'SERVICE ADVICE' Scotty White is the National Service Manager for Midway Sales Australia as well as the South Pacific. Scotty has put together some basic proceedures, tips and advice for doing self-servicing or your machinery. These servicing tips will help to optimise the performance of your machinery and help to give longer life to your products. Keep an eye out for new Service Tips each month. You can join our monthly E-Newsletter mailing list to be kept up-to-date with all the service advice as well as other information on new products, satisfied customer articles, monthly specials and more.   Don't forget, if you feel the self-maintenance of your machinery is beyond you, make sure you don't neglect the servicing of your machinery. Find a reliable service agent in your area to make sure servicing is regularly done to optimise the performance and reliability of your machinery. At Midway Sales, we pride ourselves on the after-sales sevice that we offer. If you have any questions about East Wind tractors and Dozers, Hanmey Implements or any other machinery we supply, please don't hesitate to contact us.

'THE GOOD OIL' Keeping everything well lubricated is an easy but often overlooked way to keep your machine in good order. The three simple things to remember are to make sure you are checking levels regularly, using the right lubricant and changing at the recommended intervals. The good news is that many of the tractors systems use the same oil. On East Wind Tractors the same oil is used on the engine, transmission / hydraulics, front differential and injector pump. The recommended oil is Super Tractor Oil Universal (STOU) SAE 20W -40. Engine Oil                                  Regular oil changes will protect the life of your engine. It is particularly important when the tractor is new because many fine fragments of metal will come off the moving parts in the engine when it is first used. These metal fragments immersed in the oil are normal, but if they are left in there they will wear the engine out. To change the oil, first warm it up by running the engine for a few minutes. This makes the oil runnier and easier to drain. Undo the drain plug and allow the oil to run into a container large enough to collect all the oil. Allow a few hours for the oil to drain completely. The drain plug is often magnetised and traps many of the metal fragments described above. Wipe the metal fragments away with a rag. Replace the engine oil filter element when replacing the oil. Transmission Oil Gearbox and hydraulics oil / filter needs to be replaced also. Repeat the procedure as per above. A useful tip is to pre-fill any filters that are mounted in the inverted position. This minimises getting air in the system which reduces the need for bleeding systems such as the hydraulics. Front Differential Oil 4WD tractors have a front diff and also require oil changes. Repeat the procedure as per above. A useful tip is to make sure you put enough oil in when doing a changeover. The diff fills very slowly and you can be tricked into thinking it is full when it isn't. Two things you can do to get it right is (1) check your manual for correct volumes required and (2) use both the filler point and breather tube point to pour half the amount in each. Injector Pump Some injector pumps have separate lubrication systems. Check to see if your machine has a dip stick or level indicator plug. If so you will need to check levels and replace periodically as per the manual. Power Steering Some machines also have a separate power steering reservoir. On East Wind tractors the required fluid is DX3 ATF (automatic transmission fluid). These systems do not have a drain plug and fluid needs to be removed by sucking it from the reservoir or removing the large suction hose at the bottom. This can be done with a large syringe. It is difficult to get the last bit of fluid out of the system. A trick you can use is to partially fill the system with fresh fluid, run the tractor for 5 seconds and then suck it out again. Repeat this process until the fluid is clean. Once you have completed this exercise, fill the system with fresh fluid to the appropriate level. Grease Nipples Use a grease gun to lubricate all grease nipples on the tractor. Most tractors have many of them. Look carefully and refer to the manual for locations. Basically there are 2 types of grease points - pivot points which are open such as loader pivot pins, and - sealed points which are generally rotating such as 4WD shafts. If it is not coming out then you haven't completely filled it yet or the grease isn't getting in. For open pivot points pump the grease gun until you see some grease come out. On sealed grease points only add 2 - 3 pumps of grease at any one time or you may overfill it. Refer to you operators manual or service department if unsure. View other 'How To' Articles

'FILTER MAINTENANCE' Basically filters keep the bad stuff out of your engine and hydraulic system. If you ignore your filters you can very quickly be up for very expensive repairs. The good news is that filters are simple and inexpensive to maintain or replace. So stay on top of them. Air Filter                                  As the name suggests air filters are designed to keep dust and other airborne particles out of your engine. Check your air filter as per the intervals specified by the manufacturer. Remember to check more frequently in dusty conditions. Air filters generally have an end cap which captures dust. Remove this and tap it to tip the dust out. Next remove the filter element and tap this as well to knock dust out. If the dust and other particles cannot be readily tapped out the filter element needs to be replaced. Wipe the inside of the air filter canister with a damp rag to remove residual dust. Be careful not to push any dust into the air intake. It is very important when putting the air filter back in to seat it properly and tighten the wing nut that holds it in securely. Fuel Filter Fuel has contaminants in it from time to time such as dirt or water. The fuel system generally has an inline strainer and filter to protect against this. The in line strainer usually can be removed and cleaned out and then simply refitted. If debris in the strainer can't be cleaned out then it will need to be replaced. The filter needs to be replaced as per the manufacturer's recommended intervals. The fuel system may need re-priming after this as air has been introduced into the line. Engine Oil Filter Engine oil filters take out the fine metal particles that inevitably come away from the engine as it wears. Again check the manual for the change frequency required. This is done at the same time as the engine oil is changed. Remove the filter with a filter wrench and check that the sealing ring from the old filter has not stuck to the engine mounting surface. Lubricate the new sealing ring with some rubber grease to help it seal. When screwing the new oil filter on tighten by hand follow the fitting instructions marked on the filter. Overtightening will damage the seal. After replacing the filter check the oil pressure gauge is operating at normal pressure. Hydraulic Oil Filter Hydraulic filters should also be changed as per the manufacturer's maintenance schedule. A tell tale sign that the hydraulic filter needs replacing is when hydraulic powered implements operate slowly or in a jerky motion. The method for changing the Hydraulic oil filter is the same as the engine oil filter. View other 'How To' Articles

