PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-567
PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly
ISSUE 567
FEBRUARY 2000
PS 567
46
PS 567
47
FEB 00
Dear Editor,
When you’re choking or idling the
M12, it’s often difficult to know just
how far to pull out the choke or
throttle. I tell students at the US
Army Chemical School to give them
both the finger test.
If you jerk the pump unit choke, it
literally can come right out of the
panel. Then you have no choke. Pull the
choke out about the width of two
fingers. That will usually give the right
amount of fuel to start a cold engine.
At shutdown, the pump unit should
be idled at 500–600 rpm for 10–15
minutes until the engine cools down.
So, turn the throttle clockwise until it
sticks out about the width of your
thumb. That will give the right rpm.
One other tip: If you’re having trouble
building up water pressure, turn off the
engine and open the prime tank valve
and the pump drain valve. Keep them
open until water starts to run out of
the pump drain valve. Then close the
valves. That gets rid of air in the pump. With the
engine running, open and close the spray wands
several times. That gets rid of air in the water lines.
SSG Gernardo Tatum
US Army Chemical School
Ft Leonard Wood, MO
M12A1 Decon . . .
s
e
a
l
o
f
Loop wires around handle
If that doesn’t cure the problem, the
air outlet cap is probably leaking. Tell
your NBC NCO.
If the M43A1 is not responding to
the built-in tests (BIT), check the toggle
Fence off detectors with stakes or
chem lights to warn drivers not to run
over them.
Finally, be sure to warn people be-
fore you test the alarm. Otherwise, you
could come back to your unit to find
everyone dressed in chemical gear.
..
and glaring at you.
Tighten loose outlet nut hand tight
If the adapter’s OK, feel the outlet
nut for looseness. Use only your fin-
gers to turn a loose nut clockwise until
it’s hand tight.
O-ring in place and in good shape?
Troubleshooting
If the M43A1 flunks the flowmeter
test, the rainshield adapter could be the
problem. Is the adapter tightly screwed
in? Is its O-ring missing or cracked? A
loose adapter or one with a bad O-ring
causes leaks.
switch. It should be pointing out. Flip
it out if necessary.
In the Field
When you remote the detector to
the alarm, tie off 9 inches of wire
at the loop on the side of the detector.
No loop? Wrap the wire around the
handle several times. That keeps the
wire from being jerked loose if some-
one trips over it.
here's a
handy
way to
measure!
with pm,
the results are
alarming!
Pull choke out width of two fingers
Twist out throttle
width of thumb
Leave valves open until water starts to run
out of pump drain valve. Then close valves
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