Category Archives: Diesel Mechanic

How to change a transmission on a bulldozer

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

It is never easy to work on things that you do not know especially when it comes to fixing your heavy equipment and you have absolutely no knowledge how to go about with it. This is when you should depend on guys who are into fixing problem pertaining to heavy equipment. It is better that you give the machine to a mechanic who after checking the stuff will do what needs to be done with it. However, at times it becomes important for you to know a bit of fixing thing as well. You do not always get the mechanic handy and in situations like this you may experience the real trouble. You have work in hand and your machine is just not ready to work. It could be due to some problem with the transmission and in order to get it fixed, you need to open up a lot of stuff and the transmission out.

Ideally in a bulldozer, the transmission is located near the engine crankshaft and it remains attached there with the help of a flywheel or a clutch. In order to change the transmission, it is first critical to remove the stuff carefully from the place it is located. In case of a bulldozer once has to be very careful while getting it removed beside the engine crankshaft. He needs to be make sure that he does not mess up with the crankshaft or that will lead to further complication with the machine. You got to be absolutely sure that you know how to work things out and get the transmission replaced.

To learn things in a much better way, it is advisable that one should go through the user manual as the procedure is stated with pictures so that one does not go through a lot of hardship to understand how to change the transmission. You can also check how the mechanic works on your dozer. The way he spreads out the engine crankshaft and from there he pulls out the transmission. You can even ask the mechanic if you can give it a shot while he is there monitoring your work. In this way, you can practically try to change the transmission but if you feel that you are confident and can do it again, it is prudent that you do it in front of an expert so that in case you go wrong somewhere dealing with it, there will someone who can set things right for you.

One more method that you can adopt to learn to change the transmission is through training videos. Well, you get to learn a lot of stuff from there. You only have to enter the things you want to see and you get ample of options. Just pick the one you feel you should watch and check if that is the one you are looking for. For instance, if you want to check videos where people are shown changing the transmissions, you can do that on YouTube. It really helps but if you want to do it practically, better try things in front of an expert.

 

Where should a Cat Diesel tech seek advice from?

In the construction and heavy equipment industry, it is very simple to get advices from people. However, you never know how far those advices are accurate and will work for you. So, before you start looking for any advices, it becomes quite instrumental that you find out the right set of people who can advise you on things. People who know about the subject you would be asking and if at all they do not know much about it, they will be frank and tell you to check it from someone else. There are many people who just for the sake of giving advices give you any wrong recommendations which turn out to be dangerous for you. There are people who have set up their office and consult others on various issues. Well, one can’t know anything and everything to consult others. Therefore, you should be aware of such thugs and go to the right place in case you need any consultation. Other than that, in today’s world where internet has brought all of us so close and has made the world a small village, it makes no sense to approach a person directly without checking things on net.

Create a forum and invite people to give advices:-

People love to give advices on things they know and at times even on things that they do not know much about. The best way to get some solid advices is to create a forum ad put up the question you want to know. You will see people flocking in to answer your question. As long as the question does not request others to give their business tactics, they will be more than willing to tell you know what you want to know. A forum will allow experts and intellectuals belonging to the construction and heavy equipment industry to come at a common place and speak on the topic in question. They can give you ample of options that you may have not even heard of. Having experts in your forum will always help you to develop your knowledge about the particular sphere an make you more competitive and a person who has an edge over others.

Simple search it on the net:-

At times you may just want some simple answers and may not require lot of opinions on a given subject as that might confuse you further. In such a situation, it is recommended that you simply search for it on the net. Internet can provide you distinctly what you are looking for and you may ignore the rest. As a matter of fact, it makes no point in getting confused with multiple options and we all expect a straight and simple answer to our questions.

Take advices from your colleagues and peers:-

When you are in trouble, you always depend on someone who is trustworthy. You can do the exact same thing here. If you are eagerly looking for something, you can depend on people with whom you have been working for years. They will be the right choice for you when you need them the most.

Characteristics of a good heavy equipment mechanic

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Heavy construction equipment is that essential part of the construction business without which the very basic of the work would not be possible. Therefore, every construction business needs construction equipment to do their task. But the heavy workload and the tremendously hectic working schedule makes the equipment damaged quite frequently. This leads to the problem related to operating the equipment and thus the work at the construction site gets disturbed.

In such situation, what is needed to be done by the owner of the equipment is to hire a mechanic who is skilled and experienced in repairing the heavy construction equipment. The need of a skilled mechanic is not limited in case there is damage in the equipment; rather to maintain the efficiency of the equipment so that it offers maximum outcome, the equipment owners must have professional mechanics.

Factors to consider in a heavy construction equipment mechanic:

The owner of the equipment must be careful about the characteristics of the mechanic that he hires. They must include:

  • Ability to diagnose the problem:

The first and the most important factor that the mechanic must be able to do is diagnose the problem that is causing the equipment to trouble. The skill should be of the ultimate level so that he can recognise the problem by checking the apparent symptoms.

  • Skill to solve the problem:

Whether the problem with the equipment’s functioning is with the electric wires or with the hydraulic system or even with the fuel tank, identifying the problem will not be enough, if the mechanic cannot fix it fast. The longer the mechanic takes to diagnose the problem and providing a solution to fix the damage, the longer will be the time to stop the construction process.

