Know-how 18: Preventive maintenance (3) inspection and test
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grGE as it may seem, the simple ey to preventive maintenance is to know the worst and not the best about a fleet at all times. Once this situation is achieved, a pattern will be seen, and planning can be shaped to control events.
However, the preventive drill is not the be-all and end-all. Normal replacement and overhaul must go on at mileage or time intervals with the hard-worked vehicles, so the preventive scheme must be woven into, and become a part of, heavier-scheduled operations.
Preventive maintenance has no mystery about it: it hinges around a close, shortperiod inspection that will take into account each change in the rate of wear throughout the vehicle-; and at the same time permit adjustment and small part replacements to be made before their failure can halt the vehicle, or cause that 2s. 6d. repair to become a £5 job, the usual end product of neglect.
Therefore inspection must not become just a glance at set listed items; it must be allseeing, taking in points of concealed wear, in order to appreciate the internal condition of engine, gearbox, rear axle, etc. The findings in these sections can be recorded, appreciated, and earmarked for later attention.
This is a most important feature of inspection, and it is here that mistakes are made and the exercise cheapened below any real value. Quite often a haulage company will go to some length to prepare a vehicle inspection schedule that covers all detail, and then make the all-too-frequent mistake of handing this sheet and inspection responsibility over to a semi-skilled mechanic or fitter, conSidering that some form of saving has been made.
How wrong this is has been proved many times over and although it is true that a young mechanic can take the list and inspect, tighten and top-up all items, this is not the true purpose of preventive maintenance and critical features are missed or not appreciated.
This is no reflection on the skill or interest of the junior or semi-skilled inspector, but his appreciation of condition and rate of wear must be limited by his relative inexperience, and to have usable records, the best skill is called for during inspection.
There is no short cut to true preventive maintenance: the inspection, which should be coupled to a road test, must be genuine and comprehensive. By all means have an inspection form completed in full detaiL But just "skipping" around the vehicle ticking off each item seen, signing the form and then filing it, will do no more than headlight certain obvious points in need of attention, and probably satisfy the layman that a system is being operated.
The inspection sheet must in fact be a
Reader's idea
OUR winning idea this week concerns handbrake efficiency and comes from Mr. R. Crump, of Norton, Stoke-on-Trent. To make the handbrake more effective on his firm's 1950 ERF 54 and 44 vehicles he made the fittings shown in the drawing to give greater leverage and better stopping power. The fitting is made of lin. by ain.
GUY MOTORS LTD. has extended its distributor network. The new appointments:—The Morris Garages (Aylesbury) Ltd., Bicester Road, Aylesbury, Bucks; W. H. Reay and Co. Ltd., 249259 Ormeau Road, Belfast 7; Lookers Ltd., 5-35 Hardman Street, Deansgate, Manchester; Henlys (Ipswich) Ltd., Friars Road, Ipswich, Suffolk; Hartwells of Oxford Ltd., Oxford House, Kidlington, Oxford; H. A. Hamshaw
full condition report, and that report must be acted upon on completion. This means that behind the inspecting fitter there must be a team ready to deal with the critical features, just as there must be a top-fitter or foreman who will record a general appreciation of the vehicle and plan its future requirements.
This is where the real problems begin and where the drill can become a half-hearted one, unless tackled strongly and honestly. Next week I will look at some of the problems and answers to them.
and lin. by +in. steel—the lin. by lin. is welded to the front and takes all the strain. Comments Handyman: I have a similar problem on many old vehicles and find that a lot hinges on the "horsepower" of the driver. Mr. Crump's idea will increase leverage, but may call for more regular adjustment.
Ltd., P.O. Box 147, Hamshaw House, Welford Road, Leicester; W. Watson and Co. (Liverpool) Ltd., Renshaw Street, Liverpool 1; Henlys (Wessex) Ltd., New Street, Salisbury, Wilts; Kennings Ltd., Commercial Vehicle Centre, Penistone Road North, Sheffield 6; Wadhams Ltd., Commercial Road, Southampton; and Charles Clark and Son (Commercial Vehicle) Ltd., Alexandra Street, Shrewsbury.