hey everybody been a while. Been busy. I sold my backhoes and my Bulldozer I’m looking to upgrade to something bigger. I found a 953 Caterpillar that to me looks excellent. It’s a two Owner machine. All it did was load trucks. It’s whole life about 6000 hours. The owner had a mechanic look at it, legitimate shop He said that some point the machine has been completely gone through and refurbished and whoever did it did a good job Question is at $34,000 with the machine and excellent operating condition. I did drive it and tested out. I know anything happened to something old, but I’m seriously consider purchasing this machine, but I’m always afraid in the back of my mind about wallet emptying repairs according to the mechanic this is a non-Hydro machine My plans are to clear some old clear cuts take out smaller trees cut some roads and possibly do a small RV park. What do you think about this machine? I’m considering an excavator, but I like the idea of having the ability to push a lot of material.
If it's a 953 it is defiantly a hystat
Thanks that’s what I’ve heard. Where did he get power Shift I wonder maybe he didn’t know Should I hunt down maybe an older John Deere say 550 or 650 honestly I’m not a big fan of the way the loader operated. I’m so used to backhoes and John Deere Bulldozers .
It’s a 1988 to 1990 is what they said
It could be a a or a b does it have a large transmission looking bolted to engine all I say is I think after you run it a while you will like it you can see a lot better and the cat engineer that had a lot to do the build of them always told me the hystat would go 3 engine overhauls before the hystat needed a overhaul
If the mechanic didn't know that 953's are hydrostatic you need a different mechanic. That guy doesn't know what he's doing. Is the 953 an A,B or C? I have a 2004 953C with 6K hours on it that I bought new. Nothing to be afraid of with the hydrostat if it's been moderately maintained. FWIW a 953 will do circles around a powershift track loader.
Ask for a machine Serial Number. That will enable an exact date of manufacture and the drive system type to be determined.
Yeah, I believe the owner would have no problem. Sending me a picture of the serial number. That’s good to hear on the Hydra stat. I’ve looked at enough equipment to know that this one has had light use. Of course anything can happen. I’m not a big fan of running the engine wide-open and then controlling the speed with levers maybe I can get used to that I’m so used to driving down to do work. The machine turned so nice. It runs really nice hopefully 34,000 is a decent price for the machine. I am looking at new skid steers, high flows and also 50 to 70 hp excavators. I know it does have the four-cylinder engine. I’m assuming a 3204 or something like that but I could find out thanks everybody.
3204 turbo makes it a a model b would have a 3116
Do you have pics of the machine you can post? B models are solid loaders.
not really much difference between a a model and b model except for the engine and charge pump and hyd pump changed location a's have charge pump on front of hystat and hyd pump on the engine b's are the other way because gear train on 3116 didn't have enough hp rating to run the hyd pump
I agree the mechanic doesn't know much. 953's came out in the early 80's. A heavy equipment mechanic would of had to have lived under a rock to not know they are hydrostatic. They are/were pretty popular too.
i’m gonna post some pictures when I figure out how to do it. The machine is so clean. I made an offer of 30,000 and I’m gonna bring it home. It’s big, powerful and simple my kind of machine
Click on the paperclip marked “attach files” in the bottom LH corner of the reply box. Select your photos (there is a limit of 4 per posting), click "Open" and hey presto.........
Good evening. I’m not a traxcavator man as such,but there’s 2 here in the yard where my D9 is snoozing. The newer one is a 2014 model with 6400 hours and at £67k it’s reasonably priced. However,the market is extremely poor at the moment and can’t give them away at any price!
The older 953D is 16700 hours and a 2007 model. It gives you an idea of the prices. I did abit of research,and there aren’t that many 953’s around on Machinery Trader.Those that are,seem to be more expensive than these ones here
Yeah those prices are cheap. I wouldn't take $90K for my 953C with 6k hours on it. 2004 model. It does have about 500 hrs on a new Cat UC though.
They will sit where they are. Not desperate to sell fortunately. I agree they are fairly priced too
Forgot to mention the older 2007 model is £38k,so pretty decent price,just absolutely no demand for them over here. Had a few tyre kickers that want them for stock,but zero genuine enquiries
Not so sure about the simple part. Much less complicated than newer machines for sure. You may have to re-evaluate the simpleness after you've done a few repairs or hose replacements. Good machine though.
