Just thought I'd post a few preventable issues that I've heard about or discovered for myself in the last few weeks. Remote Oil Drain - Remove the rear small belly pan inspection plate. Dirt gets trapped down there around the remote drain connection to the oil pan, hardens and vibration can crack the oil pan. The repair requires engine removal. If the (2) bolts holding the cover twist off upon removal, it's easier to flip the cover plate around, drill and tap new holes for the bolts then easy-out the old bolts. My machine had been regularly pressure washed and was full of mud wrapping around the oil pan. Luckily the mud stayed moist enough that the pan hadn't cracked. Thanks to KSSS for the heads up on this one, I checked it out before it became a problem. Main Hydraulic Pump Charge Lines - One or both of these lines can rub against the belly pan and burst. One of mine did while I was working yesterday and shut down the machine. The fault code #4431 indicates a parking brake circuit disruption that points to an electrical solenoid or wiring problem. I wish it was that simple. Actually mine lost all hydraulic charge pressure so the brake and hydraulics wouldn't work. When trying to overide the code, pressing the "operate" button empties the hydraulic tank immediately into the belly pan. The field service tech says that mine is the fourth one he's seen in the last few months. Replacement of the hoses involves removal of both tracks, drive motors and rear undercarriage connection mounting plates for access. Of course, I'm going to try doing it myself cause I like torture. I will be installing the velcro version hose sleeves with tie wraps to every hose I can get to down there. Hydraulic Hose - I don't know what this hose actually supplies, but I saw this while we had the cab up. The hose at the top of the pump rubs against another coil sleeved hose (a/c?) entering the left side of the cab. I'll add a hose sleeve there too. A/C Condensate Drains - I noticed this while the cab was up as well. Both rubber nipples were clogged. When the cab was flipped all of the water dumped on the cab floor. The service tech says to give each a short blast of air to clean. There's probably another way to clean them out, but I'll have to look at it a bit more after we recover my machine from it's resting place on the only high spot next to a creek...over a mile from solid ground...and it's raining now.
No replies on this thread but a whole lotta looks, so I'll give an update. Hopefully it will save someone grief down the road. My TR320 only has 830 hrs on it, so we're not talking about an old machine. Main Hydraulic Pump Charge Line Update (CTL's only) - Actually drivemotor supply lines - With the cab raised, these (4) large hoses can be found on the left side of the hydraulic pump. Two go to the left side drivemotor and two to the right. Since these hoses (and a few more smaller ones) reside in the area that would be the chaincases on a tire equipped skidsteer, the outside hose ends are not accessible unless the drivemotors and mounting plates are removed. This is the area that the hoses chafe and burst. I suggest powerwashing these areas VERY well, with the cab raised, on a routine basis. The only way to get protective jackets on the hoses back in there is through the small chaincase openings they pass through, or when they're being replaced. Wire Loom Chafing - With the cab raised, look for chafing of the large wire loom located on the left side of the machine attached to the frame. My wire loom was almost rubbed through from contact with the bottom of the cab. Hydraulic Quick Attach - If you find yourself in a jam with no hydraulic power and have an attachment on there that needs removal, shoot me a pm and I'll explain how to get to the fittings to bleed the QA hydraulics so the QA pins can be retracted. It will be more of a pita with a bucket or other attachment hooked up that has no access from the front, but it can still be done.
Thanks, JNB. I too like torture. I manage to get things done after throwing a few wrenches at the wall along with a few choice words. Does this apply to all year model machines?
This is regarding the CASE Alpha series, which is what I have. The NH machines are very similar or identical in some ways, so I figured I'd give a heads up n them too.. So beginning in 2011 I believe. I do know that the earlier CASE CTL'S use the same final drive motor though. I suspect that most of them are higher in hours so most of the bugs should have been ironed out by now.
Hey John, did you get your Case out of the mud? You could sent some of that rain over our way ya know . Thanks for posting about the issues you are having with your skid. Mine is an older version than yours but I will be checking anyway. Tim
Yeah Tim, we got it out of there. The biggest problem was the distance from the road. The project I'm on has had the lots benched and utilities in for ten years, The water service lines had been leaking for who knows how long before we got there. There were actually twenty-foot tall hackberry trees growing up around some of them. Soft spots everywhere. It was like running a minefield guiding the roll-back truck in there.
