"nestork" wrote in message

stuff snipped

In fact, my understanding is that in Northern Ontario, they will often
collect wood and start a fire under the engine of the graders and
bulldozers to warm up the oil in the oil pan in order to start their
engines in the mornings in winter. I've never personally seen that
being done; I just heard that it is done.

I've seen film on NatGeo of Siberians doing something like that to keep
their trucks going. Looks a little dangerous. They don't actually light a
fire, but use a metal box filled with glowing coals (charcoal?) that has a
long handle attached. They position the box under the oil pan and replenish
the coals when required. An open flame is likely to burn cables and rubber
hoses, I would think.

German tank drivers did the same thing with their Panzers during the
invasion of Russia in WWII but the russkie's famous "General Winter" still
defeated the Nazis. The Germans were so low on fuel they couldn't keep the
engines idling all the time, which was another way to keep the engines from
getting so cold they couldn't be restarted.

Panther and Tiger tanks were plagued by constant mechanical failures that
many believe were the result of sabotage during their manufacture by the
slave and foreign laborers the Germans forced to build them. I recall
reading that more Panzers were lost to mechanical failure than enemy action.

--
Bobby G.