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Thanks for the replies I end up getting the machine for 30,000 as nice as it is you never know about Equipment. Anything can happen at any time but the machine looks extremely clean and I can’t wait to put it to work. I’m thinking about adding a root rake in the near
Is this the machine you bought or the other one? The machine in the pics looks well taken care of.
Looks pretty good. Was it repainted recently? Tracks might be a little too tight. You might be able to put longer bucket teeth on and use the bucket like a root rake. Just use some caution in hard ground.
What a beauty!
A rear-mounted ripper was an option when the machine was new. It shouldn't be too hard to find one in a breakers yard. Got a Serial Number yet.? I see the plate in one of your photos but it's unreadable. LH side of the machine between the lift cylinder pin and the lift arm pin.
Be aware a lot involved installing a ripper. Hyd tank has to be removed and 3rd valve installed and control linkage installed. Can't say i ever saw a lot of rippers on 953s might be harder to find than you would think
The handful of 953's around here that have a ripper on the back the owners took the teeth out and use it as a bumper and one put a hitch on it. It's a loader it doesn't need a ripper IMO.
It was and is the driest machine that I have looked at. It hasn’t been repainted. I’m 90% sure that it’s all original. I found zero leaks anywhere obviously that doesn’t mean that it won’t leak in the future and it does have the four-cylinder engine which I’ve heard is not as good as the six cylinder engine, but it seems plenty powerful It has two lever Bucket control, which I am not familiar with, but seems fairly simple It drove a little nicer and worked a little nicer than the 943 that I test drove
The guys going out of town before we can make a deal so I have a little time possibly to look at other equipment. What do y’all think about a 455G John Deere or a 755 John Deere Track Loader I’m also interested in a excavator but would like to find one with a front blade
20Z01499 - built August 1987. Looks llike a very clean straight machine.
They only made the 943 for a few years because most people opted for the 953 because of more hp in my opinion the 4 banger is a lot more friendly to a guy that wants to do his own work ie changing injector on a 3204 is just a brush job and stick them in where a 3116 involves reaming seats, pressing them in and by the way if they don’t clean up you have to change the cups and then adj injector all this takes special tools
There is really no comparison between a hystat 953 and a powershift 455G. It's comparable to saying I have a 10K trailer I want to tow - which one will perform better a Ford Ranger or F350? On the vintage 755 JD loader you will be looking at they were built by Liebherr for John Deere. Those loaders do not have a great reputation. Not familiar enough with Deere to know when JD started making their own loaders.
I have never seen a track loader of any sort ever that didn't have a ripper .
The original 755 and 755B were designed and built by JD. They are usually credited as the first hydrostatic crawler loaders/dozers (1976) but I think it might have been JCB that had a hydrostat loader before them. They were good machines in their day but I think a lot of parts are obsolete and there won't be many mechanics left that are familiar with working on them. I think the JD hydrostats were a big reason Cat went to hydrostats. Just so much more productive than powershift loaders. Not as big of a difference on the dozers because they don't change direction and turn nearly as much.
Yeah the original 755's were all JD and front engine. Hard to find one now when did they stop making them? Can't remember the last time I saw one. Pretty much any 755 around today in the hobby budget range will be a Liebherr. I'd like to run one of the newer JD made ones.
Yeah, I really appreciate all the information as always. I’m pretty much committed to this 953. I can’t remember ever trying out a piece of equipment that was so nice and tight.
It’s definitely the nicest one that I have seen. I’m definitely leaning toward buying it thing that worries me. The most is the repairs on these big machines.
No doubt - yellow iron is expensive. That's why it cost what it does to hire the work out.
I think the JD built machines were discontinued in 1991 or 1992. I'm sure there are probably a few good ones still running but they will be few and far between. Still best to avoid due to lack of parts and service support.
I appreciate that information thank you
Got to run my 953 today!
I wondered where the bucket had gone for a minuit!!
Site was having DOS attacks from an unknown source.
You’ll need to explain to a lowley Englishman sir
Denial of service attacks. Basically a hacker bombards the website with a computer program and stuffs up the server. It's like we had millions of members trying to log on all at the same time.
I just can't wrap my head around what they have to gain by doing that.
The equipment scamming business is huge $$ and when that gets interrupted those thieves get real mad. It was targeted to a thread here on HEF - 3M hits.
i’m a little confused if this is my thread, I have a question. Bought the 953 been discussing ,running about a half hour brought it back to the shop. I noticed it leaking hydraulic fluid on the left front of the machine. There’s a big plate there. Hopefully I’m looking at a hose or something like that under there. What do y’all think?
