OT: What would Willy or AK Boomer do?

[Willy]

Willy, what is this pic of? I find it both incredibly detailed and also "disturbing"


???

European light duty truck engine, but typical of what's being bolted on somewhere, somehow on trucks and increasingly on off-highway equipment in North America as well.

Below a couple of photos of Volvo and Cummins emission packages, not only do these add complexity and huge costs they also require regular maintenance and periodic replacement. The wiring, plumbing, software and reliability also leave a lot to be desired due to the ever changing landscape regarding emissions regs.
Try reaching around one of those puppies on a hot day.

But hey, we gotta breath, right?

[A.K. Boomer]

[QUOTE=Willy;n1980749]

European light duty truck engine, but typical of what's being bolted on somewhere, somehow on trucks and increasingly on off-highway equipment in North America as well.

Below a couple of photos of Volvo and Cummins emission packages, not only do these add complexity and huge costs they also require regular maintenance and periodic replacement. The wiring, plumbing, software and reliability also leave a lot to be desired due to the ever changing landscape regarding emissions regs.
Try reaching around one of those puppies on a hot day.

But hey, we gotta breath, right?



That's totally nutz,,,It's getting out of control --- but then again --- so are we,,,

got a feeling it's all going to take care of itself real soon as good ole Ma nature always has the last word....


lol I look at that first pic and it just speaks "do not touch" bright colored wires, high silicon content, HOT ---- very HOT! lol

[Willy]

Not to worry, we're all going electric.
There'll be nothing to fix, the air will be clean, what a wonderful world.

[Black Forest]

Yep it IS rusty. I cut the bolt on clamp #1 (can't take off #2 yet, I still have to drive it a bit). Cut because it was so rusty I could pretty much find the nut on it......

The stub would not come out of the good pipe, so it got a shot of PBlaster to let it think about that overnight. (I'd have used the BFH, but there is not room)

Grumpy old bastard? Which one of us you talking about?😁 Dunno which of us is older, but we're probably about even on the grumpy (just ask my wife)..

You are not even close on the grumpy part. Of that I am 100% sure. (just ask anyone) I was referring to myself. I am 70yr.

[Black Forest]

As most old heavy equipment operators will attest to, failing to clean the tracks on a dozer before quitting for the evening in freezing weather, will get you in big trouble, maybe even in a fist fight.

Sarge41

Yes I went to the mirror and punched myself in the face. I have no valid excuse. I do know better. My only excuse is that I wear many hats during the course of a day. If in fact it was mission critical I am sure I would have remembered but the only thing that is mission critical in my life now is that my wife and daughter are happy! That I never forget because they remind me if I start to slip.

[nickel-city-fab]

Here's the kind of thing I generally deal with:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/23339574273...RoClgcQAvD_BwE

Cummins.
Its installed in one of these:
https://www.google.com/search?source...&bih=654&dpr=1

Greasing them is fun too. You'll never feel so dirty again.
Outside the shop it's either Terex with Deutz engines:
https://www.terex.com/fuchs/en/produ...l-handlers/360

or Liebherr with MAN engines:
https://www.liebherr.com/en/usa/prod...ils/68321.html

With the occasional Komatsu thrown in. I've noticed the engineering details on all of them -- they took care to make sure they are easy to service, especially the cranes. The trucks are a bit more cramped, but still manageable. The overall designs are far more "modular" than the ordinary non-commercial equipment. I can recommend these brands. The only drawback is that they are not very cheap.

[JRouche]

Maybe get a tent for you all? Have a lil sleep over?? Dunno,JR

[flathead4]

Not to worry, we're all going electric.
There'll be nothing to fix, the air will be clean, what a wonderful world.

It's happening faster than you think. Not the wonderful world part but enough people want electric vehicles and manufacturers are responding. Not saying it is a great or practical vehicle for everyone but there is a waiting list for the Ford F150 Lightening and reports that people are trying to buy them just resell at a huge markup. It used to be a rare sight to see a Tesla but now I see one almost every time I go out. The grocery store near me has a charging station for customers. Sure there is not enough infrastructure for everyone to drive electric. There wasn't enough for gas vehicles in the beginning.
I'm not saying everyone should be forced into electric vehicles. Last month I bought a Ford F150 with a 5.0l V8 for towing which is the best fit for my need. Just saying that market demand is putting more electric vehicles on the road every day.

[Black Forest]

Maybe get a tent for you all? Have a lil sleep over?? Dunno,JR

You all can come to my place. We have a big tent set up. 15m x20m with a 6.5m high peak. Of course you could also stay in my home. We have 12 guest bedrooms!

[Henro]

Couldn’t help but think Willy or A K Boomer might first have jump started the excavator, since if an older model diesel it would run without electrical power supplied to it. And then would have driven it to a more comfortable place to work on it.

