clutch adjustment

This week I learned how to adjust a clutch on a big rig.  I find this extremely handy to know how to do because any thing that has a manual transmission could have a manual adjusting clutch.  I also learned how to use a mag based drill and drilled a hole in a section of truck frame that was provided.
40hrs this week
340 hrs total

steering and suspension

This week I learned how to adjust the steering and suspension on a vehicle so that it drives down the road correctly and doesn't wear tires bad.  I have completed the given assignment on this and think it is an excellent way to make this adjustment.

40 hours this week

300 hours total

Abs and air line repairs

On the Freightliner the part that makes the clicking noise is the M21 abs modulator.  This part is now obsolete and was replaced by the M30 and that was replaced by the M32.  It works by sensing when the tire is going to skid the sylinoid closes the intake and opens the exaust preventing the tire from skidding.  It then reopens the intake and closes the exaust to reaply the brakes.  This system is designed so that even if the abs is not functioning correctly the brakes still work as normal the will just be able to lock up.  This is the url for the bendix site http://www.bendix.com/en/servicessupport/partnumbersearch/partnumbersearch_1.jsp
I also completed the two air line crimping repairs that you wanted us to do in class which are the first two pictures.

repairing damage

On this vehicle some damage happened that prevented the vehicle from starting.  When you would move turn the key the starter wouldn't engage and none of the electronics would turn on.  There was also no resistance when you turned the key.  I had an idea of what it might be so I pulled the dash apart and lo and behold the ignition was in about eight pieces.  (The picture is of the wiring harness that plugs into the ignition that controls the dash.  It was the only thing I could get a clear picture of with the lighting that I had.)  So I got a new ignition and installed it and everything but the fuel gauge worked.  I tracked the wire back from the gauge and found it to be broken and four others to have spots with insulation missing.  I repaired those and everything worked great.  I also learned in class what makes the clicking noises when you turn the key on on a big rig.  It is the abs system.  I will post more about it tomorrow when I turn the assignment in.
40 hours this week
260 hours total

brakes and bearings

This week I learned how to properly adjust wheel bearings.  I also practiced changing and adjusting brakes on the trucks in the shop.  I got my ten practice runs done for the assignment plus a couple extra.  

80 hours

220 hours total

wheel bearing adjustment

This is me testing the play in a wheel bearing with a dial indicator.  I got it to a half a thousanth of an inch of play.

coolant leak

This week I had to track down and fix a coolant leak in a F250.  The leak ended up being in the thermostat housing so I just pulled it apart and resealed it with gasket maker.  I also learned how to properly replace axle seals and bearings.
40 hours this week
150 hours total

adjusting air brakes

This week I learned how to adjust air brakes.  I also learned how to remove and reassemble the brake shoes.  I found that they are much simpler than automotive style drum brakes and are much easier to change at least for me.  I also completed my starting charging system test and count that as a valuable test to take with me into industry.
40 hours this week
110 hours total

battery starting charging test

This week I learned how to do the battery starting charging test.  I have completed three of them so far and plan to do at least seven more.  I have also completed the the air brakes pretest and got a 56%.  I am not surprised by this because I don't know a lot about air brakes and haven't worked with them much but I know by the end of the quarter I will be able to get an easy 100% on the test.
35 hours this week
70 hours total

learning crimping

This week I learned how to crimp battery cable ends and a couple different wire connectors.  I had never crimped a battery cable end before and I feel it was a very good thing for me to learn how to do.  I also learned how to diagnose and actually tracked down two parasitic draws that were in two of the school trucks.
35 hours this week
35 hours total

fixing a reel round 3

This week I got to fix a reel again.  On this occasion the person who pulled the gun cart out pulled it too far and ripped the hose off of the reels drum.  To fix this we removed the broken section of hose that was still attached to the drum and then attached a chain connecting the rest of the hose to the drum.  We then used the reel to suck the hose back in close to where it needed to go.  We then attached a come-along to the hose and drum to suck it the last little bit into place.  We then use a propane torch to heat up the end of the hose that was to attach to the reel so the plastic was a little less rigid and sucked it right up into place.
45 hours this week
335 hours total.

fixing a reel again

This week I fixed a flapper on a reel.  All of the seals and bearings had gone out on it to the extent that it would no longer function at all.  It went fairly smoothly except the seals that I had to insert didn't have a nice metal ring to tap on to seat them in place they were just hard rubber on the side that I had facing out.  So I hunted around the shop and came up with a narrow piece of flat bar that I tapped on with a hammer to seat the seals.

