Finally bought a bucket!

[miko0618]

I've been kicking this around for a long time and decided my life would improve with a bucket. Its a 94 international utility. It has a high ranger linesman 2 boom. Dt466 motor. He said the motor was rebuilt a year ago. The truck is basically rust free. The rack over the cab is rusted some and a little bit on the top of the boxes. It was sitting a little while and it has a couple issues. Maybe you guys can guide me a little. Also, any advice on using buckets would be appreciated.

The crankcase vent tube in the top of the rocker cover runs down like a hot water tank pressure release drain. It drips oil when its idling. Any idea why?

I need to grease the entire boom. I can see the fittings. What about the cable? And do I grease the chain under the chain cover?

One of the lower control levers drips fluid. Its not too bad. It looks like the covers come off to replace the o rings? Should I not use it until that is fixed? Can I fix it myself?

Is the whole boom steel with the top insulated with fiberglass? Or is the top all fiberglass?

Last question lol... do bucket truck booms break? Under normal, proper use?

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[no tree to big]

The crankcase vent tube in the top of the rocker cover runs down like a hot water tank pressure release drain. It drips oil when its idling. Any idea why?

We had a chipper do this then it blew up[emoji107]

One of the lower control levers drips fluid. Its not too bad. It looks like the covers come off to replace the o rings? Should I not use it until that is fixed? Can I fix it myself?

We fix everything on our trucks we don't send anything in unless it's gotta get plugged into some multi million dollar computer system, haha.... yes you should fix it before u run it. Have I run leaky booms for more then a short while, yes, I'm still alive.... can't tell you how easy it is to fix that valve specifically as I've never torn into one of these specifically but the other valves iv been in were pretty fool proof.


Last question lol... do bucket truck booms break? Under normal, proper use?

Nope but you don't know what the jack wagon did to it before u bought it... stuff does wear out and requires inspection periodically but flat out break no

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[miko0618]

Thanks! I drove it 400 miles home. I hope theres no problem.

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[miko0618]

I had blow by in my intercooler tubes on my supercharger all the time. Could this oil be from the turbo?

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[benjo75]

Congratulations on your truck.

Is the oil level correct? If it's too full it could be blowing out. Not sure why else it would be dripping. Normally they will have blow by and a little evidence of oil.

On my Altec they recommend replacing the cables way more often than I do. I inspect mine pretty often. Not sure about the chain.

Wouldn't hurt to rebuild the lower control levers. It's not uncommon for that to happen. When equipment gets some age on it things will start to leak. I repacked the rotary joint in mine. $200. Started leaking again after about 2 months. I called Altec and they don't recommend rebuilding them. Just replace it. They couldn't have told me that when I ordered the seal kit. $850 for a new rotary joint. That's the valve below the rotation bearing where the lower hoses beneath the truck connect to the upper hoses running through the boom. . Also called a collector.

Haven't seen your boom. You can look and tell what's steel and what's fiberglass . Both of my trucks have steel lower with a fiberglass section in the middle and fiberglass upper boom once it gets away from the joint.

I have seen broken booms. Under normal use, they're not supposed to break. But you have no way to know if the previous owner was using it to push tops out with. Or if he overloaded it with persons or used it to load logs with. Both of mine have 2,000lbs winches on the jib. They are very sturdy but they don't carry only people. Sometimes I lift pretty good loads with them. Especially in storm damage. But I don't overload them. A 25 year old bucket won't take what a new one will. They may have had bad loads put on them that you don't know about. Check the rotation bearing. I had to replace the one on my Altec. $9,500 for parts and labor. Plus they had it for over a month. I've seen a lot of bucket trucks with slack in that bearing. That's the big bearing and ring gear at the turntable. Watch it close while someone runs it. When the boom comes over center you will see it move if there's slack. The boom will pop off if it gets too bad. They told me at Terex, where mine was fixed that Altec allows something like 1/4 slack. I can't remember exactly. But mime had about an inch. I was cutting it pretty close they said.