'COOLING SYSTEM MAINTENANCE' Keeping your cooling system in good order is one of the best ways you can protect your engine. The most fundamental thing you can do is check coolant levels regularly and top up as necessary. This must be done with the engine cold to prevent the risk of being burnt with steam or hot water. Next is keeping the radiator system clean. Many machines have a screen mounted in front of the radiator to minimise debris such as grass seeds and dust clogging up the radiator core. This screen must be cleaned periodically to prevent overheating. It can be cleared with a gentle jet of compressed air or water. The radiator core should be cleaned at the same time using air or water. It is important that you do not use too much pressure or the radiator fins can be easily damaged. A gentle jet of water is my preferred method. If you have been out working the machine let the engine idle to cool the engine down to an average operating temperature. It is important not to put cold water into or on a hot engine. With the engine running at around 1200 rpm spray a gentle mist into the radiator fan. This will pass water through the fins and keep them clean. Doing this regularly will help keep the radiator clear. If the radiator has not been cleaned for some time and is clogged it may be necessary to remove it and have it cleaned by a radiator specialist. Finally, the cooling system should be flushed and refilled periodically. Again this must be done with a cold engine to prevent the risk of being burnt. Remove the radiator cap and open the drain cock to drain the fluid from the system. Place a hose in the radiator cap inlet and use water to flush the system out. Close the drain cock and add new coolant. Coolants contain rust inhibitors and anti-freeze to protect the engine and must be mixed with water according to the suppliers directions. View other 'How To' Articles

'WHEELS & TYRES' Setting up and looking after your wheels is an important part of ensuring the safety, comfort and performance of your tractor. Pressure Maintaining correct tyre pressure is one of the simplest things you can do to get the most out of your machine. Over inflation will create a bumpy ride as the tyres provide shock absorption. Also you are more likely to get a puncture when rolling over a spiky object as the tyre is less able to conform around it. Under inflation has the risk of popping the bead and the tyre will literally come away from the rim. Even if the tyre doesn't come off, very low tyre pressure can damage the sidewalls which may make it necessary to replace the tyre. As a guide for small acreage tractors the pressure should be around 15psi for rear wheels and 30 psi for front wheels. Check your tractor manual for the right pressure for your tractor. Wear and Tear Inspect your tyres regularly for signs of wear or damage. Particularly check the sidewalls for cuts or tears. A damaged sidewall could blow out unexpectedly and cause a safety hazard. Keep it all Tight It is a good idea that your wheels stay on! So check that your wheel nuts are tight and the bolts that hold the wheel inner to the rim if you have them. Keep wheel weight nuts tight too. Wheel Weights Wheel weights are used to balance a machine. For example when a front end loader is fitted this adds more weight to the front of the machine. To keep it stable it may be then necessary to add weight to the rear of the machine. Bolting weights to the rear wheels is one way of achieving this. Therefore it is important to follow manufacturer's recommendations regarding weights. Water in Tyres Another way to weight the machine is to add water in the rear tyres. Because the water is always rolling to the bottom of the tyre it has the added advantage of putting the extra weight as low as possible. This keeps the centre of gravity low making the machine less likely to roll over. The process for adding water is as follows: Work on firm level ground. Jack the tractor up to just raise the wheel off the ground and put the tractor on a block for safety. Rotate the tyre until the valve is in the 12 O'clock position. Let all air out of the tyre and remove the valve. Use a water filling attachment to put water in the tyre. These attachments bleed air out as the water goes in. They will take quite a while to fill as the water has to pass through a small hole. Keep an eye on the job to ensure you do not overfill the tyres. The best way to gauge how full the tyres are is to simply rotate the wheel until you can see water running out of the valve core. If water just comes out at the 2 O'clock position they are as full as you should have them. If water just comes out at 3 O'clock they are 50% full. Ensure you fill both rear tyres to the same level to keep the machine balanced. Re-insert the valve and fill remaining area of tyre with air to the same pressure as recommended by your tractor manual. Wheel Track Most tractor wheels are designed so that they can be turned around to make the wheel track wider or narrower. This is achieved by facing the 'dish' of the rim in for a narrower track or facing the 'dish' out for a wider track. A narrow track means the tractor will fit through narrower gaps. A wider track provides greater stability on sloping ground. If you do turn your wheels around it is important to swap them to the other side of the tractor so that you keep the tread pattern pointing in the right direction. Another way to achieve a wider wheel track and put more tyre in contact with the ground is to fit dual wheels. Again this is good for steep conditions. Tyre Type If you need to replace your tyres keep in mind the types available. Agricultural tyres offer the most traction but can be aggressive on soft ground. Turf tyres with a much more subtle pattern are designed to be gentle on lawns but give less traction in the paddock. Industrial tyres are more of an 'all rounder' in terms of good traction and suitability for lawns. Also it is important to replace tyres with the same profile, particularly on 4WD models. This is because the front and rear tyres selected to provide matching rolling speeds. Using mismatched tyres can cause mechanical damage. This information is general in nature and a guide only. Please consult your tractor manual for specific information. View other 'How To' Articles