50 hours this week

290 hours total

timing chain

    

Over the last two weeks I have been doing a lot of attachment setup and oil changes but the I also got to do this.  On my bosses quad one of the guides that keep the timing chain on broke and allowed the timing chain to slip off. So I got to tear it apart and replace both of the guides and both the timing chain and oil pump drive chain.  We also had to make a special tool to remove and reattach the centripetal clutch.  

105 hours for the last two weeks

240 hours total

fixing a forklift

This week I did a bunch of work to our quite large Case forklift.  I replaced one of the side shift hydraulic hose, the rear seal in the transmission, and I also had to rebuild the entire park brake assembly.  One of the employees decided to drive around for a few hours with it on so it wore out the brake pads.  I also replaced the parking brake cable because the old one would stick sometimes.  I also learned that on a stationary piece of equipment like the Boxx's large air diesel air compressor there is a button you press that bypasses the oil pressure sensor to allow the motor to start.  I didn't know that and its a handy lesson for the future.

55 hours this week  gotta love farm hours:)
135 hours total

fixing a reel

This week I did some work to one of our irrigation reels.  When it would retract the hose in it would not coil it up right in order.  It would wander all over the place because the bushings in the guide (the vertical piece in the picture).  So I replaced the bushings and the roller in the guide and also replaced an idler sprocket on the retracting system that the bearing had gone out on.  I also learned a handy trick for removing stuck drain plugs.  All you have to do is tap them a few times with a hammer and about 95% of the time they will come out no problem.  It eliminates the need for a flex bar of cheater bar on your ratchet and lessens the risk of stripping the drain plug which is never good.
45 hours this week
80 hours total

Lessons learned

I'm sorry for the poor picture quality but it was getting dark and I was  working outside.  This week I replaced the water pump and did a full service on a John Deere 4720.  It went smoothly but I would recommend to you all that if you don't have a schematic of how the belt is routed on a motor take a picture or draw one before you take it off.  I learned this lesson take a picture or spend an hour trying to figure out how the belt is routed.  Jeff in case you didn't know I obtained and internship working on the equipment at Boxx Berry Farm.
35 hours this week
35 hours total

Final project post 2

I don't know why but this is not letting me do this how I want to so I hope you don't have trouble following this.  Any way the first picture is of me checking the coolant level.  It had plenty of coolant in fact I might have called it a little over full because the tank did not have much room for expansion.  The second picture is of me checking the belts.  If this were my truck I would replace them.  They were pretty worn and starting to crack.  The third picture is of the cable that keeps the hood from opening too far.  It still works but is fraying and if it breaks when someone opens it the hood could hit the bumper or ground and break or dent.  The fourth picture is of the gauge reading the amount of resistance in the air filter housing.  As you can see it says the filter is in good condition and does not need to be replaced.  The fifth picture is of the hydraulic pump on the bottom of the trany.  It shows signs of leaking and I think that needs to be investigated more lest the hydraulic system be contaminated and ruined.  The last picture is of the engine oil dip stick.  The oil was extremely black but was between the full and fill marks so it was fine on the amount of it.  

Again sorry this is just not working right for some reason.  This week I learned not only the location of these things I have taken pictures of but of many things else too including the 51 grease fittings that are on this particular truck.  I also learned why preventative maintenance is so important.  Its much better to do the little relatively quick and inexpensive things to keep the unit running good than to ignore them and put it off till something major goes.  Don's example of Lynden Ice was perfect of why you should do preventative maintenance.
120 hours over the last three weeks
358 hours total

