In the Spring it will be time to get ready for Dredging

 It's almost that time of year again......dredging season.

•  And what condition is your dredge in?
• Did you winterize it or disassemble it?

 Now is the time to get it out of the cobwebs and check it over. The first thing I would do is drain the old oil and top it off with fresh oil. I would also drain the old gas too. Next, pull the spark plug wire off, pull the starter rope, and spin it over. This gets the new oil circulated in the engine.

 Now pull out that spark plug and check the condition. If you are unsure about the condition, head to your local mechanic and ask him, but installing a new spark plug is a cheap investment.

I wouldn't fill the gas tank until you are at your dredging site. And as far as running the engine before you head out, I wouldn't recommend it, but it can be done. As long as you have a garden hose running water into the intake side of the water pump, SERIOUS damage to the pump will occur without water in the pump.

 Now that your motor & pump assembly is ready, check all your hoses and clamps and look for cracks in the hoses and worn worm gear clamps. I suggest heavy-duty clamps or muffler clamps. Worm gear clamps are suitable for maybe 1 season (worm gear?? clamps you see on your car's hoses)

 If you have an air compressor, check the drive belt for cracks. If you see any damages REPLACE it, and always keep a new belt on hand just in case (I do). Check your airline and regulator connections. Also, check the intake air filter, and replace it, if it looks dirty

 Nuts and bolts, make sure you have no wear on the threads or in the nuts. If so, replace them. I would suggest stainless replacement (No rust) with locknuts.

 All the above can be done in a day or 2. By doing all the above at home, it's much easier to run to the hardware store at home, than it is when you are on the river. We all want a trouble-free time when we dredge, and this could be an excellent way to start off the season, with a dredge already to go

 Always carry spare nuts and bolts, clamps, and filters. And have tools with you to do any repairs that may incur while on the river.

GOOD LUCK, and may you see LOTS of colors