# New to me plow truck



## Aerospace Eng (Mar 3, 2015)

'76 Oshkosh P2323-1J3.

One owner - Ft.Dodge, IA airport.

Cat 3306, Fuller T905, 3 speed aux transmission.

Just under 26,000 miles.

Schmidt/Wausau MF 5.4 plow (12' sectional). Installed in the early 1990s to replace the original plow, a Frink roll-over.

Swenson Spreader with dual "AV" spinners. Installed in '89, replacing a dump bed that had been removed from an older FWD.

I think it has character.



















Today, I reinstalled the stack, beacon, and headlights that were removed for height reasons.

I also adjusted the clutch since there was a lack of freeplay at the pedal and the throwout bearing was not getting completely released. I now know what a clutch brake is.

It's a good thing it came with manuals (such as they are from 1976).

it's not leaking significantly (nothing dripping even after 30 minutes of running).

The air system is working, including the alcohol injector.

I discovered some interesting quirks....

I've never seen windshield wipers powered by truck air before today. Vacuum wipers on old cars, yes, but never pressure. You turn a valve to regulate speed. Also, washer fluid is distributed by pressurizing the container, instead of a pump.


----------



## Western1 (Dec 4, 2008)

Lots of character there!


----------



## Western1 (Dec 4, 2008)

Nice addition!


----------



## SHAWZER (Feb 29, 2012)

Different tread on front tires ...... easier turning corners ?


----------



## Aerospace Eng (Mar 3, 2015)

SHAWZER said:


> Different tread on front tires ...... easier turning corners ?


It's part of the character....
In 2015, they replaced the left front tire and rim with one from a different truck. It's painted in safety green, like my broom trucks.

i'm not sure yet where the slight list is coming from, or even how much there is. The left front fender is bent down, my guess is from people standing on it for engine checks over the years. I'm not sure how much the cab is tilted relative to the frame, or if the fender makes it look worse. I haven't measured it yet, and it's not that important to me. It's a plow truck, not a museum piece.

When they had the Frink on it, they hit something hard enough to break the frame forward of the fender. The repair was stout, but not quite inline, which is one of the reasons why the plow mount is lower on the drivers side by 1/2"


----------



## Western1 (Dec 4, 2008)

Character everywhere!


----------



## Western1 (Dec 4, 2008)

When they had the Frink on it, they hit something hard enough to break the frame forward of the fender.

Wouldn’t have wanted to be the pilot for that one!
I’ve had my share of hitting stuff!


----------



## Randall Ave (Oct 29, 2014)

You have a Spicer pull type clutch? You adjusted it by turning the ring in the pressure plate?


----------



## Aerospace Eng (Mar 3, 2015)

Randall Ave said:


> You have a Spicer pull type clutch? You adjusted it by turning the ring in the pressure plate?


I'm not sure if it is a Spicer - the clutch dataplate says Haldex, but it is a pull type clutch. It wasn't starting to grab until the top 2" of pedal travel, which should be your freeplay, according to the Oshkosh manual. I took off the plate on the bottom, and the yoke was hard up against the throw-out bearing pads.

It has two segmented rings for spanner wrenches. I didn't have a spanner to fit. I used a brass drift to loosen the locknut, and then adjusted the main nut until there was 1/2" of clearance between the clutch brake plate and the throw out bearing. I tightened up the locknut, and then adjusted the pedal linkage to give me about 1/8" clearance between the yoke and throw-out bearing, which gave me 1 1/2" or so of pedal freeplay. When the clutch pedal is about 1/2" from the floor, the clutch brake gets engaged.

I think that is consistent with the manual, but I've never worked on one before.


----------



## Aerospace Eng (Mar 3, 2015)

Randall Ave said:


> You have a Spicer pull type clutch? You adjusted it by turning the ring in the pressure plate?


After a little further research, it appears to be a Lipe 14" 2 plate pull-type.


----------



## Randall Ave (Oct 29, 2014)

It sounds like a Lipe, the pedal should hit the clutch brake about 1/2-3/4" off the floor, don't need to be exact. The fork needs to be clear of the TOB. Once the clutch wears in they will grab closer to the top. You got it right were it needs to be.


----------



## Western1 (Dec 4, 2008)

Wish I had some work for something like that. And a place to keep it!


----------



## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

SHAWZER said:


> Different tread on front tires ...... easier turning corners ?


You're watching too mulch NASCAR.


----------



## Randall Ave (Oct 29, 2014)

Mark Oomkes said:


> You're watching too mulch NASCAR.


