Posted by NCWayne on September 13, 2008 at 00:18:26 from (166.82.187.40):
I'm sure many of you remember the threads awhile back about the newer machines being "junk". Hopefully this one won't turn into that but I wanted to share a problem I heard about today concerning a newer machine owned by a customer of ours.
I've mentioned the machine a couple of times in various threads. It's a Linkbelt crane, set up as a dragline. Dad was inlisted as an independent consultant, and he and several of others in the their company were flown to FLA. to inspect the machine before the purchase was made. All of them told the "suits", to walk away but they bought the machine anyway. It's been nothing but a problem since day one. It's been down several times with hydraulic problems, three months spent waiting on fairlead parts, etc, etc, etc. Now for the latest and greatest.
Now it's down with engine problems. Thankfully I'm not directly involved in this fiasco, yet, only researching "behind the scenes" and trying to help them out, so I'm simply relying on what I've been told.
Basically the local Linkbelt dealership (CAT) doesn't have the diagnostic tools and doesn't want to spend the "tens of thousands" to buy them (if they are available anywhere at the moment ????), and the cranes OEM (Linkbelt) is in basically the same boat itself having no diagnostic tools. The regional Mitsubishi engine distrubutor doesn't have the proper diagnostic tools and further the actual OEM (Mitsubishi) doesn't have them either. Supposidly the engine OEM had three of them but burned them up using them on 24 volt systems. Guess what, this machine runs a 24 volt electrical system so NOBODY has the tools nor a clue where to get the diagnostic tools to work on this machine.
I talked to the engine distributor this afternoon and was told that they are thinking, based on the system 'flash codes' that it's a speed sensor problem in the injection pump but without the proper diagnostic tools it's not a sure diagnosis. If it turns out to be either one or both of the speed sensors in question then the pump has to come off and be rebuilt.
Therein lies another problem, finding a shop with the capabilities/tooling to rebuild this particular pump. Seems it's special in and of itself so the chances of that are slim as well.
Basically the customer has a machine worth $500,000 plus setting idle because even neither the OEM for the machine proper, nor the engines OEM have the proper tools to support their own equipment and repair it.
So the difference in the new machine and the old one...The newer one is sitting, broke, with no repair in sight....The machine it was bought to replace, a 30+ year old Northwest 9570 we rebuilt for them and have helped maintain for the past 8+ years (for waaaay less than $500,000) is up once again up and running without missing a beat. Except for a few worn bushings that have needed to be replaced over the years and the normal wear and tear expected on a dragline, the old NW has consistantly run like a top. Funny thing, it uses mechanical/shaft drives for everything, "outdated" air controls for the clutches, etc, and a Murphy engine that has changed little since itwas origionally designed in the 30's. Basically everything about the machine is what many consider "outdated technology" but according to the operator, it moves nearly twice the material the new machine does and uses 1/2 to 1/3 the fuel doing it.
Old vs New....no arguments, please.... but you decide...
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Today's Featured Article - Listening to Your Tractor - by Curtis Von Fange. Years ago there was a TV show about a talking car. Unless you are from another planet, physically or otherwise, I don’t think our internal combustion buddies will talk and tell us their problems. But, on the other hand, there is a secret language that our mechanical companions readily do speak. It is an interesting form of communication that involves all the senses of the listener. In this series we are going to investigate and learn the basic rudimentary skills of understanding this lingo.
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