Grapple jaws won't open.....Troubleshooting 101 for the win!!!!!

[Runs With Scissors]

Nothing "earth shattering" here, just posting to burn data before my plan renews...LOL

So I go out yesterday and plow the drive. Well there are some spots that I use the bucket on the tractor where the plow doesn't fit well.

Somehow my box blade ended up on the ground, so I gotta pick it up and put it on the dolly. I fire up the General Lee and let him idle for about 5-10 minutes.

It's not very cold out yet, maybe 25 or 30F, but I figure a little warm up can't hurt.

Then I hop on, and lift the loader arms and try to open the grapple.......Nothing.....

The loader arms work, but the grapple jaws wont open.

I get off and check the hoses......somehow one got pinched at the grapple pivot point.

Aside: I am throughly pissed/disappointed/dislike the way the 3rd function hoses are set up. They "move around" no matter how hard I tighten the base, the hoses get pinched.....I am gonna fix it eventually, but thats a new thread.

I straighten everything out and hit the buttons.....Still nothing.....Hmmmm????

I reason that the loader arms are working, so I figure that it is most likely electrical.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

When I pulled it up to the cottage the last time, it was rainy/nasty out so I wonder if some water got into the switch housing.

Nope, that looks good and the connections look good too. Hmmmm???????

Next I whip out the 1,000 year old Fluke meter......

Good ground, but no power.....Then it hits me like a sack of hammers, "Hey dumbass, you just installed a Battery Maintainer....check that area"

After a 1 minute inspection, I see what I suspect is the culprit.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

I grab a 10mm and some dielectric grease and get to work....

A few minutes later, it's connected .

and the Grapple is working great.

The End.....

 

[fried1765]

I grab a 10mm and some dielectric grease and get to work....

View attachment 120182

A few minutes later, it's connected .

View attachment 120183

and the Grapple is working great.

The End.....

All things electric must have a positive, ........ and negative connection!

 

[Moose7060]

Glad I'm not the only one who suffers from occasional brain farts. Thanks for the morning chuckle.

 

[D2Cat]

What caused it to become disconnected?

 

[Vince1230]

I think when he installed to battery maintainer , it was taken off by accident. Looks like he installed a plug for it

 

[Chanceywd]

My fluke 87 might be 30 years old, what does a thousand year old fluke look like? Are they made out of stone or bronze or are they made like a Ouija board?
Bill

 

[Chanceywd]

And you followed your Kepner-Tregoe training by first looking for anything that was recently changed or worked on. Got to give you a passing grade on that.

It was one of the best company required courses I took back in the 90's, except maybe arc flash training when doing hot work.

Bill

 

[Runs With Scissors]

What caused it to become disconnected?

I caused it.


When I was putting the battery maintainer on, it must have dropped behind the battery.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

My fluke 87 might be 30 years old, what does a thousand year old fluke look like? Are they made out of stone or bronze or are they made like a Ouija board?
Bill

like this....

I can't recall exactly what I paid, but it was a lot back then.

I'm guessing it was early to mid- 90's when I bought it?

maybe late 80's?

I have had it so long, I can't remember when....

 

[wp6529]

like this....

View attachment 120201

I can't recall exactly what I paid, but it was a lot back then.

I'm guessing it was early to mid- 90's when I bought it?

maybe late 80's?

I have had it so long, I can't remember when....

My original Fluke 87 is from 1989 so closer to 35 years old. It was the first "real" $ piece of test equipment I bought. I recall it being close to $200 way back then which was a good chunk of change for a formerly young guy.

I still have it and it still works though it has developed the annoying habit of sometimes turning itself on and draining the batteries. I recently got a new Fluke 87 series 4? 5? hopefully it will be just as good.

 

[Chanceywd]

My original Fluke 87 is from 1989 so closer to 35 years old. It was the first "real" $ piece of test equipment I bought. I recall it being close to $200 way back then which was a good chunk of change for a formerly young guy.

I still have it and it still works though it has developed the annoying habit of sometimes turning itself on and draining the batteries. I recently got a new Fluke 87 series 4? 5? hopefully it will be just as good.

I started wearing hearing aids about 7 years ago. I noticed right away how loud the continuity beep was again just like when it was new. I had thought it was getting old and weak but it was me! Mine was company bought but it was given to me as my retirement "gold watch" by my supervisor. There was 5 of us in our group sharing 1 fluke and I advocated buy more. I had to write a letter to the plant manager and he approved for all of us to get them. I think they were about $300 then. I like the record function on it.

Bill

 

[GrizBota]

like this....

View attachment 120201

I can't recall exactly what I paid, but it was a lot back then.

I'm guessing it was early to mid- 90's when I bought it?

maybe late 80's?

I have had it so long, I can't remember when....

Looks like the Fluke multimeter I used in my electrical fundamentals (E fundies we called it) lab classes in the late ‘80s.