PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-684
PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly
ISSUE 684
NOVEMBER 2009
8
PS 684
NOV 09
9
PS 684
NOV 09
W
hen it’s time to shut down the engine on your Bradley or MLRS, a pushy driver
can cause all kinds of problems.
At shutdown, drivers are supposed
to pull out—
and leave out
—the fuel
shutoff lever.
Pushing
in
the
fuel
control
lever even slightly lets fuel trickle
through the fuel lines into the engine
cylinders. Enough fuel can cause
hydrostatic lock, so the cylinders
won’t move the next time you try to
start the engine.
The fuel continues to work its
way past the piston rings and into the
crankcase. Fuel-thinned oil doesn’t
lube well, so parts wear out quicker.
When that happens, the engine is a
good candidate for a breakdown.
So leave the fuel control lever
pulled
all
the
way
out
after
shutdown. That keeps fuel out of the
crankcase and where it belongs.
O
ut of sight, out of mind. That’s the way it is with some lube points, crewmen. And
the ones on your Paladin’s idler arm and housing are a good example.
There are two lube points for the idler arm and housing. Miss them on a regular
basis and the arm can lock up and even shear off during operation.
The ±rst lube point is
behind the idler wheel on
top of the idler arm. It gets
covered with dirt and mud,
so it’s easy to miss. Make
sure you clean it off before
lubing to keep from forcing
in any dirt.
The
second
is
in
a
recessed area
inside
the
mechanical drive housing,
NSN
Because the lube point sits
back out of sight, it’s often
forgotten. You’ll need to
remove the pipe plug and
replace it with a grease
±tting, NSN 4730-00-050-
4208, to lube this area.
Hit
both
lube
points
semiannually with GAA to
prevent problems.
M2/M3-Series
Bradley, MLRS…
Keep the Fuel Out
M109A6 Paladin…
Don’t be
Idle on Idler
Lubing
hey!
aren’t
you gonna
lube my
idler arm?
it’s
getting
kinda
stiff!
Keep fuel shutoff lever pulled all the way out
I don’t
get it!
why won’t
you turn
over?
maybe it’s
because you
pushed in my fuel
shutoff lever
before you left
yesterday!
Second lube point is in recessed
area in mechanical drive housing
First lube point is behind idler
wheel on top of idler arm
684.08-09.indd
1-2
10/1/09
4:45:57 PM
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