CAT D7 DeBlizzard and Start in Antarctica

This is how we tidy up and start machines that have been outside in a Blizzard, we actually turn off block heaters on purpose as snow is quite easy to remove and melt out once an engine is running but a block heater can cause snow to melt then refreeze due to such cold temperatures and this ice is many times harder to remove from an engine bay before start up.

[@andreasauger4751]

For how snowed in and frozen the engine was, that baby fired right up

[@shortthrow50]

You missed the part where he had generator running on the block heater long before he attempted to start. Video was edited down as well as he cleaned the machine up. Block heater only needs about 15 minutes and will start like it’s a 70 degree sunny day

[@semajniffirg230]

These alsp have no dpf/def, etc. makes a big difference

[@Darktophat_10]

ITS BECAUSE THEY HEATED UP THE OIL AND BLOCK BEFORE START. God damned you people are stupid.

[@TurboBMRProjectLove]

USA POWER BABY!

[@andreasauger4751]

@@Darktophat_10 me commenting how easy it started up offended you princess? Lmao get a life dude

[@bunter6]

That final shot of you driving over the frozen land was like something out of a post apocalyptic sci-fi film. Bleak but stunning!

[@spacemanmat]

Nice video, impressed how easy it started once heated. Guess they put a lot into making these machines work in extremes

[@terryknutson3202]

Millions.

[@semajniffirg230]

literally all they do is take all the emissions bullshit off and put block heaters on them

[@jeffmunro7638]

Emissions systems should never be installed on machines that far north or south of the equator

[@Ol-crusty-Cummins]

@@semajniffirg230 caterpaillar doesn’t make emission systems as far as I learned I could be wrong but that’s why they stopped making on road highway engines

[@semajniffirg230]

@@Ol-crusty-Cummins yes they do, but these dozers get to go without.

[@WideWorldofTrains]

What was the temperature in fahrenheit?

[@ssnoc]

That's almost unbelievable that it would start that quick under those conditions - In 40 years I've never seen that happen - Obvious big improvements over the years with CAT.

[@texasblaze1016]

They used a block heater

[@jrod264winmag]

@@texasblaze1016 how much experience do you have with diesels

[@texasblaze1016]

@Jrod 264 Win mag what do you mean "experience" and whats that have to do with block heaters? Block heaters are a pretty simple concept l, plug it in it warms up the engine and starts like it was in sitting in a 70° garage and they probably had a battery heater or they most likely took the battery out for the blizzard

[@jrod264winmag]

@@texasblaze1016 a block heater alone isn’t going to make every diesel start like it’s 70° outside. Some of mine have a hard time starting at 20° plugged in all night. Battery cranking power is another huge issue.

[@jrod264winmag]

@@texasblaze1016 I was simply wondering if you have much experience with several different diesel powered equipment and cold weather

[@daleburton1788]

My grandfather was a cat skinner over 50 years ago in Northern Canada. He used tarp in the engine bay and around the open air cab to trap the heat froM the motor. I was just a kid and was allowed to go to work with him and he made a bed behind his seat for me to lie on. He used to start a fire under the cat to heat up the motor etc. For lunch he’d throw a can of beans on the exhaust manifold.

[@terryknutson3202]

Dale. Them days "Men were Men and the Kids went along and felt privliged to be invited." One did not have to drag them away from the bullshit. Phones, games, computers.........................

[@Bowiiihowdy]

Don't think that can get anymore old school of it wanted to

[@tempestmkiv]

Haha... beans on the manifold, been there done that! Lol

[@kikoredog]

my grampa died in 88 before i was born in 91. i wish i had known him, would probably be an entirely different man. he owned a loggin business with big machines and stuff... what a cool life experience you had.

[@ym2173]

Love to hear things like this. I can picture it.

[@darylwade2335]

Wow! Way to go Cat! An incredible testament to your quality.

[@bills6093]

An incredible testament for block heaters.

[@Boot_185]

That was crazy how fast it actually started. I figure there would be a longer crank time

[@paulsharp1679]

Brings back fond memories, I worked for BAS, 20 year's ago at Halley 5. we only had D4's then. I was a base sparky then, but jumped at any opportunity to get behind the levers. Enjoy every moment, people will ask you for years afterwards, how, what And why you were there. Never met anyone one from Australia, but several from NZ 👍

[@bradh74]

That's a real cold start! I'm surprised you didn't have frozen tracks, or does that only happen when the ground was warm and freezes over night? That D7 looks much larger than the ones we have here but I don't remember if they were D7Rs or D7?s. Do you just push snow with them? By the way smart not leaving the heater on only to make water that'll freeze somewhere else. Your batteries must take a beating out there in that cold too. Cool video in more ways than one take care and be safe!

