M35A2 Frozen Air Line

[WhoMe08721]

Hey guys,

I have a question on frozen air line on a m35a2 in cold weather. What is the best solution to under freeze air lines and what is the best way to prevent air lines form freezing. I know you should empty the air tanks ever time your done with the truck for the day but my air line still freeze some time. Right now when my line freeze, I let the tuck run for a little bit and then tried to empty the air tank, I do this for about 4 times. Then the air lines start to unfreeze. I have seen (CRC Air Brake Anti Freeze) & (Rubbing Alcohol) used on semi-truck air line for the trailer. But where would you add it to a m35a2 to unfreeze the air line. Also any one know any other tricks for unfreezing air lines.

 

[simp5782]

Hey guys,

I have a question on frozen air line on a m35a2 in cold weather. What is the best solution to under freeze air lines and what is the best way to prevent air lines form freezing. I know you should empty the air tanks ever time your done with the truck for the day but my air line still freeze some time. Right now when my line freeze, I let the tuck run for a little bit and then tried to empty the air tank, I do this for about 4 times. Then the air lines start to unfreeze. I have seen (CRC Air Brake Anti Freeze) & (Rubbing Alcohol) used on semi-truck air line for the trailer. But where would you add it to a m35a2 to unfreeze the air line. Also any one know any other tricks for unfreezing air lines.

Discharge line Off of the compressor. Just a small teaspoon of air brake antifreeze or alcohol.

And an air dryer to keep the moisture down or alcohol evaporator for longterm use of antifreeze

 

[INFChief]

Hey guys,

I have a question on frozen air line on a m35a2 in cold weather. What is the best solution to under freeze air lines and what is the best way to prevent air lines form freezing. I know you should empty the air tanks ever time your done with the truck for the day but my air line still freeze some time. Right now when my line freeze, I let the tuck run for a little bit and then tried to empty the air tank, I do this for about 4 times. Then the air lines start to unfreeze. I have seen (CRC Air Brake Anti Freeze) & (Rubbing Alcohol) used on semi-truck air line for the trailer. But where would you add it to a m35a2 to unfreeze the air line. Also any one know any other tricks for unfreezing air lines.

I spent 21 years in the Army and quite a bit of time around the 2.5 tons. I don’t recall the air lines ever freezing - and I was stationed where the temps were often 20 or below.

If you are getting water in the tanks you have an issue between the compressor & tanks. Double check all compressor line connections. Then, disconnect the line from the compressor head and see if that is getting too hot and condensating in to the supply line. You can work your way back and see where water or condensation might be introduced.

If I remember correctly, that’s a air over hydraulic system. There’s a master cylinder that feeds brake fluid to the hydrovac (air booster) to amplify the brake fluid pressure. I can’t see how water is getting in there unless the hydrovac is going bad, getting hot, and dumping condensation back through to the tank some how.

The air supply to the tank should have a check valve to prevent air pressure bleed back. Check that line and also check the air tank line that feeds out.

If all that checks out you may need to install an aftermarket air dryer kit.

 

[TheQuaker]

Just plumb in an alcohol evaporator before the wet tank. I installed a Haldex A72420 clone on my Deuce. It gets extremely cold up here in MI and I never have issues with frozen air lines on her.

Time-tested, simple, cheap, effective....

 

[WhoMe08721]

Just plumb in an alcohol evaporator before the wet tank. I installed a Haldex A72420 clone on my Deuce. It gets extremely cold up here in MI and I never have issues with frozen air lines on her.

Time-tested, simple, cheap, effective....

View attachment 857411

Might be a dumb question, But what do you fill the alcohol evaporator will?
(CRC Air Brake Anti Freeze) , (Rubbing Alcohol) , (Regular Antifreeze), or ( Methyl Alcohol)

 

[TheQuaker]

Just use the commercially available air brake line anti freeze products like CRC. They work great in evaporators.

 

[INFChief]

Just plumb in an alcohol evaporator before the wet tank. I installed a Haldex A72420 clone on my Deuce. It gets extremely cold up here in MI and I never have issues with frozen air lines on her.

Time-tested, simple, cheap, effective....

View attachment 857411

What’s causing all the condenser / water? I’ve never seen / heard anything like this before.

 

[TheQuaker]

Simple physics. Air at higher pressures can hold less moisture than air at lower pressures.

In our case, the water is forced out of the air as it is mechanically compressed. It is a natural by-product of compressing air.

It is unavoidable in our simple truck air compression systems.

 

[INFChief]

Simple physics. Air at higher pressures can hold less moisture than air at lower pressures.

In our case, the water is forced out of the air as it is mechanically compressed. It is a natural by-product of compressing air.

It is unavoidable in our simple truck air compression systems.

Hmm, like I posted before; in 21 years in the Army I don’t recall ever encountering that.

