FIRE PREVENTION/PERIODIC MAINTENANCE
5
Fire Prevention (cont.)
Some additional “food for thought.” Modern, high-productivity
combines are powerful machines, and along with power
comes heat. Fire cannot start without heat and fuel. You
cannot remove the heat from the engine, hydraulics and other
hard-working systems, but you can remove the fuel source by
keeping your combine clean.
Areas requiring special attention to keep combustible debris
away from high heat are:
• The engine, specifically the exhaust manifold, turbocharger,
muffler, and exhaust pipe
• Hydrostatic pump, motor, hydraulic lines, and tubes
• Brake and transmission housings
• Electrical components
• Engine drives and all moving parts
• Batteries and battery cables
• Straw spreader drive gear compartments
Equip your combine with at least two fire extinguishers. Refer
to Operator’s Manual for suggested locations.
• It’s a good idea to have at least one water-charged extinguisher
on your combine. However, use a water extinguisher only on
crop debris. Water applied to an oil fire may tend to spread
the flames.
• Watch for fuel or hydraulic fluid leaks. Correct any fuel
or hydraulic fluid leak immediately. Clean the machine
thoroughly after any hydraulic fluid or fuel leaks or spills.
Residual hydraulic fluid or fuel mixed with trash creates
a very combustible mixture. This can make an accidental
machine fire much harder to control.
Periodic Maintenance
During harvest time, it is easy to get in a hurry and perhaps
neglect one or two “minor” maintenance items. Before long,
more items may start to seem “minor”, in an effort to get to
the field a few minutes sooner. Then, a breakdown may be a
reminder that no maintenance item is “minor ”. Not only will
the repair be more costly than maintenance, it will be much
more time-consuming.
Be sure to follow all the maintenance
recommendations in your Operators Manual, and enhance your
combine productivity all season long.
Complete daily maintenance steps are detailed in the combine
Operator’s Manual. Some checks should be made at the end of
each day’s use, preferably while performing daily cleaning:
• Check all drive chain and belt tension
• Check the feeder chain
• Empty the rock trap
• Open the cooling system rotary screen and cooler elements
to check for debris accumulation and restricted air flow
• Rotate the rotary screen to assure screen sections are not
damaged, out of place, or missing
• Grease the rotor drive. (Use only Case IH 251HEP grease
or equivalent pure lithium grease. DO NOT use moly or
graphite based grease that can dry and “cake” in the high
temperature rotor drive application, reducing lubricating
effectiveness)
• Grease the tailings return auger bearings
• Grease unloader pivot
• Confirm adequate tire inflation
Additional checks are recommended to be performed prior to
starting, when the engine is cooled to ambient temperature.
• Check the engine oil level
• Check coolant recovery tank level sight glass
• Check hydraulic reservoir level sight glass
• Drain water from the primary fuel filter water separator
• Confirm audible alarms and indicator lamps function properly
on startup
Less frequent (weekly, 50 hr.), but regular maintenance should
include:
• Use compressed air to clean debris from the alternator
• Inspect or clean the engine air filter housing and element
• Re-lubricate drive chains if previously lubricated
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