FOUR-ON-THE SNOW Newsletter A publication of Made in the USA since 1942 NO SNOW TOO DEEP NO ROAD TOO STEEP April 2015 Volume 7 Issue 4 Spring snow conditions can be tricky! Temperature changes effect snow conditions. Spring temperatures fluctuate up and down to a point that snow conditions can change multiple times during an outing. Operators should always be looking for these changes because it can drastically change the performance of the over snow vehicle. An outside temperature gauge is a great option for being able to monitor conditions. Remember the warmer the outside temperature the less stable the snow conditions. 50 Degrees Always take your time and be safe! Page 1 of 7
Utility maintenance training seminar July 14 th 15 th Groomer maintenance training seminar July 21 th 22 th. These Seminars will be occurring at our factory located at.. They will be a two day seminars covering the following: -Overview of the assembly process -Outline of machine components -Service and maintenance tips -Q & A -Factory Tour The cost will be $355.00 per person. This includes coffee and doughnuts in the morning and lunch both days. Please respond by either e-mail sterling@sno-cat.com or justin@sno-cat.com or by phone 541-779-3731. Please return invitation with check payable to Tucker Sno-Cat Corp. (. ) Company Name Participants Name Respond ASAP Class size in limited This month Sterling says.. I would like to reemphasize that preventative maintenance combined with scheduled services help eliminate down time and costly repairs. The most common thing we see are units that have at least double the recommended hours on them between services. This inattention to service coupled with lower quality filters will reduce the overall life of hydraulic components such as pumps and cylinders. Not to mention that lower quality filters can lead to blockages in hydraulic reliefs and in turn lead to a loss of functions or sluggish response at the controls. This may be a subtle progression at first and one that happens in a manner that the drop off in function response may not be immediately noticed. As impurities get through the non O.E.M. filters a few things happen; first the impurities make it back to the pump or hydraulic valve, in the case of the pump the piston or veins (depending on the type of pump ) become scored internally and allow more fluid to slip through the pump and go directly back to tank rather than to the valve that ultimately controls the work (cylinders). In short the system becomes slower and at some point cannot produce the flow needed to operate efficiently, next the slippage becomes so great that the functions become inoperable. The next problem would be particulates that make it by the filter system, and at a minimum will lead to a blockage in a relief and in turn block the relief open or closed. A relief that is stuck open will send fluid back to tank and not allow the system to build pressure, a relief stuck closed will not allow fluid to pass to the intended component, these are very similar issues. Once these things start to happen there is usually heat associated with the component in question and can lead to compromised fluid viscosity and wear protection. Also associated with excessive heat issue is that it can damage O-ring's and cause them to further block the reliefs or cause spools to stick inside the valve. It is very important to keep up on scheduled service because once a component is plugged, rarely will a fluid and filter change cure the problem for a prolonged time. (continued on page 2) Page 2 of 7
Also with the proper test equipment one could test flow as well as P.S.I. to determine any pump slippage or relief blockage. Remember P.S.I. is only one part as a test, flow combined with a pressure test can give good insight into the overall condition of the complete hydraulic system. We know of instances where a component has been replaced and this fixes the problem for a period of time, but due to impurities in the system the blockage is sent to the next component. This can be costly in down time plus the cost in trouble shooting and repair. When weighing the dollar value of factory service, remember to value eliminating down time, at the worst time. A big advantage to the Tucker Sno-Cat full Summer Service is we have all the equipment and parts to fix any issue big or small, hopefully before it becomes a really big issue. As well we have access to each department that was part of the original build and with this comes the full shared knowledge of over 70 years of TUCKER SNO-CAT CORPRATION. If you're a client who takes advantage of our service program annually or bi annually we thank you sincerely and no job is less important to Tucker Sno-Cat than the job we do for you. And if you have not yet had the Factory Service experience I would ask you to consider this, as I'm sure you will find that we go through your Sno-Cat vehicle very thoroughly and can let you know the exact trail readiness of your unit. Should you have any questions regarding our levels of service or what we do please feel free to contact me directly and we can discuss your levels of service, turnaround time and any questions you may have. In closing we have very successfully refurbished many older / high usage machines, to a solid mechanical level. We are entering our service season now and if you may be interested or simply have questions, please feel free to contact me as we will be booked fairly solid sooner than later. Please see below for the new Cummins fuel filter we are using as a secondary filter on the Tier 4i engines. Page 3 of 7
Scott Russell and Jinn Marie Davis have been doing a lot of restoration work to Rock and Roll this winter; tracks refurbished, fuel tanks repaired, 5th wheels aligned, and some careful restoration and touchup of the B circle and British Flag on the back door. They have had it up on Mt. Hood, Oregon for a trial run and it will be going back up in April for the CAT S MEOW JAMBOREE which Timberline Lodge is hosting. Please see page 4 for more information on this event. Over 60 people have registered, highlights will be Rock and Roll (as well as many other vintage over-snow vehicles) operating and honored guest speaker Peter Fuchs, son of the British explorer Sir Vivian Fuchs, who had Rock and Roll under his command in Antarctica. This will a special event and is open to not only Tucker Sno-Cat enthusiasts but also other varieties of oversnow vehicles. - See more at: http://www.timberlinelodge.com/event/cats-meow-jamboree/#sthash.41deyxft.dpuf Page 4 of 7
Richard Kohnstamm in front of his Tucker Sno-Cat - See more at: http://www.timberlinelodge.com/event/cats-meow-jamboree/#sthash.41deyxft.dpuf Page 5 of 7
If you are interested in purchasing a demonstrator please contact our sales department. We manufacture demo units for both tes ng and demonstra ons. Purchasing a demonstrator can be beneficial. We sell our demonstrators at a discounted price yet s ll offer the factory warranty. Currently we have the following demo s available for immediate delivery! 2013 2000E Tier 4i 5-Pass 12-Way Blade & Tiller 38 Tucker Rubber Bar Tracks (available late Spring 2015) 2013 1642E Tier 4i AG Farm Fenders & Cat Walks 26 All Rubber Tundra Tracks 2015 2000XL (Available late Spring 2015 ) Page 6 of 7
Brandon came to work for in the fall of 2014 and was hired permanently in November of 2014. After high school he joined the National Guard and when his 6 year commitment was over Brendon decided to go to Rogue Community College to study welding and business, he completed the Welder and Welder s Helper courses primarily because he wants to build his own race car and figured he better learn to weld first. Brandon was initially hired to work in the detail department but quickly moved into the heavy fab shop where he concentrates on welding track carriers. Brandon is another Southern Oregon native and he and his wife have 2 young children. In addition to helping raise their young family Brandon (and his wife) love to go to the Sprint Car races. Page 7 of 7