Just some work pics

[crane operator]

We did get the parking brake moved on the galion, and its way better for access, but its got a new problem.

If you rev it up and cable down (spiking the pressure), it pukes atf on your feet out the control lever for the left rear outrigger. I think a new seal on the valve is in order. I guess that they are just a square cut o-ring type seal.

 

[crane operator]

Been rainy and icy/ sleeting here the last couple days. Had a little shop time, so got the fenders painted up, deck is cleaned and primed.

Got the hard lines welded into the new / old hyd tank. I capped off the lines and did a little hydro test, no leaks. Three pipes on the drivers side, one on the passenger. I think I'm going to put little wedge braces on the pipes so they don't vibration crack.

I was going to put the old bolt on access cover in the center of the tank, but when I cut the top off, there are three baffles in the tank, so there's nothing you could really see by removing the lid. The intake filters on each side are behind the baffles, so I could mount the bolt on cap, but there's nothing to access under it. I think I'm just welding the top shut, that also eliminates a water intrusion place (the bolt on lid).


I don't know what the old tank came off of, but I know the Hyd pump it was feeding had to be junk, the tank was full of nasty gritty junk. Me and the mechanic have both been to the car wash, and its had 2 diesel baths. I think I have it clean enough to use now, but if they were running that stuff through their pump, it couldn't have been making much pressure anymore.

Tomorrow is supposed to be more rain, so I'm going to try to get the sight glass, filter base, and the top caps made and welded in. Fill pipe and breather mount in the top caps. Then I can mount the tank to the truck frame, and get the exhaust remounted. I think we're going to just straight pipe the exhaust, with the muffler its hard to get in the passenger door, it doesn't open very far because of the air cleaner. That mack isn't very loud.

 

[Tradesman]

I'm giddy as a little school girl waiting to see you working that rig

 

[kshansen]

I don't know what the old tank came off of, but I know the Hyd pump it was feeding had to be junk, the tank was full of nasty gritty junk. Me and the mechanic have both been to the car wash, and its had 2 diesel baths. I think I have it clean enough to use now, but if they were running that stuff through their pump, it couldn't have been making much pressure anymore

That "grit" is just break-in compound that they put in to help lap in the pump parts for a nice free fit! Gives the oil more room so pump works better!

 

[thepumpguysc]

HAHAHA.. Hansen your so full of sh*t, your eyes are brown.. LOL LOL..
I need that today.. the wifes been on vaca & been drivin me nuts for 5 days in a row.!!!

 

[kshansen]

HAHAHA.. Hansen your so full of sh*t, your eyes are brown.. LOL LOL..
I need that today.. the wifes been on vaca & been drivin me nuts for 5 days in a row.!!!

Have you found a picture of me on the interweb? I was on a growing spurt when I was younger but topped out just short of 6 feet. Seems you can only pile sh*t so high before it falls over!

 

[crane operator]

That "grit" is just break-in compound that they put in to help lap in the pump parts for a nice free fit! Gives the oil more room so pump works better!

I don't know what it was. It was grey like steel wear on the rag, but had the consistency of sand. It had a rinky dink "breather" on the top, and if it was a quarry or blower truck, it may have been fine dust/cement. That or they were driving with and without hoses hooked up/ swapping trailers in a high sand/dirt/ dust environment and it was contamination from the hose connections/couplers. I guess I could have tried a magnet on it on a rag and then I would have known if it was metal or dirt. Whatever it was it had to be destroying the pump. There was like a 1/4" layer of that stuff in the bottom of the tank.

 

[crane operator]

Unloaded a couple more "carnival" trailers today. These had a custom dolly under the front with a bearing instead of a 5th wheel in the front. They just loaded them on a commercial hauler and shipped them out, rather than trying to make a hitch and rely on the old tires/brakes.

The one trucker about lost his. We started unloading the first one, and he pulled all his chains off but two while we were unloading the other truck. When he backed up to unload, his chains that he left on, were all pulling the same direction, and it rolled 3' on the trailer before stopping, the brakes are all backed off. Its a wonder that it didn't go all the way off the trailer.

They were heavier than they looked, the two yellow forklifts on the front (6k gehl's) both stalled out on the second one (I think they have a hyd. pressure relief). We got it picked up about 1" above the trailer and they stopped. As I was letting my side down, the automatic leveler wouldn't keep the forks level. Afterwards the driver told me they loaded the "heavy" trailer first, then shoved a bunch more stuff in the trailer before shipping it. Of course he didn't tell me that until after we had it off his truck.

The yellow truck had one of those low front bumpers, but he had it on a switch to raise it, it pivoted up. I imagine on a air cylinder or something. He informed me it was also 1,000 hp truck. Maybe it was, but I don't see how anything would hold up over the road at 1,000hp. Had those pretty front stud chrome caps that stick out 6" also on the steer axle.

 

[crane operator]

Unloaded another ride this afternoon, this one has some assembly required.

Also got to get out the 25, and went and set a video led board.

