 Your crawler tractor is an important piece of equipment used in heavy construction and road maintenance activities. You as the operator can minimize downtime and repairs. Each agency has its own specific maintenance checks. It is your responsibility to ensure that they are followed on your machine. This videotape will show you the general methods and procedures for operator daily maintenance on crawler tractors. But more important, it tells you why these procedures are necessary. Each agency has their own specific maintenance activities and each equipment manufacturer has its recommended procedures. It is your responsibility that none of the special requirements for your machine are overlooked. Follow along as our operator goes through the complete set of daily maintenance activities. By using a check-off list, you can divide your inspections into four groups of activities. The pre-start check, the warm-up check, the daily operating check, and the shutdown check. If during these activities problems are discovered, follow your local guidelines to determine corrective procedures. Now we can look at these activities in detail. The first activity is the pre-start check. The pre-start check is a walk-around inspection for damaged or worn parts and fluid leaks. It also includes checking the tractor's fluid levels and the engine's air filter system. Daily attention needs to be given to the tracks. Gradually, through use, the tracks will become worn. Check the sprocket teeth. As they are worn down, the seat between them will become oblong. Next, inspect the pins and bushings at various points along the chain. Where here causes the bushing to become flat on one side. Finally, check the rollers by passing your hand across their wear surface. This surface should feel flat and smooth. All these points are important. Ask your supervisor for your tractor's wear specifications. Timely maintenance of these components will extend their service life and postpone costly repairs. Now that the tracks have been inspected, you can move to the crawler tractor attachments. Inspect the dozer blade, the push frame, the pins, the cutting edges, and the end bits. If the cutting edge and end bits are worn to the dozer blade, report it to your supervisor. Make sure there are no loose nuts or bolts. And as part of this inspection, you should also look for weld defects. Here again, timely maintenance can save costly repairs. If your crawler tractor is equipped with a ripper, it should be inspected in the same way. Again, pay close attention to wear of the ripper teeth. If a replacement is needed, follow your local guidelines. You can continue the pre-start check by looking for any fluid leaks. Fluid leaks will affect the safe and efficient operation of your tractor. First, look on the ground under the engine compartment for spots or stains. Any spots here alert you to engine fluid leaks. Now inspect for hydraulic oil leaks. The hoses should be checked for cracks. Make sure they are not pinched. Leaks from the blade angle and lift cylinders are most likely found at the cylinder seals. Finally, as you move toward the engine compartment, you can finish this inspection by checking the lift cylinder hose connections. In the engine compartment, leaks may occur at the filter bowl seals. Inspect all filters for leakage. Feel the bottom of the oil and fuel filter bowls to see if there is any fluid running down the side of the bowls. Although they are not subject to leaks, the fan belts are part of the cooling system and can at this time be checked for wear and talkness. The proper operation of the fan will help control the temperature of the engine coolant. Now that we have inspected the crawler tractor for leaks, we must see if the fluids are at the correct operating levels. Begin with the engine coolant level. Make sure that the fluid and the radiator is at the level required for your particular machine as specified by your supervisor. Add more coolant if needed. It is a good practice not to perform this check if the engine is recently been operated since the coolant might still be under pressure. This pressure, if released by removing the cap, could cause serious injury to you. In the engine compartment, check the engine oil level. The oil must be at the proper level on the dipstick. If the oil is below the indicator mark, do not run the engine until the proper type and amount of oil is added. This completes the fluid level checks in the engine compartment. Now check the fluid level in the hydraulic oil tank. A dipstick or site gauge is provided for this purpose. In our case, it is a site gauge. The hydraulic system runs the dozer and ripper attachments as well as your steering clutches. If needed, add the proper type of hydraulic fluid to the full mark. Next, you will need to drain condensation and sediment from the fuel tank. To do this, a drain cock is provided at the bottom of the fuel tank. Open the drain until all condensation and sediment have been removed. Never perform this operation while smoking or with an open flame in the area. After the fluid system has been inspected, move on to the engine's air filter system. Begin with an inspection of the pre-cleaner. This tractor is equipped with a pre-cleaner screen. If dust or other material have accumulated on the screen, clean it. To clean the pre-cleaner, first take it off. With a stiff brush, remove any buildup from the screen. Don't hit the pre-cleaner against a hard surface. This could cause serious damage. Daily cleaning of the pre-cleaner will greatly reduce the clogging of the air cleaner elements. Your equipment may have a device that indicates when to clean or replace the air cleaner element. When the indicator shows red, the operator should replace the air cleaner element. If no new elements are available, notify your supervisor. In the interim, the operator should clean the old element in the following manner. To clean a dirty element, remove it. If compressed air is available, clean the element by blowing from the center outward while directing the air up and down the pleats. The element can be checked to see if it is clean by placing a light bulb inside and viewing the penetration of light through the pleated paper of the element. If compressed air is not available, then clean the element by tapping it with the palm of your hand. Do not pound it on a hard surface. It could damage the filter. When the element is clean, reinstall it, making sure that the housing is correctly sealed. This will ensure proper air filtration through the system. Never operate the engine without the element in place as this can cause extensive engine damage. Now will be a good time to inspect the battery. Make sure the battery is securely fastened down. You should also inspect the battery cables, clamps, and connections for tightness and corrosion. Remove the battery filler caps and check the fluid levels. If needed, fill each cell to just above the top of the battery plates and separators with clean distilled water. Never fill the cell to the top or allow the fluid to drop below the top of the battery plate and separators. Follow