The turbo uses high pressure exhaust gases to send compressed air into the engine
cylinders. Without it, the excavator is dead.
It just sucks that this had to happen up here where we're not a hop, skip and a jump away
from a parts store. We're more of a week away.
Well, pipes off.
I don't know anything about terrible repairs.
Well, the turbo ain't working.
It doesn't spool.
We'll just wait until Brown comes back.
Okay?
Because she's what, a happy camper he'll be.
I think the turbos.
Let's have a look.
It does wiggle up and down a tad.
Like the bolt.
Well, a tad is okay.
It doesn't slide.
Yeah. Can you put your hand in that way and see if it spins one way and I'll see if it
spins on this side.
It should just spin freely.
Good turning there. No, no, it's not moving.
Oh. I don't know what it means.
It means that we're waiting.
And our extra hole was supposed to help us out, but now we're just back to square one.
The Claytons are now down to just one working excavator.
But it's up the creek digging pay.
Hey, Brady, I got a plan.
Yeah, About what?
We're going to put the 349 on double duty, loading a rock truck and feeding the plant.
So you want this thing walking a kilometer back and forth when it only does three miles
an hour?
Yeah, well, I don't know what else to do.
You got another plan?
No, but I'm just saying, like, that's going to be hard on the rails.
Yeah, it's not going to be easy, but I'll go load some trucks and let start hauling.
Yeah, Okay.
Brandon's plan.
Use the excavator at the S-bend to stockpile paydirt.
Then walk it a third of a mile upstream and use it to feed dirt.
Devil.
Plans to do double duty.
It's our only option.
It's just going to put a lot of wear and tear on the 349.
But it is what it is and it's hopefully going to pay off.
You know, the plant's been down for two days now.
The three, four nines down there loading trucks were unable to wash.
We're losing valuable sluice time, but there's no other option.
If we want to get to 500oz this season, we got to try and keep washing.
The Clayton brothers are battling to keep their mining season alive.
Down to just one excavator.
20 year old Brady has been digging pay dirt for two days.
We were thinking we finally got the other excavator up here.
We're going to. We're actually going to be getting ahead and not falling behind like we
have been. But no, it just kicked us right in the teeth again.
Here we go. Sister Jenny trucks the paydirt from Brady to the plant to build up a pay
pile.
Is what it is.
Making money.
Hey, Brady. You could probably bring that 349 up.
We have a good chunk of pay here.
We might as well start running now.
Okay. Sounds good. I'll be right there.
Good. I'll start walking up now.
Okay.
Brady must walk the excavator a painful three miles per hour back to the wash plant and
start loading pay as they chase a ten ounce weekly goal.
Finally run in dirt. I mean, we've been piling up for a while and Brown just gave me
the go ahead to drive back up there and start feeding Dirt Devil.
I will get the plot warmed up.
There she goes.
What the.
Going on with the whole.
What? Hey.
Hey, are you overheating?
Well, you're blowing something out.
The tire swing.
Swing to me so I can get up there.
You're blowing antifreeze or something?
No, no. Like the other way.
You must have blew a line.
Warren shut the drum off.
Thanks, William. Yeah.
Kill it. Oh, yeah.
It's the.
Hose.
The Clayton brothers are up the creek without an excavator.
If they can't fix it, their season could be over.
We just noticed some mist in the air.
And the main coolant line on the hull here broke.
This is a vital, vital component of the cooling system.
So, yeah, when this blows, it doesn't take long for that motor to overheat and possibly
blow. So I'm so glad we caught it when we did.
We're going to have to take that line off the 336.
Yeah, same size.
Yeah.
Their only option to save their season is to cannibalize the coolant hose from their other
broken down excavator.
Breydon water up there. They're going to take the main coolant line off of this thing, and
then we're going to go to the 349.
Put all that parts in there.
Luckily, they're interchangeable.
One side off.
Yeah. Okay. You should be good, then.
You know, I was a little scared.
I mean, if this thing goes down, then we truly are.
And we got lucky.
It was just a blowing hose.
And we even got luckier that it was.
Matt Yeah, that it matched with 336 So.
Okay, let's go Fire it up and see if she leaks.
Ready? Yep.
Clear. That's good to go,
Dad. Captain, Go on.
Pass me that. Doesn't look like it's leaking.
No, sir.
Looks good. Okay, well, let's go haul some pay.
Hell, yeah.
You know, that was a close one.
We caught it just before it overheated.
And luckily the 336 had the same hose.
It couldn't run any smoother, actually.
Great day.