Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

Walkop t1_jcffnbk wrote

Reply to comment by jericho in Plow truck my grandpa bought brand new back in ‘79, been working every winter by Haha1867hoser420

Wash the underbodies thoroughly after every storm (EVERY storm) and change transmission fluid every single season. Change differential fluid as well. Undercoat with rust prevention each season.

The killer for transmissions is heat, because transmission fluid is killed by heat. Causes the breakdown to accelerate, which changes the hydraulic properties of the fluid. When the hydraulic properties change, you end up with a lot of problems.

Snow plowing creates a stupid amount of heat.

Change your fluids, keep on top of suspension work, and don't do stupid stuff with your truck. I'm a firm believer it'll still last a long time.

8

1millionamps t1_jcg0cjb wrote

How do you wash the underbody in the winter? I could see going to a car wash but that’s expensive. I tried pressure washing and bringing everything inside to dry but it was a ton of work bringing the hose and everything out and super messy in the house.

1

Walkop t1_jcg5149 wrote

I wash my plow truck at a coin op. I usually pay about $8 Canadian for about 9 minutes with a sprayer, I wash off the truck, plow, salter, and then thoroughly go over the underbody. That's usually enough time to use a spray soap and a rinse, but really you only need to rinse.

If you're using it for plowing, that cost, every storm is nothing compared to the amount of money you'll save on the frame and body over time. Water isn't what causes the rust, the salt is what really accelerates it from the road. Whatever is used to melt ice. You need to get that off immediately, before it has time to set in. Especially if you have temperatures going above zero. If it stays really cold, it's not as big of a deal, but as soon as you hit the temperature where salt can work on ice, it's going to be working on your frame. The hotter it gets the worse it gets.

If you're just using it for your house and tooling around town during a storm, it's not as big of a deal, but I would still recommend rinsing it off whenever you can.

2

Walkop t1_jcg5al5 wrote

Thought this was worth a separate reply; you also don't necessarily need to bring the washer inside, as long as you make sure there's no residual water in the pump. So you would disconnect the water supply, and then run the pump until nothing else is coming out. It should be fine to store in the cold as long as you do that. At least, that's what I've done when I keep it in the garage. If you're concerned, I would just look that up quickly to see if it's fine to store in. Really cool temperatures as long as you drain the pump.

1

grubbs120dg t1_jcg17g0 wrote

Would you say the transmission fluid changing advice applies to a car you're driving just to and from work?

1

Walkop t1_jcg3ze6 wrote

Not necessarily. Before manufacturers started calling the fluid "for life" (one of the only OEM recommendations I've seen that's actually plain stupid, the fluids haven't turned magic in the last 20 years), usually there's a standard service and severe service interval for fluid changes. Usually standard is around 60,000mi (100,000km), and severe service is half this.

The misconception that arises is that severe service isn't just for towing. It includes towing, heavy loads, but also driving often in hills and in heavy traffic. Stop and go is severe service. So many commuters should be changing their fluids on a severe service interval, which is likely around 30,000, mi or 50,000 km. That's the interval I would go with if the car stated lifetime changes and didn't actually have a fluid interval.

2

grubbs120dg t1_jch6onk wrote

Gotcha, thanks for the advice. My last vehicle had the transmission go out at 160k miles. I'm going to try to stick to every 30k.

1

Walkop t1_jchflqf wrote

It's cheap insurance. It protects the torque converter and...everything...in the transmission. Definitely recommend it.

There are a lot of different opinions on oil brands , some people say pretty much all synthetic is the same; personally, I've seen some tests with Amsoil's Signature Series ATF that won me over. They claim twice the resistance to heat breakdown vs other leading synthetics, "reserve protection" vs heat. And have ASTM testing to back it up. Basically you can run severe service at regular intervals. Third party testing and my own experience seem to line up, it's very very good fluid.

Regardless of fluid you use, make sure it's the right spec for your vehicle make, and change it at the appropriate interval, and you'll enjoy a VERY long transmission life (unless there are design flaws, like Dodge Grand Caravan for a few years, or the Ford Focus with the disaster of an automatic clutch).

1