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This will be an interesting thread moving forward......

DMiller

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2010
Messages
16,434
Location
Hermann, Missouri
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Cheap "old" Geezer
Was considering similar but more to the HNC or TNG that I would be requiring be sent DOWN The Road!! More in the way than useful. I tried to aid the wrench benders at the shop I am currently working out of, they are not very receptive so stopped. Tell them what is happening and walk away, Their Circus Their Monkeys.

Still think back to the Quarry Days working 16+ hours a day routinely until burnt out, would not wish to try that again either.
 

Nige

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2011
Messages
28,984
Location
G..G..G..Granville.........!! Fetch your cloth.
I tried to aid the wrench benders at the shop I am currently working out of, they are not very receptive so stopped. Tell them what is happening and walk away, Their Circus Their Monkeys.
As a former work colleague of mine used to comment - "marching or fighting, I get paid the same."
 

aighead

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 25, 2019
Messages
2,541
Location
Dayton, OH
Vetech, it sounds like you have some time, after all, to work on my backhoe! I'll even feed you a second Thanksgiving meal when you arrive on Friday! Didn't you mention wanting to park your camper in my yard for a few days, once? Now's your chance!

Your adventures here are fun to read and can be informative to a know-nothing like me. Thanks for sharing!
 

Vetech63

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Joined
Aug 10, 2016
Messages
6,362
Location
Oklahoma
You guys crack me up. This thread reminds me of some I have enjoyed in the past.........its like watching and waiting for the trains to collide. LOL I hope I can still move fast enough to get the hell out of the way. You guys haven't clued me in yet on how to repair heavy equipment without getting dirty.........Am I going to have to ask TNH??

Vetech, it sounds like you have some time, after all, to work on my backhoe! I'll even feed you a second Thanksgiving meal when you arrive on Friday! Didn't you mention wanting to park your camper in my yard for a few days, once? Now's your chance!


I wish my friend. I'll be there in spirit though! :p
 

kshansen

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Joined
Mar 11, 2012
Messages
11,129
Location
Central New York, USA
Occupation
Retired Mechanic in Stone Quarry
Vetech, it sounds like you have some time, after all, to work on my backhoe! I'll even feed you a second Thanksgiving meal when you arrive on Friday! Didn't you mention wanting to park your camper in my yard for a few days, once? Now's your chance!

I need a new belt installed in my snow blower so when you get done with aighead in Ohio you could swing by here in central NY. I have a pretty good used belt sitting here!:rolleyes:
 

Tinkerer

Senior Member
Joined
May 21, 2009
Messages
9,342
Location
The shore of the illinois river USA
......its like watching and waiting for the trains to collide. LOL I hope I can still move fast enough to get the hell out of the way.

OMGosh Vetech !!!
That is hilarious !
This is absolutely the most entertaining thread about a working mans life I have ever read.
You should consider writing a book !
 

JD955SC

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 13, 2011
Messages
1,349
Location
The South
You guys crack me up. This thread reminds me of some I have enjoyed in the past.........its like watching and waiting for the trains to collide. LOL I hope I can still move fast enough to get the hell out of the way. You guys haven't clued me in yet on how to repair heavy equipment without getting dirty.........Am I going to have to ask TNH??

I had a foreman who would allegedly fix stuff without getting dirty. I saw him standing in front of his $20,000 toolbox far more often than ever in the belly of a machine though
 

Vetech63

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2016
Messages
6,362
Location
Oklahoma
Was an interesting day. Since we have a big chance of rain here tonight, I decided right off the bat this morning to get the upper hood back on the 700 so my new air filters weren't exposed. I HE-man lift it to the track (my back right now says that wasn't a good idea) when I notice............
CRAP2 AIR.jpg
This is what happens when your lazy or a complete dumbass. The precleaner BOLTS to the hood so you can remove the hood without damaging the filter housing inlet. The hood front slides under the hardnose sheet metal on top and then bolts down to the hardnose. Instead of doing it the proper way, they took the bolts out then pried the hood backwards, cocking the filter housing and causing this damage. :rolleyes: I got this corrected and back like it's supposed to be.
 

Vetech63

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2016
Messages
6,362
Location
Oklahoma
While doing the install of the hood, I start to notice a few of my pet peeves............
CRAP1.jpg CRAP3.jpg CRAP4.jpg CRAP5.jpg
In pic 1, you can see a tab clamp that wasn't reattached to the EGR cooler. In pic 2 is another view (that silver headed bolt I had already installed before I remembered to take a pic for your viewing pleasure) ......believe it or not the Deere field mechanic that changed out the EGR cooler left these 2 bolts out. NOT TO FEAR.......I took care of it.;)
In pic 3, you can see another tab clamp............and a missing nut on a manifold inlet stud. Again.......took care of it.:D Pic 4 is yet another (yeah, the silver bolt I had already installed) bracket left hanging. The hose clamp in the foreground was off the rubber and lying there around the tube..........yet freaking again..........took care of it.

