TM 5-6115-596-14
prevents them from furnishing enough. current for cold-weather start-
ing, cracks insulation and causes electrical short circuits, prevents
fuel from vaporizing and properly combining with air to form a com-
bustible mixture for starting, and causes the various construction
materials to become hard, brittle, and easily damaged or broken.
For description of operation in extreme cold, refer to FM 9-207.
(2) Maintenance problems.
The importance of maintenance must
Maintenance of mechanical equipment
be impressed on all concerned.
Even shop
in extreme cold is exceptionally difficult in the field.
maintenance cannot be completed with normal speed, because the equip-
ment must be allowed to thaw out and warm up before the mechanic can
make satisfactory repairs, and maintenance frequently requires up to
five times the normal amount of time.
Bare hands stick to cold metal.
Fuel in contact with the hands supercools by evaporation, and a hand
can be painfully frozen in a matter of minutes.
Engine oils, except
subzero grades, are unpourable at temperatures below -40F (-40C).
Sets in poor mechanical condition probably will not start at all, or
only after hours of laborious maintenance and heating.
Complete
winterization, diligent maintenance, and well-trained crews are the
key to efficient arctic-winter operations.
For general information
on extreme cold weather maintenance procedures, refer to FM 9-207.
A special blowtorch is provided
(3) Winterization equipment.
to start the generator set when operation is required in extreme cold
(-31.70 to -54.4C).
weather (-25 to -65F),
Refer to C below for
using the blowtorch.
b.
Before-Operation.
(1) Provide some type of shelter to protect the generator set
from wind and blowing snow.
Erect a windbreak or place the generator
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