The PS Preventive Maintenance Monthly articles from April 2004

The PS Preventive Maintenance Monthly archives from April 2004

PMCS, a vital link.(preventive maintenance checks and services)
April 1, 2004... Why bother to perform preventive maintenance checks and services (PMCS) on your equipment? After all, you have more urgent concerns. You're in a desert war far from home. Every day American soldiers come under fire. Some are wounded. Some...

No red dot? Use it not!(M1-Series Tanks ...)
April 1, 2004... Tankers, don't use the tank gun fire device simulator (Hoffman device), NSN 6920-01-067-1667, on your M1-series tank unless the simulator has been modified. An unmodified Hoffman device can create an electrical spike that could damage your...

The drier the better.(M1-Series Tanks ...)
April 1, 2004... Humidity in the ammo compartment means corrosion for onboard ammo, whether your tank stays uploaded all the lime or only during exercises. Sure, you can slow the damage by occasionally wiping out any condensation in the ammo compartment....

Recoil needs to bleed.(M1-Series Tanks ...)
April 1, 2004... When's the best time to bleed your tank's crewmen? Unless yon like living dangerously, you'd better do it prior to firing exercises and every time the recoil system is drained and refilled. If the FRH level is low it could be because of air...

Match fuel pump to engine.(M2/M3-Series Bradleys, MLRS Carrier ...)
April 1, 2004... Some mechanics don't pay attention to the usable on codes (UOC) when ordering a new fuel pump for a Bradley or MLRS. Since there are four different pumps available, they have only a one-in-four chance of picking the right one--not the best...

Don't slip up!(M113-Series FOV ...)
April 1, 2004... How fast you enter or exit the troop compartment of an M113-series personnel carrier can mean life or death on the battlefield. So it doesn't help if you go slipping and sliding down the ramp. If the ramp's nonslip coating is worn, footing...

Don't fool around with fuel.(M577-Series Command Post Carrier ...)
April 1, 2004... Your M577's 4.2-KW generator needs I clean fuel to run properly. So when sand and dirt get in the fuel tank, you need to get it out fast. Since the fuel tank has a drain plug, it'll come out fast enough. But it usually ends up all over the...

Stow the pin!(M109-Series SP Howitzer, M992A2 Ammo Carrier ...)
April 1, 2004... Crewmen, when closing the engine access grille on your howitzer or ammo carrier, make sure you stow the grille support arm's quick-release pin first. If the pin, NSN 5315-00-419-0758, and chain hang free, they get broken or crushed when...

Get the sand out ... Now!(M109A6 Paladin ...)
April 1, 2004... If you spent any time at all in Southwest Asia, you know that sand gets into everything. It gets into your hair, your clothes, even your food. If your M109A6 saw action there, chances are your hydraulics fared no better. And that means...

Replace old gauges.(HEMTT Tankers ...)
April 1, 2004... Operators, many M978 fuel tankers are still equipped with old-style differential fuel pressure gauges. They're not as reliable as the newer, more durable gauges that come with NSN 6685-01-362-4272. The old gauges start at 5 psi; the new...

Give outrigger arms a hand.(M977, M985 HEMTTs ...)
April 1, 2004... The outrigger arms on your M977 and M985 HEMTT are there to steady the truck when using the crane to lift a heavy load. But they can't do their job if you don't give 'em a hand. Weighty Problem Some operators want to make sure there's...

... Walk the planks!(M870/M870A1 Semitrailers ...)
April 1, 2004... Keep the word Purpleheart" in mind when it's time to replace the decking boards. Purpleheart is a tropical wood that's stronger and more durable than the boards you use now. It resists both rotting and ultraviolet rays, and repels water....

Breathe easier with precleaner.(HMMWV ...)
April 1, 2004... A HMMWV's engine needs clean air, and lots of it, to run smoothly. So when the air filter element gets clogged, the vehicle runs rough, uses more fuel and loses power. You can help stop clogged filter elements on most HMMWVs by adding a...

Keeping control remotely.(Avenger Missile System ...)
April 1, 2004... You won't have even a remote chance of firing the Avenger if you don't protect the cables for the remote control unit (RCU). Just a hard tug or a moment's carelessness can ruin RCU cables. Here's how to control RCU damage: Carefully line...

