Any old pumper could write this. Just pick a guy at random from Seattle, Los Angeles, Denver…. Any place that had doable mud in the 1970s can sing this song.

The old Case – Thompson – Whiteman; the list goes on and on: all lived or died on the ability and willingness of the operator to pump in the grease.

We learned some lessons then that still apply today.

1.      Put your eyeball on your grease gun before you leave the yard

2.    Test it to make sure that it works

3.    Make sure that you have extra tubes of grease

4.    A good operator always had a spare (of everything)

5.    Grease your machine as soon as you are set up & ready

6.    Hit the important zirks between trucks

7.    Grease every zirk while waiting for concrete

8.    Bearings are best lubricated if greased while moving

9.    There is no excuse for not greasing your machine

    There is no excuse for not greasing your machine

When you are done with the job grease everything until you see grease come out of all seals. If you don’t then the grout has all night to set up in the bearing areas.

You can not “make up” for not greasing in the evening when finished with the job by doing it the next day.

Everyone in the company KNOWS if you greased your pump.

HOW??? When you take the nut off of the top of the splined shaft did it hit the shop floor ?

Grease out of the gun is cheaper and easier than elbow grease to replace the non lubricated parts. ;~)

Bob I´am not so old ,(I think that!)

But I do exactly that you wrote.....

As You say , when we shall repair or change wearparts You see directly who has not use the greasgun !

"Everyone in the company KNOWS if you greased your pump.

HOW??? When you take the nut off of the top of the splined shaft did it hit the shop floor ? "

 My rock and axel just slipped out everytime when I take it apart fore changing cutingring , spectacleplate and kidney....

It is eaysier to wash the greas than change bearings and parts that has stucked...

YUP

 I believe of the trucks I am familiar with,a Schwing has 1 O-ring sealing the rock valve shaft.You do not want grease coming back in to the hopper through these O-ring seals,as compared to a Whiteman or Putz which have seal sets. The whiteman and putz are additionaly lubed with hydraulic oil which need to be greased excessivly and yes,grease should be seen inside the hopper.If not,these seals will definetly wear out which in time will wear the S-tube shaft.A Schwing should be greased well,but not so much as to displace the 1 o-ring sealing the shaft.The shaft bushings on a Sch.are designed to keep everything out ,so in a perfect world the grease should go up to the O-ring and then discharge out the opposite end where it can be seen outside the hopper.Where as in a Putz one must "flush "the large sealing glands with grease ther-by seeing the grease on the inside of the hopper.I carry 3 grease guns by the way,2 pigs,2 sponges,2 blow-out caps,2 air lines,2 knives,and a spare lunch........

Hey bis,what's for lunch.

It's snowing here and just baked an apple pie,true

Bob,now that you mentioned this.Auto greasers?.At my last Co. they had a requirement that at the hopper the lines were spliced into a zerk for manual greasing.Another old rule was grease back end every 50 yards while pumping.I did however hit the manual switch during the day for boom purposes as well.

A reflection,we both remember when our old enemy was the mixer,it they could get trucks to the corners it was a tailgate job.Man was that a job convincing them to pump,now look.We have proved ourselves and this industry and a few share the battle scares.

Has it really changed or is it the perception,taking things for granted.

  I think will start out grass fed veal with a fresh tossed salad with a greek vinigarette dressing,dessert will be chocalate moose,but when I wake up from my dream it will probably be cold bean soup............

Roy,

The auto greasers are a good tool. But I am also a believer in having the zirks in the lines.

As you become familiar with a pump, or even a pump brand, you know which zirks need the most attention and frequent greasing. An auto greaser is not to the best of my knowledge programmable to each zirk... so out comes the grease gun. An owner or operator is kidding himself if he thinks that he is doing all that he can for his machine with just an auto greaser. It is also nice to "know" the condition of the area being greased by doing it by hand every so often. --- as far as I know ;~)

cold bean soup............

REALLY?

ARGH

 Bean soup in a can,very portable,can run the boom,back up a mixer truck,add water,sign tickets,manage conflicts,i'm sorry,avoid conflicts,well,not all those,but I can walk and chew at the same time......

Old timer LOL. Thats my first name. I grow up in LA . On those very same pumps. U had to be more then a operator to keep 1 together, If you told me i had 300 yards? I would ask how many pumps are going. And yes grease was very inportent. If you didn't stay on the flapper fixing it was a bitch taking it apart. But with all the new pumps having auto lubers. I hit my over ride every chance i get. And at lease 3 time at the end of the day. Pumps parts have come along way. If i got 20,000 yds throw my pipe i was happy. Or 25,000 throw my mud cups. The last pump i was on! I had over 140,000 yds on my mud cups and they still never leak. Can't say twin wall hasn't made my life easyer. I wish I invented it LOL Rich