Thank you to all of the awesome HEF members who have helped me so far @mg2361 @heymccall @Bluox @hosspuller @terex herder and everyone else! I have made 1 step forward (fuel distribution pump is replaced, fuel tank is cleaned out, fuel drain is replaced / repaired, new fan belt is on and working well, new alternator is working well, new belt tensioner is working well, and idler pulley with replaced bearings is working well), but I have run into what appears to be three new problems. I'm not yet certain where they come from or what they signify. I would greatly appreciate any pointers on where to look, especially with the hydraulic leak. My concerns now I would appreciate tips on: 1) Hydraulic leak dripping down the center of the excavator near the pump / swing bearing (starting at 5:52 in the video) 2) Engine oil leak dripping off the rear counterweight, possibly coming from the fuel injection pump gear shaft area? (starting around 3:43 in the video) 3) Exhaust leak? The cabinet on the opposite side of the cab next to the hydraulic tank seems very hot and may have even melted wire coatings? See 9:00 in video. You can also hear a bit of a strange ticking / tapping sound? Someone in a previous thread said this could be a hole in the exhaust maybe?
I went out today to work on the engine oil leak and the hydraulic oil leak. I cleaned up all around each, took around an hour or so. Then I ran the engine. The engine oil leak is coming out of the fuel injection pump drive shaft key cover... Basically two bolts hold a metal cover over the drive shaft nut. I took off the two bolts and the cover, and tightened the nut to what I believe the correct specs are. It still splashed oil out. Something that just occurred to me is that maybe that nut since it rotates actually is supposed to be covered in engine oil... And the metal cover with two bolts is supposed to hold it all in? I don't see how metal on metal is supposed to seal.. maybe the original mechanic removed the gasket? The installation manual makes no mention of a gasket or seal here though. See screenshot of the manual here - https://photos.app.goo.gl/LrNR5WbcbP6p1rRT6 I was unable to find the hydraulic oil leak, maybe I need to actually be using the machine to see it? Here is a video of all this if you want to see it -
I am thinking about just putting RTV on that little two bolt cover and then attaching it?
Rtv on the fuel distribution cover solved the engine oil leak. Shimming the idler pulley solved the squeak Now onto the hydraulic leak.
You can see remnants of a gasket in that one picture where you sealed it with RTV. Looks like you're getting it under control. I tend to use copious amounts of brake cleaner and rags to completely dry off a leak area. Even then I'm challenged to find the actual source but it gives me my best chance. Don't run it very long, and use a mirror on a stick and extra light to try and find that leak when it's just getting started again after cleanup.
Thank you, I will get back to work cleaning things again so I can see the leak. I just got my new mirrors on a retractable stick in the mail so that should help. This is my first time fixing something like that, so I didn't recognize the old RTV residue. Now I know!
Good news! The hydraulic fitting had just loosened up. I tightened it and the leak stopped! I ran the machine for a few minutes and the new belt tore off a string again... I am guessing things aren't aligned. The belt stabilized at that point and I got a few hours of work out of it. I checked temperatures too and I think the hottest I saw for the hydraulics was 170 farenheit at the pump. Thoughts? Here is a video of it all including some time lapse of it operating.
That's a bit cooler than coolant would run and I would see nothing wrong with that.
I ran the excavator again today, but this time it did not want to start. Usually it immediately turns over as soon as you turn the key. I put on a new alternator and also a new belt. The new belt lost one of its eights grooves... You can see that in the video in my previous post. When I watch the belt, it appears to be turning the alternator normally. The alternator light came on in the excavator when the last belt shredded, but there is no alternator warning light now in the cab. I have a feeling next time I try turning it over it won't start... I am guessing it's the alternator not charging the batteries right? I have a multimeter, should I try to test the voltage coming off the alternator or will I electrocute myself?
You should check the voltage at the battery terminals to see if it's charging. It is almost impossible to get 'electrocuted' by 12 or 24 volts DC. But of course when working with ANY electricity one should be careful and do not work in wet conditions.
You won't electrocute yourself (at least I don't see how it's possible lol.) Put your meter on the battery before you start it, and then again when it's running. If you don't like the voltage when it is running, you might want to check the voltage directly at the alternator to eliminate wiring issues. I'm not a mechanic, so sake what I say with a grain of salt. Good luck!
Ok, so I tested the batteries at the terminal with the engine off and had around 25 volts. With the engine on, it was 27-28 volts I believe. That means the battery and alternator are good right? The engine fired right up this time. Does that mean I could have a starter problem? Or some stripped teeth in the starter or flywheel?
