Prepping for a mobile mechanic visit

[goldfields]

Hi all, I have a S205 I bought 3rd hand. Had a few very small leaks, then suddenly dumped 300ml+ of hydraulic oil through the centre bottom (as in, apparently not a wheel drive gasket issue). I'm an ok mechanic on old tractors, but can't afford to eff around and find out with a skidsteer. I had a look under the seat and this is the photo. Whatever is on top looks pretty leaky. I was going to have a mobile mechanic out and I'm wondering if I should try and clean this up with some degreaser and then idle the machine just prior to the visit? Or should I just leave it as is? Thanks in advance, Cheers

 

[mrbb]

personally and this is just that MY 2 cents

I think most mobile mechanics, appreciate having a clean machine to work on, and in a place where its easy easy to work on as possible,l, as in NOT in mud, or off camber ground, rocky ground or just wet, near electrical outlets(if needed) GOOD lighting and if in a cold area, a warm place to work on it!

the reasons I say this is, well time is money, the more time it takes for them to find a leak, due to having to clean things to find exact location, or time it takes to just clean enough to get to things, same goes with having good light to see, and , well, the more comfortable the tech is, with the machine being in a easy to work on area(not all muddy wet or rocky ground)
the happier they tend to be and that tends to mean more productive in my experience
showing up to a sloppy mess, doesn't inspire anyone IMO

and also, having a clean machine for them to work on also means there less likely to end up getting dirt or crap into a CLEAN hydraulic system, when they remove hoses or connections, which benefits YOU more than them in the long run!

SO< yes if possible, wash the machine, let dry and then call them to come check things out
make there life easier, and they will be more likely to want to work for you in the future as well, which might me less down time for you!
so thats my 2 cents

 

[goldfields]

personally and this is just that MY 2 cents

I think most mobile mechanics, appreciate having a clean machine to work on, and in a place where its easy easy to work on as possible,l, as in NOT in mud, or off camber ground, rocky ground or just wet, near electrical outlets(if needed) GOOD lighting and if in a cold area, a warm place to work on it!

the reasons I say this is, well time is money, the more time it takes for them to find a leak, due to having to clean things to find exact location, or time it takes to just clean enough to get to things, same goes with having good light to see, and , well, the more comfortable the tech is, with the machine being in a easy to work on area(not all muddy wet or rocky ground)
the happier they tend to be and that tends to mean more productive in my experience
showing up to a sloppy mess, doesn't inspire anyone IMO

and also, having a clean machine for them to work on also means there less likely to end up getting dirt or crap into a CLEAN hydraulic system, when they remove hoses or connections, which benefits YOU more than them in the long run!

SO< yes if possible, wash the machine, let dry and then call them to come check things out
make there life easier, and they will be more likely to want to work for you in the future as well, which might me less down time for you!
so thats my 2 cents

Thanks for the reply, that was sort of my intuition, but I've been confidently wrong more than once haha!

 

[mrbb]

Thanks for the reply, that was sort of my intuition, but I've been confidently wrong more than once haha!

I'm sure we all have , your not alone,

 

[haymaker]

Thanks for the reply, that was sort of my intuition, but I've been confidently wrong more than once haha!

Me too...married twice.

 

[ZekeSkyree]

Not only that, but when it comes time for you to work on the machine, you'll appreciate it being clean.

 

[Ster1]

My .$02 - I am a mobile mechanic and I work on skiddys. I would always prefer dry flat ground, sunny day, and lemonade served by the Tropicana Girls Bikini Team. I almost never get my way. Yes time is money so anything you can do to make his job faster saves you bucks. That said, a word of caution on the cleaning. He's going to have to clean it, so you can do that ahead of time IF the leak is apparent. Sometimes the dirt is a good indicator of the leak's location. If you clean it, and the leak's location does not reveal itself, that may create a problem instead of solving one.

 

[Firefighter]

as a mechanic i will disagree to a certain degree, yes i agree with having a clean loader, definitely makes thing nicer to work on, but when it comes to hydraulic leaks, especially minor leaks its a lot easier to find a leak if u leave it as it was, if everything is clean i have spent more time trying to locate leaks

 

[laurencen]

personally do a good job of pressure washing and make it clean, let it dry and dust with a fine powder such as flour, start it up and the leaking area shows up quickly, I would clean it well, go over the hose fittings some couplings have O rings that dry up and weep,

bringing a mechanic on site is expensive so cleaner the better especially as time is money

 

[mrbb]

one can also after cleaning add some dye to the system and that tends to help find leaks faster as well,

as in life though there are pros' and cons to all things
I still prefer having a clean machine over one all covered in spilled fluids and dirt and other debris!