[@greggferstay5673]

Northern Canada - Whitehorse , Yukon & Yellowknife , NWT - in the winter , put a tarp over the Cat and then a propane jet heater to blow hot air under the Cat Belly Pan - everything gets warm after 6-8 hours and shot of ether and the Cat Fires Up !

[@horsebee1]

You have it very easy compared to the procedure when I was at Scott base The D8 took a full day's work to get started including thawing out the pony motor, no electric start, and fitting the batteries. Batteries of that day could not stand being left out in the cold. Once started it was running without shutdown for the season. To be fare that was 1982. At least the D8 had a cab, the D4 didnt.

[@afpv]

Way cheaper to produce than the moon landings, and maybe just as effective. Can you slap a new sticker on your D7R and go to mars next, do some filming there?

[@user-id8ng9eq9h]

That was an amazing start. Needing starting spray on a summers day feels like yesterday, never mind a snow covered engine. Things came come a long way.

[@carstenbuilds]

Are those dozer’s actually on top of ice?

[@ditherdather]

There are diesels that don't start that smoothly in the dead of spring.

[@MikeH-sg2ue]

Isn’t it great to have a good bit of kit, that does what it is supposed to? Lived for years in Canada’s Arctic, this video brought back some great memories! The dry cold is nice, also! Antarctica, the only continent, that I have not yet, been to! Play safe, smile often!

[@opusthe2nd]

WHAT....no pony motor? You missed the fun days. ;)

[@hillbillybeerdranker6678]

My grandpa used to talk about living in antartica and doing ice cube farming.

[@mdog1615]

My f350 is harder to start than that here in Canada in minus 45 degrees 😂😂😂

[@johnmcclane9037]

I would say Merica’, but how bout Auss’sume!

[@Diebog]

Man I’d love to have that job! Looks so fun but I’m sure it ain’t no picnic

[@codymoffat116]

Fired right up how cold was it?

[@lucasdrums8469]

Absolutely crazy what people do for work! Super epic

[@toke7560]

Fantastic video. While working in Canada i had to get a Komatsu started in winter. Had about 10 Batteries (can't remember the exact amount ) Heater on all night. When trying to start engine the whole machine chugged forward . In nuetral. The oil was so cold. We didn't start the Engine, just waited for a chinnook.

[@merlinjust4753]

Good thing that’s not an electric dozer

[@Dieselfueledwork]

Or a nuclear one.

[@yamforlife]

Hydraulics take a while warm up!!

[@looloo6322]

31 degrees here in northern Arizona, gotta' go start a D6 and a John Deere Tractor, after watching this I'm not even going to complain now.

[@seabeechief99]

😅👍👍🌅

[@tabcreedence6553]

At least the air filters would stay fairly clean

[@austinpalmlund5054]

Do you run into battery issues at those temps year round or are they well protected? Seems like one hell of an adventure 😅

[@ph11p3540]

If he did. The portable generator fixed it

[@canuckcanadian753]

My guess is the machine is gonna be sitting for a bit, you pull the battery's. In that temperature they would be dead. Unless there is some kind of heating system for them.

[@nemesis851_]

“Hello John Deere, we have a sensor error won’t move” Reply from JD “We’ll schedule a tech to look into it” - Just tell us what error FU49326 means Oh? You got that? Well you need to bring it into the Stealership That’s not possible, what does the code mean? Can’t tell you You don’t know? No, we can’t tell you “Proprietor Information” Just tell me so I can look at the area of issue Nope, need to bring unit to shop Sorry mate, that would be too expensive Well then , we can send a tech to you, but it will be about 4 months, where about are you? Antarctica 🇦🇶 Sorry did you say NSW No. Antarctica 🇦🇶 Sorry wrong number (click) Fawk !!! Whose the idio t that bought JD equipment!?!!! 😡

[@thommosaussieadventures2654]

There's a good reason they're running Case tractors and not JD!