 

[crane operator]

Lake was like a bathtub this morning also, just getting ready to rain, its been raining all afternoon and evening, they're talking some small stream flooding.

The dam is about a mile or so from my shop, we drive across all the time when we go south of town, sometimes I forget how pretty it is when I'm in a hurry.

 

[Hank R]

Great pictures and story to go with it. You have the most interesting job in the world.

 

[rodcap]

If you rev it up and cable down (spiking the pressure), it pukes atf on your feet out the control lever for the left rear outrigger. I think a new seal on the valve is in order. I guess that they are just a square cut o-ring type seal.

There is no O-ring in the valve spool itself. The boot fills with oil as that section is being used. The oil then drains back through a hole in the spool section when in the neutral position. When oil leaks from the boot, it is either cracked, or has a hole in it. Replacing the boot will the leak.

 

[rodcap]

Crane Operator, nice pics.

I noticed the Galion 150FA came from the NES yard(regular rentals, Ph. number on boom) in Geismar, La..
I worked for the NES Crane Division for 14 years, and retired 2 weeks before the United Rentals buy-out last March(2017). The Crane Division is base out of Nederland, TX. They handle duties at the ExxonMobil facilities in Baytown, Tx., Beaumont, Tx., Baton Rouge, La., and Chalmette, La.

 

[crane operator]

There is no O-ring in the valve spool itself. The boot fills with oil as that section is being used. The oil then drains back through a hole in the spool section when in the neutral position. When oil leaks from the boot, it is either cracked, or has a hole in it. Replacing the boot will the leak.

The control valve that leaks, doesn't leak when you are using that function, it leaks when your using other functions. There has to be some kind of seal that is keeping the pressure or return flow from the boot area on that section? I could see the boot holding some seepage, but this is flow. There's no way those little boots with the spring clamps are going to hold the amount of oil I'm seeing.

The valve that is leaking is leaking from the boot area, but it isn't leaking when running that function. The valve that is leaking is for the left rear outrigger, and it leaks the worst when rpms are up and cabling down. Its worse with multiple functions. I'm guessing its spiking the pressure to overcome the winch brake, and that spool's seal is bad.

I hope it isn't coming from between sections on the valve stack. Its wet on the boot, but I haven't actually stuck my flashlight under there and looked. I'm just trying to get done with that job with it before I tear into it.

But I'll be honest, I've never torn one apart, and it sounds like you have, so I'm going to be flying blind until I get it back to the shop. Thanks for the heads up though. I still haven't finished the deck job its on. Everytime I go out there it rains. Supposed to go finish next week.

As far as the galion, I bought it from ritchie bros. Aside from the spring reel for the boom hoses being broken, it seems like a good little rig. . Those spring reels are spendy though. Its got some rust on the door bottoms, but it looks like they all rust there, the rest of it seems pretty solid. It has all new push pull control cables , and someones been into the swing brake. I had to free up the winch brake, and I'm not really impressed with how the winch brake was designed, but it seems to work like its supposed to now. Jib is a pain to install, I can see why most of them get taken off.

 

[crane operator]

Great pictures and story to go with it. You have the most interesting job in the world.

Let me tell you hank, there's days when there is a lot of head scratching going on, but somehow we always manage to get something done.

They finally got the slab poured for the fire suppression pump building, so I went and got it set early this week. They're going to site build a water tank beside it, above ground. 20' diameter, and I don't know how tall.

Also been piddling around with the hyd. tank, I got it kind of welded up early this week, we've got it in and mounted now, rerouting the hoses. That's also the closest thing to a office desk that I like to work at.

 

[crane operator]

Got some units set earlier this week with the 35 too. These guys had me set the old unit on their trailer, and three of their guys dove into it as soon as it hit the trailer, pulling it apart for the scrap coil. We were just across the fence from the scrapyard, and I think they were after lunch money!

It was either put in dead stick, or move crane, I went with dead stick, but I really think I could have moved the crane in about the same time. And I might have actually reached it on main, I just hate trying to reach it and be short, and then messing with it, so I just put the dead stick out from the get go, and then I knew I had it.

 

[crane operator]

Finally got back to the sewer box today. With all the rain we haven't had much luck, but today was nice. There's no way I could have got in and out of this spot with a truck crane, so the RT earned its keep for a while again.

 

[crane operator]

 

[crane operator]

Before we did the sewer box, I ran out with the 25 ton, and moved this jobsite shed for a contractor. I think it was 10' x 20' or so. I always worry with old shed that they will hold together, the spreader bar really helps.

We decided the weatherhead on the electric would "probably" clear all the lines, and we stayed on the property (no public roads), and just drove slow. I just had them carry the spreader bar all rigged up on the forklift, because I'm lazy like that sometimes.

 

[crane operator]

They had us set it in a mudhole that they just scratched the grass all off. Water was setting on top of the clay. I touched one end down of the shed and set the door end on the forklift. That way I could pull my straps out rather than mashing them down in the mud and spending half of tomorrow washing them. Because- well, like I said- I'm lazy like that.