Bag seals out sand.(M16-Series Rifle, M4/M4A1 Carbine ...)
April 1, 2004... Dear Editor, When I read about the soldiers in Iraq who weren't able to defend themselves because sand caused their M16s to jam, I remembered an article from an old PS about keeping your rifle in a bag. Maybe it; would help soldiers...

No cleaning tanks!(Small Arms ...)
April 1, 2004... Dear Half-Mast, We have one of those high-tech ultrasonic cleaning tanks and we were wondering if it would be good for cleaning our pistols, machine guns, and rifles. D.M. Dear Mr. D.M., It would definitely not be a good idea...

Up-to-date armorer's tool kit.
April 1, 2004... Some soldiers with long memories are still writing to PS for copies of an article from more than 10 years ago that gave a breakdown of the small arms tool kit, NSN 518000-357-7770. That's ancient history. The article is out-dated and the...

What's down under?(See ...)
April 1, 2004... Construction operations in heavy brush and rocky terrain can do a lot of damage to the excavator's undercarriage. That means you have to get down on your hands and knees before the day's run and take a look at what's down under. ...

Check the paint job.(D7G Tractor ...)
April 1, 2004... Your dozer came back from the paint shop and it looks great--just like new! Now you're ready to get in the driver's seat and start work. Before you do, though, walk around the vehicle and look at the areas that were covered by tape in the...

Caps beat tape.(600-GPH ROWPU ...)
April 1, 2004... Dust caps aren't much good if you don't use 'em. And speaking of no good, duct tape is no good if you use it instead of dust caps. Keep that in mind when you disconnect the chemical lines from the cans on your 600-GPH reverse osmosis water...

Make sure track measures up.(HYEX ...)
April 1, 2004... Working from the bottom up is where undercarriage PM starts on your hydraulic excavator. The well-being of the excavator's undercarriage components hinges on good track adjustment. If the track's too tight, it puts a lot of stress on...

The PM dead zone.
April 1, 2004... APRIL, 1999 TWO SURVIVORS! LET'S GET 'EM OUTTA HERE PRONTO!! WALKER'S GONNA BE OK. BUT, WILIAMS... I DUNNO... HE'S OUT COLD. IT DOESN'T LOOK GOOD. FIVE YEARS LATER... SGT. BLADE! COME TO THE HOSPITAL. PRIVATE...

Broken stabilator amplifiers?(HH-60L/UH-60A/L ...)
April 1, 2004... Mechanics, removing, replacing and testing your Black Hawk's AM-7106E/A stabilator amplifiers, NSN 5895-01-316-2763, may not rank high on your "things to do list." But when it's time for shipping, packaging, handling or maintaining of the...

Rack 'em and stack 'em.(UH-60/A/L/Q ...)
April 1, 2004... Dear Rotor, Drive shaft storage space becomes a problem when more than one Black Hawk is in phase maintenance. The drive and tail rotor shafts are expensive and laying them on tables can put them in harm's way. If they roll off the...

Too loose is not right.(UH-60 ...)
April 1, 2004... Mechanics, when MWO 1-1520-237-50-76 installed the AN/ARC-220 high frequency radio antenna, it told you that the mast compression sleeves and coupling nuts needed only a snug tightening with an adjustable wrench, NSN 5120-00-264-3796, or...

The agony of "de-feet".(UH-60 ...)
April 1, 2004... Mechanics, defeat is what you'll feel every time "de feet" step on and break Black Hawk engine parts while doing rotor head maintenance. Your bird's work platform and step areas are a good place for big feet, so keep them there. The...

Don't screw into the condenser!(F18H-MPI AC Unit ...)
April 1, 2004... Dear Editor, A lot of commo shelters use the 18,000 BTU horizontal air conditioner, NSN 4120-01-327-1316. That air conditioner has a fabric cover, NSN 4130-01-268-2163, that; rolls down to cover the condenser side of the unit. This...

From the desk of the editor.
April 1, 2004... Great job, Jason. We at PS support any effort to save equipment and in so doing, time and money. Another solution is one that CECOM has recommended and that is to put a strip of metal between the condenser and the screw holes. Here at...

A winning way with the winch.(AB-1373/TRC Antenna ...)
April 1, 2004... The winch, NSN 3950-01-349-2445, used to raise the AB-1373/TRC antenna mast, is a victim of abuse. If the winch were a boxer, most of you are treating it like a heavyweight, but it belongs in the lightweight division. A punch here and...