New update today...with FIRE! Expletives have been modified or removed for your protection. Unloaded my CASE TR320 from the trailer after the drivemotor/hydraulic hose repair, hooked up the bucket and parked it last week. It's been sitting there ever since. The total cost for the repair including the service tech call and towing of the dead machine... a shade over $7k. This afternoon I walk out to the shop and hear the hydraulic cooling fan on the engine lid of my CASE TR320 CTL running. Since it rained last night, I thought that maybe the connector at the fan motor had gotten wet. When I opened the cab door I found the HVAC motor running and smelled burning electrical. At that moment smoke started pouring from behind the cup holder! I grabbed my fire extinguisher from the shop and shot it in there and removed the cup holder panel. The smoke was coming from the front (accessory) fuse/relay distribution block. When I removed the cover flames started coming out of the distribution block! While I'm trying to pull out the burning relays, my wife's grandfather was trying to get the positive battery cable unhooked. After burning the heck out of my fingers removing the relays and dosing the area with fire extinguisher contents, he gets the battery disconnected and I get the fire under control. #1 My fuse blocks are both mounted upside down, so it took me awhile to figure out which relays had fried. Turns out it was the EH (electric/hydraulic) Control Module relay and Option Relay. In the upside down configuration, the relays are mounted directly underneath the door seal. #2 The accessory fuse box melted. The dealer tells me that to repair it they have to replace the entire harness, which includes removing the engine. $5000 minimum for the repair!! I'm so ******* ****** off right now I could eat bricks! My lungs are full of fire extinguisher crud and smoke. If it was water that shorted something out, wouldn't a fuse blow? What about all of the machines without a cab? Those fuse boxes have no protection at all from the elements. Did the dealer pinch off wires somewhere when they had the cab up for two weeks? And just how do I prove that? I'll call CASE once again to start an incident number, but them saying that they will help out is very unlikely. From my prior conversations with them they're about as helpful as **** on a ****. This is a freaking 2012 machine with less than 850 hrs on it! One drivemotor/final and two electrical panel replacements under warranty...Now a blown hydraulic hose to the drivemotor, one more drivemotor/final drive replaced AND an electrical fire! Sorry...had to vent. I'm a one man show with a New Holland tractor and a CASE CTL, and I've been a faithful CNH customer since they became CNH. Ford before that. The expenses I've incurred to repair my CASE machine have already put my plans for building a new home for my family on hold. If they don't step up to the plate this time...they will have lost me as a customer forever. Whatever the outcome, I will document it right here. The only reason I was near my CASE today is because I was going to take photos of the paint for another thread I have going on elsewhere on the net. If I hadn't gone out there right then...this could have been a major disaster for me and my family. The machine is parked less than 5 feet from my shop and less than 10 feet from our PROPANE TANK!
Call you insurance company first. That is insane they gave you no good will on the drive hoses
It's like trying to find words for, ….. loosing your dog or something. Hang in there bro. is all I come up with.
Yes contact your insurance company. That machine has been problematic. Sorry to hear about your issues. I don't know if you will ever get to the bottom of the issue but, I find it hard to believe that the machine just started an electrical fire after your get it back from being worked on. Your insurance company may send an investigator out to look at the machine. I feel for you.
Well john it makes a lot of problems seem small compared to yours I wish you the the of luck. Most guys out there with a machine or two take pride and them and there family's live There lives around there machines so in turn I find there like family sound weird but true
You're correct HM, that's how it works. I got the go-ahead late last night to start a week long job with the machine. Instead, I'll be looking for a rental yet again this morning.
Wow John, that's crazy! Is the machine still in warranty? I sure hope they will step up. Tim
To me it seems a little coincidental the machine goes in for "major surgery" then spontaneously combusts. I would try if possible to find the source of the fire. Try going to Cases web site, and type in your "Case Story". It will get you nowhere most likely, but will serve notice its game on. Lastly, I'm sorry for ya. This is a tough hit.
Hi john have you had any luck yet with your case
It's out of warranty Tim. I have jobs to do with it. What a pita. Good idea...I just may do that. No luck yet Hock. I started an incident # with CASE Customer Service. They will contact the dealer and since it was a fire they'll get the regional product rep involved and get back to me.
I really feel for you man, a friend of mine had issues like that with his Cat 236. I know its an expensive solution, but with all the problems you have had with this Case and your dealership, why not trade it in for a deere 323d/e or a Cat 279c etc. With only 850 hours and issues like that its a lemon. And then with bad dealership support that adds to it. Its not the machine that counts, its the dealership.
Thanks for the support. If I can get this latest deal straightened out, I think I'll trade it in on a Kubota SVL90. I have a great relationship with my local Kubota dealer. I rented ctl's from them since the SVL's came out. I was originally going to purchase an SVL75, but I fell in love with the CASE after I ran it. It's really comfortable, heavier and stronger than the 75. As far as I know, Kubota has only had one issue (with their first SVL'S) and it was also with a main hydraulic supply running under the engine. Not only did Kubota pick up the tab on machines with the problem...they also changed the design and retrofitted all machines already at the dealerships. This is my first skid steer, tracked or wheeled. I've learned a bunch. I'm the sole operator and at the age of 57...comfort blinded me. In the future I'll take reliability over comfort any day of the week.
