Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

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Went and picked up a broken car that I loaned to a friends son today. He said it got hot and then shut off. Bad feeling confirmed, seized tight, should have run it at 50:1:laughing:.
On the way home I hit a faithful scrounge dumpster and got 3 nice 8' pieces of uni-strut (it's about 20 for a 10ft piece:)).
I only went about 1/4 mile out of route to get it.
Gotta love a good scrounge wether wood or not.
 
Fuel injection and the newer gas engines that demand 5w-20 or 5w-30 oils do make wintertime starting easier too.
I remember pulling a choke knob out, cranking the ignition, pumping the gas, and praying for an old Chevy to start up.


Or how about the "auto" choke, stupid spring would always get jacked up and choke never worked until you replaced it with a manual choke knob.


Don't really miss any of that.
 
There was a thread last year about changing from 50:1 to 40:1. The thread starter stated that he didn't need a carb adjustment. That's really the only reason why I switched, and I haven't adjusted any of my saws. They still four stroke at WOT, and clean up in the cut. It's a painless switch.
Awesome. I didn't want to change and have to re-tune. My stihl ms271 is up against the limiters as it is. I don't want to pull them unless I have to. I am more hesitant to monkey with that saw at this point because it is almost 4 years old and my wife paid full dealer freight for it. It was a nice present. For whatever reason I am hesitant to mess with it.
 
Plug my Dirtymax in when it hits 30's, also run the grill cover . With all the trucks' fancy computer controlled high idle, fancy turbo settings, and it does magic with the transmission she's warm in 2-3 miles. Seat heaters help me ignore the engines pain.
Wow, that thing sounds sweet.
Did you here the new Dodges have the bumper warmers and heated tailgates.
 
I remember pulling a choke knob out, cranking the ignition, pumping the gas, and praying for an old Chevy to start up.


Or how about the "auto" choke, stupid spring would always get jacked up and choke never worked until you replaced it with a manual choke knob.


Don't really miss any of that.
I had a couple old fords, a 75' 3/4 ton and a 72' wagon that had things dialed in. Two pumps on the gas and they would fire right off on fast idle. No plugging in necessary.

Several others not so much lol.
 
Fuel injection and the newer gas engines that demand 5w-20 or 5w-30 oils do make wintertime starting easier too.
Some Hondas even run a 0w-20 for winter temps.
A trick for the older engines to get the oil to the top end and the bearings is to put an ignition coil shut off on them. This will allow you to turn it over without it starting and get the engine lubricated, similar to a wet sump system. The other benefit is you can get the engine rolling over faster before turning the switch on which will put less stress on the starting system.
I used this type of system on the high compression engines I ran back in the day. I had the switch in my ashtray most times which acted as a security system as well.
 
Fuel injection and the newer gas engines that demand 5w-20 or 5w-30 oils do make wintertime starting easier too.
lol I got a good one for you steve! changed my oil today with 10w40 , thermostat and a new alternator... took the truck for a ride and after 3 miles the thing died? !!"OOP'S" !! ... so I left the key off after forget to plug in the wires to the alternator??? now the amp gauge jumps all over when accelerating after second gear(auto tranny), " what a dip ****"! ? think I might have fried the regulator in the alternator... can anyone resemble this and say "dip ****".....lol
 
I once had a customer who lived not too far from White Horse, Yukon.... and that the smart move is to travel in pairs, two vehicles in case of an unexpected emergency...
Some preferred dog sleds ('conventional wisdom' was that if you broke down, you couldn't eat a snowmobile . . . ).

Philbert
 
With the new synthetic oils (car motor oil), warm up is not as important as it used to be. 1) The oil leaves a coating on the metal 2) It does not get as thick when cold as the old oils did.

I generally just give it about 10 seconds in all weather, just enough time for the oil pump to circulate to the whole engine.
 
Some Hondas even run a 0w-20 for winter temps.
A trick for the older engines to get the oil to the top end and the bearings is to put an ignition coil shut off on them. This will allow you to turn it over without it starting and get the engine lubricated, similar to a wet sump system. The other benefit is you can get the engine rolling over faster before turning the switch on which will put less stress on the starting system. I used this type of system on the high compression engines I ran back in the day. I had the switch in my ashtray most times which acted as a security system as well.

>Some Hondas even run a 0w-20 for winter temps.

live and learn, I say! to be honest... I have never heard of 0w-20 oil! :surprised3: it must be like water... well, except in -30F and lower... lol. once I tried some recycled oil, re-refined (cleaned) thot I mite save a buck. eeek! :eek: that stuff was thinner than water! lol... I took it back to the auto parts store, a dif clerk made the refund, he said... I never use that stuff! I went back to my standard: Pennzoil. but I do have an engine... in my old van, inline 6 and highly modified, I'll skip the details... just know it is... :D and has a long crank. [duh]... I spin it over first 5-6 revs... let that oil move around and fill the rod bearings. then set it up for the START.... and she fires up nicely, and quietly... I suspect the rods now, mite be at the outer limits of ideal clearances, but never no rod knock... and the 6 purrForms nicely. 0w-20. hmm, interesting. I like 40w for an older engine. my 23-T, LS-6 454 The Rocket Roadster.... runs a big mag... I turn on the fuel pump, then pump the throttle few times... and spin it over (sep start button) ignition off, just to fill the intake, cyls, etc... and then ignition ON and don't even crank 1 rev and VAROOM!~ :yes: idles at 1250 - 1275... need I say more! ;) getting up there close to chain saw territory... :rolleyes:
 
With the new synthetic oils (car motor oil), warm up is not as important as it used to be. 1) The oil leaves a coating on the metal 2) It does not get as thick when cold as the old oils did.

I generally just give it about 10 seconds in all weather, just enough time for the oil pump to circulate to the whole engine.

Yes, that and fuel injection over carbs.

With that said, hands down absolutely the best starting old gas engines (nothing plugged in) I had anything to do with were slant sixes. Once staying at a lodge in maine and working construction (half loggers, half construction guys), mine was the single onliest vehicle to crank and run at like 30 below and I wound up jump starting almost every other vehicle there. It was a 62 valiant. Same thing in atlanta once when we had a rare way below zero day, 74 dart then,. jump started people on my block then over to my sisters condos.
 
Zogger said: mine was the single onliest vehicle to crank and run at like 30 below

you can be sure that any-thing that sits out overnite in -30F and starts right up... gets both my praise and attention. [especially if I was one of those needing a jump!] :cold: brrr-r.

I don't ever remember any -30F days or nights, while living in Washington state, but certainly many cold ones. one of the worst scenarios... was the freezing rains of winter in Seattle... back then auto door lock modules din't exist... just the old ignition key! and so the freezing rains would hit the car and settle down into the door lock... and then the fun began. all but impossible to get door open, and of course... you had some place to get to and was late... lol.... [not fun!]

 
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