Now...I KNOW I am OCD, always have been when it comes to this stuff, and this stuff is very common with unskilled mechanics.........but am I wrong to expect more from a dealer's field service tech!? o_O Maybe I just expect too much.:(
 

Vetech63

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Joined
Aug 10, 2016
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6,362
Location
Oklahoma
No pics of the 700K today but I did get the fan speed test run. The specs were engine high idle, hydraulic oil between 140F - 160F and fan speed of 2000 rpm minimum. I stalled the ripper off and on for 20 minutes to get the hydraulic oil warmed to 163F then high idled the engine, jumped out with the rpm counter...crap 1549 rpm.:rolleyes: I have a new pump that will be here Monday. I personally always replace the motor and the pump at the same time.........I just thought I might get lucky enough that the pump would be good. I should have known it would turn out like when I go to the local casino and drop $100 in a slot machine........the thrill of pulling the lever is great, only to find out in a short time you lost your $100 and your drink is empty:eek:. Dont worry, I'm on top of it!;)
 

Vetech63

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Aug 10, 2016
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6,362
Location
Oklahoma
SO, since I didnt have a pump for the 700K. I'm standing there by it looking around....then I lock in on the Cat 299D that needs the rubber tracks replaced. It 12:30 pm and I feel like it's too early to call it a day yet. So I pull the truck over by it just to take a glance. TNH is gone yet again........and HNC told me Monday he will be gone until next Monday. So here it sits........with yet again nothing happening.
299D1-1.jpg
You can see the steel cords sticking out of the top of the track....its ripped halfway through. Of course, the dam covers for the track adjust are missing on both sides....color me shocked by this :rolleyes:o_O Lets leave them off and fill them with gravel.......that should be good for it right?:( This was supposed to be done Monday.........yet here it sits all lonely and depressed.;)
 

treemuncher

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Dec 31, 2006
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733
Location
West TN
Occupation
eatin' trees, poopin' chips
Now...I KNOW I am OCD, always have been when it comes to this stuff, and this stuff is very common with unskilled mechanics.........but am I wrong to expect more from a dealer's field service tech!? o_O Maybe I just expect too much.:(

ALL good mechanics are OCD with mechanical items. YOU notice the small stuff that lesser men don't care about. Quality work means doing it right, even if you have to modify factory stuff to fix what they did not think about when they designed it. A man in the trenches will always know more ways to kill that a king in the castle.
 

Vetech63

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Aug 10, 2016
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6,362
Location
Oklahoma
I start to feel angry LOL yeah like this :mad:) so I, all of a sudden, have this overwhelming sensation of needing a personal challenge. Who else is going to do this? Wait ..I have an answer! NO ONE EXCEPT ME!!!!! (YEEAHHH!!!) 1 hour and 10 minutes later...........
299D1.jpg
299D2.jpg
299D3.jpg
I was telling the wife about my day when I got home. She said that I am severely OCD or psycho..... LMAO!:p:D I believe she is leaning towards the latter.;) TNH shows up while I am using my HAND lever grease gun to get the tracks adjusted and guess what???? He parks across the parking lot for 15 minutes and watches. :eek: Whatever he has been doing for 3 days is obviously in the cleanest environment on the planet. Even the General Superintendent doesn't know where he has been . :confused:

This is why, if your self-employed especially, you HAVE to have a minimum charge. If I did this by the hour I'de have done this back breaking job for $100.00 Yeah.......NOT HAPPENING!

I stopped on the way home and picked up some Captain Morgans 100 (the biggest they had in the place) for my egg nogs this evening. It may not cure my back pains but I'll be dam happy in a bit!!!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! And special thanks to those of you on the forum that can assist with tech info and experience. You are a very valuable asset that allows me to do what I do! (I'd add a kissy face emote here but I don't want you guys to get the wrong impression!) LOL!
 

suladas

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Joined
Jun 30, 2016
Messages
1,731
Location
Canada
Hey my CTL is about ready for some new tracks, got an hour to spare? :D I know I can't do it that fast, especially with a hand grease gun, my hand can't do that much pumping :eek:

I would blow a gasket if a dealer mechanic left out bolts like that. Now if i'm doing the repair, sometimes i'm in a hurry or lose a bolt and will do that even though I try to always do it the proper way the first time. My mini ex may or may not have the track adjuster covers removed for the past while :oops:
 

ianjoub

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Joined
Jun 22, 2018
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Location
Homosassa, FL USA
I (YEEAHHH!!!) 1 hour and 10 minutes later...........

I stopped on the way home and picked up some Captain Morgans 100 (the biggest they had in the place) for my egg nogs this evening. It may not cure my back pains but I'll be dam happy in a bit!!!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
Wow, took me and a helper about 4 hours to do tracks on a CAT287B (ASV undercarriage) and it sucked!

Captain Morgan Black is 100 proof. It is smoooooooth like the other one isn't. It is Black, like as in oak barrel charred, but darn it is so much better. I drink it regularly in crushed ice, but thought of it because I made some hot buttered rum with it for Thanksgiving today [(dry) run].

Happy Thanksgiving!
 

sfrs4

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Jul 22, 2013
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683
Location
Great Britian
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parts admin
We have two fitters here, one just gets the job done and works till they're right, the other has a book of excuses an inch thick, spends more time on the phone than the machine, every job is a two man job, that way he then has someone else to blame for the problems, he says and I quote " we never get repeat work from customers because the parts guys are charging to much for the parts" ..... not that the office has to try to loose hrs and hrs on the job that should be a relative simple bread and butter job.
All this and the boss knows what he's like but won't do anything about it.
Worse still is the good fitter has had enough of doing all the work and getting the same pay and taking blame for the others mistake, so in his words " if he's on the phone i'm not working" and I really don't blame him.
 
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