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Worst week I ever had on a crawler crane in Houston last July
I spent 3 days stuck on a 200-ton Link-Belt trying to set HVAC units in 105 degree heat with a busted AC cab and the oil cooler fan quit on day two, has anyone else dealt with a machine that just refuses to cooperate in extreme heat?
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craig.reese3h ago
3 days in a 200-ton Link-Belt with a busted AC cab in 105 degree Houston heat? I would have packed a cooler full of Gatorade and called it survival mode by lunch on day one. That oil cooler fan quitting sounds like the machine was just daring you to finish the job. How did you even make it through the third day without passing out?
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umasullivan2h ago
That heat just bakes the electronics and hydraulics in those cranes. First thing, I always keep a spare box fan in the cab for days like that even if the AC is working, and a wet rag on the neck helps a ton. For the oil cooler fan, I've literally rigged a shop vac to blow on the cooler as a temporary fix on an older Terex, it's janky but keeps the machine running long enough to finish the set. @craig.reese is spot on about the Gatorade, but you gotta pre-cool it in a Yeti with ice or it turns into hot syrup by noon in that Houston sun.
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