I'm not too family with 24volt systems, but that that voltage sounds good to me. What your starter is doing is another matter. Stripped teeth and you will hear the starter and teeth grinding. When it comes to your starter, you have a system. You have the batteries and charging system (which based on your previous post sounds okay). You have the circuitry and celenoid. Then you have the starter and mechanical gears. You seem pretty sharp to this in some instances, but confused in others, so.... We can assume your alternator is charging, and you have the required voltage. When you hit the starter in a no start situation you will either hear nothing ((no click) starter cylinoid, or wiring), the starter moving and the engine not turning over (broken gears on the starter or flywheel), or a click and nothing else (power to a bad starter). Based on your limited description, it sounds like a weak starter, but again, that's a guess, post some more details. You confound me lol (that's a compliment)
My wife says I confound her too . I appreciate your insights here! I am a total newbie at this stuff but I'm very excited to learn more. I just started trying to do repairs myself about a month ago after he had another mechanic bailed on me. I actually really enjoyed it, so I've been doing more and also I'm taking a diesel fundamentals online course through savree. I will pay close attention to future starts. During the last start when I couldn't get it going for awhile, I could hear stuff moving around. No grinding. It just sounded really weak. From what you said it sounds like I must have broken gears?
I started reading about weak starters online... Sounds like it could be the starter relay, a weak battery or two, or the starter gears (though it didn't sound like grinding, just weak engagement like a dead battery).
Loose connections do it too. The batteries are getting charged and it's all good, but a gunked up connection can be intermittent like that.
An easy way to check battery connections is to lay your hand on them after cranking the engine. Slightly warm is ok, hot is bad. Check the starter end, and the ground on the frame as well.
Ok, so I went out and tried a bunch of things today. Symptoms today: when I turn the key all the lights come on and sometimes I can hear a single thump from the starter area. The engine won't turn over at all though. I am guessing that the solenoid is pushing the starter gear into contact with the flywheel, but then nothing is happening, no spinning of the starter. First, I tested the batteries and they were good. I added a battery booster plugged into the wall just to help and make sure it was getting the power and needed. It was. Still no starting. Second, I cleaned off all the connections on the battery which were pretty clean to start with. Same symptoms, no starting. Third, I cleaned off the connections on the starter relay for the big wires although I didn't mess with the little ones. Still wouldn't start. Fourth, well I was turning the key I had a guy trying beg the starter with a hammer. That got a little bit more and different noises, but still no starting. My best guess is that the starter has gone bad. I'm going to call some auto places to see if they have a starter tester if I take it off and bring it in.
One more question: The excavator is sitting on flat level ground. The excavator is cold as I can't start it. This photo is the hydraulic sight gauge I believe. Have I overfilled the hydraulic oil tank? Is this going to cause me problems? Do I need to drain some? I noticed what looked to be a small amount of hydraulic oil may have dripped from under the area of the pump or what might be some sort of hydraulic overflow tube. https://photos.app.goo.gl/93orUA2DNShWrCGp8
Have you tried turning the engine by hand? I get nervous when I hear things that have a thud when the key is turned on.
How would I turn the engine by hand? Why does a thud make you nervous?
Thuds that happen when you hit the starter usually indicate a locked up engine. Maybe coolant on top of a piston or a rod frozen to the crankshaft. Try to a wrench on the nut holding the balancer on the crank. Pull the fan belt up tight and use the fan. Many engines have hole on the flywheel housing for a jacking adapter to turn the flywheel.
Ok, and if the engine will not turn, the starter may be okay but I have a locked up engine?
Yup.
Ok, so I figured it out with the help of my buddies stepdad (a master mechanic for oil fields who did all the work haha): I had installed a replacement ignition switch I bought on Amazon and forgot about six months ago. The cheap Chinese crappy switch had failed. We put the old one back in and it fired right up! And here is an update on my fuel tank... I drained off some diesel via the new drain valve I installed and here is how it looks: I had tried pressure washing the interior out and put some brake cleaner in there, but clearly it didn't do much. Thoughts?
I guess I wouldn't have expected a failed ignition switch, but that's better than the alternatives. Certainly need to spend some time cleaning the tank. Add some diesel, swish around, use a suck bucket to evacuate as much sediment as possible off the bottom. That's exactly how I cleaned the 80 gallon fuel tank on my dump truck. Sprayed the sides to flush sediment down to the bottom. Drained off what I could, sucked out the rest using a suck bucket. I added a 3 ft long piece of soft copper to the end of my suction line to be able to control where the tip went. Or change a lot of fuel filters.