Hello, I have a leak where the torque converter housing bolts up to the trans, looks like and O ring has blown right near to the place where a gear pump bolts up and from what I am seeing it looks like the torque converter needs to be pulled to replace it. It leaked A LOT of oil in a short time, thought it was gonna catch fire and can't get it into the shop or even get a haul truck to it unless I drag it for a mile or so. Just wanting to know if anyone knows how much trouble it is to pull the TC and does it come out the bottom or thru the top? Not sure if I want to do it myself but there is a local mechanic out here who charges $80 an hour and I might just get him to do it if I sorta knew how long of a job this would be. And if I am having the TC pulled should I have anything else done whilst I'm in there? Thanks
Not a real bad job, just a lot of bull work and standing on your head. Pull the floor plates, seat, and everything else that is in the way. That includes the foot pedals when you get to them through the floor plate. Drain the torque convertor, about a gallon or so. Pull the drive shaft between the torque convertor and the transmission. You will need a hoisting mechanism of some type to lift the torque convertor out after you get it loose. A chain fall attached to the ROPS works pretty good. Hook the hoist to the torque convertor housing. Unbolt the torque convertor housing. I like to use a couple of long pins made out of bolts with the heads cut off the same size as those that attach the torques convertor to the flywheel housing. After all of the bolts are out and the pins in place break the torque convertor loose and slide it back away from the flywheel housing. Be careful because there are three gears that mesh together inside the torque convertor. You don't want those to fall out. Once the torque convertor is loose and pulled to the rear hoist it out. As the Caterpillar manual will say, "reverse the process for reassembly. Good to have someone there to help you. It goes a lot easier and quicker when there are two people to do the job.
Thanks, It looks pretty tight in there. I have the bucket raised all the way and have it braced up with 3" pipe collars on both cylinders and you can see into the torque converter area easliy with the engine covers removed. Standing on my head inside the cab is not my most favorite thing, I will be sure they send a skinny helper. I just got a Cat parts and service manual ($280) so I can at least get all the seals, gaskets and hose sections ahead of time and save these fellas time (and my money) chasing parts. The only thing is I had my Cat dealer order me the manuals off my vin but the books came in with 955L printed on them. I guess the L series is similar enough to the K series?
I would tell your dealer the difference in the manuals. I think you might be surprised at the difference between a K and an L series.