Hello all, Looking at a Case 980b for purchase. Serial number is 6203912. Curious about the availability of new parts.... i.e. idler bearing (inside and out), very likely the idler pin, and used parts for the sprockets left and right. The machine has been road hard and put away wet but engine and hydraulics all work well. Track pins are probably 65 to 70% but the sprockets will need replacing before to long. Right side idler bearings are gone. Everything else is in decent shape and works well. Window rubber availability is a question as well. Some glass, and rubber seals are missing and if I purchase this would like to enclose for use in the winter.
I use Bearuegard CASE out of NH and they've been great keeping my older 90s machines going. Give them or your local CASE dealer a call and run the numbers you have on the build tag to see parts availability. Ive also attached the original brochure and spec sheet for the 980 if you want to look at them. 980 is a DROTT machine that became CASE after acquisition. Just my experience but when I inquired about the older DROTT/CASE machines as ive run across more than a few, I found them to be pretty much unsupported through CASE. CASE acquired both DROTT and Poclain and only ran out their current generation machines before dissolving both names.
Thank you for the literature. I'll check with Bearuegard. I'll follow up on my success or lack there of.
Is this the outfit you are referring to? https://www.beauregardequip.com/
Is it conceivable that there isn't actually a bearing for the idler wheel? I'm looking at an exploded diagram and I only see bushings. No reference to bearings.
Talked to Case. They seem to agree... they can find no bearings for it.... just bushings. Bushings I can probably recreate tho I would need to understand their composition and I assume they are hardened in some fashion. They will get back to me on sprockets.
Some manufacturers call bushings....bearings
Please save yourself and all of us on here the misery of this old dinosaur. Unless the price is *free, you haul*, there are way better options.
The hydraulic system on this machine is really ancient. Two fixed displacement gear pumps and 180hp engine. This is a REALLY thirsty machine, regarding fuel consumption. I am not sure if the engine is a direct injection or a pre chamber. If pre chamber then even more worse fuel consumption. Edit: I think it is a direct injection engine. If you are going to dig only ocasionally then this doesnt matter too much. If intended to more regular use then it matters more ofc.