Has anyone noticed the vinal cab the PT factory uses on their 1460

[m5040]

Power Trac 1460 with blade - YouTube

 

[PowerTracManiac]

I saw that. Considered making a front shield out of plexiglass and using the thick vinyl to make the sides for a heated cab.
Now that my machine is running good, I just bought a Ryobi (small propane tank/battery powered) heater for my cold weather engine block heater.

Could mount it on the roof and port heat down to the cab with a curved metal duct.

 

[PowerTracManiac]

Also, if you haven't seen the following thread, some good ideas in there.
https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/power-trac/389646-quick-soft-cab.html

 

[m5040]

Now that my machine is running good, I just bought a Ryobi (small propane tank/battery powered) heater for my cold weather engine block heater.
View attachment 677454
Could mount it on the roof and port heat down to the cab with a curved metal duct.[/QUOTE]

I wondered if the engine's cooling air stream could be directed into an enclosed area? Yes there would be a decrease in efficiency due to the air having to follow ducting, but when you need heat the ambient temp would be, say below 32 deg. (where the engine is designed to cool up to (?) 110 deg. ambient). You could watch the oil temp gauge closely. Use like a 4" dryer duct

 

[PowerTracManiac]

Would be worth investigating the exit temperature of the airflow as it is a short distance that the air flows over the oil cooler fins.
Since the air gets pulled over the oil cooler fins the engine is an air/oil cooled engine. So, it is effectively a heat exchanger at that point as you know.
Certainly, would be a very safe option and I don't think the decrease in efficiency would be a problem in cold temps at all.

FYI: I thought I saw on a engine diagram somewhere that there are additional oil ports into the engine case. U could also use those additional ports for another safe alternative if there is such a thing as an aftermarket oil heater that you could connect into your block? This additional "heater" would function as an additional oil cooler for the engine and a oil heater for your cab as you could run the flexible oil lines from the engine block to your cab. Out of the box thinking I guess.

 

[MossRoad]

I'd think taking air from the engine bay and directing it toward the cab could (could) bring exhaust fumes into the operator's area. One year I did take a magnetic heat register duct and put it over the cooling fan and pointed it towards the front, the operator's back. It made me too hot. :laughing:

I've seen small hydraulic oil coolers that could probably be placed in the return line from the valve block to the tank. You'd just have to make sure it had enough GPM capacity and a fan. It could be put up under the dash somewhere, or up on the underside of the roof of the canopy.

 

[ponytug]

Would be worth investigating the exit temperature of the airflow as it is a short distance that the air flows over the oil cooler fins.
Since the air gets pulled over the oil cooler fins the engine is an air/oil cooled engine. So, it is effectively a heat exchanger at that point as you know.
Certainly, would be a very safe option and I don't think the decrease in efficiency would be a problem in cold temps at all.

FYI: I thought I saw on a engine diagram somewhere that there are additional oil ports into the engine case. U could also use those additional ports for another safe alternative if there is such a thing as an aftermarket oil heater that you could connect into your block? This additional "heater" would function as an additional oil cooler for the engine and a oil heater for your cab as you could run the flexible oil lines from the engine block to your cab. Out of the box thinking I guess.

Yes, Deutz does sell an add-on oil heater, and there are ports on the engine block for it. (Front, left, forward of the oil & fuel filters, large allen head sockets) When I was looking at the engine diagrams, I was less convinced about what, if any, the pressure differential on the port might be. The heater design looked to me to be a heater with gravity fed circulation ports designed to heat the oil in engine block. i.e. The oil heater just heats the residual oil around the cylinders prior to starting, not the oil in the pan, as a dipstick heater might. IIRC, when I spoke with folks at Deutz, they were more in favor of the air preheater glow coils as a means of improving cold weather starting and running. I had the impression that the oil heater was designed to be used in stationary applications like generators.

Ducting from the engine oil cooler forward seems...involved. But I'm not trying to use a PT in 0F. I have often though of cutting an exit hole in the engine cover, and lifting the top on the air diverter for better air flow for cooling reasons, but it would also give you a path to run warm air forward along the engine cover toward the operator.

All the best,

Peter

 

[MossRoad]

Just remember you'd need some kind of flex-o-duct to go between the front and back halves of the machine.

 

[m5040]

I was thinking like run it from the engine along side the hyd oil tank filler cap. As long as you keep it to that height, it won't hit the seat bottom. After that just direct it between your legs down toward your feet. It will rise on its own. The volume will keep the windows from fogging. The turning motion could be isolated to above the top center pin.

 

[joshlee]

I played around with the idea of making a cab for mine. If I do it some day, I would like to weld small clips on the inside of the roof to mount the framework for the cab. The schematics on the Ventrac cabs can give you some idea's.