Final project part 1

UNDERCARRIAGE (continued)		ELECTRONIC DIAGNOSTICS
ok	check operation and condition of moisture ejector	ok	If CEL on, use reader to retrieve codes
ok	Inspect slack adjusters. Maximum stroke: 1.5-2.0"
ok	Inspect pinion seals for leaks	RADIATOR
ok	Inspect axle gaskets for leaks	ok	Inspect for leaks, dirt, and debris
ok	Inspect carrier to housing gasket for leaks	ok	Inspect mounts and louvers for damage
ok	Inspect radius rods for wear, damage, and securement	ok	Inspect all skirts and panels for damage
ok	Inspect lateral rod for wear, damage, and securement	ok	Check surge tank, fill cap, and pressure cap
ok	Inspect shocks and bushings for wear and damage
ok	Inspect axle and pinion nuts for securement	TRANSMISSION
ok	Inspect axle housing mounts for cracks and damage	ok	Inspect case for leaks, damage, and securement
ok	Inspect suspension mounts for cracks and damage	ok	Inspect mounts for wear and damage
ok	Inspect propeller shaft for wear and damage	ok	Inspect lines for wear, leaks, and damage
ok	Check u-joints for lock wire and tightness	ok	Inspect transmission cooler for fluid leaks
ok	Inspect leveling valves for adjustment and leaks	ok	Inspet retarder housing for leaks and securement
			Hydraulic pump leaking
LUBRICATION		BIKE RACK AND BIKE RACK AD SIGN
na	Lube all pivot points on bike rack	na	Inspect rack for damage and function
na	Lube exit door pins	na	Inspect latch for operation and damage
na	Lube windshield wiper pivot joints	na	Inspect brush guard
na	Lube throttle pivots (RTS)	na	Check condition of paint
na	Lube upper rollers on entrance and exit doors	na	Check securement of ad sign on bike rack
na	Lube steering tie-rod ends (2 zerks)
na	Lube drag link ends (2 zerks)	VERICOM BRAKE TEST
na	Lube kingpins (4 zerks) (raise axle to relieve pressure)	na	Test #1:
na	Lube driveline u-joints (2 zerks)	na	Test #2:
na	Lube driveline slip spline (1 zerk)	na	Test #3:
na	Lube steering column u-joints (4 zerks)
na	Lube engine door pivots	MOTOR GUARD SYSTEM
na	Lube s-cam tubes (1 zerk per wheel position)	ok	Test coolant probe per manual
na	Lube slack adjusters (1 zerk per wheel position)	ok	Test 'Hot Engine' shutdown per manual
ok	Check oil level in differential. Change if contaminated	ok	Test fire alarm per manual
na	Drain engine oil	ok	Test 'Low Oil' shutdown per manual
na	Replace engine oil filters
na	Install and tighten engine oil drain plug	BATTERY LOAD TEST RESULTS (minimum 9.6 VDC)
na	Refill engine with 15/40 oil (40 wt on 2-cycle engines)	ok	Battery #1:          VDC
		ok	Battery #2:          VDC
ENGINE COMPARTMENT		ok	Battery #3:          VDC
ok	Inspect belts and automatic tensioners	ok	Battery #4:          VDC
ok	Inspect engine for leaks and abnormal noises
ok	Inspect hydraulic tank for proper level and leaks	WHEELCHAIR LIFT (except RTS)
ok	Inspect transmission fluid level.  Adjust as needed	na	Cycle lift and check for proper operation
ok	Test antifreeze strength	na	Test sensitive edges and mats
ok	Check coolant level in tank. Adjust as needed	na	Remove access panels and guards
ok	Inspect air induction system for leaks and securement	na	Inspect entire structure for cracks and damage
ok	Inspect air restriction indicator for flag or damage	na	Check for hydraulic leaks and chaffing hoses
ok	Inspect engine mounts for wear and securement	na	Inspect electrical components for chaffing/D37damage
ok	Inspect air compresor for air, oil, and coolant leaks	na	Inspect condition and adjustment of drive chains
ok	Inspect air lines for leaks, chaffing, and clamps	na	Apply lubrication to all pivots and chains
ok	Inspect charge air cooler for wear, damage, or leaks	na	Reinstall guards and pans
ok	Drain water from fuel/water seperator	na	Inspect hydraulic pump unit for leaks and connections
ok	Inspect hydraulic system for leaks	na	Check oil level in hydraulic unit. Adjust as needed
ok	Inspect electrical wiring for chaffing and clamps	na	Recycle lift to ensure proper operation
ok	Check operation of engine compartment lights
ok	Inspect gauges and switches in rear-run control box	VENTILATION SYSTEM
	Drain air box canister (2-cycle only)		Inspect ventilation filter. Replace as needed
	This is my inspection sheet. For the axles you use SAE 75W-90 or 75W-140 oil.  You change it every three years or 250,000 miles if the vehicle is used for line haul and 60,000 miles or 1 year for vocational use. For the transmition you use either 30 or 50 weight synthetic oil and you change it every 250,000 or 500,000 miles respectivly. For the motor oil you use  15W-40 Delo 400LE motor oil.  You do an oil change every 25,000 miles, 800 hours or six months. There are 51 grease points on this particular truck and you use a lithium based grease.  The service interval for the grease points are every 50 hours. https://cglapps.chevron.com/msdspds/MSDSDetailPage.aspx?docDataId=371589&docFormat=PDF  This link leads you to the MSDS sheet for 15W-40 Delo 400LE motor oil. I will post my pictures of me doing the inspection of the truck later tonight when I am at home in another blog post.