Hello, I recently got hired working for a guy who owns said mini. He informed me upon hiring that two months prior he had the right side drive motor rebuilt after a nasty failure. When I did my first routine check on the machine the day after I was hired i noticed the hydraulic fluid couldn't be seen in the sight glass. It then required a gallon to top off. Once it was at operating level I noticed it was very milky. I advised him we needed to take action to replace the filter and fluid but no action was taken. Also, he said that the machine has always had a weak right track even before he had it rebuilt. Two months later, today, after working the machine a few hours is noticed that the right track now is stronger than the left, after noticing this I tried to get the machine to an area to be inspected and in doing so when turning right going forward I heard a loud pop coming from the front of the engine by the pump. Followed by a whining that was a little louder than the engine. At this point neither track was responsive. I killed it. Waited 10 min. Started it. Was able to move again. Also when my tracks were disabled I could still move my boom and bucket. Now the machine was real sluggish as I approached the inspection area. I told him about the issue and he now is getting replacement filters for it. He also informed me that no filters nor fluid was changed when he had the motor rebuilt. I'm aware of the myriad of problems and possibilities I'm facing. Most of them anyways. But can some one tell me a good place to start and the tools I'll need?
Need a match! Sarcasm. Unfortunately, you may be in for a bad experience. First thing to do would be to take the hydraulic filter out and cut apart and inspect for debris. You should be able to drain the tank and visually inspect for glitter and flush. That should give you an indication how to proceed.