Checking In

I was just thinking.....what if it said "checking out"..... It's all about perspective I guess. Anyways, it has been yet another long week of stress and anxious money shuffling. It isn't a bad thing to do when you have plenty of money. Of course I don't have it, so the problem has been having enough to keep work going and having enough to start the next week. What's worse is many others whom I either owe or who owe me seem to think I have lots of $. The grass does seem greener where ever I'm not standing. On the up side, if you know I am not loaded, then you are most likely a friend or at least friendly. If you have any doubts then you can't be a friend because you don't know me! lol

This week started out looking great. I spent four days last week rebuilding the hydraulic system on one machine. Monday we moved lots of material. Tuesday we got one pull up to the landing and the transmission pump went out on that same machine. We didn't know for a while what the problem was so I called the equipment place and they put me on the right track. I had to go buy a pressure gauge to read the pressure coming off the transmission filter. It was running about 25% of normal. So the next step was to replace the filter. It looked bad but replacing it did not return the pressure at all. The only logical thing left was the trans pump which controls the shifting and direction of the transmission. That afternoon we spent pulling the hydraulic pump, then the trans pump. When I took the pump apart it was obvious what was wrong. The insides were wore out badly. I then ordered the new pump and picked it up the next morning, bright and early($1300!). I gotta say I got a great deal on this machine. It was nearly scrap metal priced. I suppose the guys that had it didn't even know where to start fixing it. It looks like they never cleaned it or check anything on it. Every filter in it has been jammed with crud and all the hydraulic cylinders and seals were leaky. I think there are about two more seals to fix and I have to rebuild the brakes. After that it really will be like a new one.

Maybe by this time next year I will have everything updated for work. I am still not sure where this road is taking me but there have been some doors opening. Y'all have a good rest of the day.

-DCW