I have a 955L and I can't find an identification/serial # plate. Can anyone tell me I'd there is another way of finding out what the identification/serial # is for this loader.
Post some photos might be a good start. You say you can't find anything for the machine but are there any identifying plates on the engine.?
I've not found any plates on the engine. Only random stamped numbers which I assume are part numbers
Look around rear counter weights it might be stamped in case could probably be a early 13x judging by the type of safety that is on loader arms
Somewhere about here..... Can I see the corner of it on your photo.?
It does appear that there was a plate riveted here at one point in time.
A bit of paint remover and the judicious use of sandpaper might just reveal a Serial Number. It was typical in those days for the number to be hand-stamped on the bevel gear case in the same area during the production/assembly process before the plate was installed.
Okay, I will give it a try. Thanks
Thank you for your help Nige. With a little sanding I was able to see the stamped identification numbers.
Excellent. So what do you have.? I’m assuming that you will be looking for manuals and the Serial Number is key to getting the correct ones.
Nice work getting numbers from that 99RdK. I’ve had the same problem of unknown serial on my 955, and our machines looks very similar. Curious what numbers you got and exactly how you extracted them from that blank looking spot. What kind of magic sandpaper you got? Only numbers I have found were on the engine. Driver side right top of block on a tag. Engine# 78p2903 Arrangement 2p_783
This is what I have. The previous owner gave me the manuals and parts book he had but he didn't think they were the correct ones. He needed a fuel line for one of the injectors and when he gave them the #85J6378 the line did not look the same. He was told that this was for a non turbo engine and this loader has a turbo engine.
Thanks 99RDK. If I strike out, might start using your serial to find parts. Have exasperated several part guys working on this machine without a number. Ours has a turbocharged engine as well.
85J6378 was orignally built with a turbocharged engine. I think someone was BS-ing him or used the wrong parts manual reference. 85J6378 was one of the first 955L machines built with a 3304 engine to replace the previous D330C engine. The 3304 was introduced from S/N 85J6247 The Parts Manual you require is Cat Publication reference UEG0700S covering 85J6247-9509.. The Operation Manual is SEBU5511 that covers all 85J machines. The Maintenance Manual is SEBU6520 covering 85J machines from 3651-10128.
@Wastepro - the two rivets indicate where the S/N plate was located. That case looks to have plenty of depth of pain on it so if you carefully clean an area between the two rivets and up to about 2" below them using paint remover and sandpaper you should find the S/N stamped on the rear case. Bearing in mind the location of the rivets I would say the S/N would have been stamped on the rear case below the plate. Post some photos of your engine S/N plate please.
This is the manual and parts book I have. So it looks like the parts book is good but the service manual is not. Is that correct?
@Wastepro I was able to sand it down until I started to make out a few of the digits, then I took out my trusty samsung phone and took a picture of it. That way I could expand the photo to see the fine detail.
The parts manual is good. I didn't realize you had a complete service manual. Above I was quoting the numbers for the basic operation & maintenance manuals, which should be inside the service manual binder anyway. The service manual is for a higher series of machine. What you really need is REG00634 covering 85J machines 6247-10128, although TBH a lot of what is in the manual you have will also be applicable to your machine. Don't go buying one from Finney which is the only used one I can see for sale online. TBH you would be better looking for a genuine OEM one, buy new if you have to. They are currently priced at under $300.
Your engine Arrgt is actually 2P6783. This engine Arrgt was fitted to 85J-prefix machines between S/N 6247 and 7633. Hope that helps.
I believe most of the things in your service manual will be fine I don’t remember a whole lot of difference in them besides in all the years it’s been around I’m sure a lot of things have been updated
Thanks again Nige for all of your help. I guess next I will move on to diagnosing the over heating issue. It seems to get in the (110c°+) range after the about of use. I'll see if I can find a thread on that.
@pittsburgh cat man Thanks.
First thing to check for overheat is check rad for being plugged externally dust has a habit of doing that
I should have added a caveat - provided the machine the engine is installed in today is the same one it was installed in when it left the factory back in the 1970s.