Inspect it or have it inspected. Watch everything closely. Have the ground man trained to run the lower controls to get you down in case on an emergency. Never ever ever ever ever go up without being tied in correctly. Did I mention ever? I also carry at least one climbline to rapell down on in case of a hose blowout or fuel filter clogs up. I also keep a fly reel spooled up with throwline and a small throwbag with me. It helps for setting your line and you can send down for things. If nothing else, keep a new package of dental floss in the bucket. It doesn't take up much room and can be sent down to pull up a line for self rescue. I keep floss in my Powered Paraglider in case of a tree landing.

 

[miko0618]

Congratulations on your truck.

Is the oil level correct? If it's too full it could be blowing out. Not sure why else it would be dripping. Normally they will have blow by and a little evidence of oil.

On my Altec they recommend replacing the cables way more often than I do. I inspect mine pretty often. Not sure about the chain.

Wouldn't hurt to rebuild the lower control levers. It's not uncommon for that to happen. When equipment gets some age on it things will start to leak. I repacked the rotary joint in mine. $200. Started leaking again after about 2 months. I called Altec and they don't recommend rebuilding them. Just replace it. They couldn't have told me that when I ordered the seal kit. $850 for a new rotary joint. That's the valve below the rotation bearing where the lower hoses beneath the truck connect to the upper hoses running through the boom. . Also called a collector.

Haven't seen your boom. You can look and tell what's steel and what's fiberglass . Both of my trucks have steel lower with a fiberglass section in the middle and fiberglass upper boom once it gets away from the joint.

I have seen broken booms. Under normal use, they're not supposed to break. But you have no way to know if the previous owner was using it to push tops out with. Or if he overloaded it with persons or used it to load logs with. Both of mine have 2,000lbs winches on the jib. They are very sturdy but they don't carry only people. Sometimes I lift pretty good loads with them. Especially in storm damage. But I don't overload them. A 25 year old bucket won't take what a new one will. They may have had bad loads put on them that you don't know about. Check the rotation bearing. I had to replace the one on my Altec. $9,500 for parts and labor. Plus they had it for over a month. I've seen a lot of bucket trucks with slack in that bearing. That's the big bearing and ring gear at the turntable. Watch it close while someone runs it. When the boom comes over center you will see it move if there's slack. The boom will pop off if it gets too bad. They told me at Terex, where mine was fixed that Altec allows something like 1/4 slack. I can't remember exactly. But mime had about an inch. I was cutting it pretty close they said.


Inspect it or have it inspected. Watch everything closely. Have the ground man trained to run the lower controls to get you down in case on an emergency. Never ever ever ever ever go up without being tied in correctly. Did I mention ever? I also carry at least one climbline to rapell down on in case of a hose blowout or fuel filter clogs up. I also keep a fly reel spooled up with throwline and a small throwbag with me. It helps for setting your line and you can send down for things. If nothing else, keep a new package of dental floss in the bucket. It doesn't take up much room and can be sent down to pull up a line for self rescue. I keep floss in my Powered Paraglider in case of a tree landing.

I dont think the cable on this one gets replaced. I could be wrong. Its not like the lr50 trype. Everything seems tight on it. I hear creaking like it needs greased. I'm not getting any "blow by" as far as air blowing out of the blow by drain. The oil was too full and it seems thin on the dipstick. I'll give it a tune up and see if thats all it is.

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[benjo75]

Sometimes my cables creak a little. WD 40 takes care of it. I usually go around it with WD 40 and spray all the moving parts that don't get greased.

 

[no tree to big]

That truck boom pretty clean none of the little cover plates are bashed in no nasty rub marks on the boom, at least that are visable in the pic. We had one of those booms from 1986, just retired it a few years ago still solid as could be and it got worked every day like a mule. Only reason it retired was cause the motor blew in the truck. Never had any major issues needed the bottom cylinder rebuilt and was coming time for a new bucket but that was from rubbing and ramming trees...

