Leaving your heavy machinery to continue functioning while the gearbox is experiencing all sorts of trouble will only translate into a costlier repair bill. Therefore, the owner of the heavy machinery has to know the right time to contact a gearbox repair specialist before things become even worse. The following are three sensory techniques to help you diagnose gearbox complications within your heavy machinery.

What are you seeing?

A visual inspection will help you identify the type of problems affecting your gearbox. Check out the seals adjacent to the gearbox housing. Do you see any cracks or signs of deterioration? To carry out a visual assessment, you should have a camera to take pictures of any notice able damage. The photos eliminate the guesswork out of attempting to explain to the mechanic what you initially saw. In most cases, a damaged seal allows the entry of dust and dirt inside the gear wheels of your machinery and throws them off balance. Unless you're a professional mechanic, desist from opening the gearbox for further visual examination. Just note what you can see at the exterior of the gearbox housing case and inform your mechanic.

What are you smelling?

Next, it's time for your nose to get to work. Sniff the air to notice any uncommon smells emanating from your gearbox. Basically, you are sniffing for scented clues to ascertain whether your machine's gearbox is overheating or not. The smell of smoke emanating from the gearbox seals, and the smell of burning oil dripping out of the gearbox compartment will help you confirm that indeed the gearbox is overheating. By taking note of the odours, you can know that something is wrong and call in a mechanic right away.

What are you hearing?

Your sense of hearing can also play a significant role in your troubleshooting. In particular, you're paying undivided attention to the sound of knocking, vibration, or clunking stemming from the gearbox compartment. Typically, the gear teeth should perfectly weave together with the adjacent gear teeth whenever they turn. However, when the meshing gets out of sync, not only will the gear teeth wear out quickly and break, but will also produce strange sounds when in motion. These strange sounds springing from the gearbox compartment point towards trouble.

When you suspect your heavy machinery gearbox is not operating optimally, you can use the above-mentioned sensory techniques to carry out a diagnosis and know when to contact a mechanic to perform the necessary heavy machinery gearbox repairs.