Just finished a nightmare job on this stinky garbage pig of a 963C, 6 out of 12 manifold bolts broke flush with the head, manifold was warped close to 1/8" from being run so long, soot everywhere! Luckily I only had to drill out one stubborn bolt, all others came with an ez out, which was good as there was no welding or heating possible unless I spent a day dropping pans/washing (I'm not to fond of having to wash landfill machines...) My back is telling me i'm not a contortionist but you damn well need to be when crammed into a 963C!
Well all that work was for nothing.... I had done the exhaust repairs last week and the machine burnt this morning, looks like an electrical fire somewhere under the RH side of the cab, possibly started in the cab, hard to tell exactly where it originated. It had just over 14k hrs so anything is possible. Guessing a chaffed main battery cable as it welded itself to the hole through the battery box. Hard to see problems like this unless they keep the machines somewhat clean, which is not my responsiblity...:Banghead Turn that night switch off !!!
Oh and by the way, nothing burnt in the belly pans, the engine and pumps suffered though...
"Y'all want that regular or extra-crispy....?"
AHH the sweet smell of landfill, I miss it NOT. Used to work on local trash haulers equipment, would not wish that scourge on anyone, took a long time to be able to smell anything normally again!
Thats not the first one I have seen catch on fire. 953c and 963c both by the starter. Not sure if it was chaffing on battery cable or what but they both burnt all wiring at starter. Lucky the operator noticed and used his water jug to put out the first one. The second one had a few leaves and branches but not much else to burn.
Yup i've seen the cables rub on the clamps by the starter also, I had just checked the cables on the starter side while I was doing the exhaust manifold and all looked great, looks to have started on the opposite side of the machine to me but who knows! Every single wire on the machine is burnt, It is what it is.....
963s are not that bad from where I (the operator) sit. But maybe they should have just kept making the old 955s and 977s...
That sucks! Hope they are not the kind of people who love to blame the last person to work on a machine for the next failure! "You worked on it last why didn't you see that problem?" "But I replaced the left head light and the right rear wheel bearing failed!" "Yea but you said it was fixed so it's your fault!" I'm sure lots of us have worked for people like that. Never had a machine burn up like that, but the thought of it is why when doing up a "winter work list" I always tried to word any leak repairs I suggested as being "Fire hazards". Did not make a big difference but at least I felt I was somewhat covered if there was a fire later on. So now do you get to fix this one?
This customer is really good, they pretty much just said Sh@t happens! And agreed with everything I said. I know if the machine was cleaned properly there would have been a good chance I could have seen the issue before this happened. I've been trying to get them on a regular wash schedule for years but it never seems to happen, maybe this incident will bring it forward! I've told them when the machines don't get the pans dropped and properly cleaned on a regular basis it's a fire hazard in it self and I can't properly inspect everything while doing a service. She's pretty much scrap now and the undercarriage was completely shot, so might end up ahead of the game if all the ducks are in a row!
Oil leaks and trash aside if a positive battery cable dead shorts on the framework its almost guaranteed a fire will ensue. Especially on a 24 volt system. If that is the positive cable at the forefront of the first picture I don't like the looks of that clamp that is securing it. A little chaffing and you have a catastrophe. I would like to see a piece of hose or some other insulation in between. Just my opinion however and not bashing in any way.
Yeah I didn't like that cable clamp in the first pic either, I had bent it out of my way and straightened after I was done in there, I pulled the cable through the clamp and there was no chaffing. I'm always paranoid about chaffing battery cables, when there is 4000 + amps and 24v it goes south real quick!! They are now thinking the fire started in the cab, possibly cigarette caused, I guess will have to wait and see....
A little off topic , or not , I know of 2 D6N's that burnt around here. Both were fairly new less than a 1000 hrs. Its never been said what caused it.
I have seen a 963 / 973 almost go up in smoke, but the operator was in reacting to what he saw. He (the operator) was also lucky that the fire began while he was operating on a hill on the yard, during normal business hours & that the mechanic shop was right there on site, too. He was a old school operator that cared about the machines he used. He took a great amount of pride in everything he did. I suppose that is rare now-a-days!!! In the end, the very end of the cable was cut down a few inches, re-routed & given a new terminal end and starter motor. That machine is still in use today.