PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-632
PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly
ISSUE 632
JULY 2005
Track Maintenance
Check
the
drive
sprocket assembly, road-
wheel mounting bolts,
end connector bolts,
track pin nuts, and cen-
terguide bolts before,
during and after opera-
tion. Sand, rocks and
gravel tend to break or
damage lube fittings and
relief valves. Rough ter-
rain causes hardware to
work loose.
Never neutral steer in soft sand. That lets sand build up in the track assembly com-
ponents and can result in a thrown track. Make fast turns wide. Keep short turns slow.
Pay attention to the tracks during at-halt inspections. Check track tension. Look
for cracked end connectors and broken track pins.
Since you’ll be lubing bearings much more often in sandy and dusty conditions,
make sure you wipe away any excess lube when you’re finished. Grease attracts
sand, and the two combined can grind away metal.
Optics Care
Cover glass surfaces when
they’re not being used.
Scouring and etching by sand
and dust will ruin them. That’s
especially true for sighting
and fire control equipment.
The buildup of dust on
these surfaces can also
degrade low-light vision. So
keep surfaces as clean as pos-
sible using the specific clean-
ers called out in your TMs.
Optical lens cleaning com-
pound, NSN 6850-00-227-
1887, can be used if your TM
does not list one.
During dust or sandstorms, you might want to use self-clinging
plastic film to cover optics between missions. NSN 8135-00-043-5331
gets a 100-ft roll of 11
1
⁄
2
-in wide film.
PS 632
JUL 05
7
Clean Fuel
It’s critical to keep fuel clean during refueling. Always wipe off the nozzle before
refueling. If you suspect there’s dirt inside the nozzle, flush it out or take the nozzle
off and clean it. Keep the fuel nozzle capped when it’s not in use.
Blow away loose dust and
sand from the vehicle’s fuel
filler opening before removing
the cap. When the fuel nozzle
is in place, use a clean rag to
close off any gaps between the
nozzle and the fuel filler open-
ing. That keeps blowing sand
and dust from getting into the
fuel tank. Close the fuel cap
tight when you’re finished.
No matter how careful you
are, some dirt is going to get
into the fuel system. That
means draining the fuel filters
to keep ‘em from clogging.
Draining the fuel filters also
gets rid of condensation that
results from cool nights and
hot days. You may need to
drain fuel filters more than
once a day to keep engine per-
formance high,
but they
should always be drained at
least once a day to keep water
from diluting the fuel.
Clean Water
Use only clean water
from a reliable source for
filling radiators. Local water
supplies often contain min-
eral deposits that will even-
tually clog up radiator cores.
If local water must be
used, filter it through a clean
cloth before adding it to a
radiator. Then, clean and
purge the radiator at the next
opportunity.
Blow away dust and sand before opening fuel cap
Drain fuel filters
at least daily
maybe you’d
better!
Check drive sprockets often
this sand
is
blinding
my optics!
maybe I’d
better filter this
water
first!
632.06-07(C)
5/27/05
9:30 AM
Page 1
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