Loads of RTCH PM.

Oodles of info for operators

* Only move an ISO container with your RTCH if the tophandler is in the normal latitudinal operational (across) position.

RIGHT WAY

Transport an ISO container (load) in the normal operational (latitudinal) position

And don't drive the vehicle with the load in the in-line (longitudinal) position. That puts too much strain on the boom and hydraulics, and can cause the vehicle to tip over while it's moving.

WRONG WAY

Driving the vehicle with the load in the longitudinal position causes the vehicle to tip over while it's moving, especially on uneven ground

It's OK to stack or remove a container with the tophandler in the longitudinal position. But don't keep the load in that position while driving at the worksite.

Also, do not operate or move the load near a power line or overhead wires or carry a load while fording the RTCH. Always position the vehicle as close to the container as possible, use a ground guide when driving the RTCH up or down trailer ramps, and lower the boom before transporting a load.

* Bring the RTCH to a complete stop before changing gears from forward to reverse or changing steering modes. If you don't, you'll put unnecessary stress and strain on the vehicle's transmission, and shorten its life!

* When selecting a lower transmission range or gear, the RTCH may not downshift until vehicle speed is reduced. So stop the vehicle, then select the direction and gear range with the transmission control lever, making sure you select a specific forward or reverse gear for that load before you move the vehicle.

* Bearing oil starvation kills the turbo. So operate like this: easy warm-up, hard workout, and time to cool down.

Right after startup, run the engine at low idle for three to five minutes. That gives the engine oil time to lube the parts.

Then eyeball the gauges, especially the water temperature and engine oil pressure, for normal readings.

After RTCH operation, idle-cool the engine for about five minutes before shutdown. The engine needs to cool down slowly, or the sudden shut down can crack the block, warp a head or valves, or bake the oil until it's not slick enough to lube the bearings.

The Lowdown for Lubing

* If the red plastic caps on your RTCH's grease fittings are CARC green, they probably haven't been touched. That CARC paint usually flakes off the cap when it's removed.

All of the grease fittings work in tandem with each other for the smooth operation of the RTCH's front/rear axle steering knuckle pins, front/rear steering cylinders, and tophandler. Lube each fitting with four or five shots of grease during scheduled services.

Steering Knuckle Pins

There are two grease fittings inside the top half of the wheel assembly that lube the front axle's steering knuckle pin. Reach behind the top sensor bracket to find 'em. Use a flexible extension, NSN 4930-01-103-8203, on your grease gun to get at all hard to reach fittings.

Reach under the steering knuckle pin to find the third grease fitting. All tour of me vehicle's steering knuckle pins on the front and rear axles have this same setup.

Steering Cylinders

Next, find the steering cylinders which are in front of the steering knuckle pins. Wipe off the fittings with a clean rag. One fitting is next to the wheel assembly. The other is where the cylinder connects into the vehicle's main frame. Wipe and lube each steering cylinder on both the front and rear axles.

Foot Pedals

Remember to lube the two grease fittings in the cab behind the left and right brake pedals. Without lube, the pedals become sluggish and will eventually seize up. No pedal-no brakes!

Gear Oil Reminder

Pay attention to LO 10-3930-675-10 when it comes to the gear oil level on the front and rear wheel assemblies. Make sure there's oil in each assembly.

Check the oil level by positioning the handler's wheel so the fill plug is level with the center of the axle. Remove the plug. The oil level should be at the bottom of the plug's opening. If you lose the fill plug, replace it with NSN 5365-01-479-9230 and its seal with NSN 5310-01-479-8568.

By the way, use NSN 5365-01-480-3306 to get the axle hub's drain plug and NSN 5310-01-479-8559 for the plug's seal. The parts manual doesn't tell you this yet.

Tophandler Spur Gears 

Both spur idler gears for the container handler's tophandler need lube so the chain assembly will operate smoothly. Without lube, the gears bind and the assembly won't rotate smoothly when you extend and retract the tophandler's spreader arms to lock, load and position a 20- or 40-ft ISO container. Not good!

Climb up on the vehicle to get at these gears or lower the tophandler to about four feet for easier access.

Lube the non-motor spur idler gear located at the curbside end of the tophandler.

A motorized spur idler gear lubricated by the tophandler's spreader motor is on the roadside of the vehicle. The motor lubricates the gear's bearing shaft.

Each week, eyeball the oil level in the motor housing's sight glass. Make sure the oil is level at the top of the glass. If it's low, have your mechanic add oil in the housing's fill tube next to the sight glass.

Door Hinge and Lock

Give the fitting on each door hinge a few shots of lube.

Then open the door and put a dab of lube on the door lock for ease of movement.

PMCS Pointers

* The cab air conditioning system's filter element is behind the access door located outside the cab, in front of where the cab door opens. Remove the four nuts that hold the door in place, then pull out the filter by sliding it out of its holder.

Lightly tap the filter against your hand to remove the heavy debris. Then use low-pressure air, 30 psi or less, to blow out dust and sand.

Push the air filter element all the way back into its holder before you put the access door in place. Do not operate the vehicle without the access door in place.

* Before the day's run, check each wheel assembly for loose or missing nuts. Mechanics, re-torque a loose stud nut to 479 lb-ft and replace missing nuts.

* See a crack in the coolant expansion tank? Cover it with duct tape as a quick fix, then order a new tank with NSN 2815-01-479-8859. If you want to replace the tank just to be safe, get your CO's approval first.

You can protect the tank with nylon cover, NSN 5340-01-534-4681. And keep the coolant level between the MIN and MAX lines on the tank.

Engine Oil Check

Operators, check the engine oil before operations. Check it again after your shift. Do not wait for an error code to show up on the cab's instrument panel to tell you the oil level is low or needs to be changed!

Instead, make sure the handler is on level ground, shut down the engine and wait 10 minutes (after operations only), pull the dipstick, wipe it off, and insert it fully into the tube.

Next, pull the dipstick out and check for oil on both sides. The oil level should be in the cross-hatched area of the standard dipstick or between LOW and HIGH on the RESET dipstick. If you don't see oil, add a little at time until the dipstick registers oil.

The dipstick is known to break off where it mounts into the rubber pull-handle so tell your mechanic if it is broken.

Mechanics, replace broken dipsticks with NSN 6680-01-534-4663 on vehicles with a serial number ending in "R", or "7364" on USMC vehicles. If the vehicle's serial number doesn't end in "R", use NSN 6680-01-484-5516.

Also, it's really easy to misplace or lose the handler's engine oil filler cap. Usually the cap gets bumped off the engine or vehicle frame while oil is being added to the engine. Do not run the engine with the cap missing. Replace missing caps with NSN 4730-01-480-5711.

Tire Pressure PSI

Gauge the handler's tire pressure before the day's run. An under-inflated tire can slip on the rim, causing it to overheat and blow out. Or, the tire-to-rim seal will break, causing the tire to go flat. The front and back tires get 85 PSI.

Then make sure the tire's valve stem cap is screwed back in place. Otherwise, sand gets wedged into the stem and the tire loses air. Replace lost caps with NSN 26404-00-267-2982.

Transmission Fluid Check

Make sure you check the transmission fluid's level before the After Operations engine oil check. Do this by first parking on level ground. Then with the engine idling, transmission selector lever in N (neutral), parking brake set, and engine at operating temperature (180[degrees]F), remove the dipstick.

If you get a bad reading, wipe off the dipstick and insert fully back into the tube. Then pull the dipstick out for another reading.

The transmission's fluid level should be between the two indicator marks at the end of the dipstick. If the level is low, slowly add 10W40 oil until it's in the marked range.