Try posting a photo of the area where the leak is.
I’m guessing belly pan I would start by looking in door where hyd fill is then stand bucket on its nose on the ground and check lift lines going into frame
I’m trying to figure out how to post a video not having much luck
Thanks guys. I do know it leaks really bad when I’m running the loader not so much when it’s just idling. I guess I need to drop that cover. It looks intimidating maybe a hydraulic jack to lower it down?
Videos cannot be uploaded direct. You have to upload them somewhere else such as YT and link them. Let's see what you are talking about before offering an opinion.
Not really a lot you can see under there mostly bottom of fuel and hyd tank might be better pulling top covers and take a peek
No problem at all Cm I’ve got a good video. I just need to figure out how to post it.
Sorry, I repeated myself. I’ll take some pictures when I get home. Basically there’s a drain plug at the front of the loader and that access plate. It’s dripping heavily along the driver side more upfront. I’m hoping it’s just a hose or a fitting and not a pump unless there’s no pump up there
Ahhh, the joy of running old iron, or new iron, or any iron.
I absolutely love this machine. It’s rain for three straight days here gonna post a picture of the leak. It does get choked down fairly easily, but I believe where it’s going to shine is reaching up high and pushing over large trees and pushing up lots of brush and debris. It’s very good at that. The machine also turns very well. I just wonder if I should turn the machine very tight or should I make it to take my time to Make turns
The only thing I will say it won’t hurt the machine to turn tight but it always seemed if you do a lot of spot turns it accelerates track wear what do you mean chokes down?
As you gain experience you will get a 'feel' for when the machine is cresting a 'hump' (even a very subtle ground rise...) this will greatly facilitate turning, while minimizing stress on the track chain/rails. When sharp turning keep in mind the twisting stress on the pins/bushings of the track group. Also rails 'grinding' into rollers/front idler flanges/drive sprocket... Personally I prefer to do sweeping turns/multipoint turns whenever possible... Sometimes tight turns are necessary, in that case I wouldn't stress to much about it; and just operate as the job requires.
I agree with the above poster. Nice and steady turns will keep meat on the tracks and money in your wallet
You can counter rotate for tight turns if necessary. That's one of the benefits of hydrostat machines. One thing the OEM'S always stress is to not always turn in the same direction as it will accelerate wear on one side. If loading trucks or something try to load from both sides to even undercarriage wear. I make gradual arc turns when loading the dump truck instead of backing up straight and doing a 90 deg. turn to load the truck. Sometimes I park the truck parallel with the pile and back up fairly straight and then drive forward making just a slight turn to line up with the truck. It depends on how much room you have to maneuver the truck. I wish I had a hydrostat loader like a 943 but having the backhoe gives me a much more versatile machine.
We could always tell if the operator was right or left handed even with steering clutches
Another question is there a way to upgrade the bucket control to a joystick or single lever control?
Thanks for the replies. I didn’t see them before. I asked the last question. I’m trying to be easy on this machine because I want it to last a long time.
Actually the two leaver was a attachment The single stick was the standard. It probably wouldn't be hard to find a single stick control on one they were disassembling I believe I would try to get the linkage the whole way to the tank it would probably the way to go with the least aggravation
Or get used to 2 levers. A loader is much simpler to operate than a backhoe with controls that are odd to you.
I’ve got the four bolts out of the plate next to the loader the plate drop down about 3 inches and even with a hydraulic jack under it I couldn’t break it loose in the rear is there a hinge do I have to drop the rear plate as well? The problem is it’s pouring fluid towards the front of the machine
The picture was taken before I got the bolts out. There’s some recessed holes on the backside of the plate. There’s bolts up in the hole, but I don’t think they hold the plate.
You'll have to remove the three bolts at the back end of the plate in addition to the four at the front. Your bottom guard setup is as shown on the illustration below.
