hello I'm new to the forum , I have a bobcat 743 leaking oil from the lowest rubber hose on the control or spool valve. I can see where its leaking but impossible to get to. any help would be great, do I need to remove engine?
Can you post a decent pic of this leak? I'm thinking on the 743 you have to pull the engine to remove the valve..............but does the valve need to be removed to repair this leak?.........not sure yet.
I’m having a hard time pulling from my pictures to put on this post it is the rubber line on the bottom of the valves below all the hard lines
The hose fitting is in such a precarious position you cannot even see it it’s under the valve body and against the bottom frame of the machine
That’s a tough one to pin point. May not even be the hose leaking. Could be the valve. Funny story, we were finalizing the sale of the Dillingham fuel terminal to BAF. I had a 743B with a similar leak. Had to clean up a microbial dirt farm before the sale could go through, except the Bobcat was leaking hydraulic oil into the clean dirt while DEC was onsite. Oooof! I paid Jim to fix it. Moral of the story; have Jim fix it. You are welcome. Seriously, no easy fix for that. Embrace the heartache and re-seal everything in the vicinity and replace all the hoses. Pidder, padder, let’s get at er’.
Is it the main pressure hose from the pump? If I recall the later machines had a access plate to get a wrench on that hose. Don't quote me cause it's been thirty years more or less since I've had one of those but I think I pulled the valve body loose and up to get to the hose. Is that the only hose that is on the valve body, the rest being hard lines?
What year? Mine (1988-9) has no hoses/fittings on the bottom of the valve. Ed
It had a flexible line on top and a flexible line on the bottom below are the eight hard lines
It’s the hose you see all the way on the bottom the black one
If you zoom in you can actually see where the line is leaking
In all the machines I've worked on over the years the one thing that I do not miss working on is the control valve of the 743B tucked tightly between the drive pumps and the machine frame, PITA they are. No way to access that hose fitting from the top short of pulling drive pumps, which would be a helluva lot of work. And removing the control valve, pfftttt, might as well just remove the drive pumps instead. About the only hope you have, and even then not sure if possible as it's been at least 15 years since I've worked on one of those, is to rip everything out of the backside in the engine compartment to access it, the fuse box, the coolant recovery tank and bracket, maybe even the fuel filter. I recall I used to do that to access the screws for the spool caps to replace control valve spool seals on those machines, whether or not it will allow you to put a wrench on that hose fitting I can't answer. But however you accomplish the repair, a machine of that vintage, if you haven't done it recently then you might as well replace the control valve spool seals while you're in there, I'd be surprised if the aren't leaking as well.
Replace any other hoses that are hard to get at as well.
That's the main pressure hose from the pump I think. Like I said earlier the later models had a access plate to get a wrench on it. I do remember them being horrible to work on. Maybe a little crude but you might holesaw a access hole in the side and them make a cover plate like later machines. I don't see that hurting the value of the machine that age. If memory serves me that wraps under the drive motor. Does it look like it rubbed on something or just age related?
I found a picture on a fourm of the hose I need to change for a better reference
That's going to be fun.
Put some caps on those fittings!
I thought it come in from the bottom but it's been probably 30 years since I've worked on one. Good luck doesn't look like much fun!
that hose sits on the floor pan
Pics reminds me of my youth! LOL
Yep I have this same hose leaking it's ass off today. Did you find a way to get it replaced?