[@two-strokesmoke7289]

Did you take this job by choice???!!!🙄🙄🙄🙄 This seems like the last place on earth anyone would ever want to be!!!!! The pay must be good???

[@Jack-hg1hq]

Honestly having lived in arizona desert for 2 years I'd take this place over that

[@justiceman3238]

As a cat tech in Arizona I 100% agree

[@thommosaussieadventures2654]

Summer down here has been fantastic so far, weather has been quite mild, ask me again after another 10 months when I've wintered here and the answer might be a bit different! Haha I wouldn't live here forever that's for sure but it is an amazing place to experience.

[@two-strokesmoke7289]

@@thommosaussieadventures2654 I am glad yer havin' fun there so far!!!!!😁😁😁😁😁😁

[@cameronpetsallthecats8261]

I heard his family was being held hostage... Sent him up there to spy on the abominables.. that or it's by choice. Hard to say

[@DirtForester]

Those off-time wipers would drive me nuts.

[@farmerkevin]

Still clean as a whistle, not a speck of mud. You're living the dream down there boys.

[@ОлександрПрыгалко]

Крутая техника, завелась с пол оборота.

[@DPWian]

They need diesel 911 by the shelf load.

[@SgtJoeSmith]

No cops no speed limit on entire continent!

[@volsonrockytop690]

This Video proves that the Ice Age has Returned!

[@clinthowe7629]

I wonder why they don’t have you bulldoze big piles of snow up to form a windbreak around the machines when they are parked?

[@thommosaussieadventures2654]

Mounds of snow just catch more blowing snow and make a bigger pile of snow to clean up later, the more airflow you can get around an item the less Blizz will form around it.

[@donchristie420]

I feel much better about starting up a vehicle this winter after seeing this😊

[@sew1194]

Those Cats are tough as nails.

[@rcnelson]

I suppose a tarp over the machine would be impractical.

[@RovingCanada]

On high winds, tarps get torn to tatters

[@krzysztofslomiany4090]

Making an ice rink or what?

[@chrisgrundberg9212]

As long as the fuel isn't gelled and there is juice in the battery, those CAT's are great engines to fire up.

[@Dontworryboutit315]

Figured cat could make a better sealing engine bay just for those conditions

[@Dieselfueledwork]

3 words: non union labor.

[@Murrabung]

This looks like a awesome job aye. Be plenty operating in the snow and ice. I’d love to try it out myself

[@davidball3081]

Boom boom baby!!! 💥

[@PakistaniTrucker]

😊😍❤️🇵🇰

[@Kurokyura]

Hell yeah

[@hommie789]

Cool but why not get the dozers with a rad relocate kit to avoid having to dig them out? We run D7-D8's with the rad, condenser and hyd cooler on the roof along with the A/C and alternator. The Alternator and A/C compressor are driven by a hydraulic motor and the rads also have hydraulic motors to cool them. We then seal off the harmonic balancer so water can not get in, this type of system would help with snow intrusion.

[@yamforlife]

Impressive!!!

[@stevestahl5905]

New meaning to “cold start”.

[@joenorthfarnorth7762]

How thick is the ice, and what on earth are you guys building out there? A landing strip?

[@seabeechief99]

Yes. Sometimes, at mcmurdo station, we kept the runway clear so the resupply could launch and land.

[@timvolkmer1121]

Damn it looks cool there. Nice to see some completely different work than just dirt pushing. I really would like to do that for a month or two

[@dwaynekoblitz6032]

I think about ten minutes would be enough for me! 💯💯💯🥶🥶🥶🥶

[@gumballer133]

Haha. Looks like some extreme conditions there. I love operating equipment. I love the winter, but those 2 things don't go in the same sentence for me.

[@Kawoaa]

GET IR DONE

[@damianousley8833]

The main hazard is having an accident or medical condition that may develop in the remote conditions in Antarctica. People have died or been seriously injured simply by losing their footing in the icy conditions and hitting the ice head first. There is no rapid medical evacuation from Antarctica. The air flights to Antarctica bases from Australia have only commenced in the last decade or so and only in the summer months. The winter over crews are smaller in number than the expanded summer crews. I know of one person I worked with who on his second expedition winter over stay was injured on his first day off the ship. The crew member he was replacing was too keen to show him around the base and stupidly took to a patch of black ice that he had not warned him about. He went arse over on the ice and hit his head on the ice and was then put aboard the ship for return to Hobart in a bad way with a very serious life threatening head injury. Luckily he had no neck or spinal cord injuries, but it still took a couple of years to recover somewhat from a serious blood clot on the brain which took the doctors some time mine to locate and diagnose many months after the accident. He had serious headaches and head pain until the blood clot was found. Then there was the builder who went down and died on a construction site during the summer from a serious fall in icy conditions after a blizzard.

