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Snowcat skiing 2017-2018 season

sno-drifter

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
I have had a problem of the heat from the exhaust pipe/ muffler raising heck with the window glass if the outside air temp is not cold and the engine is working hard. Might be a good idea to check the temp of the stacks and shield if needed.

$.02
 

GlacierSean

Member
SUPER Site Supporter
Sean
They should have the road built to the top of parmigiana this week . It was good to briefly see you !I GOT MY TRUCK BACK NOW AND WILL BE BACK UP AGAIN SOON !

Glad you got your truck back buddy. Looking forward to getting back out with you guys. I was thinking about going up to Vail Sunday the 28th. It would be awesome if they have put in more roads. Where are you getting the grooming information?
 

Aaron Tucker

Active member
I talk with the groomer and forest staff .We hit Loveland pass yesterday and it was good .
 

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undy

New member
Nice. Looks like the uphill transportation system is doing well!

It's been raining here since last night, ffs. :pat: So the local area is closed, I just bought new skis yesterday to replace my 'daily drivers', and I'm sittin' here hoping to live vicariously.

On a brighter note, anyone out that way using Phantom yet? https://www.dpsskis.com/phantom Sounds as if it outperforms wax in some conditions.
 

GlacierSean

Member
SUPER Site Supporter
Went cat skiing yesterday. It was fun as always. We did some modifications to keep the engine cooler. It worked and the result was getting more runs in than any previous trip. We skied Ptarmigan hill and Boss basin all day. The snow was best in the basin. Lots of snowcats out yesterday. The Vail powder guides pistenbully was out with a group. A guy had a yellow trooper with rear cap and he had a group of skiers. I think he is running an illegal cat skiing operation. Nova guides had their 13 passenger 1643 Terra out. And we ran into archmage at the end of the day with his two Tucker's. It was a great day, maybe even our best. Thanks to my group for a great day and thanks to archmage for the apres ski.
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forum8fox

Member
Tons of fun as usual. Thanks again Sean! Also its always great ending the day hanging out with the extend crew, thanks for letting us hang out and feeding us. You guys rock!
 

GlacierSean

Member
SUPER Site Supporter
We got a little snow so I went out skiing a few backcountry laps by my house. Planning on taking the cat to Vail or maybe Carona bowl next weekend.
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GlacierSean

Member
SUPER Site Supporter
Went cat skiing Vail pass yesterday and we had our best day ever. It snowed a good amount the night before and during the day, so conditions were great. The little bit of wind and fresh snow kept erasing our tracks so it stayed fresh all day. We crushed our record for most laps in a day. And we had the Boss basin all to our selves all day. The cooler temperature helped the cat run beautiful. And the snow was super supportive so we were able to get a little crazy in the cat.
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forum8fox

Member
I saw pictures of that slide when I was checking the avalanche forecast that morning. Also saw it while we were there. I'm not exactly sure what you are insinuating but we have never touched that face all the times we've been out that way. Its pretty much common sense even for someone who likes to roll the dice like myself.

We are pretty consious about checking the forecast, and practicing safe travel. Also as much as I would hate to put my friends or S&R folks through it, I'd rather die in an avalanche than driving down the road on my way to or from work or some other mundane shit (which nearly happened to me when a lady crossed the median and hit out car head on at 55).

At this point I've spent a solid decade avoiding the perceived safety of the resorts, I've had lots of experience with avalanches. I probably set off at least one a year. Not to say it's a good thing or that I condone it, though it's never really unexpected. In fact usually it is expected and accounted for before droping in. I personally have no problem dropping into something that I know has a good chance of ripping out as long as I have assessed that my route will not drag me through rocks and trees and has a good clean run out that's not a terrain trap, also factoring in the potential length of the slide and what it's going to be like for the rest of the group to extract you in the event of a full burial.

I think it's a little funny that we haven't even posted up pictures of what we are skiing but yet we need to be informed about an avalanche that happened before we went, after we got back. I have a number of first snowboard descents of extremely rarely skiied lines (feel free to Google forum8fox Teton gravity Trip Report [a dream come true on Pacific peak, and the bad finger couloir]), I think I can fend for myself at this point.
 

Red130

Member
Whoa, I wasn't insinuating anything. Why the heck would you think I am jumping on you with a post that starts with "FYI"??? Most of the people I ski with are keenly interested in incidents anywhere around where we ski, and for that matter pretty much throughout our region. That's true with most backcountry users I've ever met.

