Mount St Helens II - what would you guys do w/ the 80?

[IdahoDoug]

If it happens, it will be kind of an odd situation. On one hand, you want to be prudent and not find out that you've damaged various things (engines, home ventilation system, you and your children's lungs, etc) but on the other hand you don't want to appear to be a wacko (best to keep this to yourself). Packing stuff in the car and leaving town if an eruption occurs starts to enter the wacko zone until it actually arrives, ya know? But then you're driving in it a bit even while leaving the area. So, I am looking for strategies that allow me to operate the vehicle in what will the the highest probability impact to me - a small eruption and several days of constant suspended grit of various levels. Sort of the awkward zone between nothing, and the black wall of approaching ash if you know what I mean.

DougM

 

[CruisinGA]

Centrifugal Pre-filter on a snorkel, another pre-filter over engine air filter.
The Centripetal filters are designed specifically for removing dust etc, and they work. (thats all you see on tractors).

Do 80's have cabin air filters? If so that is another item I would have plenty of in stock.

 

[stayalert]

get an old landrover....or get an air filter (oil bath) from an old landrover.
Rob M Concord, MA

 

[stayalert]

'cause I think that's what alot of emergency resposne rigs did right after she blew the first time....I was told that lots of cruisers (police not LAND) had them mounted on their front bumpers...Rob M Concord, MA USA

 

[CruisinGA]

get an old landrover....or get an air filter (oil bath) from an old landrover.
Rob M Concord, MA

Early 40's have them too.

 

[IdahoDoug]

Get an old Land Rover? Um, yeah THAT would be well down my list actually. Right after smearing my body with Twinkie guts and being strapped down on a red ant's anthill. Actually, I'd trust the 80s engine filtration before a LR system. They have a centrifugal effect canister, with an outer channel around the filter for air movement, and a lower dust cup into which heavy stuff like grit and plant matter fall. There is also a rubber valve to allow water to fall into this cup and exit via the bottom.

It's a great system, but I'm looking for any temporary mods that you creative and experienced types might have seen for a temporary situation like this.

Thanks,

DougM

 

[Landpimp]

Yep, I'll just drive the 45LV

funny we got zero to just a trace of ash in 1980..............

there isn't as much to blow up this time...............so less ash

Early 40's have them too.

 

[squeezer]

Lived about 35 miles away from St Helens the first time and am only a bit further away now. If I remember right the damage caused back in 1980 was mostly from people removing filters that had plugged solid and driving with no filter to get home.

We had a fairly new 1978 F250 back then that operated in alot of ash (ulling a tractor that was moving the stuff). That very same truck with the unopened factory motor sits in my driveway.

 

[reffug]

Get an old Land Rover? Um, yeah THAT would be well down my list actually. Right after smearing my body with Twinkie guts and being strapped down on a red ant's anthill.
DougM

Now that was funny!

 

[DRTDuck]

Perhaps you're in the clear?

Oct 1, 4:01 PM (ET)


(AP) U.S. Geological Survey scientist Michael Poland collects information from a Global Positioning...
Full Image


MOUNT ST. HELENS, Wash. (AP) - Mount St. Helens, the volcano that blew its top with cataclysmic force in 1980, erupted for the first time in 18 years Friday, belching a huge column of white steam and ash after days of rumblings.

"This is exactly the kind of event we've been predicting," said U.S. Geological Survey scientist Cynthia Gardner.

Still, the eruption was nowhere near what happened 24 years ago, when 57 people were killed and towns 250 miles away were coated with ash.

About 20 minutes after Friday's eruption, the mountain calmed and the plume began to dissipate.

The National Weather Service notified the Federal Aviation Administration, in case planes needed to be rerouted.

The steam cloud poured from the southern edge of a 1,000-foot-tall lava dome in the volcano's crater. Steam frequently rises from the crater, but the 8,364-foot peak had not erupted since 1986.

For the past week, scientists have detected thousands of earthquakes of increasing strength - as high as magnitude 3.3 - suggesting another eruption was on the way.

 

[IdahoDoug]

Cool. Got spares standing by. Hoping that's it as I'm leaving to spend the weekend on our boat on a remote N. Idaho lake. Per Cdan's thoughts, I'm bringing some foam, oil and duct tape so I can make an impromptu (sp?) foam filter as boat filters are just metal mesh since they're operated in dust free environments.

