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Road and workshop
Page 55
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Manpower, maintenance
and the MoT (30)
• Experience at testing stations has shown that a good level of vehicle cleanliness is wanted to enable the examiners to see clearly each part and item that is due for inspection without the need to dig or scrape for it, The test-station staff do not expect a spit and polish job. But cleaning has to be done which of course indicates manpower, and in general haulage this means either the driver, yard labourer or workshop staff.
The modern, fast motive unit is just about the dirtiest thing in road transport —on the underside, that is—as in a few weeks from new it grows a blanket of cement-hard oil and mud that can defy any normal pressure hose. Due to the complications behind the cab and below the catwalk, where there is now something of a plumber's nightmare, it is rarely possible to achieve a good state of inspection cleanliness at one go. Quite often more water is diverted onto the operator than into the nooks and cran nies and general clutter of mechanism. So much so that the outside will be clean, but inboard and underside little improvement is noted, as the single jet has had little or no chance of effectively reaching the main collecting areas inside the channels and members. As a rule, an amount of time is spent until either the operator has had enough, or the vehicle has to go out and there the job rests.
So the single cold water jet and the operator in oilskins is hardly the answer to the dirty underside of a motive unit. There are many solvents and solutions that can be brushed or sprayed on, or mixed with the main water supply; each is effective in its own way, but each requires manpower, causes delay, and leaves a great deal untouched. So at this time steam appears the best answer among methods available, as it does at least spread its warmth around and soften oil-coated areas; chemicals can really help here, and the cleaned areas are dry
by Handyman
and comfortable enough to work on right away. This is a consideration in wintertime when repair teams tend to shy away from newly washed, dripping wet, cold chassis; also if a quick repaint is needed cleaning and stripping time can be vastly reduced.
Again, however, we are still in square one in that labour must be employed and there is a limit to the amount that can be afforded. So ultimately I believe another answer must be found—an unmanned, drive-over, multi-jet wash unit that rotates and reaches all corners at high pressure with the vehicle slowly moving over the jets.
However, this is not a single-shot operation, and a number of regular short-period visits may he needed really to bottom the dirt, but if this exercise can become as automatic as refuelling, the underside could stay clean enough for inspection. This type of cleaning unit is being developed, but is not yet clear of teething troubles, or rather, associated problems. Experiments being carried out should soon remove the problems of water supply and consumption, recirculation needs, etc, and there is little doubt that 1969 will see such units on the market.