- - AGRICULTURE CORE CURRICULUM - - (CLF2000) Advanced Core Cluster: AGRICULTURAL MECHANICS (CLF2750) Unit Title: USE OF MANUALS ___________________________________________________________________________ (CLF2752) Topic: Service Schedules Time Year(s) 1 hour 1/2/3/4 ___________________________________________________________________________ Topic Objectives: Upon completion of this lesson, the students will be able to: Learning Outcome #: (P-6) - Determine when service is due. Special Material and Equipment: Operator's and service manuals Resources: Deere & Company. (1984). PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE (Fundamentals of Machine Operation (FMO) Series). Available from: John Deere Technical Services, Dept. F, John Deere Road, Moline, IL 61265 Jacobs, C. O., & Harrell, W. R. (1983). AGRICULTURAL POWER AND MACHINERY. New York: McGraw-Hill. Evaluation: Quiz by instructor, and completion of a service schedule on a tractor or other agricultural machine. TOPIC PRESENTATION: Service Schedules A. Importance of Preventive Maintenance 1. The leading cause of premature failure in agricultural machines is a lack of preventive maintenance. a. Preventive maintenance is most important when the work load is heaviest because the financial losses will be greatest if machinery is down at crucial times. b. While preventive maintenance cannot completely prevent the possibility of machine failure, it reduces it to a minimum. 2. Preventive maintenance saves money on the total cost of operating machinery. a. An engine tune-up can save up to 15% in fuel consumption and increase maximum power by more than 10%. b. Regular maintenance of other components saves money in repairs and prolongs the working life of equipment. 3. Well-maintained equipment is safer to operate. a. Trying to fix broken-down equipment in the field increases the likelihood of accidents and injuries, as, for example, when the operator hurriedly reaches into the moving parts of a machine. b. Poorly functioning brakes or steering can lead to loss of control of the machine and serious accidents and injuries. c. Poorly functioning equipment takes more time and effort to operate and also prolongs the time required to complete the task at hand; these factors contribute to operator fatigue which, in turn, greatly increases the likelihood of accidents and injuries. 4. A systematic preventive maintenance also results in higher resale or trade-in value for tractors and other agricultural equipment. B. Service Schedules 1. Each machine's operator's manual specifies the service schedule exactly tailored to that particular machine. 2. Adhering to the manufacturer's recommended service schedule and also maintaining complete and accurate service records are essential to insure that service is regularly performed at the recommended intervals. 3. Service schedules usually have 10-hour, 50-hour, 100-hour, 250-hour, 500-hour, and 1000-hour intervals or service periods. 4. Service records should be kept in a visible, handy place so they can be conveniently referred to when necessary and also constantly remind the machine operators to keep them up to date. B. Tractor Servicing 1. Tractor engine and systems wear is determined by hours of engine operation, not by miles as with automobiles. 2. Total tractor hours of operation can be determined by reading the hourmeter on the tachometer. a. The hourmeter shows the hours and tenths of hours the engine has run. b. The hourmeter does not show clock hours; it shows the hours that the engine runs at an average rpm. 3. If the tachometer is broken or missing, estimate tractor operation hours or keep a record of tractor use. 4. Service schedules are of little use if maintenance records are not kept on tractors and machinery. 5. Record all servicing of tractors beyond daily maintenance by noting the hours on the hourmeter when it was done and the reading on the future reading on the hourmeter when it should be done again. 6. Mark the hours on new filters when they are installed on the tractor. _________________________________________________________ ACTIVITY: 1. Use the operator's manual to set up a service schedule for a particular tractor or agricultural machine. 2. Locate a tractor tachometer and calculate the future hourmeter reading for each service interval. _________________________________________________________ 6/17//91 OLR/tf #%&C