Nothing else to do, that plow frame looks big enough to be a front counter weight.


----------



## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

Sweet looking truck.


----------



## Randall Ave (Oct 29, 2014)

Mark Oomkes said:


> Sweet looking truck.


Looks better than a Walter.


----------



## Aerospace Eng (Mar 3, 2015)

Here's a picture of the green wheel, and some of the plow.










The mount is an "SQH." This one is made by Wausau, but Henke makes them as well. It's nice because only a flat plate stays with the vehicle. The hydraulics are all kept with the plow itself. It's sort of like a skidsteer plate.










The sections are basically a 4-bar linkage with a spring applying downpressure.


----------



## Western1 (Dec 4, 2008)

Wow


----------



## Hydromaster (Jun 11, 2018)

Is that for your 5mi long driveway to your country home in the UP?
I bet it’s uphill both ways to .

Wish I had use for one ....


----------



## Aerospace Eng (Mar 3, 2015)

Hydromaster said:


> Is that for your 5mi long driveway to your country home in the UP?
> I bet it's uphill both ways to .
> 
> Wish I had use for one ....


Nope. No country homes anywhere. My machines are currently just for my hangars at the airport. I don't have a lot of hobbies outside of aviation, and I like snow. I also like to make machines work the way the designer intended.

If I can get a truck like this (or the tug, or my broom trucks) for about what most people spend on coffee and beer in a year, it's OK with me if it isn't used heavily.

At some point, I'll sell them to a privately owned airport without a huge budget, and I might even make a few bucks, since they will actually be working.


----------



## Aerospace Eng (Mar 3, 2015)

Why I like older airport equipment....

NO SALT CORROSION

The airports get grant money once every 20 years for equipment, and so they make them last because they know they may be hanging onto it for a long time.

That means they keep them inside, and maintained.

NO SALT CORROSION

They also don't use them often - they are there to keep the airport open. Hence 26,000 miles in 44 years, about 600 miles per year for this unit.

NO SALT CORROSION

Here's a picture of the interior of the Oshkosh. It's all original. Except for one tear of the seat, it's pristine. The outside was repainted once.










The door stickers/riveted plates are original. I do need to replace the hose to the door window defroster. Airports aren't perfect, and do some weird things sometime.










Not bad for a 44 year old vehicle.

I also like the simplicity and ease of repair. No DEF, no computers to go bad.

The heater and defrost, for example are just blowers on top of a plenum with a heater core inside. The assembly hangs down below the dash, with a simple cable operated valve in the heater hose. There are no heater vents, just a deflector so you don't fry your feet. Blower fan is controlled with a toggle switch Off-Low-High.

Do you want defrost? - another blower on the same plenum, ducted to the windshield and side windows.










Ugly, yes.

Easy to get to, and simple to make work. No temperature sensors to get confused - it's too cold, open the valve or change the fan speed. Too hot, close the valve or change the fan speed. If there is a passenger, and they are too hot or cold - tough for them.

Finally, since salt isn't allowed on the airside of airports (ramps, runways, taxiways)....

NO SALT CORROSION


----------



## Western1 (Dec 4, 2008)

Keep it simple!!

NO SALT CORROSION 

got it!
That salt is somethin else!!!
Sweet purchase there!


----------



## Aerospace Eng (Mar 3, 2015)

After the issues I had with my 2008 Belos municipal tractor due to salt corrosion, I think I would only buy used winter equipment from airports, or from parts of the country that don’t use salt.


----------



## Aerospace Eng (Mar 3, 2015)

I finally was able to verify operation of the spreader and spinner yesterday. However, like all the old equipment I buy, this one has a hydraulic leak, in this case out of the spinner/spreader controller. It was made by a company that went defunct in the 1970s, so I'm just going to replace it with something more modern.

Any recommendations/advice on mechanical hydraulic spinner/spreader controls for central hydros?

Parker ?
http://www.phtruck.com/download/hcs/catalogs/HCSSpreaderValves.pdf

I lean toward a simple all mechanical QD type control, since the hydraulics are already in the cab, but would be willing to go to an electric open loop control like a PSM1000 if it was much better.

Sauer Danfoss?

https://www.zequip.com/store/brands/comp-tech-/hydraulic-/spreader-controller-/2ffl12d12t7-control

Other brands?


----------



## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

If I had a choice, I would have all manual valves like the QD. Simple and easy. No calibration, coffee can be spilled on them without breaking them, they're pretty much bulletproof.

But, room in trucks is limited so I don't have them on all of my spreader trucks anymore.


