I have been doing some overdue maintenance on a 580D that I bought last summer. I have no history on the machine so have been changing fluids, fixing leaks and addressing issues as they come up. I am planning to replace the 1/2 dozen hoses that come off the backhoe valve bank and run through the swing tower to the boom. Access to the valve end looks like a difficult project w/o removing the backhoe from the machine, which I am prepared to do and doesn't appear to be all that bad. My question, is it necessary to remove the backhoe? Any other advice will be appreciated Thanks
No it isn't necessary. But it is a whole lot easier to get access to them and it is easier to power wash it before opening the fittings. Removing it and working on it can be quite dangerous it it isn't supported properly. A set of big crows-foot wrenches will be needed. IMHO
Thanks for the reply, I figured crows feet might work, just looks dang awkward. I have a 6K forklift that should come in handy and recognize the potential of heavy iron and body parts, we know which one will win! I have cleaned it quite well before I started working on it. Due to its age I am thinking I would replace the swing tower bushings as well. Maybe that is easier with hoe still on the machine?
Definitely easier and safer to r&r the bushings with backhoe on the tractor. Check the swing cylinder trunnion bushings. A small amount of wear on them results in a lot of slop in the boom swing motion.
I was thinking that, do we need to remove dipper and boom to do the hoses? The dipper cylinder on top of the boom has the fittings located underneath it and hard to access as well. My help is wanting to remove, bucket, dipper, boom.
Pull 1 pin and lift it for easier access.
There is no need to remove anything. An engine hoist attached to the (fully extended) boom close to the dipper / boom pin will provide all the support and maneuverability needed to replace the pins. A floor jack under the base of the boom also helps.
Now that she's clean, look carefully for cracks. Now's the time to air arc them out and weld them up. How's the stabilizer and bucket pivot pins. If you're replacing hoses, it won't hurt to add some hose guard where it counts. And on the subject of hoses, all hose is not alike. I only use Parker Tough Cover now for the UV resistance. Fifteen years and the TC hoses still look new. The Ford OEM hoses from 1984 look better than the Weatherhead hoses I made 30 years ago which are all rotted and awaiting replacement. I doubt you'll find much difference in the price between good hose and all the rest.
Tinkerer, back in the 80s when we ran Case backhoes, my dad had a 3/4" drive flare nut crow foot wrench that was about 4" long, forged all one piece to take the lines off the valve body. I've searched and searched, I don't remember what brand it was. Did Case make them?
Case dealers sold them, but I don't know who made them. I have three or four in different sizes. Very handy and super strong. Stupid expensive. I can post a photo of one of them later today when I go to my shop.
I figured dad bought it from Case. Sure made life good when you needed to change a hose. Otherwise you were starting from one side or the other. That b*****d 680E was a hose blowing SOB. I think it ran so hot it caused the hoses to weaken prematurely. How my dad made it through the 80s with that money pit is beyond me.
A heavy duty crows foot would be what's needed. Not sure how quick I could find one in Fairbanks. We removed the backhoe from the machine and pulled the valve body loose to get at the fittings. Had all the hoses made up locally witj -50 hoses. Its -40F here this week. If I was only replacing one I would have found away to remove. I decided to replace all since all but one appeared to be original. Its a project!
Her's a picture of mine, bought at the Case dealer. It's 1/2" drive. I didn't have one the first time I had to change one of those hoses, but I bought this one the second time I had to change one. Shimmy, I'm glad to hear you say that. I had a couple of different 680Gs, and I changed a lot of hoses. Here, all this time I was thinking I was the problem. I think my personal record between 'up and running again' and blowing another hose was something on the order of 10 minutes. (Haven't had those machines in years, but still have a few spare hoses hanging on the wall of the garage.)
Nice tool, looks like it would be hard to find.
My dad's was 3/4" drive, it looked like a 6" extension with a box end wrench on the end.
You can get crowsfoot wrenches in that style.
What style?
12 point flare nut style. They aren't as thick though. One could weld 2 together I guess if they needed extra strength. There's also 6 point with a wider opening.
This is the closest I can find. The one I used was more rounded from the extension into the box end crow foot. It was 12 point.
Pretty heavy duty. I wonder what torque it's designed for?