# Western Pro plow service, tips?



## beemrmax (Sep 5, 2009)

Finally picked up a plow, thx to all the help here. One finally popped up, I'd sorta given up hope of finding the right one.

Got an older cable operated Western 8' 6" Pro Plow, came with a truck attached, truck on the POS side (I hope it's not reading this...), but it's coming around after a day of tinkering.

Both been used, up by Newport WA by the same guy, plowing his long drive and some neighbors out for 19 years... Plow works awesome, still in one piece. I don't know if they make things this tough anymore? Total snow accumulation was 7' there last year. Guy's retiring next year and bought an fairly recent F350 Diesel with the same plow on it to make his life a little more comfortable

I was hoping to mount it on a 1970 Dodge 1 Ton Dually 4x4, the truck it's on is basically the same thing in a 2WD version, and although the whole mounting set-up is very sound, the bumper it's attached to is welded to the frame of the 2WD truck, so this will still be more of an ordeal than I'd planned for.... Or I can just plow with the 2WD truck chained up like he did, but... it's not even posi in the back, and my 4x4 IS, not to mention I just put real good tires on it, and have a full set of never used chains (all found on CL!),

Spent the day tinkering with the truck and plow, spent some time at a couple different plow shops. Picked up a some new quick release pins (the big ones), replaced all the linch pins I could, picked up 4 qts of Western Hi Perf fluid, and extra hose, QR coupler (was told it's very handy for bleeding out the side cylinders on a fluid change).

Which brings me to the point, questions.

What's an easy to follow/remember procedure for changing the fluid.

The guy I got the plow from mentioned using the "blue fluid" (judging by the truck, he wasn't real big on maintenance, but not totally neglectful either), and I want to thoroughly flush whatever's in the system and refill it.

My understanding is that it takes approximately 3 qts?

What's the best way to refill it, avoid air problems. What are a few of the other things I can do to make sure it's 100% for this winter?

The blade doesn't readily drop sometimes, not til swinging to the right or left depending on which way the blade's tilted. Actually seem that it like to lower better in the middle position.

I'll have a look a the cable adjustment as soon as I have time to tinker with it again. Tomorrow morning, I'm warming the truck up, draining and refilling the trans (old crash box NP 420), the fluid's way too runny in it. Then heading back home on my last leg of the trip home with the truck. Was supposed to drive it back today, but kept finding things that needed attention, greasing, adjusting brakes, basic tune-up stuff under the hood, trip to the muffler shop, etc, etc. The first leg of the trip (from 9pm to 11 pm last night) was pretty rough and kinda nuts, truck was real hard to drive, no power, barely any brakes, puked a bunch of coolant out at the first gas stop, tire pressures all goofed up (old bias ply tires), real bear to drive and keep in a straight line, bad exhaust stinking up the cab, plow lights badly aimed, every other car going the other way with their brights right in your face...

I think these orphans find me, and then beg, "fix me"... but that seems to be how I spent most of my summer, this will be the third decrepit old Dodge 1 Ton Dually I'm fixing up since July, and it's a long ways from over...

Anyway, looks like we'll be plowing our own driveway this year, gonna be a whole lot more convenient than digging out a spot by the county road, and tobogganing your goods from the car to the house and vice versa all winter long.

Of course, Murphy's Law would assure an easy winter after going through this much trouble to get a plow, although all the predictions I've heard are for another tough winter!

A link to an owners manual would be helpful, the plow model is: 60308 8' 6"

Probably about 20 years old, so I don't know if anything on the Western site would help.

Thx!!!


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