Struggling to discover why my Case 580B will not move in reverse- even after reading many, many HE posts . I'm a long-time reader of HE posts, but this is my first post- so it will be long to give a lot of backstory. If you don't care about the back story, feel free to jump ahead. But I'll try to set up my question so those who may reply to this tread will understand I've done my homework from all of the great information I have discovered on HE forums before posting this thread. I'm mechanically inclined and diagnostically challenged- I'm an architect by profession and for most of my 50 plus years I have always loved restoring and building cars in my spare time. I started out thinking "I'll buy an old backhoe, that may need some work, but that I can get running, use, and then resale ” better than I found it ." Online I saw several people who had revived abandoned backhoes. I knew I wanted something older that was more mechanical and basic. After some research I decided on a Case 580B- simple, available, and cost accessible. Just over a year later, I now have a 1974 Case 580B, serial number 525969, 188 Diesel backhoe with power shuttle shift - sitting in my "shade tree garage"- still not put to work yet building my actual garage. The 580B was DOA when I went to look at it- but I got a good deal- maybe not as good as I thought at the time, but still not too bad….yet. The previous owner said there was a fuel pump problem, and it would not start after he ran it out of diesel. He had poor health and could no longer work on it so it had sat for a few years. When I found it, it was parked in a gravel floor garage where beneath it were stains from years of weeping several types of fluids. I looked it over from top to bottom, hooked up a battery and got the motor to turn over enough to work the hydraulic pump and was able to check most of the operations. The machine seemed only to need some TLC, lots of hoses and seals, rebuilding the fuel pump, new fluids, repacking hydraulic cylinders, and likely some good tuning. The previous owner was a school bus mechanic, so I trusted his diagnosis of what the machine needed to get it up and running. And besides, he had the full-service manual!!! What could prevent me from bringing this 580B back to life and I was up for the challenge of some work. After having the 580B hauled to my house, I've spent intermittent free time rebuilding and repairing the ol'gal. I first rebuilt the Roosa Master fuel injector pump, tested the injectors to work within spec, and cleaned out the fuel system from tank to injectors- no more diesel fuel leaks. Next, after finding some coolant in the engine oil and dropping the pan, I tore down the motor to find it in relatively good shape- needing a head gasket, valve job, flushing the coolant system and rebuilding the water pump. Now it was time to fire her up, and she ran strong- no more oil or coolant leaks. Next it was rebuilding the brakes to ensure that when I got her moving, I could make her stop. Now to the part of the machine I understood the least- the drive train. So I changed out the fluids in the torque tube and in the transaxle. As you might expect, both were pretty nasty and evidence of water in the oils. So with high hopes, a strong running engine, brakes that now held, I jumped in, put it in first gear and moved the shuttle level to forward- nothing. Then to reverse- nothing. Back to the forum where I got some suggestions to try. Dropped the outriggers, raised the drive wheels off the ground, put it in first, and the wheels turned slowly, if at all. Back to several threads where I read about the pick-up tube. Tore back down many of the parts I had already repaired so I could remove the fuel tank and get access to the pick-up tube. Removed the spool valve assembly, and plates. Opened up the torque tube and gave it a really good clean. Surprised there was little to no rust even with water sitting in the fluid for who knows how long. Like many have reported, the pick-up tube screen was damaged and somewhat clogged. Rebuilt a new screen to cover extra orifices I added at the bottom sides of the tube. Just in case in the future, there was sludge at the bottom of the case, the tube could still pick up fluid. Fluid pump, valve spools and all else seemed to be in good working order with no leaks. Put the shuttle back together, flushed the lines, new filter, etc. Started it up, lowered the outriggers and raised the rear wheels. Put the shuttle in forward- wheels turned, put the shuttle in reverse, the wheels turned. Hopeful I had solved my problems, I dropped the wheels to the ground, put it in 1st and tried again. This time the tractor moved forward. I put the shuttle in reverse and