Yes the pans are hinged but be careful they are sometimes damaged and yes the bolts in the holes are holding the belly pans
Also be careful of the weight. If there is an accumulation of oil-soaked dirt on top of the guard it could catch you unawares.
thanks guys y’all know your stuff the three bolts at the back are out the plate is down the right it had more dirt and grease probably than the plate weighs I pressure washed everything under there. I found where the hydraulic oil is coming from. It’s pouring out from underneath the hydraulic tank. It honestly looks like I’m gonna have to pull the hydraulic tank out to find the leak unless there’s an alternative
I would pull the cover over top or tank also look at drain valve for seal leaking between valve and tank if the tank is leaking between the halves there is a big o ring that seals the halves. that age of machine should have a cab jack there should be a safety in the tool box for the cab at 24 degrees you only have to disconnect steering linkage and tran linkage might give you better view one more thing depending what you have to do removing fuel tank might be a better option
Look and see if oil is running down from a fitting or hose on or near the tank. That would be easier to fix than if you had to weld the tank. If you drain the oil you could apply some air pressure to help find the leak. No more than 5 PSI though. Leak might be obvious or you'd need to spray some soapy water to find it.
Thanks guys. I spent about three hours on the machine yesterday. I pulled the front plate and pressure washed everything it was a mess I found where the fluid is coming from. There are a group of steel lines and junctions on the front left of the machine right next to crossmember matter fact, they tucked just above the crossmember on the left side fluid is pouring out from underneath there I’m hoping it’s not a pump seal. I’ll try to post pictures. Thanks again everybody
These be the lines in question? Those are lift lines
Yes, I believe so if that’s on top of the front crossmember, they would have to be the little group to the left side. If you’re looking for the back of the machine, they’re sitting right on the frame fluid is pouring out and that little group of fittings.
In the 14 to 12 area under that little plate
I really appreciate that
Yeah, when I said, I hope it ain’t the pump. It couldn’t be the pump up there because there’s nothing to drive it.
I'm sure the fittings are jic you need to see exactly where it is leaking it might be as simple as having the fitting re silver soldered to tube
Yeah, there’s a lot going on in that area. I need to pressure wash it. I’m gonna drive the dozer up onto my semi ramps and give it a shot. I’ll take some more pictures thanks.
It’s the steel fitting towards the right side of the picture. It’s pouring fluid out.
I reckon you need to do some more cleaning to confirm. Sometimes the dirt can give a false impression of where a leak is.
Yes definitely needs more cleaning clamp on line looks loose might have vibrated something loose
I can’t share the video but I’m watching it pee out of that steel line about an inch and a half from the nut so maybe I can just replace that whole line. It’s about a foot long. I’m guessing.
The line either has a pinhole in it or it’s cracked, but it’s peeing up about 4 inches
I think we covered this before. You cannot upload videos direct to the forum. They have to be hosted somewhere else such as YT then linked. Here's the full parts listing for those lines. It's in two parts.
Just looking at it I’d say it’s probably a a pin hole you should look at both lines for pitts might save you some aggravation in the near future
Sounds like the line may have split or it has a pinhole(s) like pcm mentioned. In the off chance it's leaking at the flare on the JIC and running back down the line you can get special sealing washers to repair the flare. I was lucky a hyd. shop gave me one for a leak I had on a lift cylinder fitting. Look up Flaretite.
This might be a helpful hint look at tags on the lines might help you decipher the parts book
Thanks again guys. I really appreciate it.
To get more room in there to turn wrenches should I loosen up the hydraulic tank and lift it up?
Lot of stuff will be holding in down 953s have mechanical linkages to the tank and lines too I have angle wrenches so it wasn’t much of a problem
IIRC when we changed the lower cylinder lines they removed the fuel tank. Also was a good time to replace the fuel gauge sending unit. BBC prefix.
I gotcha I can always bend some tools if it can be done. I’m gonna contact Caterpillar today and see if they can help out I might pull the line just to see what the damage is if the metals not too thin I may just braze it. Thanks everybody.
Heck, yeah I’d rather remove the fuel tank
Pics of leaking line I couldn’t get the tag to rotate to get all the numbers and there’s very little room in there to do anything. The caterpillar parts place was a little lost without the whole number. I’m trying to see if that’s the return line or the pressure line, I thought about possibly using a good rubber clamp on it. It looks intimidating to try to change that line.
Those are all pressure lines to lift cylinders show me witch line is leaking
I’m thinking it is number 15 8g0002
The leaking line is on the left side on the bottom. If you’re looking out to the front of the machine, one of the pictures shows both lines it’s the line in the rear. And the numbers on the tag there’s definitely a C and three zeros and an H I tried to find the tab to pull off the tag but it’s in the back. Can’t see it. I don’t know how to get it off. The line itself has two 45° bends And is about 12 to 14 inches long
The last picture shows where the line terminates toward the center of the machine, and it’s the line in the back
C00D2H Or C0002H I will take a Dremel and cut the tag off if I have to
Cat man are your numbers the part number or what?