The kubotas seem like really good machines. Almost got to run a 90 at the dealership. I love the vertical lift with them. The only bad thing about them is the door is very awkward to open and close. But still they seem like wonderful machine. I also looked at a slv75 but couldn't afford it lol.
"I'm the sole operator and at the age of 57..." That's cool you've got a grandpappy still alive...you've got 11 years on me and both of mine have been gone for a while now. I hope it works out better for you with a Kubota if and when you trade.
Well...my wife's grandad is alive and well. Mine lived well into their nineties before passing. Thank you for the support!
Hi john Its great to have grand parents aground it gives you a link of who are and where your from. I was woundering how you are going with your CTL any progress.
Hi John, I see that you are poking around on here this morning. Any luck with your Case? I have never been one to sue, but if I couldn't get any satisfaction out of the dealer or CNH, you can bet I'd be looking for a Lawyer. Seems to me that it's a better than even chance that the fire was caused by something the dealer did while he was dinking around in there. Were you able to do any good with insurance? Tim
The dealer picked up the machine a couple of days ago, so we'll see what happens. I was told that even before looking at it that CASE was going to pickup at least part of the tab. That's not going to be good enough for me. This new episode is almost too freaky to believe...but it's true. My wife took over thirty photos to remove any doubt. The dealer sent their equipment semi to pickup my machine while I was on a job. The driver tried to pull it on the deck bucket-first and stuck a couple teeth into the aluminum deck, peeling it up. He had the chains hooked onto the handles instead of using the crosstube on the arms as well. Then he tried to position it using the hydraulic dovetail. I guess he wasn't paying attention and the front of the machine ended up being about 4-5 feet above the bed. Then...he dropped the machine which landed with about a third of the bucket on the bed. Frustrated...he called out their mobile mechanic. The mechanic got him to drag the machine around backwards and try to pull it on from the rear. But now the machine is at a terrible angle in relationship to the trailer ramps. They ended up hooking one of the inside tracks on the ramp. When they finally got it up onto the deck, the machine was almost hanging off the side. Then...THE CHAIN BROKE! It went right through the back window of grandpa's motor home, through the curtain and took a chunk of fiberglass with it on the way! They're taking care of the bill, but holy crapola...REALLY? Are my arms bent?...did they screw up a track? I'll have to wait to check it out. Unbelievable!
A couple of day's ago was Friday the 13th! You, my friend (or maybe you're machine) must be getting close to running out of bad luck. Let's hope so.
Talk about luck I'm starting to think you were standing behind the door when they were handing it out, thats unreal.
Get rid of it and the dealer!
Hi john how you going with your CTL
The machine is still at the dealer. I'll update as soon as I know anything. We've been seeing a lot of rain off and on for the last week or so. It's been putting a dent on getting jobs completed.
Yeh john winter here started raining Monday only lost a day tho this week were lucky working on rock preping for concrete and kerb
Hock, I sent ya a private message.
I picked up the machine today and actually got to meet the district manager. No charge for the repair. The service manager at ASCO Euless took care of everything with CASE to get it done. He also took care of handling the insurance claim on the motorhome. EDIT! I just went out to unload the machine from my trailer and found a large pool of hydraulic oil under it coming from the final drive they just replaced. I have zero hours on this machine for the month of June.
Pretty much what Im thinking too.
I would be looking for a new machine and servicing dealer. Best of luck. I hope it all gets straightened out.
You have to kidding me ? How is it possible for one man to have 11 men's problems.....demand a new machine , hire a lawyer , buy a CAT , please please please.....this is just beyond anything reasonable for a fellow to have to deal with. My bother is a lawyer in Philidelphia and will pro bono this for you....my treat !
Not a bad idea pa! The dealer isn't open Saturday's...really...not even until noon? So I'm dropping the machine back off tomorrow at the branch dealer that replaced the drivemotor after not even unloading it from the last trip. Another day of missed work for this damn thing. I'll be heading out on Tuesday to regrade and top a gravel driveway with my good-'ole 3000hr New Holland tractor. After checking it out myself, I think I know what happened. The leak is coming from one of the small hard-lines between the machine and drivemotor. I bet the line got tweaked and cracked either taking the old drivemotor off or putting the new one on. I'm also pretty sure that they never checked the drivemotor in 2nd gear. When the drivemotor was replaced and I picked it up from the dealer, it was in 1st gear. I loaded it on the trailer, pulled it off and parked it. When I picked up the machine THIS time from the other dealer branch, the guy that ran it out to my trailer had it in 2nd gear. I shifter to 1st and loaded it. There was a puddle on my trailer when I got home. I have a feeling that the small hard-line has something to do with the shift to 2nd gear.