----------



## Aerospace Eng (Mar 3, 2015)

I designed a plow mount for the 22' plow I picked up at auction last year that would mate with the Oshkosh (and the plate I am putting on my tug. I also designed a new push plate for the Oshkosh that would be compatible both with the original 12' plow and the 22' plow.

A local steel service company cut the parts for me out of 5/8" plate.

This is the Oshkosh plate










This is the push plate for the tug:










The scalloped cutouts on the top sides are where the headlights are, since I did not want to cover them. I was restricted in the placement of the reinforcing plates by the shape of the front of the tug. They wound up where the holes were, so I used cutouts so that nuts could be put on during plow installation.

This is the plow plate:










The design is not that different than the plate on the Oshkosh, except that I added a protrusion at the top to give me the proper geometry for the cylinder. I added two bolt holes to clamp the push and plow plates together for stiffness, as the plow is very heavy. The plow plate itself is longer with two additional holes to attach shackles to so I can lift the plate onto the Oshkosh using the forklift.

The cut-out at the bottom is so that if I put the plow on the tug, it will clear the pintle hitch. The cylinder mounts to the top, and the channel is for bending strength/stiffness. It is a direct chain lift design (No A-frame. The cylinder pulls directly on the chains.)

I have a surplus hydraulic cylinder I got from Surplus Center along with a loader valve. Interestingly, the ports are in the rod end (hollow rod) rather than being on the cylinder body. The rod will be mounted to the plate, and the cylinder end will just connect to the chains with shackles. I am a little concerned that the design may put side loads on the cylinder, but they should be acceptable as long as the chains are equal length.










Rather than the v shaped hooks that are part of the Schmidt quick attach, I had them make me some hooks out of 5/8" plate:










All told, about 1000 lb, and just over $1000 for all the steel parts, and about $200 for the cylinder.

I have a welder coming over this weekend to weld it up.


----------



## Western1 (Dec 4, 2008)

Sweet!!


----------



## Aerospace Eng (Mar 3, 2015)

I put the plow on today, until I finish the hydraulics and mount for the plow, sunce we are supposed to get snow on Tuesday.










I don't know how it will plow without sand in the spreader


----------



## Aerospace Eng (Mar 3, 2015)

I mocked up the cylinder and lift mechanism for the 22' plow yesterday.

Basically the cylinder rod end is attached to the lifting plate, and, on the other end a clevis pulls on a chain which is attached to a D ring I will weld on the plow A-frame. I'll cut the chain to length once I get everything assembled.










Two minor issues. One is that the clevis hangs fine straight down, but interferes with the cylinder base when rotated. A few passes with a mill will fix this.



















On the other end, I trusted the dimension given by Surplus Center, and had the top mount parts cut before I got the cylinder. A little machining will fix this as well, but I'm somewhat annoyed. With a rotary table (or CNC) it would be easy, but I will probably wind up making an octagon out of it. I might just have them remade, but I have already chamfered the edges for welding and reamed the holes for the pin (plasma cut holes are not perfect and tend to have a slight taper, so I have them cut to the pin size but then drill/bore/or ream to size. I have to decide which is the easier fix.


----------



## Aerospace Eng (Mar 3, 2015)

I got the shackle milled today.























I also milled the upper mount parts to eliminate the interference and faced them for alignment. First, I aligned with a pin and clamped in the vice, then milled a flat.










Flipped it over, and faced the part that goes against the plate, so I am guaranteed to have the holes in alignment if against the plate. As noted in the prior post, I had previously chamfered the mounts for weld penetration.

Once that was done, I milled the triangular extensions for proper height form the base. If they are to be chamfered, it will be done with a grinder.










Faced the extension and milled it down so the cylinder could hang straight down.










Once that was done, I took some step blocks, which are 30/60/90, and used that to approximately jig the mount parts. I milled until the corner distance was enough for clearance.










Then I used the other side of the block, and cut another face, basically making part of a 12 sided polygon.



















Problem solved.










I have decided I need to get a shell end mill with carbide inserts. Doing this with a flycutter with only 2 teeth takes way too long.


----------



## Aerospace Eng (Mar 3, 2015)

As long as I had the fly cutter set up, I took the mounts for the swing bolts, put a pin through them and faced them to help the alignment.

















The channel has also all been chamfered for better weld penetration.










Now it's mostly just waiting for the welder. I do have a bit of machining left to do on the clevis mounts.


----------



## Aerospace Eng (Mar 3, 2015)

One of the 4 segments in the 12' plow was missing its downspring.










