I am having a recurring issue with breaking the retainer pin that holds my replaceable bucket teeth in place. The areas where I'm digging frequently has big rocks/small boulders mixed in with the dirt. In addition to replacement pins directly from CAT, I have also tried "8.8" bolts that I sourced locally, with mixed results (some have broken and some have survived). The other thing that I have noticed with that the replacement teeth still have quite a bit of free movement even after new pins or bolts are installed. Anyone else have experience with this? Any ideas for a stronger fix?
The excess movement in the tooth suggests to me that the shank has been worn down due to running the teeth past the point they needed replaced at some point in the machines life. You can either weld new shanks on, or use a welder to build up the worn shanks until the teeth fit with very little play. It is a trial and error process to get it right, build up, grind smooth, and check the fit. When the teeth are tight, you will break far less pins, but I will not say it won't ever happen.
Yes, what jd said. The pin is only designed to retain the tooth, not to carry any weight or force from digging. The proper fix is replacement or welding up of the tooth shank. Some weld the teeth on but I will caution agains that because the material doesnt weld well and usually cracks, also its a pain to change teeth again.