[@rollingcoal9500]

So awesome! From my couch at least 👍! I run iron everyday and would love a chance at that job just once. Famous last words right

[@seabeechief99]

Colder than a witches tits. I was stationed in Antarctica for months with the navy seabees. Doing this exact same job.

[@brucekelver907]

Nicely done, I know plenty of guys that would just jump in and go, not checking the fan blade was clear. Hope you had a smooth ride across the hard water.

[@mynameisPhoenixSteele]

They'really the ones that never check the water and oil either. Because they've never had to pay for a blown engine.

[@KyleMorpheus]

Now that's a cold start!

[@two-strokesmoke7289]

Yeah buddy!!!!

[@jamesoncross7494]

Very cool. What are you guys plowing for?

[@carlosolvera72]

Oh wow, that thing fired right up. How cold was it? Here in Colorado it dropped to -10 and we had to use bazooka heaters on top of the block heaters to get things to start up. It’s cold but not as cold as other places.

[@Bloodbain88]

Starting an IDI whenever it's anything below 98°F outside be like:

[@UTBDubya]

Great video! How Aussies in Antarctica get started!! ;-)

[@matteonas3595]

thats not a clod start its a freez start

[@Failure_Is_An_Option]

It wasn't that cold... read.

[@Retired88M]

I wish my old 68 D-7E started that good in the winter of 74-75 at Ft Dix. And I wish back then we had enclosed cabs. We didn’t even have ROPS back then. Our motor pool was at the back fence that abutted the taxiway at McGuire AFB and that winter the windchill was below 0 every morning and we had all kinds of trouble trying to get that old Cat started even while using 10 W motor oil and jumping it with our old truck tractors. Thanks to our fuel depot dispensers with a 50/50 winter blend of #1 and # 2 diesel

[@brentreid7031]

It was - 24 here in Canada when we were pushing bush. No fancy heated cab either just tarps on side of engine to direct heat back to the driver. I like watching your video. Thank you for your time.

[@UhYeahWhateverDude]

Here's a cookie.

[@brentreid7031]

@@UhYeahWhateverDude No thanks put it back in your mommy's Cookie and go back to the basement. \\

[@vadimjcb3cxmurmansk]

Сколько градусов на улице??? Легко завёлся мотор!!! Без подогрева??

[@TK42138]

Don't think I'll complain about de-icing my car in minus 3 degrees C after watching this.

[@jimknowlton342]

Shouldn't you guys be using an electric D7 dozer, you know, to save the planet or something?

[@whiteblackgsd]

How do you think they generate electricity in Antarica? Surprise, its not magic. Its diesel. Fun fact: the closest Tesla charger to me is powered by coal. Yes, coal.

[@tjlovesrachel]

Lmaoooo

[@Ls3Elky69]

Sir, where do I apply to work my way to getting to do this? I’m 22 years old and it’s been my dream since I was a boy to be an operator and now as an adult I would really also appreciate the opportunity to get to see the great winter wonderland

[@andrewcampbell4580]

Love the job man seems like you take pride in what u do. Would love to plow snow in the Antarctica with that style of equipment

[@jeffjames4064]

I was going to ask how hard could it be? Then you opened the door. That's cold!

[@OldFliersGroup]

Proud to be Aussie!

[@Berrikbeck]

Do they they have an engine made of vibranium, or what ? The engine is not insulated. Cold start. Ugliness. Оларда вибраниум қозғалтқыштары бар, солай емес пе? Қозғалтқыш оқшауланбаған. Суық бастау. Ұрықсыздық.

[@bulletbullet7902]

What the hell is the fascination with adding background music to videos all the time? It's fkn annoying. If I wanted music, I would watch AC/DC ffs.. GUYS: KEEP IT RAW! It's better that way. The added music ruins it...

[@4-LOW]

I guess my first question would be, why are there Cat dozers in Antarctica?

