Heard a guy at the shop say dredge pumps don't need regular greasing...

I was picking up parts at the supply house yesterday and overheard a new operator telling his buddy he never greases his pump bearings unless they start squeaking. That seemed WRONG to me so I asked our old timer about it. He told me that short cut can cost you a whole pump rebuild in under 6 months from bearing failure. I've been greasing mine every 40 hours on the dot for 2 years now and my pump is still running smooth. Has anyone else run into someone giving bad advice like that on the job?

2 comments

2 Comments

grace4191mo ago

123 mechanic I used to work with swore by the exact same thing, just wait till it squeals he said. I see that shortcut thinking everywhere now, like people who skip oil changes till the light comes on or don't rotate tires till they feel a wobble.

paige_martin1mo ago

That "wait till it squeals" advice is like waiting for your check engine light to flash before you put gas in the tank. I swear that shortcut thinking is contagious, @grace419, because I know a guy who runs his equipment till something literally breaks off before he looks at a manual. Yeah, just let that bearing scream at you for a few hundred hours, what could possibly go wrong besides a full rebuild and a week of downtime? I bet that same guy thinks air filters are optional too.