Doug

 

[scottm]

I wouldn't worry bro. The ground above the super volcano at Yellowstone has been moving ominously. It erupts about every 600,000 years (old faithful?) and the last one was about 600,000 years ago. That was 2500 times as big as Mt. St Helens, wiped out much of the earth, and all but about 1000 humans. It would kill everything within 1000 miles in the first days, drop the earth's temp 10 degrees, etc, etc.

 

[alia176]

Saw a report on Fox last night. St Helen is "clearing her throat" so to speak for the bigger one to follow! Load up on air filters (hopefully not)!

 

[reffug]

Saw a report on Fox last night. St Helen is "clearing her throat" so to speak for the bigger one to follow! Load up on air filters (hopefully not)!

If this is the case then I once again suggest that if you can afford to you lock the rig up head east and wait for the majority of the crap to be gone before firing up the 80. Seems like alot to risk.

 

[IdahoDoug]

Yowza - didn't know about the Yellowstone gig. Guess the 1000 mile radius is gonna be the gas cloud? I can't imagine it would be from lava flows or falling debris and the ash, while dangerous, would follow prevailing winds rather than be a radius? Ditto the gas cloud - winds would dicate where it kills, right. Please don't tell me the 1000 mile radius is from lava/falling debris. Please?

Guess we'll be escaping to Alaska directionally because this makes sense from prevailing winds. Unfortunately, Alaska has, .... uh ..... more volcanos....hmmmm. Perhaps I should equip the 80 for arctic use.......

DougM

 

[scottm]

I think it's the extremely hot and toxic cloud of gas/debris that get out that far. The rest of the world wouldn't be in good shape once the sun is dimmed, crops fail, lungs clogged, etc. Pretty bleak.

I saw a commercial for one of those bagless vacs, looks like a cyclone separator with a filter in the middle, kinda like our air filters only taller. Our filter is pretty much a good design. If we modify ours to be tall enough for two filters it would be a huge improvement. the lower airflow through the filter would allow more particulate to settle out, and the talcum-like dust would take longer to plug up the two filters. Or maybe you could modify one of those bagless vacs, strap it to the bumper....

 

[Riley]

Doug park that 80, she's gonna blow. Get yourself a dusk mask and bike to work.

What's more important - your lungs or the 80's lungs/intake ?

 

[IdahoDoug]

Riley - spoken like a true 80 owner!

Depending on the timing, the 80 could get parked. My wife and kids are heading East for a 2 week visit by complete coincidence. If it happens while they're gone, I'll be driving the Sube if I have to go out in it. Nutty stuff.

The USGS website says they're now getting gas readings for the first time since this event started, which is apparently an indicator that things are percolating. They also had a very sustained seismic event which backs it up. Man, I should have stayed out on the lake where I had no idea things were getting up steam again.

Because of testing I've read comparing factory filters to the oiled type, it's my understanding that a new paper filter does not filter as well as a used one. The graphs actually showed the oiled type filtering better until the paper ones got some use and took over the lead in filtration effectiveness.

Obviously, a dirt paper filter eventually gets clogged and begins to restrict airflow and reducing performance and MPG. But I'd be fine with that if I'm getting better filtration. In other words, what do I care if during the expected week or so of serious suspended grit I'm getting a few MPG worse and also down 20hp?

Does it make sense to you guys to rotate a pair of used filters I've been saving, by gently cleaning them with compressed air and reinstalling them? I'm assuming filtration remains effective, but airflow diminishes and there's no harm done that way. I feel the only risk is that the filter media actually fails due to the pressure differential, or that I damage the media in cleaning it too roughly and it fails for the same reason. What say ye to this?

DougM

 

[RavenTai]

You have 4 filters to rotate through correct? Save the best one for after this is over, the rest should be rotated through and cleaned (compressed air) but only when they restrict to the point that the truck will not do what you need it to (free way onramps etc) stretching it out as long as possible should reduce the media damage and also keep filtration efficiency up for as long as possible, if this is a light eruption you may get away with one filter for the entire event

When this is over do an oil change and then a short OCI on that oil (2k or so) so that any ash that does get in the motor is gotten out ASAP, volcanic ash is dangerous because it is very fine ( some slips by filters both oil and air) and is very abrasive