[@thommosaussieadventures2654]

Snow management around our Ice runway

[@nickjones6747]

I’m an operator with no kids and I think it would be interesting depending on how long you’re contract was for.

[@seabeechief99]

Depending on your age, you can get a job operating equipment in the seabees, I was stationed in Antarctica and it was a deal of a lifetime.

[@gowenrv3762]

and to think.... I can't hardly get my Chevy Trailblazer to start.

[@patrickcreath217]

Tracks not frozen to the ground?

[@scubaseppy]

US engineering is amazing.

[@guytansbariva2295]

On par with other counties. Many European and Asian tractor brands are seen as just as tough, or tougher.

[@anels9]

Amazing! I couldn’t imagine a more perfect job

[@smokeskull]

Plugs in block heater. Clears snow from engine compartment and removes snow caps from intake and exhaust. Engine starts like it was 20C

[@clayboist]

That sure started easily! Geez. Must be a special cold weather package from Cat

[@eyalcr500]

impressive start indeed ! went surprisingly easy ! BUT please a question : what exactly is the work you guys are going to do ???? it's a huge endless flat "ice desert" :-) there's nothing to shove there, there's nothing around !!!

[@slatsgrobneck7515]

Same thought!

[@riobird6643]

all this money no shop joke

[@lauralauren6432]

So environment and Climate BS friendly. What ARE you doing there? Van Guard the Firmament?

[@NoName-dj6bb]

Get rid of the stupid gay background music. It's painful to listen to.

[@dankoldenhoven4997]

Let's see a tesla replace vehicle's like this, sits for days with nothing around, plugged into a generator for 30 min... runs for days

[@timbow50]

A good weather window? Really? It’s got to be bloody fricking damn colder than hell anyway. What a royal pain in the arse. Hope you guys make like $100 an hour living and working there.

[@protexusa]

I am sure battery powered CAT will worked same and no polution :)))))

[@earthtruthhunters1642]

So we're expected to believe it's cold there. One should be able to see one's breath at about 40 Fahrenheit or 4 degrees C. No sign of any breath at all. If you ask me, that was a spring storm and the temps are probably in the mid 40s. Can't sneak this one by an old koot who grew up in Central Ontario Kanada, where we would commonly see temps of- 40 degrees and believe me, you saw your breath on those days. Smart folks plugged their vehicles in and for sure the dozers and tractors were never happy to start on those ridiculous mornings. We old koots has seen it all...

[@ritzoriginal]

Plugs in a block heater and engine starts. Welcome to Canada. The end. Saved you five minutes.

[@sionandtatev]

i built a Lego version of that CAT it's absolutely amazing what heavy machineries are capable

[@keithwarkentin]

Boy oh boy that’s impressive I was all set to give you my espar heater speech but it looks like they start better than a gasoline engine I am really curious what was the temperature in Celsius with out wind chill because I am up here in Southern Manitoba Canada we can easily see days and weeks sometimes of -35 to -45 Celsius over night and-25 to -30 Celsius during the day so I have an espar heater on my DT 466 International and I always wanted to get one for the other crane engine with a hydraulic oil and engine coolant heater in one you can program them for 7 days I really like to recommend them, but anyway what do you guys work out there?

[@jeffmunro7638]

In Canada we just keep refueling….minus 55 they DONOT want to start ip

[@neil671]

You should buy some lotto tickets! Or pass some of that luck on. If that was me. The batteries would be dead. The block heater won’t work. And somebody forgot to put the storm covers on the air intake and exhaust.

[@DustinRZR]

When you want something reliable you choose cat and this just proves why.

[@garrettbinley7349]

Wow. Don’t know that the difficulty level even warranted a vid but the caption sure got me to click.

[@laughton57]

Poor cold Aussies - they probably miss having a brown snake or two in the cab with them. I start my little Kubota at -30F or colder after a blizzard in N. MN. But it's a much smaller engine to turn over. Still, with a block heater and glow plugs she fires right up. This video was fun to watch - that big iron lady just fired right up. Must have a few big batteries in her. Good on ya mate!

[@thommosaussieadventures2654]

Thanks Mate, we Aussies aren't as accustomed to the cold!

[@JimBloggins1]

Hahah that started easier than our cats up here in northern Alberta at -10 that only ran a couple hours ago!