I bought another 973 to kill or fix up not sure yet. Guy I bought it from said he was running it and it started making a grinding sound when he turned left I think it was. Done it a few times then locked up and wouldn't move just pulled the motor down when he pulled it into travel. They thought the hydro stat pump had went out and pulled it but gave up and I bought it. I pulled the filter out on top of the pump and it's clean as it gets. I'm going to pull the drain plugs out of the drive motors this weekend and see what falls out. When we pulled the axles out the oil in the outer drive was clean showing no metal. It's a fairly decent machine, I'd fix it if it was something simple. Wondering if it could be something in the brakes but I think they are unlocked unless it's in neutral. Is there another bull gear before it gets to the planetary set on the outside? I've had a couple hydrostats go bad and they usually just start whining real bad and won't pull.
are both sides locked up
I can't answer that, it was taken apart when I got it. He told me the grinding was on the left side and said it locked up while he was driving it. I've had brakes fold over and lock one side before. I'm thinking maybe it locked up solid as I didn't see where they spun around a bunch. I'm guessing it locked solid which would tell me both brakes locked up. Just guessing it could have torn the seals in one side enough it couldn't unlock the other brake? Does that make any sense?
No such thing as a 973. There's 963 or 974 963 was a big boy for its time.
It's a Cat track loader not a Bobcat. A Cat 973 is a big machine.
if you have a tore seal the final drive should be over full is one over full. Don't sound like a hydrostat problem. you can tie into the brake circuit and use a porta power pump with a gauge to pump each side up and see if it holds pressure I would not go above 300 psi
Derr. Was reading some info about Bobcat Feller bunchers and i guess had that in my mind. I'm familiar with 941, 955, 977, 983 never seen a rear engine version in person... I'd wonder if they even exist in AK. Im told the 977s were pretty common for material handling on the slope during the pipeline days. There are still a few hanging around. One came up fo sale recently, wanted $35k for it
I think 973's are more popular than the 983's were.
Good idea on the brake circuits, i'm going to kill it but would really like to know what parts I have that are good. Pulling the engine Monday as I have another one that still has a blown motor. Putting one together but this will get it running quicker. My other one that I use for brush has a basically junk undercarriage. Barely finished the lake this week but I got it on the trailer and home. Going to swap everything including the hard bar as this machine looks like it everything was put on when it had new rails except the pads which are good 27 inch single grousers. I've heard the frame out drives are getting harder to come by and the flange the planetary and sprockets bolt to are almost impossible to get. These types of machines are a gift that keeps on giving in my world.
These have planetary sets in the Drive Hubs, need to remove the short axle at enter to move these without engine power. Easy enough to pull that and see if planetary gears have exploded, Big $$$$$
Already killed this one, put the motor in another 973 this morning that blew up and took all the track frames and undercarriage for another one. We pulled the axles and it pulled on the trailer and off but when we swapped all the worn out stuff back on it the right planetary locked up. I'm guessing something in that planetary or bearings as that is all that can lock it up. When it gets to it's final resting spot I might pull the junk tracks off of it and pull both outer housings and drive motors. It's a shame, it was a fairly clean machine but that's the way it goes. Probably stealing all the sheet metal and cab this winter for the brush machine.