pump, it can be really difficult to start.

Corks. Dozers get “corks” on their tracks. These are chunks of steel that we weld onto the tracks/pads in a special pattern so that they can chew into the frost and not just spin the tracks or slide around. The chunks are approximately 4" long by 2½" high, although this varies depending on the size of the dozer. We also put corks on excavators because you can’t dig a hole if the hoe is sliding every time you go to grab some dirt; it just pulls the whole machine closer to the bucket instead of the bucket to the machine.

Grease. Grease has to be changed to a lighter weight formula; otherwise it is just too thick to provide protection, much like the oil. Grease lines that are really long (like on excavators) need to be “flushed” with the lighter grease before the cold strikes or they could potentially be very difficult to pump the grease into. Using thick cold grease to protect a pin in the winter is like trying to spread butter that just came out of the fridge onto your toast--it just doesn’t work all that well.

Heaters. We equip some machines with block heaters, so we check to make sure the heaters’ wires are visible and not frayed. A generator can be set up onsite to supply the block heaters with power to keep the coolant warm and cycling through the engine when it is not running. If machines aren’t equipped with these heaters and have a preheat (glow plugs) system, we have to make sure this is working properly and will create pre-combustion heat so that the engine starts easily. Both systems have to be checked for proper working order. We also use heaters that can be set to run at night and keep the engine warm. These are especially viable for our remote machines where there isn’t access to a full-time mechanic or generator for the block heater.

SP: What are the most important machine parts to protect from the cold?
SV: Engines. Although the rest of the machine doesn’t really care how cold it is, cold starts on engines are an almost 100% sure way to shorten their life expectancy. That is why we take so many crucial steps to prepare for the winter season.

Engines with coolant that isn’t mixed to sustain a liquid state when it gets really cold can easily be destroyed. If the coolant doesn’t have enough glycol or other additives in it to stay liquid when it gets to certain temperatures (there are ratings based on glycol parts to water parts, for example 60% glycol/40% water), the water expands when it freezes. In a closed system that isn’t flowing, this puts extreme pressure on the water jackets that are intended to keep the system cool (and air out, so there are no relief zones for the water to expand to) and can crack the iron in the heads and block--failing the engine completely. Glycol is one example of an additive that is commonly used to raise the boiling point of water and lower its freezing point, so it is a “must” where we live.

Typically, if it’s really cold and we have a warmer weather weight oil in, we have to take a large propane heater out to the machine and heat up the oil pan before we start the machine. Otherwise it would result in either a no-start (killing the batteries and damaging the engine’s bearings) or a startup where the oil is so cold that it won’t pump properly through the engine or feed the bearings, pistons and rocker assemblies. This creates metal-on-metal wear that is very damaging to the engine. Often, engines that are run in a very cold season and not properly maintained are the first ones to fail in the summer.

Transmissions. In transmissions, the oil gets cold and thick as well and doesn’t flow through the solenoids and clutch packs the way it should. This can cause the same type of wear as in the engines--metal-on-metal or clutch-to-clutch without lubrication--which is harmful to transmissions as well. Typically, if the engine is warmed up, the water temperature is up and the oil temperature is good, then the transmission is OK for light work until it warms up more.

Hydraulic pumps. Hydraulic pumps don’t like to pump heavy, thick cold oil, either. However, the only real way to warm up the hydraulic oil is to work it through the system. A long warm-up time paired with light duty until the system (hydraulic) oil is heated is a good idea to prevent downtime and failures.

SP: How do you care for the machines once it’s too cold to work?
SV: Preparing for the next season. We go through a list (that we update daily) of backlog repairs noted for each machine. Once a machine comes into the shop, we check the list and then inspect the machine. At that time, we formulate a plan of what we will/can fix for that machine.

We service and repair our equipment starting with major components such as engines, transmissions, differentials and any other part of the machine that may need major work. On scrapers, for example, this includes the bowl (the floor and side walls may need welding) and the hitch (there are several bushings and pins that may require welding and machining).

Acknowledgments: Kyle Nielsen and Zenon Kozun, GSC, CSO, provided the information for this article. Nielsen has been working for Shamrock Valley for eight years and is currently responsible for special projects. Kozun has been involved in construction for 30 years and serves as Shamrock Valley’s operations manager. He is Gold Seal Certified for construction in Canada and is a Certified Safety Officer.