nothing. Again lowered the outriggers and raised the rear wheels. Put the shuttle in forward- wheels turned, put the shuttle in reverse, nothing. Disappointed, back to the threads I went. Now with recommendations to check the pressures. Hooked up my gauge to the Clutch Pressure Test Port got the following readings- all within spec: Clutch Released 650 RPM Forward & Reverse 50 PSI Clutch Released 650 RPM Neutral 150 PSI Clutch Depressed 650 RPM Forward & Reverse 0 PSI Clutch Released 1000 RPM Forward & Reverse 80 PSI Clutch Released 1000 RPM Neutral 170 PSI Clutch Depressed 1000 RPM Forward & Reverse 0 PSI Clutch Released 2000 RPM Forward & Reverse 180 PSI Clutch Released 2000 RPM Neutral 180 PSI Clutch Depressed 2000 RPM Forward & Reverse 0 PSI Only suspicious readings were at 2000 in forward and reverse when I would release the clutch after depressing it. The gauge needle would fluctuate wildly sometimes, and other times would hold steady within spec. So here is where I find myself after reading a lot of posts and threads, following all the advice, cleaning the torque tube, pick-up tube, all new, speced, clean fluids, checking the spools, adjusting linkages, and finding pressures within spec- Is the likely problem clutch packs- IE needing the split the tractor? Since the main reason for the backhoe was to build a nice back-yard garage, I yet to have a good surface to split the tractor. Not to mention this thing has a fully enclosed cab and the backhoe components need cylinders repacked and hoses replaced before I could remove the backhoe. Way more than I want to undertake right now in time, cost, and not having a good flat slab to support and split the tractor on. Any suggestions of any other diagnostics or repairs I should next try? Or am I at the point of no return on splitting the tractor?
Although an enclosed garage/ shop would be nice to work in, why not pour just the floor ? Or even just part of it. The slab can have dowel pins extended beyond the forms to tie in any additional slabs. From your description of your shuttle problem you will be splitting the tractor.
good morning, i just joined a few days ago and trying to find someone who sounds real familiar with the 580B like you. have you ever heard of the shuttle lines to the front filter being extremely noisy and vibration issue?
Scotty, Don't be offended, but you should have started your own thread. Hi jacking someone else's thread only causes confusion.
Thank Tinkerer. Yes, I've got the whole construction thing down due to my profession. However, to grade for a slab and foundations, full or partial, a backhoe and front-end loader sure would be helpful to have working. To install a slab to fix the tractor I bought to install the slab is the "chicken and egg" conundrum. I guess I will have to swallow my pride and have one of my buddies bring in their machine and start the garage project so I can fix the 580B. Anyway, thanks for the reply and the advice about moving forward with splitting the tractor and rebuilding the shuttle. I was hoping there were other tests or things I could do to insure it was the shuttle needing to be re-built. I'll have to repair more hoses and repack the two stabilizer cylinders just to remove the backhoe and make sure it stays up for reinstallation. And Scotty, I see what Tinkerer is saying about confusion, but I take no exception to you posting here. I am new and still trying to figure how it all works. Starting your own thread will allow people to post answers directly to you and will help those down the line read the complete thread from start to finish when their issue is similar to yours. Regarding your question, I'm not the expert Tinkerer is, but I would first check your filter and then your lines for trash. Having any sort of restriction (such as trash in the lines or a dirty, clogged filter) could cause your issues. When I first started working on my lines, I drained all the fluids, disconnected the lines and blew air through them to get all the trash out. Based on a suggestion in one post, I flushed diesel through one line I had that was gummed up and somewhat restricted. I used a garden sprayer with a rubber tip to pressurize the diesel through the line. Then new filters and fluids. I try to do test and repair the easy, cheap things first.
thanks guys, i started a new thread this morning. very new to this also. I'm going to do everything you said the guiding architect because it makes sense that it is dirt since it's not broke all the time. I ran it today but have the hoe off and had no luck moving gravel without any weight on the back. To Tinkerer, sorry about that and thanks for filling me in. Hopefully you received my new post, let me know will ya.