PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-599
PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly
ISSUE 599
OCTOBER 2002
PS 599
OCT 02
25
C
onditions at the worksite can fool you.
For instance, mud is wet and soft during the day. But at night it can freeze as hard
as concrete. A vehicle left sitting in mud at the end of the day will be frozen in its
tracks the next morning.
And, it doesn’t matter if you’re in the DEUCE, D5B or D7G tractors, or the M9
ACE—you can’t rock the vehicle loose. You’ll end up with broken track, snapped
drive sprocket teeth and a vehicle that’s still stuck.
Here’s how to prevent that problem before the sun goes down:
Park your vehicle on high
ground if possible. Water drains
downhill, so the mud won’t be
quite as deep.
Avoid parking in deep ruts
worn by other vehicles. Some are
deep enough to bottom out your
vehicle’s hull. Leave it there and
you won’t be moving until spring.
Use a shovel to scoop out mud
that has collected on and between
roadwheels and drive sprockets. If
there’s no mud, it can’t freeze.
Put a board between the ground
and any moldboard. That way the
mud can’t freeze the moldboard
in place.
PS 599
OCT 02
24
Construction Equipment…
C
old weather plays havoc with cylinder rods on construction equipment.
Before the day’s run, eyeball the cylin-
der rods for ice build-up. Ice on the rods
will scrape or cut seals when the rod is
moved. Damaged seals lead to fluid leaks,
which lead to NMC equipment. If you
find any ice, get rid of it.
Another rod saver, no matter what the
weather, is to exercise the cylinders week-
ly. This fights rust by spreading a thin
coat of oil on the rod. Rust, like ice build-
up, will scrape and cut the rod’s seal.
If the equipment sits longer than a
month, coat the polished cylinder rod
with a light coat of GAA.
Use shovel to
scoop out mud
Use board
to keep
moldboard
from freezing
in place
Look who’s
stuck
parked in
a rut!
Remove ice build-up
before starting
hey pal, you
ready to go
to work?
Soon as you
clean the ice
from my
cylinder rods
I will be!
599. 24-25 (C)
8/24/02
4:38 PM
Page 1
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