[Bill]

I may be wrong on this, but I have had two coaches for a long time, one 15 years and one 8 years. Neither had a split or missing dust cover on the greased joints. I think grease monkeys are the problem.

I did all my lube work and I think part of the reason for damaged or lost dust covers is the mechanic that typically lubes trucks or buses gets paid by the amount of grease they pump. Probably not, but it seems that way. I have seen them pump grease in until the dust cover balloons up and grease starts leaking from the edge of the dust cover. I think eventually the dust cover just tears or splits and when it does that within a short period of time the tear gets bigger to the point where the dust cover is useless.

I pump in grease until I see slight movement on the dust cover. I don’t wait for the dust cover to expand. I just want to see evidence grease has gotten into the joint and any movement of the dust cover is ample evidence of that.

[Archived]

Am sure you are right Jon. I was doing all my own lube jobs but recently got tired of climbing around under the bus with an ungainly battery powered lube gun. A pit would be nice. I recently found a Petro Truck Stop lube center that allows me to accompany the lube tech into the pit. They actually think its pretty cool that the “rich guy” would be willing to get his hands dirty. At the very least in the future I will insist on speaking to the tech directly before he tries to explode the dust covers.

[Bill]

Brian,

He should realize that you are NOT a rich bus guy because all your mad money goes to parts.:)

[Bob]

Quite a while ago we were on the road doing trade shows and seminars and there was no way I could do my normal maintenance so I happened to be in a Union 76 that had an empty bay and could do it right away. They had a young guy who was happy to get a chance to lube it but he admitted he did not know where or how. Just for saying that I mentally gave him points for his honesty.

When I told him where every fitting was and how much grease to shoot into the fittings it blew his mind. I asked if he minded if I got down in the pit with him and he was surprised I was willing. It went well because he was an avid learner. Just knowing he didn’t pump too much grease in the fittings and he only gave a slight amount to the fittings relating to the brakes made me feel good, and he felt better understanding why you don’t overgrease certain fittings.

He did mention he was surprised people that own coaches like ours knew what we knew. So I guess if we drive a Prevost conversion we aren’t considered mechanically astute.