Is your heavy-duty construction equipment ready for the next harsh Canadian winter? You’ve likely already performed a few tune-ups. But servicing your fleet’s radiators and cooling systems can help business run smoothly as you go into the cold season.

Canada’s winters are intense, and we know it’s important for you to ensure that your construction fleet is ready to handle the extreme cold.

That’s why we’ve asked our team of expert mechanics to share their servicing tips for heavy-duty construction equipment. They have experience working on a range of construction OEMs, including:

Caterpillar
Komatsu
John Deere
Hitatchi
Case

We also service cooling systems for snow plows, including:

HitchDoc
Everest
Henke
Tenco
Buyers
Boss Snowplow
RPM Techon

So, here are the five ways we suggest you service your construction equipment’s heating & cooling system before winter arrives.

1. A DPF/DOC Cleaning & Baking

Cleaning your diesel particulate filter (DPF) and/or diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) is a necessity for the construction industry.

The DPF traps soot and exhaust emissions, which can eventually become clogged with hardened ash if not serviced regularly.

Our mechanics suggest DPFs for heavy-duty construction industry fleets should be cleaned every 4,000 hours.

On the other hand, the DOC is an after-treatment component of the emissions system. It is designed to convert carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbons into carbon dioxide (CO2) and water. Similar to the DPF, the DOC can eventually become blocked from a build-up of debris.

We offer advanced regeneration for DPFs and DOCs that are said to be unserviceable, including oil soaked units.

We use a variety of industry-standard techniques. For example, we do an overnight bake in the kiln with high heat, blow out the filters with compressed air, and perform a final testing.

To make things easier for your construction fleet, we offer a FREE pick-up and delivery service to and from any of our three locations: Winnipeg, Saskatoon, or Estevan. Therefore, we can handle driving through the tough, cold weather so you don’t have to!

We also provide our customers a full DPF pressure drop reading before and after the cleaning process.

2. EGR Cleaning

The exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) is made of two key components: valves and coolers. The EGRs system has a high pressure loop (HPL) where a portion of the exhaust is taken from upstream of the turbocharger.

Since the EGR system re-circulates a portion of exhaust gases, the valve can become clogged with carbon deposits over time. This can prevent it from operating properly. Without the EGR operating properly, the engine of construction equipment can suffer.

Some examples that your EGR valves may be clogged include hesitation when starting your machine and/or engine vibration.

Here is how we deep-clean EGR valves:

Removing all bolts and gaskets
Ensuring valves are free of any cracks or leaks
Using a state-of-the-art cleaning system that breaks down carbon deposits

Check out this video to learn more about how we clean diesel filters:

3. Fuel Tank Rebarreling

A leak in your construction equipment’s fuel tank can in fact be very expensive if not caught quickly, as well as be potentially damaging to the environment.

Therefore, our shop technicians are specially trained to provide long-lasting repairs to both aluminum and steel fuel tanks.

First, we start with our rigorous testing process. This allows us to identify exactly where the leak or hole is. From there, we determine the best type of materials for the repair. Finally, using our CNC roller, we build custom aftermarket straps and barrels for diesel fuel tanks of various sizes for all construction machines.

Our gage of aluminum that we use for fuel tanks is 40% thicker than the OEM!

4. A/C Line Replacements

Now, you might be thinking, how is an AC helpful during the winter?

But, there’s actually a very good reason to get your A/C lines checked before defrosting season begins.

In construction equipment, the A/C system plays a key role in defrosting and preventing fogging during cold months.

That’s because the A/C helps dehumidify the air, pulling moisture out before it reaches the windows.

So next time your cab’s windows are frosted, try putting your defogger on high, while also turning on your fan.

There are several signs there may be an issue with your construction cooling system. Here’s some signs to look out for:

Not cooling
Poor A/C performance
Warm or slightly cool air emitted from unit
Systems only work intermittent
A/C or Blower system noisy

We carry a wide range of A/C aftermarket replacement parts for construction equipment with a 1 year warranty. We also manufacture custom-made A/C lines.

5. Rad Rebuild and Repair

Finally, our speciality and main focus since we first opened our doors has been building and manufacturing custom radiators.

We source high quality materials to manufacture our aftermarket rads for construction equipment. Our team of technicians can help determine whether your rad’s core can be repaired. Often times, a simple repair can do the job. Or, your rad may need a complete recore.

At West End Rad, we can design and manufacture a custom core for you that can handle construction extremes like:

High-speeds
Constant use
Extreme climates (Like Canada’s winter season!)

Want to start building your custom heat exchanger? Our Custom Part Builder lets you provide all the details we need to design and quote your part.

Our services also include complete all-metal rad conversions. We can convert your construction rad from plastic/aluminum to copper/brass or an all aluminum rad.

This is a plastic/aluminum rad from a 2006 Caterpillar 320 Excavator. The original rad had multiple holes in the core when it was brought to West End Rad.

We converted the rad to an all copper/brass application, including the tanks. The new metal rad is much more heavy-duty, will last longer, and will require less future down time, and is easier to repair if needed in the future.