I got pricing - $183. It seems steep to me for just a coil spring, but I have no basis for comparison.










The bigger issue is 11 weeks out. Good thing I don't really need the plow this winter.


----------



## rizzoa13 (Oct 20, 2018)

https://www.mcmaster.com/coil-springs/corrosion-resistant-compression-spring-stock/
If you can find the right coil stock here you can cut to size and loop the ends.

They have up to 1.75" width in regular steel also.

https://www.mcmaster.com/coil-springs/compression-spring-stock-7/
Or if you need a higher spring rate this one at 1 1/8' diameter made from 1/4' stock could work.

https://www.mcmaster.com/9662k78
I could be way off because thats a huge plow but worth a try. They ship same day.


----------



## Aerospace Eng (Mar 3, 2015)

Thanks for the suggestions on springs. I have to do some measuring and calculating.


----------



## Aerospace Eng (Mar 3, 2015)

The welder showed up this morning, and welded most of the plate. I'm very glad I had a professional do it. He's good and knows all the tricks to not warp things. For example, the pin in the cylinder mount is a tight fit, but it is still easily moveable by hand. When he was done originally, it was too tight, but after things cooled off, everything moved. The channels are stitch welded on, because they are there for stiffness, not strength, and that minimized any warp.



















A test fit of the cylinder. The clearances are good, but it does stick if I try to go past 90 degrees to the plate, since I didn't machine the top. The cylinder will never be there, and I will be putting a plate across the top of the cylinder mount to take out some of the bending load/weld stress.










It doesn't look it in the picture, but everything is parallel. There are many curved surfaces which make it look weird.




























I do not have the plow clevis plates on yet. I have to bore the holes for alignment after the plasma cutting, and I haven't got that done yet.

The welder also put the D-ring on the plow, just aft of the pivot bolt. This location will not move sideways as the plow is lifted, so no sideload will be put on the cylinder.


----------



## Aerospace Eng (Mar 3, 2015)

I brought the Oshkosh into the hangar today to remove and measure the spring. I used an engine hoist to lift it off, as there is no adjusting screw.

Once I got it off, it was a lot shorter than I thought (about 3" extension), and was close to the same size as a spare spring in the cab that I didn't think fit. I'm not sure which one is technically correct, or if both are and there was a part change sometime in the last 31 years.








However, they were the same length, diameter, and had the same number of coils. One was just missing the beehive look for the last few coils that the other had, so I went ahead and put it on.


----------



## Aerospace Eng (Mar 3, 2015)

We got about 4", so I got to try out the Oshkosh with the 12' plow.










There was no weight in the spreader, but it still worked well. I'm still learning how not to crash the crash box. To get it into gear, one has to use the clutch brake, but the clutch brake isn't used between gears. Double clutching (I'm not sure if I am using the term correctly... I put clutch in part way to not activate the clutch brake, let the clutch out while in neutral, then clutch in and into gear) seems to help.

For this trial run, I removed the gauge wheels and tires, because one would not hold air. It's a two piece wheel held together by a snap ring. I've never seen that before. All the two piece wheels I have worked on before were held together with multiple bolts.



















Snap ring goes in the groove...










I also find it unusual that the bearings are pressed in sealed types, rather than cup and cone.

Both gauge wheels have 5.00 x 5 aircraft tires, but I am not sure that's what's supposed to be there. However, being at an airport, I can easily get a supply of used 5.00 x 5, a common nosewheel size. The only problem is that the aircraft tubes won't fit, so I have to figure out what tube from Carlisle or similar will work.


----------



## Fourteen Contracting Inc. (Jul 5, 2019)

Aerospace Eng said:


> We got about 4", so I got to try out the Oshkosh with the 12' plow.
> 
> View attachment 210127
> 
> ...


What do you use at the airport for anti-icing / de-icing?


----------



## Aerospace Eng (Mar 3, 2015)

Fourteen Contracting Inc. said:


> What do you use at the airport for anti-icing / de-icing?


For the roads/ramps/taxiway/runway, nothing.

Salt isn't allowed on airports.

Small airports will use sand as a friction aid, but that is avoided if possible due to damage to turbine blades, propellers, and helicopter rotors.

Some large airports will use Sodium Acetate, for select ramp areas, but at $1500 per ton, or $100 for a 25 kg bag, with application rates at 5 lb/1000 sq feet for light ice and 25 lb/1000 sq foot for heavy ice, unless you are wallowing in taxpayer money it is prohibitively expensive. A 5000x100 foot runway would cost $400 to $2000 for a single application, not including the equipment and man hours. If there is an ice storm, small airports just close for a day or two or lay down sand, since they have no way to support such a cost.