This is in what Nige sent just scroll down and if you want tag off just stick a screw driver under it and pry it's just folded thru a slot They are part numbers
I concur with @pittsburgh cat man - the Part Number of the failed tube is 8G0002, Item Ref #15 on the parts illustration. From the angle of the photo it was impossible to tell if the letter was a C or a G, but search the parts listing for "0002" and the only suitable candidate is 8G0002.
Still need to clean things better to be positive where the leak is. Also for putting a new line(s) on. I leave lines and hoses capped until they're in place ready to thread on. Too easy to pick up dirt.
I really appreciate it guys. Y’all are extremely helpful. I will contact the Parts people in this area. It’s Yancey Equipment. If y’all think that’s the best option. Have a great day.
To be honest with a machine the age of your 953 it may also pay you to contact Offroad Equipment based on TN who specialize in parts for older machines. www.offroadeq.com/
Dave, yeah I got to get the pressure washer under there again and clean that area up with my own eyes and the engine running at full speed. I watched hydraulic fluid P out of that line. The stream went up about 5 inches if I had to guess I’d say at about 2 o’clock maybe 130 The angle goes of the hole
276.45 from cat Ten parts says unavailable
Off-road parts Tn says unavailable
I may pull the tube off and see if a local shop can build me that assembly or maybe I can braze the hole I may pull the tube off and see if a local shop can build me that assembly or maybe I can braised the whole ??
Will I lose all the oil by taking the line off? Is there a process to keep Hy oil?
If in doubt, use screw-in line plugs or silicone Mess Savers. You may need to move quickly to minimize oil loss.
I would suggest that you drain the tank just in case. Even that may not totally prevent any oil loss when you remove the tube. If you want to reuse the oil you could always drain it into a clean container.
Yes, common sense. I guess I’ll probably drain the tank because I doubt anything I do under there is going to be very fast L O L I was thinking about something, though when I saw that fluid peeing out of that line that was quite a bit of thick oil mud I wonder if there’s a chance that the fluid is coming out of a seal and just finding its way up through the mud? I’m gonna make another attempt with the pressure washer before ordering a whole line. I’m assuming I can order seals for that line
OK update 100% sure I have a pinhole in that steel line. I’ll pressure washed it out real good and put my finger at approximately 2 o’clock on the dial and it’s coming out pretty hard.
If you do decide to braze it also check where the clips are it will be worn and could probably use some brass there too
Don't use your bare hands to check for leaks. If the fluid is under pressure can penetrate the skin and potentially kill you. If the bucket was off the ground could still have a lot of pressure even with the engine off. If you braze the line make sure to build the braze up at least 3 times the thickness of the tube or it won't hold the pressure. O/A welding might be a better option. Under $300 for an OEM line isn't too bad especially when it's a main line and a beatch to get to.
I think you’re biggest problem here is age of the machine. That pipe work hasn’t seen the light of day in many years I guess. A build up of oil and dirt has most likely corroded much of that lot. Assume any pipes or fittings you need to remove to get to the culprit may well break or cause flexing to already corroded lines. I know it’s a big pain,but I think you need to remove whatever is in the way and get in there properly. It all needs cleaning to a good standard,then looking at how many pipes and fittings are leaking or about to start leaking. If not,I think you’ll be going back in there
Definitely good to inspect all lines and fittings when you're in there.
Thanks guys. I really appreciate it. I ordered the line 298 shipped Makes sense about rusting sitting in nasty stuff. I’m hyper aware of anything under pressure having worked on refrigeration, boilers , pneumatics and such. That being said anything can happen at anytime to anyone. Even though the machine looks very nice, what I’m finding is that these bottom plates were not removed on a regular basis so I plan on taking my time and inspecting everything that I can thanks everybody
When you get around to draining hyd tank a 1/2 inch nipple and a piece of heater hose screwed into drain valve on front bottom of hydraulic tank will make it a lot easier drain valve is behind little access door on front
Thanks, cat man I haven’t looked for the drain valve yet, but I will certainly do that. Makes a ton of sense.
