I have 2400 hours on my Bobcat 863, when should I change timing belt? Im hearing 4000 hours and repair manual says 3000 hours How hard and how long does it take to do it?
i believe bobcat and duetz recommend 3000hr change. it's not a difficult job if you have the proper tamper proof torx bit, torque wrench, timing pins, and belt tension guage. and follow the service manual from start to finish. the timing belt and tensioner are sold as a kit, from what i recall it's under $150 from a bobcat dealer. last one i did took me approx 4 hrs. but i've done quite a few of them.. :drinkup
3,000 hours or every 5 years. Northern equipment and machine sells the timing belt and tensioner for $105. it's a heavier duty kevlar version. they also rent the official Duetz tension Gauge for $60 per 10 days($800 new) I just did this and it went amazingly well, the engine starts unbelievably better. I have an 863F with 2,460 hours. these engines seem to be very sensitive to precision. Make sure to follow instructions EXACTLY . HAVE ALL TOOLS READY. they are very helpful and patient with questions over the phone. they have a great video on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFEftjSDLkE this is their ebay store http://stores.ebay.com/Northern-Equipment-and-Machine , you have to call for the tension gauge. They send a return label with the gauge for quick return.
thanks for the info.
I bought the timing belt kit from northern but didn't notice the belt tensioner. can I use the OTC universal tensioner? or can I get by without it if I lock engine down with locator pins?
If by "tensioner" you mean tension gauge, then you have to order it over the phone. they will put $700 on hold from your credit or debit card(it's an $800 tool) plus $60 for the 10 day rental. The tensioner pulley should be included with the belt. The gauge is something you will NEED to do the belt change properly. My friend used the OTC gauge and now he is planning to redo the job with the official Duetz gauge. the gauges have different scales so you won't know what to set the tension to. the only instructions I've ever found were for using the scale on the Duetz tensioner. You will also NEED a decent torque wrench that can measure down to 20 ft/lbs. did you watch their video? it explains the process in great detail. At Northern they informed me that every gauge gets an accuracy check before each rental and only gets rented 10 times before it's sold.