 

[simp5782]

Any running compressor produces water it doesn't take much to freeze a system up especially on a slow cycle system.

My compressor on my trucks may cycle once every 45mins while going down the road doesn't take much to sit in the inlet elbow to the dryer and freeze up and block the compressor discharge.

 

[glcaines]

Hmm, like I posted before; in 21 years in the Army I don’t recall ever encountering that.

I spent two years in the Army stationed in Germany in the early 70s. None of the deuces or 5 tons had air dryers or alcohol evaporators. I also never heard of any air lines freezing on any vehicles and the temperature quite often went down near -20 F. in the winter where I was stationed,

 

[INFChief]

I spent two years in the Army stationed in Germany in the early 70s. None of the deuces or 5 tons had air dryers or alcohol evaporators. I also never heard of any air lines freezing on any vehicles and the temperature quite often went down near -20 F. in the winter where I was stationed,

Same here. Where were you stationed? I was in Wildflecken 78-82, then Schweinfurt 83-86 & Schweinfurt again 91-94.

 

[HDN]

I spent two years in the Army stationed in Germany in the early 70s. None of the deuces or 5 tons had air dryers or alcohol evaporators. I also never heard of any air lines freezing on any vehicles and the temperature quite often went down near -20 F. in the winter where I was stationed,

Could it be that the trucks in-service just got more TLC than in their private lives? I'm assuming that air line maintenance was regularly done in the service.

Otherwise I'd be concerned about how the system is getting that much excess moisture. That's not to say that air dryers and alcohol evaporators aren't a good idea since those are installed on modern commercial trucks to help with any moisture issues that pop up.

 

[INFChief]

Could it be that the trucks in-service just got more TLC than in their private lives? I'm assuming that air line maintenance was regularly done in the service.

Otherwise I'd be concerned about how the system is getting that much excess moisture. That's not to say that air dryers and alcohol evaporators aren't a good idea since those are installed on modern commercial trucks to help with any moisture issues that pop up.

Like you I would be curiosity as to why it’s getting so much water.

 

[WhoMe08721]

It doesn't have a lot of water in the system just enough to freeze some of the air lines components (EX, air horn....) in really cold conditions (15F and below). All air compressor system are going to get water in them, with out a air drier. Even my shop air compressor (Ingersool Rand 60gallon) gets water in the tank. We need to drain it even 3week for a cup of water. I even have a rotary screw air compressor in my house shop, that I need to drain the water out of. Note air gets really hot when it's compressed, which allows it to hold more water vapor than it otherwise would. As the compressed air cools down, it can no longer hold the same amount of water vapor, so the extra water gets forced out of the air in liquid form. AS WATER

 

[HDN]

I even have a rotary screw air compressor in my house shop

That's some serious air there for your house shop

 

[glcaines]

Same here. Where were you stationed? I was in Wildflecken 78-82, then Schweinfurt 83-86 & Schweinfurt again 91-94.

I was in the 2/36th Infantry stationed with the 1st Brigade, 3rd Armored Division at Ayers Kaserne at Kirch-Goens. The Kaserne was known as "The Rock". I was there in 1970 and 1971. We regularly went to Wildflecken, Grafenwoehr and Hohenfels for training. Wildflecken definitely had some cold weather and deep snow. Graf was cold as well. We trained at Hohenfels on the Czech border in the summer - very hot. We also served on the East German border at an Ammo dump.

A very strange incident occurred at the border, but I wasn't there at the time. There was a no-mans land between two chain-link fences at the border that got patrolled. One night shooting was heard coming from the other side, along with hysterical laughter and the sounds of running feet. The US was ready for action, but none was needed. An East German soldier was running for our side and the East Germans, or perhaps Russians as well, were shooting at him. He got to our fence and was screaming at us to open the gate in German. No one in the US group spoke German, but tried to open the gate. It had a padlock on it and no one had the key. Someone finally forced the latch and got the gate open and the East German soldier staggered in, unarmed. He was obviously very drunk and still laughing hysterically. Finally, a West German came and interpreted. The guy said he was laughing because he knew what the East German Army was going to do to his Sergeant since he had deserted. He said he hated his sergeant.

 

[Mullaney]

That's some serious air there for your house shop

.
That is what we have here in the printshop. Air keeps us (our machines) alive. Air actuated cylinders on presses and collators... We use what I call electric "puke valves" that spit air (or water) out of the bottom of the air tanks. Yeah. It makes noise but no more than anything else air actuated and the extra tanks and "drop lines" below the pipe that runs up in the air above equipment.

Some of these printing machines and supporting hardware are hundreds of thousands of dollars. Purging water and using air separators on the air lines is really cheap insurance. Same as on your air powered braking system in a truck. Spit valves (purge valves) and regularly draining air tanks are good insurance there too.