Before you do that I suggest you read the story below, courtesy of forum member @BluewaterLa "In all my years of working on equipment I can not count the times I've been told the radiator and oil coolers are clean and not the problem with overheating of the engine and/or Hydraulic system, Only to get there and find that the edges of all radiators/coolers are covered in dirt mixed with oil or fluff from job sites preventing them from doing what they are supposed to do. When you clean these it takes a long time for most machines that are fairly clogged up and most all the time the coolers have to be separated from the radiator to be cleaned well enough to get to the next one. Several times I've had to wash my personal equipment coolers which is only two machines and it took me a better part of 8 hours to get the job done and the coolers back to new condition free of all debris clogging the cooling fins. Last job I did on a 954 Liebherr for a customer went like this short story. Showed up for overheating hydraulics. Found nothing honestly wrong with the machine other than the coolers were filthy. Recommended thorough cleaning of oil coolers and radiator. Customer stated they would have their ''mechanics'' perform this job. Called me back the next day and said I was wrong after paying their guy to wash them out for an entire day. Got back to the jobsite, checked machine and pulled the first cooler off the stack and showed them that it was not cleaned worth a crap. Another day of their employee doing the job and got the call from the maintenance super telling me to come and do my damn job and fix the machine. Back at the job he persistently tells me That I need to find the issue with the machine and it's not the coolers or radiator being dirty with all that cleaning that was done. Called the main boss at the facility and told him what was needed to which he said ''I've heard about this and think my guy is right'' I ordered new coolers and a Radiator that they approved and wanted ordered because there had to be a bad part or parts on this machine. Replaced them, topped off with coolant and oils. Called main boss out of his office to meet me in his maintenance building with his ''mechanics'' to show them all the coolers and radiator that were 50 percent blocked with fluff, oil and dirt using a spot light to shine through the fins. Clean from top to bottom is not the same as clean all the way through."
Yes pull the grills you will be amazed how much dirt comes out
What is the best way to clean out the coils. I did spend at least a good 1-1 1/2 hours with an air gun blowing dust and debris out of the radiator. I still fill like it needs to be cleaned. I took the cap off the top after blowing it out with the air gun to see if I could see any coolant circulating through as it heated up to around 75 c° fast idling. The coolant rose up to 1" from top of filler neck and if I increased the throttle any it would keep rising until it over flowed. If the cap is on the temperature will continue to rise until it hits 110 c° at which point I back off tk idle or shut it off unr it cools down. Could the thermostat be the issue?
I dunno what anyone else thinks but in your position I think I might just be removing the radiator completely so you can really get at it. Clean it once like that and it won't be hard to keep clean afterwards. The problem is with the fan shrouds being square and the fan being round all four corners of the rad tend to get bunged up with contamination and that severely reduces the cooling capacity.
Actually pulling rad isn't a bad idea. at it's age a internal clean out would prob be a good thing. If you have a way to lift it, It's not a bad job. Once it's out not much to pull the tanks and have it cleaned inside and out.
@Wastepro - did you find a S/N on your machine.?
Hey Nige, not yet. Don’t have any paint remover on hand, figured I’d start with that and move to sanding after. I was at the hardware store yesterday and by happenstance walked right down the aisle of paint products. I glanced at prices for remover and just couldn’t stand lighting that money on fire to clean a 6” spot. Gonna ask my neighbor this weekend if he’s got a can already opened and offer to buy him lunch on a trade for what little I need.
The over heat will be caused by the oil coolers water side being pegged up with crud by the way you are seeing the heat build up, get an Oil Cooler gasket kit then strip and clean the water tubes.
7.3
The photos look identical to mine. My serial numbers are on a plate behind the roll cage on the right side of the instrument panel. Difficult to read or photograph.
I have been trying to determine what year my Cat is. This is the plate behind the right side front canopy support. It is all Greek to me. Maybe someone can decipher this and come up with a manufacturing date…
85J10169 is the machine Serial Number and is the only information that you need to get parts/service information. The Serial Number indicates that it was one of the last groups of 955L machines built (85J9510-Up) so that puts it at mid-to-late 1970s. Someone else may be able to date it more closely. Machine 85J10950 (about 800 Serial Numbers later than yours) was built in January 1977 so that could make your machine maybe early-1976. If you need engine parts then quote the Engine Serial Number 78P24062.
Thank you. That information helps me very much.
Your machine is very late 1975. (9416-10175)
That you very much
I meant to say thank you
I ordered a manual yesterday. Thanks for the information
it will be stamped on rear of final drive case if not sanded from ?