Urea used to be allowed, and is still used in some places, but has generally been prohibited due to environmental concerns and corrosion difficulties experienced with certain brake materials.

The lack of anti-ice/de-ice agents is why you see things like runway brooms with all wire wafers and air blowers to try and get to dry pavement as quickly as possible. The sun on asphalt is your friend, even on a cold day.


----------



## BUFF (Dec 24, 2009)

Aerospace Eng said:


> I got the shackle milled today.
> View attachment 209417
> View attachment 209418
> View attachment 209419
> ...


Was going to comment in the Fly Cutter with 2 lathe bits not being the tool of choice but you use what you have. Probably 30yrs ago I was running a bed mill with 80" X travel and 60" Y travel and fly cutting a lot of 7075 plates. I made a fly cutter similar you what you have but it did a 16" in diameter cut. When I turned the spindle on it sounded like a helicopter and was quickly named "Air Wolf". I made one pass across a plate and scrapped "Air Wolf" due to surface finish being crap due to vibration, plus it really was safe to run.
2" Face mill with 4 replaceable carbide inserts and R-8 arbor will run aboot $350-550 depending of brand. Inserts will run $15-25 each depend on grade and brand used. But you can remove a lot of material real quick.


----------



## Western1 (Dec 4, 2008)

Used to run a Blanchard grinder and everyone in shop would know I was running it cause I would frequently forget to turn the magnet on!


----------



## Aerospace Eng (Mar 3, 2015)

Today, I finished machining the 4 plates for the 22' plow push plate.

I made a mistake in getting these parts plasma cut.

The angle that the plasma disperses at makes the hole tapered and not quite round. Trying to make the hole a close fit for the pins was a pain.

I wound up using an annular cutter. A boring bar would be better, but I had 16 holes to make.

To make the annular cutter work, I first had to fix the quill feed on the mill. The clutches were worn out when I bought it, and the kick-out mechanism didn't work. 
Here are some photos of the clutch replacement - the kick out mechanism is a bunch of small internal parts that just needed a good clean. Even though the clutch teeth don't look that worn, they would not feed.










Old clutch ring teeth










Old clutch and clutch ring










New clutch ring teeth from H&W machine










New clutch teeth










Rebuilt clutch. I just set the spring to the same compression, as I didn't have any testing guidance.









Reinstalled ring










Reinstalled clutch










Cover went back on, and I was in business. For each one, I found the best hole, machined that, and then moved the known spacing between the holes for the rest of them.

One of the problems with the holes can be seen below, where the plasma torch ate more than the diameter in different places. Due to irregularities in the holes like this, I was reluctant to use carbide despite its higher machining speed, since it is brittle.










Also, because I was just trying to effectively ream the hole to its perfect position, the cutter pushed the final edge out, creating a lip, that I then had to machine off (Yes Buff, I did get a shell mill, but in HSS for cost reasons).










At any rate, the clevis mounts are all ready for the welder, and the pins are a nice fit.

However, if I had to do it over again, I would get the clevis plates, or any precision hole, CNC machined out of the appropriate bar or plate stock. They wouldn't even have to drill the holes, just whip a 1/4" cutter around in a circle. The plasma cutting of the clevis mounts was a bad idea. It took way too much time, and cost more, since I had to buy an annular cutter and 2.5" shell mill.


----------



## BUFF (Dec 24, 2009)

You should be on the hunt for a Volstro head for doing hole and pocket work.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OpCy6HQMHoIf you have a rotary cross slide table you can really do some pretty cool thing with a Volstro in the spindle.
Before we got NC mills these two pieces were used a lot in the shop.


----------



## Aerospace Eng (Mar 3, 2015)

The welder came this morning and finished the plate for the 22' plow. Mounted the 4 plates for the pin mount and capped the cylinder mount. He was able to keep the plated in alignment so that the pins slip in and out with little or no tapping.










Then we added the hooks that will align the plow plate with the push plate until bolts get installed. We did this by putting the plate over the replacement push plate for the Oshkosh, and welding the hooks in a slightly loose position. We may need to grind them. The weld was more difficult than the others, since I hadn't beveled the edges, and part of the weld was to channel with about 1/4" wall and then the last 5/8 was to the edge of a plate.

It may seem strange that there are no hooks far outboard, but the Tug push plate is narrow due to the headlights, and there is no load that far out anyway. The location of the outer hooks are determined by the location of the push plate brace on the tug.