The loudspeaker's a drain.(Sincgars ...)
April 1, 2004... Here's how it happens: the SINCGARS mounting base, MT-6352/VRC, branches vehicle battery power to both the vehicular amplifier adapter (VAA) and the loudspeaker. When you switch off the VAA power switch, you stop power from going to the VAA and...

Seal the doors!(S-805/G Shelter ...)
April 1, 2004... Your S-805/G non-expandible shelter, NSN 5411-01-387-4894, used as part of the AN/TRC-175B system might have a leaky door. If it does, the problem is probably that the lip at the top of the door is not making a good seal. Take a look at...

NVG neck cord dilemma.(Night Vision Goggles ...)
April 1, 2004... Dear MSG Half-Mast, I ordered PN A3144306, NSN 4020-01-023-6271, to get the neck cord for my AN/PVS-14 night vision goggles. That's the part number given in TM 11-5855-306-10. When the cord came, it was 6 inches shorter than the old cord....

Tighten your belts.(M17-Series Decon ...)
April 1, 2004... Loose belts make deconning difficult for your M17 decon. Slipping belts keep water and fuel pumps from pumping. A loose belt eventually slips off and shuts down the M17 completely. So check the water pump belts before you go on a...

Gimme some skin!(M40/M24-Series Masks ...)
April 1, 2004... To use the M40/M42-series masks with either the quick doff hood or the joint service lightweight integrated suit (JSLIST), you need either the universal second skin (USS) or second skin (SS). Without a skin, you won't have complete head and...

What size you need?(JSList ...)
April 1, 2004... NBC NCOs, USE THESE NSNS TO ORDER THE SIZES AND TYPES OF JOINT SERVICE LIGHTWEIGHT INTEGRATED SUIT TECHNOLOGY (JSLIST) SUITS YOU NEED... WHATEVER YOUR SIZE OR SHAPE MAY BE, WE'VE GOT THE CLOTHES FOR YOU! TYPE II SUITS (HOOD) ...

Challenge odd prices.
April 1, 2004... If you think a spare or repair part is priced too high, DoD and the Army want you to challenge it. At worst, the price will stay the same. But you might be able to save your unit and lots of others a fair heap of change. Price...

PMCS protects vehicle and operator.(Maintenance ...)
April 1, 2004... "Okay," you grumble. You've just been appointed the vehicle operator for your section's HMMWV. You've never been a mechanic and now you're supposed to pull PMCS, whatever that is. Where do you start? What makes PMCS more than just a...

High priority or lo-o-ong wait.(Supply Requisitions ...)
April 1, 2004... Dear Editor: As an inventory management specialist for SBCCOM (now TACOM-RI), I've seen evidence that some supply types in the Field don't understand the required delivery date (RDD) when submitting requisitions. Some unit supply...

New TMDE equipment authorized.(Supply Requisitions ...)
April 1, 2004... The PM, TMDE is fielding the AN/USM-677 spectrum analyzer, NSN 6625-01470-7545, and the new OS-303/G oscilloscope, NSN 6625-01-470-7541. But, unit MTOEs haven't been updated to authorize them. So, Property Book and Force Modernization officers...

SMART ideas do pay.
April 1, 2004... BOY, THIS IMPROVEMENT I MADE SAVES ME TIME. I WONDER IF I COULD MAKE MONEY, TOO? YOUR REMEDY MIGHT GET YOU MORE THAN TIME! SUBMIT YOUR IDEAS TO THE SUPPLY AND MAINTENACE ASSESSMENT AND REVIEW TEAM (SMART) AND YOU COULD END UP WITH MORE...

Shepherding your LAMS.(Large Area Maintenance Shelter ...)
April 1, 2004... Mary had a little LAMS, With parts to keep it strong. And everywhere that Mary went The parts list went along. The large area maintenance shelter (LAMS) for aviation, NSN 5410-01-334-3158, sets up quick and gets you out of the sand and...

It may be excess to you ...
April 1, 2004... SO, YOU'RE GETTING READY TO REDEPLOY HOME. SPARE PARTS AND OTHER EXCESS ITEMS ARE BEGINNING TO PILE UP AND YOU DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S TIME TO TURN THEM IN. DON'T DO THE WRONG THING AND THROW THEM AWAY. WORK WITH YOUR SUPPLY SUPPORT ACTIVITY...