Truckmount News Blog RSS

Aside from the beating heart of your machine (engine), the water pump and vacuum blower are the next in line in terms of importance. These two components are the arms and legs (if you will) that actually get the work done. The oil change frequency and fill requirements are very important to keep track of. As with the engine, the oil inside these components lubricates to avoid overheating. Over the span of an oil change period the oil viscosity breaks down and begins to not lubricate as well as it should, this is why the oil change periods are specified...

And while we’re on the topic of oil levels, DO NOT overfill your engine with oil… the only thing worse than no oil is too much oil. Your engine is made to take a specific amount of oil and if you put too much in it then an excess of pressure builds within the crankcase and will blow oil seals out left and right. The best thing to do before refilling is to refer back to the engine manual to find the specifications for changing the oil with a new oil filter. This value is fairly specific but we recommend...

How to Spot a Spot To accurately identify spots and stains, you’ll have to use your senses. There’s no magic trick to identification: it just takes a good eye, intuition, and practice. Start by running through your mental checklist: What does it look like? What does it feel like? Is it crusty, greasy, waxy, hard, etc.? What does it smell like? (Yes, this really helps!) Then, note the location for context clues. For instance, if there’s a brown spot near the front door, it’s more likely to be something tracked in from the outside rather than, say, a coffee spill....

‘Spot’ and ‘stain’ are often used interchangeably, but for those in the know, there’s a slight but distinct difference. A spot adds substance or texture. These are things like flecks of food or dirt clods that get stuck in the carpet. A stain, meanwhile, adds color or dye. Common culprits are liquids like juice, coffee, and wine. A discoloration, on the other hand, is the absence of color. Discoloration can often come from sun fading caused by ultraviolet light exposure or bleach. Yes, we call them ‘bleach stains,’ but they’re not really stains at all, based on our previous definition. Instead of...

In addition to oil changes, there are also important things you must keep an eye. One such thing is the vacuum inlet filters: in most all manuals it instructs the user to clean the collection basket after each job, and to clean the inlet filter screens as frequently as every day. This simple task ensures that there is not excess debris build up that, if left untended to, will put extra stress on the blower, engine, shaft (for direct drive units) couplers ,and drive belts. You’d feel really disappointed in yourself (to put it lightly) if you racked up a...