Well a temporary fix anyway.
I suddenly lost my power feed. Hit the auto clutch to disengage, and that would not work either, so I killed the engine and started looking for a kicked breaker. Yup, the "acc" breaker was tripped. I reset the breaker and the power feed was OK, but as soon as I engaged the auto clutch....tripped again. I quickly determined that the auto clutch wire was grounded. Since the wire goes through the wiring harness, etc. the quickest way to get going again was to run a temporary wire.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/DSCN0868.JPG)
I laced the temporary wire along the flexible conduit.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/DSCN0869.JPG)
Backed off on the conduit connector and entered the control box.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/DSCN0870~0.JPG)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/DSCN0867~0.JPG)
And then it was a simple matter to connect the temporary wire on each end. Five minutes and I was sawing again. :)
I'll trouble shoot the grounded wire when the customer's hired help is not watching.
Better sign up for the "Loop" this year. ;D ;D ;D ;D
Good job, Did you have all the stuff with you to fix it?
Or did the customer have the stuff.
He is part Magic and part Mc Gyver
"It's Magic"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I had everything to do the temporary with me which prompted me to do the quick workaround. :)
Hhmmm, must be a common problem. I got bit with almost the same problem on LeroyC's mill last week. An added complication, the Dang breaker would not reset. Loosend the nut that holds the breaker in place and rapped the side smartly with a screwdriver handle. Re-tightened the nut and back to sawing.. GI maintenance ;D
Quote from: Magicman on March 16, 2015, 09:26:44 PM
I had everything to do the temporary with me which prompted me to do the quick workaround. :)
When I was on the road I had all that stuff too, And a big box of tools.
Good quick fix. If a fellas mill is controlled by electrons its prudent to always carry a multimeter, wire, crimpons, and tape. Frank C.
Expecting no less from a master lineman. Thinking I better put some wire in the truck. Curious to hear how it was grounding out.
Just use taillight wires
Looks like you saved the day. Last time I fixed some wiring like that it became a temporary forever fix. :)
:D I was thinking the same thing. My "corrugated" conduit has cracked and needs replacing, so I will figure out what happened at that time.
Which brings up the conduit subject. What type flexible conduit is being used now. How about a picture someone. Yup, I could order it from WM but shipping? If I could get it local, then it would save shipping.
Magicman, how did you determine it was a ground?
Try a google search on wire loom. It is good stuff, easy to work with, flexible, and readily available anywhere. Get wire loom clips to easily mount it.
Quote from: 4x4American on March 17, 2015, 10:46:28 PM
Magicman, how did you determine it was a ground?
The "other" side of battery is ground. A multimeter is an essential tool. :)
So the multimeter told you that there was an open loop I would guess? or wouldn't there be an open loop if it was a short or a ground because the breaker was tripped?
Come to think of it, it looks like the conduit they are using is wire loom!
Look at McMaster Carr (mcmaster.com) and search "standard cable sleeving" for a wide variety of designs for passing wire through that are flexible. And I've found their shipping to be quite reasonable.
http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-cable-sleeving/=wcukha
That looks like a permanent fix to me. At least if were mine. ;D
Magicman-
Check with Marty Parsons. I recall that he said they had a bunch of this stuff. Maybe his shipping charges would be less.
I would just like to see a picture of what WM is using now. I am sure that it is available locally.
It is pretty evident that MM knows every switch, where every wire goes and what it does. Good Job, MajicMan.
The one on my 2012 mill looks exactly like yours. So go take a picture of yours and post it here. ;D
OK Lynn, here ya go...my conscience was getting to me:
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/28750/IMG_0896~0.JPG)
Hello,
I will be flying to New Orleans tomorrow. I can throw it out the window on the way through. Air mail?
Marty
:D :D ^^
Thanks Paul. I was hoping that there was something maybe better, but I guess that 17 years is OK. I'll get WM to send me one with my next order.
Wondering about shipping the conduit took care of itself today.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/DSCN0879~0.JPG)
I had to replace the brush assembly in my blade guide motor, so now the conduit will be shipped with the replacement brush assembly. Yup, I always carry one.
I installed my Autoclutch between jobs. My regular timberframing customer was in a quite period and one of his workers had a bunch of trees for me to saw (outside town).
I got the clutch installed, pulled the mill to his place, and got to work. A couple of hours into the job the debarker in-out motor quit working. I checked the breaker (inside the control panel :() and it had tripped. Reset it and things went fine for a while, then it quit. Reset, breaker and back to work. Repeat as needed.
After a while I figured out that the only time the breaker tripped was when I had the autoclutch engaged (motor at full power) and was trying to move the debarker out. Once I figured this out I could change my work pattern a little and not trip the breaker (until I forgot about the pattern >:().
I gave it some thought that evening and figured out that one of the debarker wires must be shorting to ground, but only when the autoclutch was engaged. Hmmm ... what changed when I put the Autoclutch in? Nothing that had anything to do with the debarker.
Then I remembered that I'd also shredded an alternator belt the last day sawing before I installed the clutch; and I'd had trouble getting the alternator belt tight, and the belt cover was hard to get on and off, and there was a cable harness interfering with the belt cover. So that's where I looked for the short.
Sure enough, the debarker wires ran under the alternator belt guard and one of them had been rubbing and the insulation was worn through. Every time I engaged the Autoclutch the harness would tighten up a bit and the exposed debarker wire would make contact with the belt cover. This particular wire was only positive when I was moving the debarker out and that was why the breaker only tripped under a particular combination of events.
The fix was simple -- tape up the wire and push the cover up a little higher. After the job I filed the cover smooth and put some extra protection around the whole harness.
I was so focused at first on the combination of debarker and Autoclutch, plus the recent install of the autoclutch, that I completely overlooked the shredded belt (and the problems I had getting the belt cover on and off.
Thanks for sharing
Yup, I did some looking and found where the insulation was worn through on my autoclutch wire, but I am not going to do anything to it until I replace that large flexible conduit. For now I am up and running. ;D