Always fully read and understand the Disassembly and Assembly manual before attempting to perform any maintenance on any machine!
Belly Pan Removal
Be sure the surface underneath the belly pan is solid, flat, smooth and unobstructed.
Use caution around pinch points and potential pinch points.
Be alert for possible movement of guards.
Always be sure to inspect all of your tooling for proper condition and operation.
Always be sure you are using the proper tooling for the job.
Be sure the tooling is suitable for the weight of the job.
Never place any part of your body under the bottom guard unless the mounting hardware is installed.
Be sure the tooling is in the proper location and giving proper support to the guard before loosening any hardware.
The secondary system can be manual or automatic with a verification procedure for the user to check for proper attachment.
Be aware that bottom guards may contain significant amount of rock, dirt, liquids and debris causing additional weight.
Lowering the Hinged Bottom Guard
A suitable floor jack must be used for the complete removal of the hinged bottom guards.
Be sure to inspect the suitable lifting device and all suitable restraining devices prior to installation for proper condition and proper operation.
Make sure there are no interferences that may be caused by dirt or debris that could cause unexpected movement of the bottom guard when the restraining device is secured to the machine.
Be sure the lifting and restraining devices you are using are centred in the front and back of the bottom guard.
Be sure all hinge pins, cotter pins and washers are in place in the bottom guard.
If any cracks are noticed on the hinges or the welds do not lower the bottom guard, refer to the manual for a complete bottom guard removal procedure.
Once everything is secured, loosen nuts that secure the bottom guard; do not remove them completely.
Make sure you maintain at least one half of the thickness of the nut thread engagement on all nuts.
Be sure the area is secure and no one is under the bottom guard.
Slowly lower the bottom guard until it is resting on the nuts; pry the bottom guard loose from the frame if necessary.
Once the bottom guard is resting securely on the nuts, remove any excess slack in the restraining device.
Now you can remove the nuts that are furthest away from you.
Remember to remove the ones that are close to you last to prevent from reaching across the loosened guard.
Once all of the nuts are removed, use the suitable tooling to safely lower the bottom guard to the ground.
