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6 Quick Tips about Snowplows and Overheating
Have you ever been forced to pull over and wait for your plow truck to cool down? Would you like the ability to tow your snow removal equipment while your plow is attached, even on the highway without overheating? Have you ever lost an expensive engine because your snowplow is blocking air intake and making your truck overheat? And most importantly are you tired of throwing money down the drain on expensive so-called "solutions", or new radiators and clutch fans only to find yourself disappointed and less wealthy?
If so, you are not alone. Truck overheating while transporting a plow, especially with the Chevy Duramax engine, is actually a common problem for snowplow operators. The most common way to alleviate plow truck overheating is to angle your blade to one side or the other. For many snowplow contractors this seems to work, however if you’ve already tried that solution without any success please continue reading.
· DO NOT DRILL HOLES IN YOUR BLADE - drilling holes in your moldboard is probably the worst thing you can do when trying to reduce your snowplow overheating issues. For one, a new moldboard is expensive and will cost you over $1000, for two, you don’t really want to modify your blade unnecessarily if possible. Moreover, for three, this may not even fix your problem, but will certainly make your plow look like garbage.
· DO ADJUST BLADE POSITION - trying out different blade heights and/or turning the blade all the way to left or right may help with overheating. This is the most common way to slow down plow truck overheating and you’ve got about a 50/50 chance of it working, which in the snowplow business just isn’t a good enough ratio.
· DO NOT DRIVE OVER 40-50 MILES PER HOUR - Driving too fast with a plow on your truck is to be avoided at all cost. Of course, there may be times when you’ll need to get on the expressway or need to rush a little, but normally you should stay at a consistent speed. Now I know you’re your thinking. How will I ever get my jobs done going 50 miles per hour! Well when it comes to speeding and plowing it’s more of a case-by-case situation based on local conditions, traffic and other variables, however remember your insurance may deny your claim if they find out you were doing more than the manufacturer’s suggested speed limits.
· DO CHECK YOU RADIATOR AND YOUR CLUTCH FAN - If your radiator is not functioning at full capacity because of a leak or just normal wear and tear then you’ll definitely want to replace this first. Your plow truck might be actually getting enough air to prevent overheating, but your radiator is letting you down. The same advice applies for your clutch fan so make sure you double-check both.
· DO AVOID GOING UPHILL - now of course if you have a client or clients that live or work on a hill then you can’t just not service them, but maybe you can try a different route to get there. Going uphill strains your engine and drastically affects the angles that your radiator can receive air.
· DO PURCHASE A PLOW FLOW MASTER - Sometime referred to as a snowplow air deflector or snowplow air scoop the PlowFlowmaster is an awesome product.
Available in Black, Red, Yellow, and Stainless Steel the PlowFlowmaster will match perfectly with your plow and keep that sleek, factory fresh look intact while still solving your overheating issues. There are three-model types available including Standard Duty, Heavy Duty, and Vplow. The great thing about the PlowFlowmaster is it works with all snowplow manufacturers.
The PlowFlowmaster patented design eliminates truck overheating due to the snowplow and gets vital air to the engine and transmission. It also saves time and money on costly breakdowns and cool-down time. With a universal mounting system that easily attaches to your plow and works for all truck brands including Ford, Chevy, Dodge, Jeep, GMC, International, and Mack you simply can’t go wrong with a PlowFlowmaster
Another added benefit is the reduced strain on your engine & transmission. Excessive heating and high engine temperatures will diminish the life of your truck and make your maintenance costs skyrocket. Finally, you can actually keep your snowplow on during the warmer winter days instead of removing your plow, which always presents the risk of someone stealing your plow.
We hope this helps you fix your snowplow overhearing problem and if you’d like to purchase a PlowFlowmaster check them out.
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