Summer 2013

Learning about how an ABS trailer brake valve is "not" supposed to work... Took it apart hoping it was just stuck but the cup seal is hardened up causing it to leak by and dump air pressure.

Also did some welding on a cross member mount after doing an inspection.

Weeks hours: 41.75
Total: 134.75

Summer 2013

This week I learned that sometimes it's not always leaking because the gasket it bad (See picture of isolators).

Workin' on getting my class B CDL and I am a new fan of a super 10 transmission.

Hours for week: 43

Total: 93

Summer 2013

Alright, so what is the "correct" way to install s-cam seals? Given square cut o-ring (Quad ring) and a traditional cup seal I'm putting the cup seal on the hub side with the o-ring on the inboard side (Towards the slack adjuster) so that it will purge the grease where you can see it. According to Danny the cup seal goes on the inboard side but reversed so that it will still purge grease correctly. Seems like it would work either way just fine to me? Every reference I've found has 2 cup seals with both installed towards the inboard but none reference the o-ring?

Also did some welding on a Ford L8000 12 yd dump truck. The box frame was breaking near the hinges so I air-arced out the cracks and welded front and back with 6011 and fabricated some stiffeners so that it will not break again. Had to weld up some cracks in the box floor too and learned how to weld on light gauge steel with 1/8" welding rod. With amperage around set around 50 you can feed a filler rod (With the flux scraped off) while you're welding (Similar to TIG welding).

Week: 50 hours
Quarter: 50

PM final part 2

Transmission: Eaton Fuller Super 10 spd

• Oil capacity of 11 liters
• Recommended RoadRanger synthetic SAE 50 spec PS-164 Rev 7
• MSDS for lubricant at http://www.roadranger.com/rr/CustomerSupport/Support/LiteratureCenter/index.htm?litlibtarget=1162919212455
• Oil must be changed every 180,000 miles or three years

Engine: 12.7 L Detroit Series 60

• Recommended oil is 15W-40 CI-4 or CH-4
• Capacity is 40 quarts including filters
• Recommended interval is 15,000 miles
• MSDS at  https://cglapps.chevron.com/msdspds/MSDSPage.aspx
• Recommended coolant is Detroit Diesel Power Cool 
• Part # 23518918
• Capacity is 58 quarts and change interval is 300,000 miles or 2 years

I learned the real cost to not keeping up with preventive maintenance and also the cost to doing the preventive maintenance. I counted 51 fittings on the Peterbuilt. I discoverer quite a bit more wrong with this truck than I anticipated.

PM final part 1

Apparently I've impressed our operations manager! Had a meeting with him a while back and I'm going to start taking over some of the maintenance management. Been busy with school but I'm working on a maintenance plan and inspection checklist. I did an inspection on one of what I thought was one of our better maintained trucks... We've only had this truck a few weeks so what could possibly go wrong? I used the inspection sheet in Heavy Duty Truck Systems.

1999 Freightliner FLD #285
12.7 Detroit 60 series rated at 500hp (We're an LTL company so you're just flying up the hills in this truck)
Eaton 10 spd
Spicer 3.90 rear ends

• Driver's side clearance light on hood
• Passenger side turn signal on hood
• Driver's seat belt not fastened to seat frame
  
• Missing dash screws (Rattles on rough roads)
• Turn signal switch loose (Held on by hose clamp)
• Hood rubbing on cowl 
  
• Loose alternator belt chirps on start up
• Transmission tail shaft is loose (Should have been written up as a vibration)

• Loose yoke on drive line between tandems (Should have been written up as a vibration)
• Both drive axles moving slightly on spring perches (Probably loose u-bolts)

• Cracked welds on cross member underneath cab (First time I've seen them break on a truck with an air ride cab). I need to look into why this truck is breaking here and the others are not.
  
• Oil leak behind oil cooler manifold (Battery died on flashlight so couldn't find where exactly the oil is coming from). Pretty common on Detroits... Surprisingly no leak on the front gear train cover!
  
• Bushings in front driver's side leaf spring worn out
• Clutch is out of adjustment... Not an EZ-adjust either : (
• Clutch throwout bearing is coated in gear oil... Umm, don't know what's going on there but I'm going to keep an eye on that. Truck has a new bell housing and reman transmission so maybe something isn't quite right here.
• Cold idle advance actually works! 

Week: 55

Total: 474

This week I've been learning a lot about multi-tasking. In a rush to finish building the loading dock and I'm taking over some of the maintenance management so I'm working on part stocking, maintenance schedules, etc... and I'm starting to think there's not enough hours in the day. Definitely need to change  some things though. Every brake job is new s-cams and bushings and so far every clutch failure has been the throw out bearing. Also decided that the torch skills are somewhat lacking at Scrap-it... Bought some plate steel from them and spent most of a day with a torch getting them squared up enough that I could use them.

Week: 47
Total: 419

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