Just some work pics

[crane operator]

I’m such a moron.

Winch motor, and the link belt it goes on were both at the shop. I’m helping get motor and hoses mounted, one of my guys is pulling first cap off:

“Feels like there’s pressure in this cap”

Me “”can’t be, tap the cap a little before it comes off “

“Still feels like pressure “

We’re at the top of the crane, all the other valves are below us, can’t be a half gallon of oil up here between the two motors and valves.

It’s Friday afternoon and need it Monday-etc, so

“Quit screwing around and pull the cap off”

Link belt uses a pressurized Hyd. Tank system because the pumps set on top of the transmission, and even though the crane had been sitting overnight, it still had tank pressure.

Cap blasted off

Covered me, covered him, covered crane, covered floor.

It’s an inch and quarter line spraying like a fire hose out the valve stack.

When I finally figured out what was going on, I hit the tank reliefs.

My boots and my watch band still smell like oil.

 

[Truck Shop]

Took a bath in ATF like that one time.

 

[Impact]

We’d like photos please

 

[skyking1]

I'm laughing over here 2000 miles away.
I worked with a guy who tried to off himself with a water main test. He had a double check bolted right up to the hydrant, and managed to wrench it off without turning off the hydrant. He gave the hydrant valve a try and did not realize somebody had jammed it open pretty hard.
It had test pressure on the main, and it blew off and put him under his truck up against the differential.

 

[Truck Shop]

We’d like photos please

1999-Ag company oil warehouse, standing 15 or so feet away, forklift moving third stack pallet
broke, steel 55 hit the concrete and exploded.

 

[Welder Dave]

Read a safe-t-gram while taking apprentice training. An oxygen cylinder got knocked over and the valve broke. It went right through several cinder block walls and left a good dent in the concrete foundation wall.

 

[RocketScott]

Not going to laugh, or point

Sounds like something I'd do

 

[AzIron]

That's a little rough

 

[DMiller]

I looked at one of those a couple years ago, it had a post hole digger, was from a power co. for setting poles in back yards where they didn't want to drive their big trucks. I would want one on tracks, but either way, they are either real expensive, or don't have much capacity.

I decided I wouldn't use it enough to justify a big/expensive one, and the cheap ones I could afford won't lift enough.

But would be real handy around a repair shop.

Had two of those at AMEREN for close quarters pole resets. Could actually handle a 20-30' utility pole as a haul in with all the gear and had a Hydraulic Post Auger on the booms. Expensive little bustards.

Sorry to say have been bathed in oil MORE than Once, not a fun day.

 

[dirty4fun]

You learned after one time on the farm of leaving the valve open on the liquid manure spreader and releasing the 4" drop you were going to have a crappy day! Instantly.
Had a hot oil bath when operating a Link Belt dragline and one of the valves broke squirting hot oil at you waist high. Then you had to reach back over the seat to pull the throttle back to kill the motor.

 

[crane operator]

Wednesday and Thursday the guys had time to do some more trouble shooting on the troublesome 90 ton.

Its back to the shop. New wheel sensors are in. All codes are gone now. But it still doesn't run correctly.

Amazingly. thursday they were able to get it to consistently loose throttle.

Crane has to be warm. Will drive and shift normally, until you are slowed or stopped, with the steering turned all the way to the left. Then the engine will not respond to the throttle inputs. No codes.

If he's at the stops to the left, and turns to center with the steering, throttle will come back. It will only remove throttle in drive and reverse. Shifting transmission to neutral will make engine respond to throttle inputs.

With the laptop on it, the throttle inputs stay at 100% coming from the pedal, while the engine just stays at a idle with rpm's when it does it.

Have no places where any wiring contacts or gets pulled by the steering arms. We're leaning towards either problems in the steering column itself, or bulkhead connections leaving cab, or possibly a issue with solenoid on the pick and carry valve that we found late friday.

We're deep into the weeds now.

 

[DMiller]

Cannon plug? cab mounts and grounds?

 

[Welder Dave]

Wednesday and Thursday the guys had time to do some more trouble shooting on the troublesome 90 ton.

