Bearcat BC-502/CRC, Instruction Manual

Page: 126 / 164

BC-502/CRC
126
FIELD MAINTENANCE
Overall productivity of the asphalt distributor can be increased and
equipment downtime minimized by carefully following the
procedures given in this Section. Regular flushing of the spray bar
is especially important to avoid the time-consuming process of
clearing a bar plugged with frozen asphalt.
Flush the Spray Bar
CAUTION: TO PREVENT SPRAY BAR VALVES FROM FREEZING,
THE SPRAY BAR MUST BE FLUSHED WITH DIESEL
FUEL AFTER EACH WORK SHIFT.
If the spray bar is not flushed after each work shift, residual asphalt
could build up and solidify in the spray bar. The residual asphalt
could freeze the valves in the spray bar and create a time
consuming effort to free them. Procedure for flushing Spray bar as
described in Chapter 4 Spray bar Flushing.
Clear Spray Bar Clogged with Frozen Asphalt
Preferred Method: Clearing with Live Steam
CAUTION: IF A WRENCH IS NECESSARY TO OPEN THE SPRAY VALVE,
APPLY AS GENTLE A FORCE AS POSSIBLE TO AVOID
DAMAGE TO THE VALVE LINKAGE.
a. Manually open the first set of spray valves at either end of the
bar. Use a wrench if necessary but apply force as gently as
possible to avoid damaging the valve linkage.
b. Connect the steam supply to the outermost spray nozzle.
c. Allow steam to enter the bar until asphalt flows from the two
exposed nozzles (normally about 15 minutes).
d. When the nozzles are clear of asphalt, close the valves and open
the next set of three. Wait for them to clear.
e. Repeat Steps A through D across the full length of the spray bar.
f. If a supply of steam is not available, use the following procedure
instead.