Noticed my cutter suction dropped 15% after skipping one lube cycle

Was running a job down in Lake Charles last month and got lazy about greasing the ladder bearings. Figured one shift wouldn't matter. Next morning my pump pressure was down and I was pulling way less material. Checked everything from the suction screen to the impeller before I realized it was the bearings dragging. After I greased them up proper the numbers came right back within 2 hours. Has anyone else seen a drop like that from just skipping maintenance?

2 comments

2 Comments

lunakim29d ago

Gotta push back on this one. 15% from one missed grease job sounds more like you had a pre-existing issue that just showed up that day. Ladder bearings don't go from fine to dragging that fast unless you got grit in the housing or a seal was already shot. I've run days without greasing on certain rigs and saw maybe a 2-3% dip if anything. Bet your pressure drop was from something else like a worn impeller clearance or a partial plug in the swing. The grease probably just masked the real problem for a few hours.

nathana4829d ago

Buddies of mine on the Gulf swear they can lose up to 20% on their suction if they skip a single grease on the ladder bearings. Still pretty crazy that one missed cycle dropped you 15% though.