I'm finnally starting to work on my 963. Its problem (I believe) is that the hydro oil is getting clear into the flywheel case and coming out the breather. Is there a "flywheel case" and then a "gear case"-going from the engine back- and then the hydro? There are 2 breathers on top- one on the flywheel case and one on the gearcase. The flywheel case is the first to spit oil out ( I think because of the flywheel turning in it is churning the oil). But the gear case will spit a little oil out but not as much as the flywheel case does. Is there even suppose to be oil in the flywheel case??? I thought one of the pumps could be leaking and creating this problem but its looking more like the hydro is losing the oil and it's traveling through the gear case and into the flywheel case. Does this even make sense to any of you lol? If i have to replace a seal in the hydro, is it easier to just pull the engine and leave the hydro intact in the machine? I've check tempertures with a gun and the flywheel case heats up rather quickly while everything else seems to warm up slower. Please.... any help would be apreciated!
963 A, B or C?
The flywheel housing should be dry, the drive gear housing has about one gallon of oil in it and the HPCU has oil up to the sight glass. If oil is getting into the flywheel housing and the drive gear housing oil level is not going up or down the fix may be inexpensive but lots of work. The drive coupling bolted to the flywheel may only need resealing(2 small and 1 large yellow seals). If the drive gear housing and the flywheel housing are both taking on more oil the fix can be very expensive and still a lot of work. Later Bob
Seems I have about the same problem with a IT28B Loosing hydraulic fluid and flywheel housing gets fluid in it. no leaks on the ground.
It is a straight 963 serial number 21Z04421*
I'm about 90% sure that both houseings are taking on oil. The flywheel housing is definately full of oil and I'm pretty sure the gear case is getting too full. I fooled with this machine last spring and I kinda forget what exactly was going on but I will drain the gear case and put a gallon in it and see if it over fills again ( which i believe it does).I'm going to look and see if there is a way to drain the flywheel housing- now that you say there isn't suppose to be oil in it. I didn't think so because oil seeps out arround the starter and the whole bell housing. Is this a pull the motor fix or pull the hydro fix?
Pull the hystat, it's what will need the work if gear case is filling. Unbolt mounts, lift hpcu and block engine with wood between drive motors and plate on bottom of engine. Later Bob
The HPCU will need to come out. Change the lip seal and the o-ring. Make sure the splitter box has a breather on the fill tube, if not it causes a build up of pressure and blows the seal. Your machine is a later one that should have it but the older didnt and it was supposed to be added. If the bell housing has oil in it for too long then the rubber in the coupler comes apart.
Lee, dirtfarmer's has the old drive, flange in flywheel and splined shaft. Just need to get the big oring on the back of shaft that most forget. I have never seen an oil transfer that a lip seal would fix. If it's leaking there the center gear's bearings are out and likely some build up and machining of the cup seats will be needed. "Don't shoot the messenger" Later Bob
Bob, yep your right, I was thinking of the B model. Still, the HPCU needs to come out either way.
I worry what it will look like Lee. If the cup in the HPCU side still has a good bore it will save him plenty. If that bore is bad the HPCU will need to come apart just to keep things clean. The guys that where good on them are getting long in the tooth now, working on them is not for amateurs. Later Bob
8-10 years ago we saw the A and B's and worked on them all the time, Now we don't even see the C models very often. You would always here that wine from someone doing a hystat test.
Lee, I didn't think I was so loud you could hear me loading them up. We still have lots of them around, mostly C's. I do the old HPCU's young fellas can have the C's and their headaches. Later Bob
I had a similar problem on my 963, we pulled it apart and replaced the seals on the shaft, put it back together and it worked for awhile then it was leaking again. Turns out the there was an updated shaft that had an additional seal, we installed it and that fixed it. Can't recall my exact serial number but its around 21Z07XX I think.
You hit the nail on the head... good mechanics are getting few and far between. Heck, I can't even find a decent machine shop anymore lol. I try to do most of the work myself- sorta self taught for the last 53 years lol. OK back to the subject at hand- am I going to pull the hydro or the engine? Thank you and the others for advice- I really do apreciate it !!! Once I get into this project I'm sure I will have more questions.
hello everyone, yes i would pull the hydro. presseru wash verry well/carefull, put hydro on two jackstands on mounts and rotate so coupler side up, pull front cover, you can change bearings on the three gear/shafts and new seals, new o-rings ect, use the book for adjustments on bearing preload, yes to Bob and Lee, let the young guys have the c's, caterpillar should be shot for the cab mount, step A - remove cab. blah blah blah. back to dirtfarmer , go slow and easy and it s not thatbad a job, if you never dumped the cab all the way , its a little heavy on the front half. we roll the bucket teeth in the dirt and go slow. cheers.
Hode on DirtFarmer, you haul the cab up but bring it over center real easy or you will break things. Make sure the cab is free of Heavy Metal around the seat or the windshield will have spider webs, there is a service mag about rolling it with a couple of comealongs. she goes over center hard and heavy if you don't do it right. Later Bob
We put a lifting link on the rops bolt and lift it with the crane. You need to have the feel to find the sweet spot where you quit lifting and pull it over center. Keep the bucket flat on the ground or the tilt cyl with come through the window. Put a witness mark on the throttle rod so you index it correct when you lower the cab. Make sure the cab is clean of any and all junk because it is too easy to break the glass.
Lee's correct, mark the throttle because it does come apart, we park service trucks behind and hook onto ropes bolt, makes transition from up to over and down , never took out window with bucket down though, will have to check on next job to see how much room, I do more 973's too, yes and clean cab really good, I've been hit in the head buy one or two items left by monitor panel while working the jack. Those first few inches really jogs the memory when your in a hurry and forget to Dad the house cleaning.
Thanks to all for the posts, they will definately help. I work on all our farm equipment( big and small)and had a smaller JD450 loader once but I've never sunk my teeth into a 963... yet lol. I've already self educated myself on tipping the rops on this 963. It went smooth but I realized real quick that I was going to have to use the backhoe boom to tip the cab because our bobcat with a boom pole wouldn't even budge it ! This is my first rodeo on this machine but I'm far from a green horn when it comes to working on about anything- plus- I have SOME common sense about me lol. I did take the throttle rod completely off (was only a couple bolts),when I put the cab back down rather than try and line it up as the cab came down. I spent 5 hours steam cleaning the hydro the best I could- it's ready ''to live'' in the shop now- hopefully not too long lol. So let me get this right for the uhm-teen time... I need to pull only the hydro and reseal/update it??? My oil in the flywheel case and drive gear case is most likely coming from the hydro and not the hydraulic pumps which mount on the flywheel case, correct??? I hate to be so dumb about this but I like double checking stuff- "measure twice-cut once". Thanks again.
The hyd pump is driven by a gear that is lubed with engine oil. Any pump leakage goes into the engine oil. If the center gear is not loose on it's bearings, you may only need to reseal the splined shaft. Be sure to pull it out and change the large seal. Later Bob
Thanks , that eliminated the leak coming from the hydraulic pumps then. So now I just got to tear into it! I'll keep you informed- thanks again.