Patrick Spring of '13

My table's project was the hydraulic X-Change system which is an option on Bobcat excavators. I learned how to follow hydraulic schematics through valves. I've been spending a lot of time welding with 6010 and I learned that propylene cutting torches won't cut through powder coat nearly as well as I thought it would.

50 hours this week
372 total

SPQ13 Patrick

This week I learned how to use a hydraulic schematic to "reverse engineer" a system. Tracking a system back through the diagram and service manual greatly helped my understanding of the drawings. I also learned that sometimes you don't end up fixing what you intend to... I pulled a truck in to check the steering because a driver wrote up a clunk in the front end on the DDIR sheet. I had Dan turn the wheel while I watched for something amiss. I happened to glance at the water pump pulley that drives the alternator (Cummins M11) and noticed it vibrating. Shut the truck down and was able to see a shiny spot on the pulley shaft where the movement has been wiping the surface clean. I'll be tearing into that problem tomorrow and the steering clunk is on hold for now. If the bearing on the gear is failing I'll have to tear apart the front gear train to replace it.

Week: 52
Total: 322 hours

SPQ13 Patrick

Had some trouble with an Airco Wasp ii-e welder and narrowed it down to the rheostat. The first video shows the resistance of the 25 ohm rheostat while moving the dial. The second video shows the voltage test after changing the rheostat and replacing the equipment ground wire (The 6" piece of wire had 28 ohm resistance). Sorry the video is upside down. I got the fitting boxes done and the first 10 hydraulic boards

Week: 47
Total: 270

SPQ13 Patrick

Well about 9:30 tonight I was starting to wish that I had a bigger excavator with more lights. I learned how to draw hydraulic symbols for valves and I improved my understanding of closed center and open center systems but I still have more to learn on that topic because I'm still not exactly sure why they work how they do.

40 hours for the week
223 hours for the quarter