I think you might be well advised to get hold of an Operation & Maintenance Manual that will contain illustrated procedures for stuff like this. Probably the best $50 you'll ever spend. Click this LINK and put SEBU5758 in the box then click the Search button. You can have a download in 5 minutes or less.
I just went through a bad hydrostat cooling line. 1" line with #16 jic fittings on each end. 40"s or so long. It was impossible to get it loose where it attached to the lower hydraulic cooling radiator. Went to last resort had to take off the lower radiator cooling pedestal to so all anti freeze was removed. Attempted to use a crows foot end it snapped. Attempted to use an air hammer with chisel it would not budget. Cut slits into it with a cut off wheel as oil was dripping in my face and lips. Hot sparks in my hair and what not. Then used the air hammer to get it to break free and spin it loose. Fully expected to break the lower fitting off the radiator. Lots of fun. Had to drop the back belly pans. In the mud. Lost $500.00 in oil moving the machine out of the incredibly bad place the hose went bad. I had a helper also, and the hose took all day long to fix and ended up costing me 1200.00 total with 8 hours of driving. It was almost as bad trying to get the new one back on and tighten up properly. Putting it on , i stretched a 2nd crows foot end. Luckily I had a set of snap on 1" 5/8s hydraulic wrenchs with a big boxed end wrench that saved the day and the cutter. The draw backs of running older stuff. They sit and then when you put them back to work the weak stuff let's go and you get to spend lots of money till you straighten it out Ruined my clothes and 100* heat. Not for the faint of heart this stuff loosing the day of production also cost me at least 1000.00. So yeah 2200 up a hogs ***
Between sun rot, corrosion, and critters trying to build nests in places they shouldn't, sitting is hard on equipment. A expression around here is "lack of use is abuse". Any time we resurrect a machine that's sat for more than a couple of years, we basically bank on replacing all hoses.
Thanks guys Georgia ironthat sounds like some beach, although not as bad. This job has been a real pain in the arse. I finally got the diesel tank unbolted and moving around. I basically had to disassemble the whole front of the machine because of the way everything‘s interlocked something holding the tank in place, I believe it’s the fuel line. It’s got some flex fuel line on it and some rigid steel. It looks like I taking fuel lines off. But I might have to completely remove the tank to get to that line. Sorry for the late reply I’ve been stupid busy
Nige I’m gonna invest in that book for sure
In my opinion, they did not build this machine to be easily worked on
I think what you have to bear in mind is that it was designed/engineered to fit within an “envelope” of a certain size. To improve accessibility the machine has to get physically bigger, which is not an option. It’s an unfortunate fact of life that the smaller a machine is, the harder it is to work on. That’s why I prefer the bigger stuff because you can walk underneath it.
They aren't as bad as you think. Cab tilting makes some stuff a lot easier
The newer machines with DEF and other crap are worse if you have to get inside the machine for repairs. There are still things on a lot of machines that the designers and engineers never considered as far as having to do repairs. Even when I was welding sometimes you'd have to send the blueprints back for revision because there was no way to weld some of the pieces in.
Yeah, I know that I’m just venting a little bit. Does this cab tilt by the way?
Yes it does. That was a feature Cat advertised for easier servicing. 953 and 963 Track-Type Loader Cab - Tilt Caterpillar epccat.com
Normally you only go to 24 degrees you can do that with a jack earlier ones came with it after they put the tilted down filter on them it was a option. Cabs will tilt to 90 degrees with a lift but a bracket has to be put on front of cab and one put on top of loader frame a link must be put on one of the rops bolts it is a no no to lift with one of cab lifting brackets at top of cab also brake linkage pin must be removed Usually didn't put the cab to 90 unless you were pulling hystat. Another little trick the little fenders will come off with removing 8 nuts it sometimes helps
My 953C does not have a tilting cab. BBX series.
No it does not not a good plan on cat's part. But we made a few 73s tilt
Seems backwards thinking to get rid of the tilting cab.
I cleaned and disassembled everything down to the nitty-gritty and then paid a young man to replace the actual tube. He did a great job. I’m getting ready to fill it back up with Hydro fluid and see how it goes. If no leaks then all the panels are going back on and hopefully, pushing trees and dirt again I really appreciate all the replies Very helpful
Well, I fired it up and had a leak in the same spot this time. He just didn’t get the big nut on the rubber line that attaches to the steel tube tight enough so I had to ground down my inch and a quarter inch and 3/8 and tightened it up. It seems to be leak free.