Its back to the shop. New wheel sensors are in. All codes are gone now. But it still doesn't run correctly.

Amazingly. thursday they were able to get it to consistently loose throttle.

Crane has to be warm. Will drive and shift normally, until you are slowed or stopped, with the steering turned all the way to the left. Then the engine will not respond to the throttle inputs. No codes.

If he's at the stops to the left, and turns to center with the steering, throttle will come back. It will only remove throttle in drive and reverse. Shifting transmission to neutral will make engine respond to throttle inputs.

With the laptop on it, the throttle inputs stay at 100% coming from the pedal, while the engine just stays at a idle with rpm's when it does it.

Have no places where any wiring contacts or gets pulled by the steering arms. We're leaning towards either problems in the steering column itself, or bulkhead connections leaving cab, or possibly a issue with solenoid on the pick and carry valve that we found late friday.

We're deep into the weeds now.

In the wrong kind of way I'm glad I'm not the only one who has the strangest and weirdest issues at the wrong time. I'm real close to just giving up with everything. Everytime I seem to be gaining something else goes wrong.

Today was that way. An experienced operator was coming out to run the grader to help get better drainage. First my generator didn't seem to be coming off of choke. It has auto choke and has always worked great but not today. The grader was running perfect for about 1/2 an hour then the articulation quit working but only in 1 direction. We thought it could be the switch. Changed the switch which was a pain and it worked but only intermittently. Figure must be a bad ground somewhere. Got the grader straight after about an hour and left it there. 20 minutes later he drives back by the shop because now the clutch isn't working. I just spent about $1500 on a new master cylinder and rebuilt booster and it was working perfect. Walked to the other side and it looks like the slave cylinder blew the seals out. I want to bang my head against the wall. Why does it have happen when I finally get someone to help me?? I'm just sick of everything. Sorry for hijacking your thread.

 

[DMiller]

Sorry to hear Dave, have had a few weeks/months as that and get very dicy as to whether throw in towel or not. Been doing well since your health issues arrived, don’t let it beat you down.

 

[crane operator]

Cannon plug? cab mounts and grounds?

Yeah, we're down to grasping at straws now. I have a obvious coil issue on the pick and carry diverter valve. And that runs off the power steering pump. Doesn't make total sense to me, that that would be causing our issues, but who knows.

I was hoping for a obvious wire getting pinched, or pulled, but no such luck.

I think its going to be the ecm losing reference voltage for a sensor or something stupid like that. I just couldn't see bringing down a tech, until I could get repeatable problems. (linkbelt tech is 4-5 hours away in Kansas City). I think we are at that point now, that we can get it to malfunction consistently.

 

[Truck Shop]

In some cases-with late trucks under warranty depending on brand, rather than chase electrical
issues once narrowed to a certain area, dealers just replace harness rather than spend hours
chasing cause then repairing only to have it return several times. Anymore if harness is old enough
may as well replace rather than patch.
*
I knew those ABS sensors were issue.

 

[crane operator]

The 90 ton's issues were the coils on the pick and carry diverter valve. New coils in, and it has gone to a couple jobs with no issues.

We had a rough week here, cool weather came in, and all the equipment decided it wanted attention and a warm night in the shop.

4 sets of batteries, three alternators, two hydraulic hoses, two check engine lights, two quick release valves, one belt tensioner, one seized water pump, and a squeaky serpentine belt. (You can sing it to the tune of twelve days of christmas).

The 100 ton, all three counterweight flatbed trucks, all three 40 ton truck cranes, the broderson carry deck, the pete road tractor, one ford pickup, and my wife's honda, have been down at various points this week.

As of this exact moment, the only things still hard down- are the water pump on the old ford big cam, and the KW counterweight trucks is at a shop with wiring issues. And my wife's honda has a squeaking belt, but it's mobile.

I'm counting that as a win for the week.

 

[DMiller]

Sounds as MY typical luck!!

 

[John Griffin]

When it rains, it pours

Sorry about your luck. Hopefully itll change shortly

 

[colson04]

I thought that we had a rough couple months with trucks and equipment. Ours sounds paltry compared to that list. At least none of the our personal vehicles have had any issues this fall.