How does one actually get Alcohol into the brake system???

[Rolling_Eudaimonia]

In the manual it advises that one must put alcohol into the air tanks to prevent freezing. Now, I've read and re-read the manuals but there doesn't seem to be a clear description of the process... Where exactly do you add the alcohol and how often should one add it in the winter if say your average temp is no less than 0 degreee F???

thanks..

 

[emmado22]

Get an alcohol evaporator kit and add it on.

 

[Rolling_Eudaimonia]

Get an alcohol evaporator kit and add it on.

Can I get it at Saturn?

 

[doghead]

If you don't find one at Saturn, try looking at Uranus.

Brake system is spelled like this(brake), break as you spelled, means broke, if your brakes are broke, you need to fix them before adding alcohol to the system.

I sure do miss Ace

 

[Rolling_Eudaimonia]

that's funny, no, I'm being serious... I didn't see any on the web-page for Saturn Surplus.

 

[emmado22]

Call them and ask.

 

[Rolling_Eudaimonia]

Call them and ask.

That's what I figured I would do... Can I run it without the kit?

 

[Rolling_Eudaimonia]

If you don't find one at Saturn, try looking at Uranus.

Brake system is spelled like this(brake), break as you spelled, means broke, if your brakes are broke, you need to fix them before adding alcohol to the system.

I sure do miss Ace

No, I just have to check before I post. I was typing fast and well that usually tends cause these minor issues in my typing... Like break instead of brake... I didn't even notice I did it. Thanks... The brakes work perfectly but I just don't want them to stop working in the cold weather not that Louisville gets too cold. I just don't want any serious brake problems when drive this truck around.

Thanks for the help.

 

[doghead]

Given your location, you probably won't really need to put anything into you air system. You will need to add a few ounces of OHT(oil) into the brake booster. The alcohol evap system was really intended for extreme arctic conditions. spelling, who cares, this is the Internet!

 

[saddamsnightmare]

October 18th, 2008.


Dear Rolling Eudemonia:
Usually the alcohol evaporator works by wicking a limited amount of alchohol fumes into the air compressor intake, the alcohol in vapor form passes into your brake system air tanks, and due to the chemical nature of the alcohol it pulls whatever moisture out of the brake air and causes it to lodge in the reservoirs. This keeps your brake cylinders (air pack) from freezing up at inopportune times. You will need to bleed the brake cylinders as often as you can, because the air flowing over them at low outside temperatures can cause the water to form ice in the tanks and block the bleeder valves. I made it through last winter's few sub freezing days here in Texas without the alcohol evaporator units, ut if I were in colder country I would have one on the deuce. You may also be able to obtain an adaptable kit at a civillian large truck shop or dealership if you can't find a military one....
Good luck on your hunt, stay safe (the NDT's will provide you almost all the excitement you will need driving in snow and water on pavement),

Cheers,

Kyle F. McGrogan

NB: RUSTPROOF and UNDERCOAT your deuce, as they really don't like rock salted roads..... the bodies go cancerous really quickly!

1971 Kaiser Jeep M35A2 Wo/W "Saddam's Nightmare"
1968 Johnson Corp M105A2
1963 Swiss Army Cargo Unimog MB
1967 Hercules MEP023A Gas Gen-Set APU

 

[cranetruck]

Do a search with "alcohol evaporator" as keywords...lots of hits here.
You will find the kits on ebay from time to time and they are covered in most TMs, both -10 and -20 for the vehicles in question. Part of the cold weather kit, keeps any water in the system from freezing, so it's a good option when ever the temp drops below 32°F.

 

[Rolling_Eudaimonia]

October 18th, 2008.


Dear Rolling Eudemonia:
Usually the alcohol evaporator works by wicking a limited amount of alchohol fumes into the air compressor intake, the alcohol in vapor form passes into your brake system air tanks, and due to the chemical nature of the alcohol it pulls whatever moisture out of the brake air and causes it to lodge in the reservoirs. This keeps your brake cylinders (air pack) from freezing up at inopportune times. You will need to bleed the brake cylinders as often as you can, because the air flowing over them at low outside temperatures can cause the water to form ice in the tanks and block the bleeder valves. I made it through last winter's few sub freezing days here in Texas without the alcohol evaporator units, ut if I were in colder country I would have one on the deuce. You may also be able to obtain an adaptable kit at a civillian large truck shop or dealership if you can't find a military one....
Good luck on your hunt, stay safe (the NDT's will provide you almost all the excitement you will need driving in snow and water on pavement),

Cheers,

Kyle F. McGrogan

NB: RUSTPROOF and UNDERCOAT your deuce, as they really don't like rock salted roads..... the bodies go cancerous really quickly!

1971 Kaiser Jeep M35A2 Wo/W "Saddam's Nightmare"
1968 Johnson Corp M105A2
1963 Swiss Army Cargo Unimog MB
1967 Hercules MEP023A Gas Gen-Set APU

Thanks for the help...

 

[Rolling_Eudaimonia]

Do a search with "alcohol evaporator" as keywords...lots of hits here.
You will find the kits on ebay from time to time and they are covered in most TMs, both -10 and -20 for the vehicles in question. Part of the cold weather kit, keeps any water in the system from freezing, so it's a good option when ever the temp drops below 32°F.

Yeah, that's what I thought too... Not that Louisville Kentucky gets many days out of the year below Freezing or at Freezing... I just wanted to make sure I had brakes on those days of the year that it did happen.

 

[doghead]

I did find this...

 

[Rolling_Eudaimonia]

Yeah, I saw that too but thought that was for only prolonged operations in the cold... I think a regular drying unit would do the trick.

 

[Somemedic]

So...

if I dont have any fancy-shmancy evaporator jar where shall I start pouring my alcohol? I didnt see the proceedure in the-20

 

[cranetruck]

So...

if I don't have any fancy-shmancy evaporator jar where shall I start pouring my alcohol?....

You don't pour it unless you have the jar.
The compressor "inhales" the fumes, so that the alcohol is mixed with the air and can absorb the moisture. Alcohol plus water has a much lower freezing point than water alone, so there will be no ice. Just drain the air tanks as usual and the diluted alcohol will be removed from the system.
The alcohol specified is methanol, BTW.

An air dryer may be good, but it must be turned on to melt any water that accumulates within it. I have seen dryers and alcohol evaporators plumbed together for maximum benefit.

 

[rosco]

Disconnect your compressors out-put line, and pour some down it. Most of it will end up in the "wet tank" (1st tank), but it will do the same job for you. Just not as handy.

Lee in Alaska

 

[Wolf.Dose]

No kidding, Saturn and Uranus are former Kloeckner Humbold Deutz trucks, which of course had an Alcohol evapurator for the winter time. Any truck without an air dryer usually has an alcohol evapurator to prevent freezing of ther valves in temperatures below 1° Celsius. If you can not get the original equipment, any civilian device added behind the compressor will do it. Normally the are combined with the pressure regulator.
Wolf

 

[DaveP]

The air dryer set ups that i see are not used with the alcohol systems. it seems they use one or the other. these are civi units . I do have one 24 volt mil spec airdryer but no time to install it yet. I to use the old fashion way of putting some airgaurd in the wet tank and calling it good. one thing to consider is, a lot of real mechanics have told me that the airguard is a little tough on air valves.