Run lift cylinders against the stops up and down then check for any signs of leak
I think Cat added the cab tilt feature back on the K models.
Actually d model
Will do thanks everybody
Well, I use the machine a couple times and now I’ve got a major leak. I’m gonna post some pictures. I can see the steel braid. It’s a big steel line just to the right and under the air filter housing this looks to me The first picture shows how the line elbows down to the bottom of the machine
This picture shows the location below the air filter and to the right and even with the starter it looks like a main supply line. I’m planning for the worst on this one.
Can you tell where it goes? Does it go to the front of HPCU and is it the one that goes through the tube
I’m trying to post pics says security error, looks like it has three bolts on the front and then it goes down under the machine in the rear. I’ll get some pictures here as soon as it will let me.
First picture is where the line bolts to the pump possibly the second picture is where elbows and goes down under the machine. I’m in the process of dropping the rear plate then I can take some more pictures. It just looks like the main hydraulic supply line. I guess I’m gonna need to get a number off of it so I can get screwed by Caterpillar again
So far I’ve got about 15 hours operating the machine and about 20 hours working on it
Looks like a drive hose if you can get these modern cat guys to do it the ends are reusable you would just need a piece of x t6 hose the one that goes thru the tube can be a pain
I really don't understand this kind of thinking. If I had a 40 year old piece of machinery and could get obscure parts off the shelf at whatever the price, I would be counting my blessings.
No, I’m happy about it. It’s just that I’ve worked on it more than I’ve road on it. I need the machine to run and it sits in the yard leaking fluid most of the time yeah I ain’t happy about that
I did however find the hose. It’s got four bolts on each end and it looks like the drive pressure hose for the right final drive. If I’m saying that correct the hose is rebuild. I’m gonna pull it and maybe let a local automotive shop that builds hydraulic hoses, mainly for tractors and equipment. Take care of it. The local Caterpillar dealer, Yancy they were extremely helpful and helping me with this issue so in that regards, I’m in good shape
Two things be aware working pressure of drive is around 5300 pound make sure new hose will handle that pressure. The clamps for the hose are two pieces it usually helps to put half of it on with 3 bolts it will help you get it in position as the hose is pretty stiff
At the very least go to a shop that specializes in hydraulic hose. You want the very best hose you can get for a critical hose like that. You don't want to have to replace it again. I doubt an automotive or farm type store would even have the right hose or fittings. Not sure but it might be a 6 wire hose. Getting the fittings in the right orientation is critical. If they are off even a tiny amount you may not be able to twist the hose enough to install it. Cat discontinued small reusable fittings but may still have the larger ones.
You bought a 40 year old track loader and I mean this without any malice but what did you expect? There is a reason this equipment is so expensive to purchase and then operate. That's why moving dirt costs as much as it does.
You can do a lot of fixing if the base machine is in decent shape, for a whole lot less than buying a new machine. That's how I justified a lot of the repairs on my track loader. Rebuilding the engine was an unfortunate repair but I've done enough work to justify the repairs. It would have cost a lot more to hire the work out and the loader is there when I need it.
Any Part Number tag on it like the one you found on the leaking steel line.?
Sorry for the belated answer I did go to Caterpillar and they built me a brand new hose. It was around $750 very well built except a little long and me and a friend had to use two ratchet straps to ratchet at end of position to get the bolts to start. It was built about 3/4 of an inch too long and it was a son of a gun to get that in there. The machine is running really good and doing a lot of work. All I can do is maintain it and keep praying that it doesn’t break again but if it does, I’ll just fix it. Thanks again for the input I have received every time. It is awesome to come here and get advice. Y’all are awesome. I am curious though is there anything I can do to lubricate the cylinders to try to prevent sand from eating up the seals?
Cat !u9891 hyd oil additive might help
What does the additive do? It has a wrong digit at the beginning. I did the seals on my 4 in 1 bucket because they were weeping and I was going to be loading sand. Now I'm going to be loading a lot more sand and want to keep it out of the hydraulics.
It seems to increase Lubricity works good on jumpy cylinders
What's the part # again? I have a 305E that might benefit from that.
1u9891
Sounds like it could be easier on the seals too and cause less stiction. The same as better fork oil for motorcycles reduces stiction so they're much smoother through their full range of travel.
It’s a friction modifier. Cat also calls it to be added to some wet brake axles as well.