  • Listening quality and charming nature:

Just as the doctor should listen to the patient, the mechanic should also listen to the problems and the difficulties that the owner has been facing. If the mechanic is stubborn and unwilling to listen to the owner, then it will lead to a delay in the diagnosis of the cause of the damage. As the owner of the equipment does not have any knowledge of the mechanism, it there might be several questions going on in the owner’s mind. Therefore, the mechanic should have a charming quality to relate to the owners.

  • Knowledge of the technology:

With every passing day, new technologies are being discovered in order to make the construction industry a revolutionary one. The mechanics should be aware of these technologies, software and various other features that can make the equipment functioning easier.

Without these qualities, no mechanic can be proven beneficial for servicing the equipment of your construction company. There are many mechanics that are skilled, but if they lack in the other qualities and facilities, then you will not be able to find a quick and effective solution for the damages done to your equipment. Even to maintain the efficiency and the performance of the equipment, then also you will need to hire a skilled mechanic.

Want To Get Your Machine Repaired – Get Help Of An Expert

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Construction industry is heavily dependent on heavy equipment and one need to take utter care of his equipment; because if the equipment go wrong, he has no work to do for the entire day. More to this, the work pending for the day gets carried forward to the next day, which means that he has to complete 2 days work in a single day. This could be quite problematic for a company which deals with huge projects. A delay of work for a day can even lead to huge loses and can also tarnish the reputation of the company. Therefore, it is very important for them to ensure that they have all their machines in working order and if they feel that any of the stuff needs some repair, they should make the arrangements in advance and see to it that things are taken care of much before it goes out of hand.

Knowing the fact that heavy equipment are an integral part of the construction industry, many construction companies keep a team of experts whose work is to check the condition of the machines on a daily basis and if they find anything objectionable then they have to report it to the manager or to the person up in the rank. Once that gets reported, it becomes the responsibility of the managers to take a call on this and give direct instructions to the mechanics who will ultimately get the issue fixed.

Where do you find these experts:-  Finding the right person to do the job is in itself a huge task. We normally find many people who claim that they can do the job but eventually they all turn up to carry very limited knowledge about their domain and only possess the skill to resolve the issue temporarily and can’t provide a permanent way out  to it. In such a situation, it becomes very important to find people who can do end-to-end work for you. There are many educational institutions that train students on heavy equipment. The training ranges from a couple of years to 5 years of rigorous training where they learn everything in detail about heavy equipment. No doubt, that they lack practical application, however that vacuum is soon filled once they start getting some experience in their line of work. This is one place from where you can pick guys and make them as potential experts. The candidates should be thoroughly screened and all sorts of technical questions should be thrown at them. If only they are able to give satisfactory answers, they should be allowed a place in your organization.

Contact your peers if they can help you out:-  If you have your friends who are also into the construction business, you might as well take help from them. Check with them if they know an expert who can fix problems in machines. If your friend is pretty old in this industry, he will certainly know someone who fixes his machine. So you might get some help from them.

Putting it on internet:-  You might also want to take help of internet by posting an ad there putting your requirements. You will be then contacted by an expert who will get the problem resolved.

Related articles across the web

Check out the tips in order to become a good mechanic

The U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics has stated that the demand of repairing and other services related to the heavy diesel machines like tractors and other construction equipment will increase up to 11 percent within 2016. Those who are interested in this field and want to make his or her career in this field should be aware of the basic qualifications that need for this job. A heavy equipment mechanic has to know all the proper ways to repair or control the heavy equipment in his shop. There are many types of heavy equipment so the job or services are also different for different category such as a diesel engine mechanic has to work on the trucks or other vehicles on the other hand a construction equipment mechanic should take training on such machines that are required for construction sites. The electrical, hydraulic and other operating systems should be learned by those mechanics.

 The duty of a diesel engine mechanic is to maintain the engine properly and understand everything related to the diesel engine. A construction equipment mechanic has huge responsibility as they are not only allowed to work on the engine but also the other damaged parts of equipment are repaired by them. So they have to increase their knowledge about the essential items that are needed for the construction sites like bulldozers, earth movers, cranes, paving machines, mixers and much more construction equipment.

While you are working on a construction site or in other sites related to this field you always should carry personal protective equipment (PPE) throughout the time of your working. This is a very important safety rule that everyone should follow. The mechanics are required to follow this rule in order to maintain their safety.

All the employers want to hire such mechanics who can work really well on the heavy equipment and also they should highly knowledgeable about their work. In order to get the job of a mechanic it is not sufficient to gather experience, you also have to enhance your bargaining skill for wages.

It will be best for your career if you take a certificate or a degree on this course from a reputed organization. Many technical schools and community colleges provide such degrees for those people who really want to work on diesel and heavy equipment repairing services. You will be able to gather experience on different types of heavy equipment as well as different brands from them. These programs also offer internship opportunity and also a work experience certificate. Many employers want to hire those who have such degree or certificate on this course.
So all these things are very important for a mechanic and if you get a proper training then you will definitely be able to become a good mechanic.