A Guide to Bulldozer Maintenance

Like most other heavy equipment and construction machinery bulldozers require extra care and maintenance throughout their lifetime. These machines are used to perform strenuous tasks that can be quite damaging to its engine and parts. If you do not want your bulldozer to retain any permanent damage you should make sure to have it inspected regularly.

Most of the time bulldozer operators think of maintenance as an unnecessary extra expense and so they avoid it. That however is only going to result in your dozer needing more expensive repairs down the line as delaying maintenance only results in your machine’s parts, components and engine getting more damaged. You will find yourself needing to make expensive repairs particularly if your dozer’s sprocket segment bolts are destroyed. After damage like that the only solution available is to dismantle the dozer at least partly in order to fix the issue and that can be quite expensive as well as time consuming.

You can avoid a lot of these problems simply by ensuring that your dozer is inspected and serviced on a regular basis. Regular inspection and maintenance will ensure that your dozer will have a smooth and long running life. The following are a few practices that you can adopt to keep your dozer up and running.

Proper Grease Application

Make sure that your dozers grease points are properly lubricated. Identify all the grease points on your dozer and use the proper greasing method to properly lubricate them. Once you are done make sure to clean the machine and wipe off any excess grease so any individual particles do not stick to it.

Fuel Filter Changes

If you want to improve the life of your dozer you need to make sure that you use the right method when changing fuel filters. Make sure that you use a quality filter and apply a lubricant on it so it is sealed properly. Make sure that the filter does not come into contact with any oily or dirty surfaces and inspect it regularly to look for any signs of leaks.

Check the Engine Oil

Make sure that your dozer’s engine oil is always on a safe level. If you are not sure about what the operating range for your dozer is, you can refer to the owners manual to find out. When you are looking for caterpillar bulldozers for sale make sure to ask the dealer about the machines service requirements. If the engine oil of your dozer is below the specified level, make sure to refill it and use the right type of engine oil to do so. Make sure that you follow the advice of the manufacturer and use the engine oil with the right viscosity.

Pay Particular Attention to the Undercarriage

A bulldozers undercarriage is of significant value and that is why it is responsible for almost half of a dozer’s repair costs throughout the machine’s lifetime. If you want to make the most of your investment then you need to pay particular attention to your dozer’s undercarriage. Regular inspection of the undercarriage for any signs of wear on the rollers, idlers or the roller flanges can help prevent damage that would require costly repairs. While undercarriages are usually dirty, they should not have excessive debris collected on them.