‘BUT I am sure BF has a newer model that likely needs electrical power to operate the injectors, which are controlled by electronics. In that case I bet Willy or AK would have removed the battery and charged it, put it back in, and then the drove to a better spot….

Just speculation of course…

[Willy]

It's happening faster than you think. Not the wonderful world part but enough people want electric vehicles and manufacturers are responding. Not saying it is a great or practical vehicle for everyone but there is a waiting list for the Ford F150 Lightening and reports that people are trying to buy them just resell at a huge markup. It used to be a rare sight to see a Tesla but now I see one almost every time I go out. The grocery store near me has a charging station for customers. Sure there is not enough infrastructure for everyone to drive electric. There wasn't enough for gas vehicles in the beginning.
I'm not saying everyone should be forced into electric vehicles. Last month I bought a Ford F150 with a 5.0l V8 for towing which is the best fit for my need. Just saying that market demand is putting more electric vehicles on the road every day.

Yes totally agree, electric vehicles are coming on strong. Lots of charging stations sprouting up even locally. Many state and federal mandates everywhere mandating the end of passenger vehicles powered by internal combustion engines in the very near future.
The commercial truck industry has all the major players also onboard as are the providers of conventional diesel and gas powerplants also seeing the inevitable swing toward electrification. The off-highway construction equipment manufactures are also coming out with electric models already in order to test the waters.

As much as I'm enamored with gasoline and diesel engines as they have served me well, (always nice to dance with the devil you know ), I kind of like the the concept of electric vehicular propulsion and would actually love to have one. As a second car at this point at least until my confidence level rises.

The elephant in the room is of course as you mentioned, infrastructure to support the huge energy demand that we will be placing on the grid over the next twenty years and beyond.

Just think, with an electric excavator Black Forest wouldn't be whining about freezing his pinkies off while adjusting his fan belt, then he'd have no excuse for not cleaning the mud out from his undercarriage like he should have done in the first place. What's the point of adjusting a belt on a piece of equipment that's not going anywhere?

[Black Forest]

Couldn’t help but think Willy or A K Boomer might first have jump started the excavator, since if an older model diesel it would run without electrical power supplied to it. And then would have driven it to a more comfortable place to work on it.

‘BUT I am sure BF has a newer model that likely needs electrical power to operate the injectors, which are controlled by electronics. In that case I bet Willy or AK would have removed the battery and charged it, put it back in, and then the drove to a better spot….

Just speculation of course…

Not so fast there Henro! No one was going to move this excavator anywhere. I forgot to clean the tracks when I parked it the night before. There was mud in the tracks and that baby ain't going anywhere until 1. I build a fire next to it. 2. It warms up enough to melt the frozen mud. Also the engine would run fine. I didn't want to move it even if I could because then the engine would be hot and there was no way to get to what I needed to get to with the engine hot. Maybe I am just a wuss!

[nickel-city-fab]

This is the first time I have ever heard of a tracked vehicle being disable by frozen mud. I don't think the operators at work ever clean the tracks out, full stop. Whenever they come in the shop, we fill up a bobcat bucket with dirt after it thaws. But the machines drive themselves everywhere unless the engine is blown. Frozen or not, the mud doesn't slow them.

[Willy]

This is the first time I have ever heard of a tracked vehicle being disable by frozen mud. I don't think the operators at work ever clean the tracks out, full stop. Whenever they come in the shop, we fill up a bobcat bucket with dirt after it thaws. But the machines drive themselves everywhere unless the engine is blown. Frozen or not, the mud doesn't slow them.

You may not freeze the machine in it's tracks every time (pun intended) but you are seriously shortening the life of the undercarriage. Probably the single biggest cost of operating a tracked machine is the life of the undercarriage.
It is the cardinal sin of tracked equipment operators and is grounds for dismissal if repeatedly caught doing so anywhere I've ever been.
I'll bet those operators don't own the machines they're using or aren't supervised by anybody that cares or knows any better. Certainly not the guy paying the bills, if he knew.

[Henro]

Not so fast there Henro! No one was going to move this excavator anywhere. I forgot to clean the tracks when I parked it the night before. There was mud in the tracks and that baby ain't going anywhere until 1. I build a fire next to it. 2. It warms up enough to melt the frozen mud. Also the engine would run fine. I didn't want to move it even if I could because then the engine would be hot and there was no way to get to what I needed to get to with the engine hot. Maybe I am just a wuss!

OK, point well taken. BUT you did not mention the frozen tracks until after you reported your success at fixing the problem.

Hope you get the tracks unfrozen and the excavator back it service soon. I take it it is a newer one that needs battery power to operate?