Guy that was "driving" it bent the lift rams for the blade, had the local cat dealer take a look to see what was wrong (as I was away) and they decided to take half the hydraulic system off and said it was going to cost $30,000 to fix! so I decided to do the work on it myself to save money and wanted to move it closer to where I live so I don't have to drive 4hrs each way to work on it. We chained up the blade and rippers and removed the hydraulic pump so we could at least drive it onto the transporter with a little help from a tractor and wheel loader to steer. Loaded the GMC on as well and caught a ride in the kennywobbler rather than drive the 4hrs back home.
Just curious...How did it all happen?
I have saw this on a few 6H's. Both times a tree came over top of the blade, bending the cylinder rods. Operator just ran unit with FUBARed cylinders loading the hyd system up with metal.
The only time I seen this was piling timber.It snapped the ram.Never seen this done with a Dozer Operator running the Machine. Once the rams are out you should be able to tell if any metal is in the system plus check all Hydraulic filters.I have seen some bent rams that put a groove in the head where the dust sleeve is and not get metal in system so I hope your one of the lucky ones.Those rams are not cheap.
I was lucky insurance company paid out for the repairs to the hydraulic pump, steering motor, valve bank and rams - one of the rams was a write-off, the other was repairable - and I'm reassembling it all instead of paying an 'excess'. Bit of a jigsaw when you weren't the one to take it apart. Also had one broken off exhaust manifold stud giving me jip, but I won. @Auctioneerhere: As motrack mentined, the "operator" was clearing some trees to put a fence line in and a log came over the top of the blade and he didn't say anything, he just kept going until the blade wouldn't stay up! We call him 'damage Dave', he'd make a good Garbage Pail Kid. :duh
Kicked her in the guts today, first time it's been going in 20 months, started straight up hydraulics were all go except the blade wouldn't lift or lower! after a couple of calls to the place that did the hydraulics up found they had assembled the quick drop valve that sits on top of the radiator wrong (had the boy on the job!) sorted that out and she's all go!
It took 20 months to get it repaired
Yeah, it's fair to say there's been a few hold ups along the way!:Banghead
why does everyone run the air cleaner intakes up so high like that in aus?
to keep them out of the dust
I think it looks cool.
Is the guy still working there? We had an "operator" snap both rams in the bucket hydraulics at the same time on a Gehl 4635. After we laid him off in the winter (along with half the crew as usual in the winter) he just never came back :waving
Yeah he's never coming back! unfortunately he'll be off to wreck someone else's gear!:thumbdown
kiwiland Gidday HSV Whereabouts in kiwiland do you hide ? Not that many of us kiwis on here ? Things are very dead in my end of NZ. Lots of truck work, abit of digger work but nothing much for bulldozers and nothing for scrapers. Altho i did see about 6 D7Hs with hyd scoops going around in circles in a big dustbowl in Hamilton last week. Cheers Merv :drinkup
Hi Merv I'm in Reporoa. There's a bit of activity around Taupo with powerstations and roading jobs. I just do work for various farmers in the area, tidying up tracks, building sites, cultivation and the like. Have a paddock over Te Puke way to level out with the dozer when she's up and running to keep me busy for a while. Oh yeah, whereabouts in Hamilton were the D7s working? What do you do for work in Coromandel? Plenty of hills to flatten up there!
Progress pictures Tabatha is nearly finished now.
Hi HSV The D7s and scoops were working on the te rapa bypass in hamilton and belonged to Hick bros. I work anywhere on the peninsula, doing whatever comes my way, often with other guys who have diggers; I just stick to D4 and D6s and hyd scoops for them, but also get into some truck work. Did Tabatha belong to Bruce Nikalls ? looks like the sort of naming and lettering he used in his machines; mate bought a roller called gitterbug off him, that has the same sort of writing. Merv
Hi HSV, Well, since you're into the innards of the old girl, give a close look at the hoses in the tranny area, the two going to the tranny cooler up front for sure. Heat causes those hoses to get hard as a rock and then they tend to burst, especially if they are rubbing on something that wears into the wire braid.
If you had metal contamination and are cleaning all the components then don't forget to clean the hoses. We shoot foam plugs through but if there is any chance of metal being stuck in there, we replace the hose.
Hi Merv, Yes I did buy Tabatha off Bruce about 7 years ago, been a good dozer, done about 10,500hrs now. Sounds like you get a bit of variety up you're way.
Thanks for the advice ATCOEQUIP, I'll be sure to have a close look at the hoses, anything to avoid removing belly pans more times than I have to!
Thanks Lee-online, I had the hose doctor out and we shot all the hoses, contamination wasn't too bad!
Hi HSV We went to that big auction Bruce had to sell all his gear; thats where the roller came from. He had 2 D6Hs in the auction there; he appeared to take very good care of all his equipment. Whats the other bush rigged dozer in your last pic ? D6C ? merv
Yeah that was the auction, he'd changed to Komatsu dozers last I saw. The other dozer is a D6C it belongs to another guy, he's had it since new.