Next step - paint.


----------



## Aerospace Eng (Mar 3, 2015)

A while back, I had noticed that the mounts for the exhaust muffler mounting were in need of replacement.




























Oshkosh was not very responsive with respect to their mount, P/N 1175GX. I was able to find mounts carried by McMaster that had the same dimensions, 3" mounting spacing for 3/8 bolt, 1/2-20 center thread. I went with the softest mounts, since they were still rated at 130 lb each. P/N 64875K25.

I figured it would be an easy job, take off the shroud and muffler, change the mounts, bolt everything back up.

Instead, I have decided I hate U-bolt clamps, since people over tighten them, swaging the pipes to the muffler. Therefore, I could not get access through the holes in the mount, and had to Rube Goldberg up a way to support the muffler and exhaust pipe once I disconnected the mounts.



















The U-bolts turned a 15 minute job into an hour and a half due to lack of access, but I got it done.










Once I had the two mounts on the side reinstalled, I worked on the four supporting the brackets on the rear of the cab. I found out that the truck was originally a maroon color.










One problem that I ran into was that I couldn't access the bolts to reinstall the mounting nuts.

It turns out that somewhere in the past, someone had installed beaded panels on the back wall.










I pulled the passenger seat. The back end had a bunch of washers under it because the bead board took up too much room for the angle of the seat, and the top of the back needed to be moved forward.









I got rid of the wood (and will get rid of the rest of it before the truck leaves the barn this time)


----------



## Western1 (Dec 4, 2008)

Nice


----------



## Aerospace Eng (Mar 3, 2015)

With access to the bolts, the rest of the install went smoothly.



















I will find some decent sound/thermal insulation for the back wall, instead of the hodgepodge there now, and will also replace the seat belts.

I am happier with the muffler mounting now.


----------



## Aerospace Eng (Mar 3, 2015)

I pulled the front push plate off the Oshkosh today, since I am replacing it with a new one designed with extra support for the 22' plow.










I have no idea how they bent the bottom of it by such a large amount. The only SWAG I have is that they used the swing bolts without the inner mount bolts and then hooked something in reverse.










Because there was a list to the truck, I jacked up the low side to make the spring perches on the frame the same height.










With that done, the truck looked vertical, but the driver's side fender is listing. There is no noticeable deformation in the fender support, so it is probably from being stepped on to check the oil over 44 years. I think I will loosen the bolts between the support and fender and shim it flat with washers.










Unfortunately, the bolt holes are not in any recognizable pattern, and when the truck is jacked as described above, there is a 1/8 difference in height between the left and right sides of the box. The welder is going to borrow a magnetic drill and the next time he is by we will clamp the supports to produce a level plate and then match drill the holes. The push "box" structure is a little sprung at the bottom, but I believe it will pull back straight when bolted to the push plate.


----------



## Aerospace Eng (Mar 3, 2015)

I'll note that the Cat 3306 in this truck is a cold-hating diesel (Unlike the Scanias in the articulated trucks, the Perkins in the forklift, or the Cummins in the tug). 

It is better starting than a cold detroit 2 stroke found in my brooms and the blower. If a broom is cold soaked, I know from experience that you need to plug both engines in and walk away for about 2 hours. It's just too hard to crank with cold straight 40 weight. After 2 hours it starts easily. I have block heaters on order for my blower.

Anyway, back to the 3306.

It was about 20 degrees when I went to start it (no block heater, but I have one on order). 

2 Minutes of induction heater, then cranking with the throttle at about 1/4. It almost started. Another 30 seconds of induction heating and recrank for 30 seconds (this is per the instructions riveted to the door). Repeated several times. 

Fortunately, the batteries are new. Finally got it going, and then had to use the induction heater to keep it going for a few minutes, and then a slight application of throttle without the heater (It has a hand throttle which is nice)

It wasn't idling well for about 10 minutes.

I don't know if that is just a 3306 characteristic or this engine in particular.


----------



## Aerospace Eng (Mar 3, 2015)

I also put a used aircraft tire on the right side caster tire for the 12' plow. The tire and tube on the one were completely gone - sidewall rotted and leaking tube.










The tire was a 5.00x5, which is a common aircraft size, but not a common utility size. I should have a near endless supply because what is not airworthy will still work for a plow.









However, the aircraft tire inner tube will not fit the hole in the 2 piece wheel for the valve stem.

I could identify that the old tube was a Carlisle, but I couldn't read the inner tube size.

