New O/O with some basic PM questions

I agree with everyone above...make yourself a check list...make some copies...and keep up with what you do, when you do it, and parts/procedures as you go.

We service all our own trucks and a few tips that we do.

*Check DCA and coolant condition at every service.

*When you have the plugs out of the rear ends and tranny take a clean extendable magnet and run up into them and see if you get any shavings or filings.

*Do not depend on self adjusting slack adjusters. Set brakes at all your wet or dry sevices. Keeps DOT from finding one that you thought was supposed to be self adjusting. If a truck or trailer comes in the shop...for whatever reason we set the brakes. Its cheap insurance...doesn't take long...keeps you out of trouble.

*Like Rollin Coal said...always fill your oil filter...CAT says put it on dry...I and many others will disagree...you can watch your oil psi on a dry start...with a dry filter it takes a little longer to get oil psi up. Not to mention blowing fluid at 60-80 psi through a dry element.

*If possible jack up front end when you grease. This allows the lube to go into joint without pressure on it so you get grease all around joint...and not just a trail through the easy to flow side.

*Like Shaggy said...look and look again. Pull on belts...grab driveline and rock it around...check for slack. Look at all your air lines...is there a spot that is clean or damp??...could be air leak. If it can happen it will happen on a truck. Take your time and use a good light.

*You shouldn't have to change your hub oil as often as your engine oil...be sure to check hub end seals for leaks. Get a flashlight and look off into the drum. Sometimes they can be sneaky and before you know it you have a nice coating of greasey nasty in the drum that eats up you brake linings and gets you a ticket.

*Use an extension on a blow hard and blow the debries out of your radiator/condenser/air to air cooler. This will get really dirty before you know it.

*Watch your tire wear...if they begin to cup rotate them...will save you money down the road...this is mainly for the drives...you don't have to crisscross in my opinion...but if cupping you have to change the direction of the tires rotation to even them out.

*If you can afford it fill your filters with Lucas fuel treatment prior to start...or 50/50 with clean diesel...will give your injectors a nice little cleaning.

*We run Mystic oil with 1 gallon of lucas oil additive at 15,000 mile intervals. Over the road could probably run 20 or 25,000 but you'll need to get in half way between and do a dry service...(grease and set brakes) in my opinion.

*Also just like Shaggy was saying...keeping an eye on everything...also turn, push, pull, flip every switch, accessory, light, etc...on the truck. Check for proper function so you are finding out that the little switch you do not use but every now and then doesn't work when you are 2000 miles from home.

Just a few things we do. Like everyone else said good luck and keep the forum close...its a lifesaver!!

 

Yeah, jacking up the front axle for greasing kingpins is a little extra work but well worth the effort and will make them last much longer.. Volvo actually recommends to raise the front axle off the ground greasing them but it's a good practice on any truck.

 

Yeah we don't have any Volvos...KW, Int, FL, WS....most with loaders. Just started doing that recently though. Its amazing the difference in how the grease flows through the kingpin with it jacked up. Also a good time to check for slack front end...make a note when you see a little and where it is so you can keep an eye on it.

 

don't see anyone mentioning to make sure the pins on the slack adjusters are free moving and not frozen in place. We made it a point of touching the pins on our snowplows every day.

They don't move, they won't allow it to adjust.

 

We don't touch them everyday...we just treat them as being not self adjusting. We just do not trust them so we keep a close eye on them.

Although we do not deal with snowplows....what little winter weather we get in South Arkansas is normally a mess...couldn't imagine having to pull snow covered undercarriages in the shop everyday and crawling around under them for the long winters you guys have...my hat is off to you sir!

 

Write the date, miles and hours on the filter so you can read them when you get them installed. Just a quick way to check without pulling out the records all the time.

Have you looked into an oil analysis program at all? We used it in the Army and it was pretty cool how it can tell you when and what is failing. We were able to catch turbo's going out before they actually did.

 

I cant do mine in my shop for what i pay the local shop. their is no mess i stay clean and mostly they no more than i do . MY time is valuable to me when im not driving. Should be a good truck all i ever see is nice equipment from the ashley fleet.