Just another day in paradise

[Truck Shop]

When those engines don't start which is very seldom, it's never engine related. Always starter circuit related.
A big chunk to us is a frozen load that went hot. $50 to $70.000 worth. Only two in 19 years, that's why we
run Carrier units. Plus all have live data with gps trackers, so we get a alarm list on the first fail to start.

 

[Birken Vogt]

If only they could just make truck engines that work like that.

 

[JLarson]

I've replaced a few overheated botas. The little ones don't take kindly to overheat. Nice thing is you can always find a motor to scavenge, skids, light towers, zero turns lol

 

[joe--h]

That Kubota engine has 6600 hours with never an oil change and looks like that inside? Looks brand new from here.
Joe H

 

[Mike L]

It’s spring break up here or as we refer to it- mud season. This is the year of the skidder for me. First pic is the front axle out of a CAT 525D. It’s been banging for a while. So long that it started breaking off fittings for the axle lock. Ended up replacing the whole center section. The next pic is putting a rear axle back in a 525C. I put a wheel seal in the front and the rear of this skidder. Also put new bushings in the front axle oscillation.We sent the boom out for line boring and I also need to split it to replace the center pins. Once this one is gone another 525C is coming in with a front axle also breaking fittings off. Not much in the way of preventative maintenance here.

 

[Mike L]

Just a bunch of little stuff on this log yard crane. Weather is getting nice but the mud was still ankle deep.

 

[DMiller]

How can you stand yourself making all that income off no maintenance dopes like that!!!!

Actually pretty ugly failures.

 

[DMiller]

Double hit

 

[crane operator]

That shop fix looks much nicer than that yard fix.

Are all log yards required to be mudholes? Or is it just the ones that I've been to?

 

[DMiller]

Any I have ever visited were stinky mud holes(rotting bark and organics).

 

[John C.]

Log yards are like stock yards. All that stink is the smell of money!

 

[Mike L]

That shop fix looks much nicer than that yard fix.

Are all log yards required to be mudholes? Or is it just the ones that I've been to?

Log yards have two conditions. Slop hole or dust bowl. Nothing in between

 

[Mike L]

Log yards are like stock yards. All that stink is the smell of money!

I take care of 3 log yards. I was in one the other day where I had to lock in the rear end and almost didn’t make it in. The Volvo loader was dragging the counterweights in places but they all pay good and quickly!

 

[joe--h]

$10 for a 2x4 at HD & Lowes, they can afford it.
Joe H

 

[John C.]

The mill yards are also like the stock yards in that the biggest share of profits made from the process are taken at the back end. Middle men and retailers probably get more money out than the logger and mill.

 

[Mike L]

So I got a chance to get back and look at the kubota engine out of the forklift. I capped off the upper and lower coolant hose ports and put shop air into the heater hose port. Immediately I heard air leaking. I thought it was coming up around the pushrods but on close inspection I found a pin hole in the frost plug. Back when I originally removed the head, we sent it to a machine shop to be checked for cracks. How exactly do they check? It seems like they should have found this?

 

[DMiller]

Likely inspected Dry, Magnaflux and then Okie Dokie sent back.

 

[Mike L]

Likely inspected Dry, Magnaflux and then Okie Dokie sent back.

He told me on the phone that he had pressure checked it with no leaks and I should look elsewhere for my problem. Did he just half ass it or could he have pressure checked it some other way?

 

[Birken Vogt]

The way I was told they pressure check things like this is to get some complicated rig that plugs off all the deck holes and other holes with rubber faced metal plates clamped down. Then pressure with air, and soap check. So if they were soap checking the deck face and looking for the usual cracking areas, they may have missed a freeze plug. That's what I hope anyway.

 

[Mike L]

I have used this machine shop a fair amount and have never had trouble. I can see how it would be easy to miss. Even I have made a mistake a time or two. But don’t tell anyone!