Then, as I was working on taking some more paneling out, I found a spare tube in a bag behind the driver's seat. It held air, but was dry-rotted. I could at least determine the size.










The problem with it is that a 5.00x5 tire is 14-15 inches in outside diameter, not 11". The size difference is shown below, in comparison to the old tire.









However, I could not find any better tube, and so I bought one and installed it. It will be stretched beyond what it should be, so I don't know how long it will last or how well it will hold air.










I'm not sure what size tire is supposed to be on there, since anything I can find for a 5" rim is not rated for the weight of that plow. I couldn't find any metric size that would work either.


----------



## rizzoa13 (Oct 20, 2018)

The cats are notoriously bad at cold starting. On my c7 I’ve got 2 temro battery warmers under the batteries and a a thermal blanket around the batteries. From what was explained to me by a battery guy the available cranking amps is much better at 80degrees (the thermostatic cutoff on those warmers) than at 32 or below. I wired it it all together so one plug does block heater and battery warmers. Made a huge difference.


----------



## WIPensFan (Jan 31, 2009)

Aerospace Eng said:


> I also put a used aircraft tire on the right side caster tire for the 12' plow. The tire and tube on the one were completely gone - sidewall rotted and leaking tube.
> 
> View attachment 212400
> 
> ...


Wondering if someone makes a solid tire that size, and if it would work?


----------



## Aerospace Eng (Mar 3, 2015)

WIPensFan said:


> Wondering if someone makes a solid tire that size, and if it would work?


Good thought. I'll look around.


----------



## Hydromaster (Jun 11, 2018)

On that tack
He Could have it foam-filled/ Tyrfil.


----------



## rizzoa13 (Oct 20, 2018)

Would it increase the weight capacity much? I know nothing about that.
I looked for a solid tire for it and couldn’t find either.


----------



## Aerospace Eng (Mar 3, 2015)

On Saturday, the welder came by with a magnetic drill he had borrowed from his work. This was necessary because there was no recognizable hole pattern for the mounting bolts and because the side plates on the truck were 9/16" out of level with each other when the truck frame was leveled side to side with a floor jack. The left side was also slightly canted, so it was in on the bottom left.










The plate was then put into the proper position and the side plates welded to the push plate. I left the plow plate on to hold everything as straight as possible while welding. There was still some warping due to heat, but not much.

The load path from the plow is very direct into the side plates, which is very nice.










I then went to install the cylinder. Surplus Center had indicated that it was a new surplus. When I got it, it looked used, but not abused. However, when I got the ports off the ram, I discovered that some complete idjit had tapped out the holes designed for an O-Ring Boss for a pipe thread. I'll see what Surplus Center says about a discount or sending a replacement.










In the meantime, I mounted up the cylinder on the plate.









Today, a friend and I got ambitious (and all the jets were gone out of their hangar so there was room) and installed the 22' plow. It took a run to tractor supply, and one old swing hose sprung a leak, but we got it installed. It turns out that no chain was needed. The cylinder is at a lower angle than I would like, but it does lift it, and this plow is rarely going to be off its casters.

In order to use the cylinder directly without an A-frame I had to use a lift point behind the pivot to keep side loads from the cylinder. This means that before you lift the plow it has to be straight. If you lift it when the plow is angled, the side to which it is angled never leaves the ground as it just tilts in that direction.










Almost all their connections are pipe thread, which is very annoying. Changing those and rerouting the hoses to avoid the lift cylinder will be added to the list of projects. In the meantime, I'll get some cheap tractor supply hoses (pipe threads at both ends)










It's a big plow, even for the Oshkosh...










I need to add some ballast by putting sand in the spreader for traction. Counterweight is not possible, and not really needed, as the plow weight will be off the suspension when plowing.

Unfortunately, I will need to remove the plow to go across the street to the concrete plant and get it. In the meantime, It looks ready for the drags when the plow is lifted.


----------



## BUFF (Dec 24, 2009)

Idjit..... I blame the parents for breeding....


----------



## WIPensFan (Jan 31, 2009)

Looks awesome with the plow on. And yeah, that's a big plow.
Hey @Aerospace Eng did you see that Daniels 3-1 plow in the for sale section? Tug plow?!?


----------



## racer47 (Feb 24, 2011)

nice machine, would love to see it in action


----------



## Western1 (Dec 4, 2008)

Plow won’t fit through gate to go across the street?


