PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-562
PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly
ISSUE 562
SEPTEMBER 1999
PS 562
17
SEP 99
PS 562
16
SEP 99
echanics, without regular cleaning
and lubing, the wire cable on your
M88A1’s main or hoist winch will turn
into a rusty mess.
You not only can’t use it for recov-
ery operations, but another M88A1 will
have to pull out the corroded cable so
it can be cleaned or replaced.
Regular cleaning and lubing of the
winch cable is the only way to prevent
that. But first, you have to know when
and how to do it.
When to Clean and Lube
Clean the cable daily when the
winch is being used. If you put it off,
dirt and water will settle into the cable
AVLB . . .
M88A1 Recovery Vehicle . . .
3.
Wipe the cable with several clean
cloths. Use a spiraling motion, follow-
ing the direction of the strands. That
wipes away loose dirt and keeps it from
lodging between the strands.
4.
Coat the cable with chain and wire
rope lubricating oil (CW), or OE/HDO-
10 if CW isn’t available. After the ex-
cess oil drips off, rewind the cable.
How to Clean and Lube
Never handle the cable with your
bare hands. Broken or frayed strands
will slice your hands. Wear a pair of
leather gloves for protection. Then:
1.
Unwind the entire cable and soak it
with OE/HDO-10.
2.
Scrub the cable with a nylon bristle
brush to loosen dirt and other particles.
Semiannual cleaning and lubing is
a must. Rain, temperature changes,
dust, and humidity gunk up the cable,
even if the winch goes unused for the
full six months.
efore you can pull your AVLB’s
powerpack, you have to remove the
engine deck. That may not be as easy
as it sounds, though.
The metal sling points on the engine
decks of many AVLBs are starting to
wear out. Since the deck weighs in at
about a ton, that’s an invitation to di-
saster—especially if you happen to be
in the wrong place when the sling
points give way.
Before lifting the engine deck, eye-
ball the sling points closely. If you see
rust that goes beyond the surface or
notice separation in any of the welds,
report it. And don’t lift the deck until
your mechanic checks it out.
strands, giving corrosion the foothold
it needs.
Dirt and water lead to cable rust
Check for
rust or
weld
separation
before
lifting
deck
forget it
,
bub!
rust
and
corrosion
have
my cable
frozen
tight!
we'll keep
your cable
clean
.
don't
forget to
use
us
.
❖
❖
PS 562
17
SEP 99
PS 562
16
SEP 99
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