When the grease in farm machinery fails, an already tough job gets even tougher.
Don Smith, owner of Smith Repair in Fredericksburg, Iowa, helps solve grease failure problems for his customers with AMSOIL Heavy Duty Metal Protector.
“One job that’s showing up more and more often these days are rebuilds on 5th wheel hitches,” Smith said. “More farmers now use semi- tractors and grain trailers to move grain. Most of those farmers run their trucks on gravel roads. When the time comes to unhook from the trailer, many find the 5th wheel very hard to unlatch.” That’s because the grease in the latching mechanism on the underside of the 5th wheel plate absorbs the road dust, Smith explained.
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| MP Heavy Duty Metal Protector (AMH) |
“The grease gets very gummy and the latch is frustrating to unhook,” he said. “I’ve come up with a method of lubricating 5th wheels that virtually eliminates this problem and makes trailers much easier to unhitch.” After rebuilding a 5th wheel plate, Smith flips it over onto a sheet of cardboard and sprays the locking mechanism thoroughly with three coats of AMSOIL Heavy Duty Metal Protector.
AMSOIL Heavy Duty Metal Protector is in an aerosol can and sprays out as a liquid. It dries to a waxy lubricating film that does not attract dust. “I apply three coats, allowing each coat to dry” Smith said. “Once applied, my farmer customers tell me the 5th wheel plate no longer gums up. It’s important to thoroughly clean the plate before applying.” But the MPHD is only half of the cure for the problem, he said.
Greasing the top of the plate after applying the AMSOIL Heavy Duty Metal Protector causes grease to be pushed into the kingpin and back into the latch mechanism. To remedy the problem of over-greasing, Smith uses AMSOIL 5th Wheel and Open Gear Compound. It also comes in an aerosol can.
“This synthetic 5th wheel spray grease is very neat and easy to apply,” Smith said. “It leaves behind a thin tenacious film that will not wash off or be pushed off the way grease can be.” One can of the 5th wheel grease will last up to four applications, depending on how liberally it is applied.
“In my work, I’ve found that these two products applied to a 5th wheel hitch greatly reduce problems hooking and unhooking,” Smith said. “I also use the AMSOIL MPHD as a chain lube, on door hinges, grain trailer door slides, etc. Because it locks out oxygen and won’t wash off, it also helps prevent corrosion.”