I hope when you get it back JNB you never have an issue with it again. I would trade it in a NY minute if it were mine but that's just me. Seems to have some bad karma about it....if you beleive in that type of thing. It would be hard to argue it doesn't exist after what you have had to endure with this loader.
Yea I think that machine is possessed. I have the same model machine and while I did have a cracked oil pan, it was covered and it works every day and I am happy with it. I have never heard of such poor luck (for lack of a better word) with a machine.
This machine's like a bipolar girl friend..looks good then stabs you in the back! I'm working with the Kubota dealer on a trade-in. I have work for the Case, but I'm pretty gun shy on taking it out and it breaking before I can off the thing. I'd love to run a Tak before deciding, but the nearest dealer is an hour away. Kubota is only about 20 minutes away with dealer branches in all other directions that I normally work. KSSS, do you know the actual weight of the 320 with a cab? If I add things up off the literature it's at about 9800, but there's no actual weight shown with the a/c compressor and such. The Kubota SVL90 is almost exactly the same size, but specs out at about 11,100. I like the extra weight and don't need anything smaller, but may have to upgrade my trailer to make it work. I got the machine back from the dealer yesterday. I had them replace all three of the smaller lines going to the "leaker" side. No labor and total cost for parts $300. The lines on the other side were replaced in 2013 when the drivemotor was replaced under warranty.
Ha, can't say I ever heard a skid steer compared to a "bipolar girlfriend" before. Good analogy though Tim
Ya Tim...now I know how a lot of guys feel about Ford 6.0's! I don't know if you're getting any of this rain today. I got rained out of the job I was taking the Case out to. Heck, I might have saved myself some grief AND money!
Wow sounds like some bad luck to a point, but honestly I don't blame you or luck. This is how the CNH machines have been running (or lack there of) in our area and the reason they have lost some serious market share to others. Your fire is not rare, very common actually. When I say common I don't mean every other machine starts on fire, but with the low number of machines in our area and the high number of fires I say its common especially since no other brand has so many random fires in history. The dealers are constantly replacing wiring harnesses which is not an easy job as you mentioned. The fuse box made me mad when we had ours and I can only imagine how mad you'd be with a fire in there. We got rid of ours right away, broke down a few times, just minor stuff but the overall machine was far from impressive. I always say I will jinx myself and one of these times I will, but knock on wood the Cat's have been great. Two hydraulic lines split and a headgasket went out (all warranty) between 5 different machines and 8,000-9,000 cumulative hours since we switched in 2012. We get them with 3yr/3k warranties and trade at 2k. I don't miss fixing skid steers one bit. It was nearly a full time job keeping all of our old ones running but it was expected because they were, well, old. New machines shouldn't cost you what they have. It sounds like you dealer was decent on the last transaction but they did put a hole through your camper and your machine started on fire out of nowhere. Its not like they went above and beyond and you still ended up with a broken machine anyways. It sounds like the combination of the new CNH machines issues, combined with a poor dealer have made things pretty rough for you. Sounds like Kubota has impressed you and your working on that deal. Good luck with it, I know a lot of satisfied Kubota owners. Many have had some issues but Kubota stood behind them even outside the written warranty.
After the dealer had the track off they discovered that the leaking hard line was severely corroded. Funny they didn't notice that when they replaced the drivemotor. I also had them replace the other hardline / hose while they were in there. After the fiasco the dealer had with getting the thing loaded I only ended up paying dealer cost for the parts...no charge for labor. On the first job out after the repair I had a problem with one of the track adjusters. Watching my wife's video of the loading fiasco, I'm pretty sure that the adjuster seal was blown out then. I'm tired of relying on the dealer to repair if I can do it myself. Judging from the difference in shaft and bearing size when comparing the old adjuster to the new, I'd bet that Case knew they had a problem in this area. Note the extra beef of the new spring as well. I was able to easily get to the assembly without taking the track completely off and also not applying too much pressure to the track lugs. Thanks to Willie59's pipe trick , the fix took under an hour.
is it true that kubota has already snatched up 25% of ctl market? the Japanese r so smart...
I don't know what the national percentages are, but Kubota has taken a large share of the market locally. Big contractors, little guys like myself, rentals, stone yards, landscape suppliers...Kubota SVL's are everywhere. The local multi-outlet dealer sure was smart when the ctl's entered the market. They had at least five machines out front with a big "RENT ME" sign at each of the dealerships.