Hey everyone, I have a Cat 216B that overheated while I was using it to put out a pasture fire that got a bit out of control. While inside the cab, I lost hydraulic control, with the bucket stuck a few inches off the ground—enough to trap me inside. Luckily, I had a shovel and was able to break the front plexiglass to escape. What Happened: While scraping and dumping dirt on the fire, the bottom of the skid loader got hot enough to ignite dripped oil under the cab. Alternatively, embers may have been sucked into the air filter , causing it to catch fire. There’s no clear burn trail between the two locations, so either or both could have contributed. Damage Overview: Air intake : Air filters burned out, air cleaner partially melted. Under the seat : Tank was charred. Return hydraulic line may have burned. One hydraulic line melted enough to visibly sink in. Seat switch wires’ coating melted, seat bottom charred. Rear section: Hydraulic fan blades partially melted. Fuel shutoff solenoid wiring melted. Throttle cable melted and is now stuck at mid-high throttle. Wiring & relays : The wiring and relays on the left side of the engine chassis seem fine. Current Issue: The skid loader starts and runs fine . However, when I release the emergency brake , the light turns off, but I have no hydraulic function at all. I replaced the seat switch wires and fuel shutoff solenoid wiring , but the issue remains. What I Need Help With: I don’t have the budget to take it to a Cat mechanic, so I’m hoping to diagnose the issue myself . I have the SM-Caterpillar Cat 216B Skid Steer Loader RLL00001 repair manual but am struggling to organize the troubleshooting process. I have experience working on vehicles, including pulling and replacing engines and transmissions, but I lack diagnostic skills to pinpoint electrical or hydraulic failures. If anyone could summarize the steps to track down the problem—whether it’s a bad switch, wire, solenoid, or another component—I’d greatly appreciate it. I know I’ll need to replace the charred hydraulic lines , but I’d like to confirm the skid loader is operational before doing that. Thanks in advance for any advice! Serial# is RLL02247
That is a mess. I would start by replacing everything that is melted. Drain the hydraulic reservoir, probably replace that also. If it got all charred and flakey on the outside, what happened on the inside? Bits of rubber from the inside of the hydraulic lines that melted running around in the hydraulic system until they lodged somewhere. Maybe pull the filter and open it up?
I was only thinking about what was causing the hydraulics to not engage, It didn't occur to me that the lines may have come apart on the inside. I'd still at least like to get a reaction from the hydralics before I go and replace lines. On my schematics page it lists several places to tap the lines to check presure, what tool do I need for that? or do I just need a hydraulic gage and whatever fitting it is on the tap? I'd go look but the skidloader is 30 miles away and I'm trying to load up on tests and tools before I make another trip.
Welcome to the HEF. That’s a crazy story. Glad you are OK. How did the pasture fire eventually get extinguished? The machine may not have enough hydraulic oil left in it to make the hydraulics work.
I think you have a bigger, likely compound problem then just fixing one isolated problem. At any rate, opening up a the filter and seeing what is inside the tank would be a good start.
Does that machine have the interlock controller under the front floorboard? Is it or the wiring harness melted? Are a real pain to access, as the floorboard has foot throttle cables attached to underside and can not "just" be removed. . . .
I would definitely figure out what safeties are involved and relays for spooling up the hydraulics.
It has 2 controls mounted under the floor. The Interlock and the AUX ECM. Lift the floor and at least take a look at thwe wiring would be my suggestion.
fire department came out and put the rest out. It's not leaking fluid and the tank is just at the bottom of the fill window.
this will be my next step
Is there a cheaper hydraulic testing setup other than buying cat parts like: Install a 6V-4143 Quick Connect Coupler to each end of the 177-7861 Hose As . Install a 6V- 3989 Fitting to the 8T-0855 . Install a 6V-3989 Fitting to the 8T-0854 Pressure Gauge . You will also need to install a 6V-3989 Fitting to the 186-2613 Pressure Gauge . Install a 6V-3996 Plate and Film into both of the 7X-2444 Swivel Tee and the 5P-2937 O-Ring
looks like that is where the interlock control is. I'll get that taken apart as soon as possible to check the wiring -- another one for my list thanks
You should be able to find generic equivalents for all of those part numbers.
I have no pressure on either side of the hydrostaic pump or at the fan so I'm assuming the plastic gear on the flywheel is bad / melted. Is there any other tests I can do before I pull the motor? What is the best way to pull motor if I have to? I saw a video of BradenBuildz pulling a motor from a 246 by disconnecting the bell housing, would it be easier to disconnect the hydraulic lines and take the pump out with the motor? The wiring looks good under the cab and down at the foot throttle, ecms didn't get hot at all.
Have someone observe the cooling fan located under the radiator. Start the engine. Does the fan start turning immediately.? If it does not then the coupling between the engine and the pumps has failed. If you have some decent lifting equipment it’s probably easier to pull the engine and pumps together. They are a bugger to line up if the pumps are left installed in the machine, although it is possible.
So, I'm a dumba$$ I could have sworn I checked the hydraulic oil level or the viewer window was so dirty. Anyway tank was empty, i replaced all lines that were burned. I changed the filters added hydraulic fluid. All hydraulic functions work except no forward movement on the left side wheels, slow movement in reverse. The right side wheels are fine forward and backwards. it's likely that something is plugged due to the lines melting. I even have the pdf manual but am having trouble following the hydraulic schematic to figure out what to take apart and clean out. Any help would be great! Thank you.