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That moment I learned my suction gauge was lying to me
I spent almost 2 years running my 12-inch dredge on the Missouri River near Kansas City thinking I was getting good vacuum readings. Turns out, the gauge I had was clogged with debris and showing about 4 inches lower than reality. An old-timer named Walt walked by my rig one afternoon and asked why I was running so hot with the throttle wide open. After he cleaned it out for me and showed me the difference, I felt like a complete idiot. Has anyone else had a simple maintenance thing bite them like that?
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paul_mason1221d ago
honestly is it that big of a deal? ive been running my 8 inch on the Platte for years and never even looked at the gauge. i just listen to the engine and feel the hose. if its sucking good its fine. plus those cheap gauges are never right anyway. sounds like you were still getting gold so who cares
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riley_coleman21d ago
Hold up, you're saying you never even looked at your gauge for years? That's a pretty bold move, man, especially on the Platte where that sand can sneak up on you real quick. I get the whole "feel the hose" thing, but don't you think a false reading could trick you into burning up a pump seal or sucking in a bunch of gravel that jams the whole works? I'm just curious, how do you know when you're about to cavitate or overheat the motor without any kind of reference point at all?
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