If your or anyone else took my post wrong, I apologize, but I don't see why sharing info about incidents in the backcountry should offend anyone.
 

forum8fox

Member
It just seemed to imply that you assumed we don't do our own homework. Is it hard to see how it would be taken that way? The link you posted is to the site I check regularly before going out as should everyone who goes out in the back country. Obviously it is hard to tell what kind of context when you say FYI and post a link. To me it read hey idiots, there are avalanches happening where you are skiing, and hey 2 birds with one stone this website might save your life. I don't mean to imply I think it's bad to share information. But I do mean to make it known some ways of approaching and presenting the information are more effective than others. Particularly when it can be taken as a holler than thou condesending way.

No harm, I'm not upset and didn't mean to jump on your case. Its a product of being arm chair quarterbacked too many times.
 

GlacierSean

Member
SUPER Site Supporter
Blue bird day today. Went cat skiing Vail pass today. It was sunny and spring skiing. Got in a good number of laps, had difficulty keeping the cat cool because it was so hot. Finally had some company in boss basin in the form of some snowmobile skiiers. See everyone on Vail pass for the jamboree. Bring your Skis or boards.
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Blackfoot Tucker

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
...had difficulty keeping the cat cool because it was so hot.

Sean,

Nice photos, as always! Congratulations on using your cat (again) for fun stuff!

What are you using for a radiator setup?

We had similar problems with Thundercat and were using a Griffin Thermal Products radiator and fan unit that would supposedly cool 550 horsepower. That claim is 100% unadulterated BS, because it couldn't cool an engine that (unfortunately) isn't nearly that powerful.

We replaced the ineffective Griffin unit with one made by Ron Davis Racing products, which actually did the job. In addition to its efficacy, the quality of the workmanship was awesome.

Depending on your available space, you may be able to install a more effective radiator...
 

GlacierSean

Member
SUPER Site Supporter
Hey Blackfoot Tucker, thanks for the advice and taking interest. I will start by apologizing for the long reply, cooling this "Monster snowcat" has been an odyssey. To answer your question we are using a champion radiator with a pair of fans. The guys at Becool laughed at me and said that my radiator was junk but others have said that it's OK. Luckily we haven't made an engine cover, because it gets hot, so the only limit to what size and brand radiator I can use is my wallet. I will definitely give Ron Davis a call this summer and look into a giant radiator with super powerful fans. It's always funny to put racing parts on my cat.

The main issue is that the radiator is in the back and doesn't get a lot of air. My foot is another issue, it runs way better at lower speed and rpm. And in all fairness we do ask it to work pretty hard. Also as you probably know the sensor on an LS motor is in a goofy location and reads a lot of exhaust heat. I have gotten suggestions as to getting a true water temp but that is a double edged sword. Currently we get the worst case scenario from the temp Guage and that helps keep the head gasket safe and gives you a better idea how hot the head is. If we get a true water temp I will probably feel comfortable driving it further risking the head gasket.

I have had a lot of success with cheap solutions and I have one more to try before I replace the radiator. Someone in McCall suggested a Coolant additive called water wetter. And we seem to be pretty close to cooling it properly so I want to see if it will "get me there".

Cheap solutions that worked were, tightening the sending unit, switching fan direction, raising the elevation of the fill, and utilizing the steam lines.
 

vintagebike

Well-known member
You might also try an electric water pump to take advantage of high flow cooling even when at low speed and idle. But they ain't cheap.
 

sno-drifter

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
Many times with custom engine swaps the concern is to get all the parts stuffed into a compartment which is small. What you have to do is look at where the air will or will not go after it leaves the radiator fan combo. If the air slams up against the engine and hood but can't get out, you will have heating problems. Many of the early machines did not use a shroud which insures that the air does not short circuit. A smoke generator will show how well the air is processed through your system. Often the addition of more venting will cure the problem.
 

vintagebike

Well-known member
Also, as I remember, a stock LS1 can run rormally at 210-215 so a higher pressure radiator cap would be requirede to keep it from boiling at the higher temperature. And a gauge that shows those temps as normal? :shitHitFan:
 

Blackfoot Tucker

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
Hey Blackfoot Tucker, thanks for the advice and taking interest. I will start by apologizing for the long reply, cooling this "Monster snowcat" has been an odyssey. To answer your question we are using a champion radiator with a pair of fans. The guys at Becool laughed at me and said that my radiator was junk but others have said that it's OK. Luckily we haven't made an engine cover, because it gets hot, so the only limit to what size and brand radiator I can use is my wallet. I will definitely give Ron Davis a call this summer and look into a giant radiator with super powerful fans. It's always funny to put racing parts on my cat.