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[jefflovstrom]

Get it inspected,,cover your butt,
Jeff

 

[miko0618]

Get it inspected,,cover your butt,
Jeff

Where?

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[miko0618]

That truck boom pretty clean none of the little cover plates are bashed in no nasty rub marks on the boom, at least that are visable in the pic. We had one of those booms from 1986, just retired it a few years ago still solid as could be and it got worked every day like a mule. Only reason it retired was cause the motor blew in the truck. Never had any major issues needed the bottom cylinder rebuilt and was coming time for a new bucket but that was from rubbing and ramming trees...

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This was used as a line truck. The only dents are from backing the rear steps into something. Nothing is banged up. Can and should I grease the cable where the knuckle is?

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[jefflovstrom]

Where?

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See if you can find a mobile guy near you, http://www.altec.com/service/preventive-maintenance/

Jeff

 

[Erwin]

Glad to see another newbie bucket guy! I'm turning 53 and can still climb another 10 years. However I decided to get a bucket a month ago so I can last longer and I loved it. The first time I took it out for a real job I have a fountain of oil for at least 15 seconds and lost lots of oil. It turned out the last owner could not afford replacing the 1/2 inch upper control supply line. He just had it spliced. It popped from there. I replaced it myself and it's not ok hard. Costed me close to 600 just to have the line made.
Two suggestions:
1. Wire a kill switch for the truck engine and ur pony motor if u have one to the bucket. So if u work alone if can kill the pump when u have a leak. Another incident yesterday bumped the line fitting with a falling branch and it started leaking although not too bad. Glad was able to kill it and tighten it up with a wrench.

2. Bring a throw line as others suggested or u can do what I did. I built a frame exactly the dimension of the inside of the bucket. Made a two piece cover to put on top of it out of weather proof 3/4 inch plywood. I hide a 80 foot 8mm single rock climbing rope and a simple repealing Device. I like to stand a little higher in the bucket. Also withe the plywood floor I can wear my Spurs and be ready to climb out into the tree.

 

[Erwin]

This is mine. A 97 GMC 6 liter gas. Which it were a more powerful diesel. 50 feet to the bottom of the bucket.

Another suggestion: if u r not planning to use it regularly near power lines lose the bucket insert. However make sure ur bucket has good structural integrity. In my case all four corners are cracked and I have to fix it. That way the load on the boom is at least 50 pounds less.

 

[Erwin]

The lettering on the truck belongs to the last owner. Still in the process taking it off. "Affordable?" not for everyone. I'm not cheap by any standard ):

 

[AGoodSteward]

My fav trick with a boom is to slide branches down the upper arm instead of throwing them. The elbow is usually out in free air.
Use chain lube(aerosol) so it doesn't get gummed up. Our HR manual has all the grease specs and locations marked.
Watched a guy one time with his groundie just bouncing their bucket up and down for 15-20 minutes. Definitely find somewhere to have it inspected. You never know what abuse it's seen.
Get ground protecting sheets and keep them stashed onboard. Folks with well cared for lawns don't mind paying extra for not leaving ruts.
Laser range finder so you can see clearences and reaches when bidding.

 

[AGoodSteward]

Keep kneepads or a piece of foam rubber in the tool box. You'll find yourself bracing your knees on the inside of the bucket. Especially when using a big saw.

 

[BC WetCoast]

Get a good set of outrigger pads. There have been incidents where the outriggers (without pads) have punched through the ground they were on and tipped the truck causing a fatality.

In hot weather, I've seen outriggers dent asphalt. Not an easy thing to explain to a customer why their driveway has a divot.

 

[miko0618]

That brings up a question I had. How much angle can the truck be at without fear of tipping? On flat ground, is it even possible to tip a truck?

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[miko0618]

Thanks for the tips everyone!

The fiberglass splinters are tearing up my forearms.

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