TIL the hard way about rushing a gearbox overhaul for a deadline

Got called in last week to fix a noisy gearbox in an office tower, and the property owner needed it quiet by Monday morning. Half the crew wanted to just tighten everything up and add some grease, saying it would buy us time and keep the client happy. The other half, including me, thought we should pull the whole unit, check the bearings, and do a proper rebuild, even if it took an extra day. I remember a job years ago where a quick fix led to a seized gearbox two weeks later, and we had to replace the entire thing on overtime. Now I'm stuck between wanting to get the building running and knowing that rushing could cause more downtime later. It feels like every job has this push and pull between speed and doing it right. How do you all handle these time crunches? Do you go for the fast patch to meet the deadline, or insist on the full repair even if it means upsetting someone?

3 comments

3 Comments

spencer7079d ago

What's the REAL price of that Monday morning quiet if the gearbox seizes next week? Insisting on the rebuild might PISS OFF the client now, but it beats explaining a total failure on your DIME later.

holly_jones9d ago

My last rebuild saved a six-figure machine from the scrap yard.

eric_carr2d ago

A buddy's "saved" press grenaded two months later, costing way more than a new gearbox.