your local guidelines when working with batteries. A word of caution. All batteries give off explosive gas. There should be no open flame or smoking permitted around the battery. Now for your last pre-start check. Your crawler tractor should have a meter that registers the number of hours of engine operation. Record the hours registered to determine when you need to notify your supervisor that periodic maintenance on your crawler tractor is needed. Before we go on to the next set of checks, this is a good time to stop the video and review the inspection steps up to this point. In the last segment, we finished the pre-start check. Now you can move on to the second activity, which is the equipment warm-up check. The equipment warm-up check helps you determine if the crawler tractor is operating properly before you leave the parking area. Before starting the engine, be sure all persons are clear of the tractor. All control levers are in the neutral position and that all attachments are grounded. Now start the engine. Let the engine warm up for five to ten minutes, even in hot weather. This allows the oil pressure to build up and lubricate all the moving parts of the engine. It also allows the cooling system to reach operating temperatures. Listen to your engine. If you hear anything unusual, shut the equipment down and call your supervisor. The panel gauges give information about the engine performance. We can look at these gauges individually to make sure they are operating in their normal ranges. Does the amp meter read on the positive side? Are the oil and hydraulic pressures in the safe zone? If equipped with a fuel gauge, is the gauge functioning? Is the fuel tank full? Is the engine temperature gauge reading in the safe zone? Is the transmission pressure or temperature gauge in the safe zone also? Before we can continue, we must first lift the attachments from the rest position. While we do this, we can also observe their operation. Raise the dozer blade up from its rest position, tilted forward and back. Does it extend and retract fully and smoothly? If your tractor has a ripper attachment, raise and lower it also. For the final warm up check, you need to put the tractor in motion. First, release the parking brake. Now, apply the brakes. The brake bands should provide good stopping ability in both directions. As part of the steering system, you should test the steering clutches. Do they engage and release smoothly in response to your controls as you move the tractor from side to side? All these checks are critical for safe and efficient equipment operation. Do not begin working until the list has been completed and all the checks have proven satisfactory. The third operator maintenance activity, the daily operating check, is carried out while the tractor is working. During daily operations, you should monitor your equipment's performance. Specifically, listen for unusual noises and read your gauges. Be aware of any changes in the performance of your equipment. We can look at these individually. Listen for unusual engine and equipment noises. Noises can be an indication of component failure. Read your gauges. Watch pressures and temperatures closely. If any gauge reads in the danger zone, shut down the tractor, inspect the system, and notify your supervisor. As part of the daily operations, you should monitor equipment performance, in particular track adjustment. Improperly adjusted tracks cost money in downtime and accelerated track wear. Tracks that are too loose whip at high speeds, causing needless wear on track roller flanges, track chain links and sprocket teeth. Tracks that are too tight put extra stress on undercarriage, drive train components, and waste horsepower. The fourth and last daily maintenance activity is your shutdown check. This activity helps prepare your tractor for the following workday. Find a level area to park your crawler tractor. Rest all attachments on the ground. And set the parking brake. This secures your equipment and prevents injury to anyone tampering with the machine while it is parked. Now, let the engine idle for approximately five minutes before shutting down. This reduces the pressures in your hydraulic system that can cause leaks or damages to the seals or hoses. Before you leave the tractor cab, record the hour meter reading against the time recorded at startup. This is a check to see if the meter is working and will help in scheduling the equipment's periodic maintenance. Now is a good time to fill your fuel tank. Filling your fuel tank is a good maintenance practice. It minimizes water condensation. When refueling, be sure all equipment is clean. This prevents any contaminants from entering the fuel tank. Since these are flammable liquids, do not smoke or have an open flame in the area. Part of your responsibility also includes lubrication. Lubrication extends the operating life of your crawler tractor. Follow the manufacturer's guidelines for the proper lubrication of your tractor. One way to make it easier for you to identify the daily lubrication points is to have them marked. Finally, using a hand tool, clean away dirt or material that is built up on tracks, push frame, dozer blade, and the rest of the equipment. That completes the detailed description of the four major daily operator maintenance activities. Now, we will review each group of activities once more. The first activity is the pre-start check. This is a walk-around inspection for damaged or worn parts, leaks, fluid level checks, and inspection of the engine's air filter system. Look for damaged or worn parts, such as the attachments and tracks. It also includes checking for fluid leaks of the hydraulic, cooling, and engine systems. Inspect all the fluid levels, such as oil, coolant, and hydraulics. Drain the fuel tank of dirt and condensation. Finally, inspect the engine's air filter system. The second activity is the equipment warm-up check. This inspection is made from inside the cab while the engine is warming up. Listen for unusual engine noises. Be sure to read the gauges. Check the dozer and ripper attachments. And test the steering and brakes before beginning work. The third activity is the operating check. The operating checks during the workday include frequently listening for unusual noises, reading gauges, and being aware of changes in the performance of the equipment. The fourth and last activity is the shutdown check. Park the equipment on a level surface. Rest all hydraulic attachments on the ground. Set the parking brake. Idle the engine for approximately five minutes prior to shutdown. Fill the fuel tank. Grease all mechanical joints. And clean away dirt and debris. This videotape included general maintenance procedures and may be modified to meet the individual requirements of your agency. There may also be additional safety inspections required. Check your operator maintenance guidelines. This concludes the program on crawler tractor operator daily maintenance. Following these procedures will help to ensure that your crawler tractor is properly maintained and stays in good operating condition.