----------



## Aerospace Eng (Mar 3, 2015)

WIPensFan said:


> Looks awesome with the plow on. And yeah, that's a big plow.
> Hey @Aerospace Eng did you see that Daniels 3-1 plow in the for sale section? Tug plow?!?


I did, thanks.

I have to see if the tug can push that big a blade first.


----------



## Aerospace Eng (Mar 3, 2015)

racer47 said:


> nice machine, would love to see it in action


I did replace the leaking hose (all hoses actually).

The cutting edge is worn down to the moldboard, to the point where the nots securing it are getting grouns, so I have to flip it before I use it.

The airport that had it just used washers under the bolt heads, rather than a steel cutting edge as poly blade manufacturers like fallline recommend. The carriage bolt head just spins when I try to take the nut off.

I have ordered a nut splitter.

A local supplier has 5/8"x6"x11' top punched highway edges in stock, so I will get two of those and put them in front of the poly.

Hopefully, I will get this done next week, and we will have more snow to try it out in.


----------



## Aerospace Eng (Mar 3, 2015)

Western1 said:


> Plow won't fit through gate to go across the street?


Won't fit through obstacles to their scale.


----------



## Western1 (Dec 4, 2008)

Snow probably done by then Murphy’s law


----------



## Western1 (Dec 4, 2008)

Aerospace Eng said:


> Won't fit through obstacles to their scale.


You can probably move the obstacles out of the way with that. Just sayin


----------



## Defcon 5 (Mar 20, 2014)

Started out driving a mixer for the company I work for...They had me learn in a 1966 Oshkosh twin stick...Miss a gear in that thing you pretty much had to pull over and start over...Fun truck to drive and very hard to get it stuck...Not many creature comforts in the cab other than heat and a radio I installed...Nice Truck and I’m glad you found one in Oomkes Green


----------



## Aerospace Eng (Mar 3, 2015)

The solstice is behind us, so time to start getting ready for next season and finish those things I wanted to do, but did not have time to back in February.

The person I rent half of my large hangar to is gone with his airplane for two weeks, so I asked if I could bring some of my equipment inside to work on it. My side is too crowded with stuff crammed in there from when I rented out the half to him, so I barely can walk in there at the moment. He generously said "Yes."

First up is the Oshkosh. I want to take the plow mount apart and have it blasted and painted.










However, I also have to address the cutting edge, which was worn such that the plow frame instead of the poly was touching.










I didn't feel safe about having the plow suspended while I worked on it, and wanted to leave it attached for safety, so I lifted it and put blocks under the wheels.










The bolts were plow bolts with some weird washer that was supposed to keep them from spinning in the poly edge, but did not. The bolts just spun when the nuts were turned. That's one reason why when the blade goes back on, it will have a regular highway edge in front of it as a washer. The other is better support overall.

I wanted to not melt the plastic, and so I took them off with a nut splitter. It was a shoulder workout, but accomplished the job. The nut splitter would generally not break both sides, and was not always exactly on the diameter. I did find that after splitting the nuts the fastest way to get them off was not a hammer and chisel but to just grab them with a set of channel locks and unscrew them a few turns, whereupon they would fall off or could be spun by hand.





































Unfortunately, the mount for the blade is not really designed for a double sided blade, and I don't want to put the bolts in bending by having the cutting edge span the joggle.



















I need to either put another cutting edge behind, or cut the corner off the poly. The above photo is a bolt in the middle hole. I can't use the upper hole, because that doesn't leave enough of the blade to clamp.

I am leaning toward trimming the corner, but we will see how it reacts to a saw.

I also have to use the middle holes to accommodate a highway punch 11' edge, or find a smaller steel edge (or a used worn out one)


----------



## Aerospace Eng (Mar 3, 2015)

Somewhat to my surprise, a Ryobi battery powered circular saw with a wood blade did just fine cutting the corner off the poly edge.

In the "It's better to be lucky than good category," I could use the steel cutting edge I had borrowed from the airport as a fence. It worked especially well because I could insert several bolts through the holes in the steel edge and through the poly to keep it from bowing or squirming.

Although it may not look it because I don't have the bolts tight, the corner fits perfectly into the plow's joggle.

The pattern to the cut is because the cutting edge wasn't well clamped to the plow edge and therefore was bending back unevenly between the bolts. It's one reason to use a steel cutting edge as a washer.
























The steel edge does not have any countersink to the holes. The "Plow bolts" that were holding the edge on do not fit properly, so I will be using standard carriage bolts.









A new steel cutting edge is taller than I need, so I'm going to see if I can get some new ones from the local municipal equipment supplier.


----------

