Volcanic Ash (Anchorage, Kenai, Homer: how much, shops, move)

[starlite9]

Since we may be in the middle of some volcanic ash shortly, figured I would give some pointers on what to expect for your car and machinery.

Your car won't quit running just because you drive though the ash, that of course depends on how much ash shows up.

The ash is like a fine grinding compound and will cut into metal and other items if it gets the chance. It is used in some of the Ajax or Comet counter cleaners (or use to be) and Lava hand soap because of it's abrasive abilities.

For starters, it will clog your car's air filters over a period of time depending on how much there is. That is what will kill your engine, having the air choked off the intake. If you have to drive in it, then make sure you check the air filter often and keep it clean.

Make sure that when you do remove it, you clean the entire area to remove the ash, using a vacuum is a good way to ensure the ash doesn't' get past the air intake. If it does, over time it will score/wear your pistons and rings down in a few month verses years, if it gets into the engine oil, it will wear/eat into your crank and rod bearings and will cut out the lead/copper in them causing them to start knocking.

When the first sign of the ash (IF there is any) comes and you have to drive, take a lady's nylon and put the top end around the air cleaner intake to the air filter and secure it with something like a big rubber band, then tie the toe end off if you can to something so it goes straight out away from the air filter. Putting something like a paper cup in the end to keep it spread out with holes punched in it to allow the air to pass is a good way to get more air filtering surface area from the nylon.

What the nylon will do, is as the ash gets sucked into the air intake, the bigger particles will get caught outside of the nylon instead of the air cleaner and when it get to be too much, it will fall off in clumps. This will extend the life of the regular air filter as well as your engine.

Once the falling ash has past after a few days, it will still be around on the ground and will still be an issue so check the nylon often, and if it is crusted, just flick it a few times and the ash will fall off.

After about a week, you need to change the engine oil and air filter to ensure that the ash hasn't gotten into the engine oil as dust and is causing advance wear issues in your engine. Changing all of your fluid levels is not a bad idea either such as Transmission and differentials too. Greasing any greasible grease points will push the ash out also.

Any seals that have a drop of oil on them will attract/attach the ash dust and will start cutting into the rubber seal and metal sealing lip, so getting your engine/drive line system power washed is a good idea also.

This is just a basic recommendation to look at other than the health issues of breathing the stuff in, but that will be all over the news.

The last time we had ash all over the place, it took a few months and the auto shops all over the Anchorage/Kenai areas were having a field day replacing all sorts of failed parts due to advance wear.

So maybe you can avoid some of that this time.

Any other tips that people can use/think of, would be helpful here too...

[Rance]

Park your snowmachines for the winter. You'll eat the slides up quick. Not to mention fry cylinders and pistons.
Even chainsaw blades will be dulled quick when cutting ash laden trees. This can go on for a year or two after an eruption.
Douse your windshield with buckets of water before using the wipers. Hear me now...believe me later!

[Grannysroost]

Not, but if after every thing I have read and researched...not go'in there....I can sit for a long time....

[The Grill God]

When I was a kid (some naysayers believe I still am) we had quite a fallout in Wyoming from Mt. St. Helens. It was kind of cool to think that something like that could affect people so far away.

[Nephler]

We had some from St. Helens in Michigan also, just followed the jet stream.

[Crossfire600]

Originally Posted by Rance

Park your snowmachines for the winter. You'll eat the slides up quick. Not to mention fry cylinders and pistons.
Even chainsaw blades will be dulled quick when cutting ash laden trees. This can go on for a year or two after an eruption.
Douse your windshield with buckets of water before using the wipers. Hear me now...believe me later!

Rance, buddy... do you realize what you are asking me to do? Look at my screen name... your killing me.. I am dying here...

[warptman]

Just have to go a little farther north, Cross.

[Crossfire600]

Originally Posted by warptman

Just have to go a little farther north, Cross.

Let's hope that the winds shift and it heads towards Homer way... Nothing against the Homer folks of course

[starlite9]

Well since we moved North of the "Blast" area since the last shot, we have the Alaska Range that deflects most of the weather/ash that would head this direction. Unless Mt. McKinley blows a gasket, we should be pretty bored.

[HighlandLady]

I've always wondered on Denali. Were you where you are now when the quake of 2002 hit the Denali fault, Mark?