The main issue is that the radiator is in the back and doesn't get a lot of air. My foot is another issue, it runs way better at lower speed and rpm. And in all fairness we do ask it to work pretty hard. Also as you probably know the sensor on an LS motor is in a goofy location and reads a lot of exhaust heat. I have gotten suggestions as to getting a true water temp but that is a double edged sword. Currently we get the worst case scenario from the temp Guage and that helps keep the head gasket safe and gives you a better idea how hot the head is. If we get a true water temp I will probably feel comfortable driving it further risking the head gasket.

I have had a lot of success with cheap solutions and I have one more to try before I replace the radiator. Someone in McCall suggested a Coolant additive called water wetter. And we seem to be pretty close to cooling it properly so I want to see if it will "get me there".

Cheap solutions that worked were, tightening the sending unit, switching fan direction, raising the elevation of the fill, and utilizing the steam lines.

Sean,

We spent a lot of time trying to make the Griffin radiator work. The engine's computer uses a sensor in the right cylinder head. The in-dash temperature gauge is not compatible with that sensor, so we added a second sensor in the left cylinder head. The temperature read by the computer was quite a bit less than what the in-dash gauge showed. We drained the coolant, swapped sensor locations and determined for some reason the left head runs hotter. We then drilled and tapped the thermostat elbow area for the in-dash gauge sensor.

I considered using Water Wetter, but saw mixed reviews. I'm thinking about using Evans Waterless Coolant, but you must use it at 100% concentration, and it's almost $50/gallon. I think I'd have to spend almost $300...just on coolant. That's an "ouch".

The electric fans are controlled by the engine computer. The guy who re-flashed the computer for me programmed both fans to come on at 204º and off at 196º (IIRC). I'm going to have him change that with one fan coming on at 184º and off at 176º, and the other at 204º and 196º. That way one fan will be running basically continuously and the other on an as-needed basis.

We also added a Derale remote engine oil cooler that is thermostatically controller and has its own electric fan. That's mounted to the frame under the rear floor and right behind an identical unit that's used to cool the transmission.

The fan and shroud setup from Ron Davis is well designed and beautifully constructed. There is quite a disparity in fans as well. Some flow a lot more air than others.

The radiator in the Tucker is right in front, but at Tucker speeds there isn't much speed-induced airflow. The fans do the work.

Sno-Drifter's point is well made, and completely on point. My Tucker's factory hood was a butterfly style hood with a hinge in the center. I hated it. Both earlier and later vintage Tuckers came with a tilting hood setup. Unfortunately I haven't found a snowcat salvage yard with a bunch of Tucker tilting hoods, so I went about having one made. (It's a long, ugly story.) The factory hood has 12" louvers in it, and they're made with a louver punch. Nobody in SLC has a 12" louver punch. The best we could do was smaller louvers and more of them.

But under hood heat is a problem. The exhaust manifolds and pipes radiate a huge amount of heat. Currently the machine is completely disassembled, but when we put it back together we will wrap the exhaust pipes with a ceramic exhaust wrap which we hope will cut down a lot of the under hood heat.
 

Cidertom

Chionophile
GOLD Site Supporter
Thought I would throw my 2¢: Just observations though. Ford Louisville Fire engines/ tenders with the 534 V8 gas-hog were prone to overheating when stationary pumping. Did fine running down the road, but if you pumped them hard at a fire they overheated unless you popped the hood(s). The issue was the lowered pressure when just the fan was running without ram airflow from movement. The escape path for the hot air around the engine, past the frame, the fire crap and whatever else wasn't as large as the cross section of the fan shroud and without the extra force of motion the limiting factor was the cooling air escape path, not the radiator as such. FPN: The radiators had issues as well. But the main overheating issue was air flow.

One experiment that might be fun would put a magnehelic pressure gauge input in your engine compartment and see if it is building pressure.

CT
 

GlacierSean

Member
SUPER Site Supporter
Thanks everyone for the advice about keeping my cat cool. I will definitely be looking into a bigger and better radiator. Also going to look into an electric water pump. And if we get it running super cool on hot days I'll look into making an engine cover with lots of louvers, dimple die holes, a fan or all of the above.

Hey Blackfoot Tucker I recommend that you DO NOT use the waterless Coolant. My friend does off road racing and has experience with the waterless Coolant and when I wanted to use it he informed me how it easily freezes. I know the manufacturer will probably say otherwise and the bottle says -40 but it will freeze on you and explode your radiator.
 

Pontoon Princess

Cattitute
GOLD Site Supporter
hey guys, think of your snow machine as a stationary engine, that moves very slowly. this might give some insight into cooling requirements...

and that becomes even more obvious when you change from the original engine setup and or add HP to the original engine, stay cool and tucker on
 
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Track Addict

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
We are skiing and this is kind of a cat up top Park City. Wouldn’t want to drive off packed powder!

Love the West, Ski the East!
 

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