Need help trouble shooting my skidsteer left track will not move forward or backwards? Any suggestion would help. The bucket and boom hydraulics are working and so is the other track. Thier are two big hydraulic hoses which I assume are the forward and reverse siurce for the drive. What do the two small one do? My skidsteer has highflow and and turbo if this makes a difference.
When you comman the defective trackmotor do either of the hoses kink or jerk as if they are under pressure?
I will try later today, so if it kinks or jerk what would that determine? Are the two big hoses for forward and reverse motion and what are the two small hoses for
Also could it be possible that half of the pump could be bad and the other half good? What pressure should each of the four hoses be reading on a hydraulic guage?
If the hoses to the motor react to pressure, it means the valving is OK and eliminates that as a problem. It could mean there is a problem in the motor or the track is jammed somewhere mechanically
Yes, if the hoses kink the pump is meeting resistance. That would mean the pump is atleast good enough to turn the track. Most likely the motor would not have a failure that would jam it up and you have a problem inside of the planetary box. The other two lines are your motor drain and either two speed or brake line. Drain lines should not have any pressure. Motor lines 3500 or so. Two speed line 250-500
As you have rightly said the 2 large hoses are for forward and reverse motion. If you put the machine in forward or reverse then one or other of those hoses (depending on which direction you are trying to move) should tense up like an iron bar. One of your smaller hoses will be the case drain line for the hydraulic drive motor, the other one provides the hydraulic pressure to release the internal parking brake in the motor that is spring-applied. When you try to move the left track one or other of those small hoses should give signs that it has pressure in it. When you move the direction control back to neutral the pressure should release.
Have you tried to change over the two hoses to the side that's is working ,that would id that pump or motor is working could change over the two smaller lines first.
Yes I was going to do that but I read thier could be contaimanent in the closed loop which could cause problems in the working drive, what's your thoughts on that?
yes there could be contamins in the line , remove hose and using a clean white lint free rag pall thought with a length of wire and check, the oil for all circuit end up in the hydraulic tank if the seal to the brake piston are leaking the motor will not drive but load up that motor check case drain for exes/flow you could remove that motor and jack up and try to move drive though
Its jack up off thw ground, if its the brake what do I need to do to release the brake so the drive can move by hand, if the brake is the problem would thev track rotate if I pull the skidsteer with my tractor, or what if the drain hose is clog up would that affect the drive
As per my suggestion in a post further up, did you try to drive the machine and look for signs of pressure in the 2 large hoses..? If the machine is jacked up off the ground that's even better and I suggest that if you have not done that yet do it before going any further. Let's explain the "drain line" a bit first. Your drive motor is a hydraulic piston type and all motors of this type by design leak internally by a small amount. The "case drain" line is to take this leaked oil from inside the motor case back to the hydraulic tank.. It is very unlikely that the case drain line could get blocked, but it is a remote possibility. So if you remove the 2 small lines at the motor end and try to blow through them you should be able to blow through one and not the other. You should hear bubbling in the hydraulic tank when you do this. Try leaving that hose disconnected, start the machine and try to move it. See how much oil comes out of the connection on the motor. It should be a steady trickle, but if it's a flood then your travel motor has a major internal leak and is most likely goosed. Having identified which is the case drain line by a process of elimination you know which line is the brake release. Re-connect the hose, start the machine and try to drive that track while someone watches (or holds) that hose close by the travel motor. It should be possible to see/feel it "pulse" with the pressure in it when the travel control is moved. That's is the pressure that is releasing the brake and is as near as you can get to see whether the brake is releasing or not. If you have something like a Porta-power pump maybe you could rig that up on the brake line and release the brakes manually. NOTE: For every line you remove check carefully for signs of metal particles both in the line itself and also in the connector on the motor. The presence of lumps of metal could also be an indication of problems inside the motor.
Raised it off the ground and check the lines on both side, niether side kinked or jerk but I could feel vibration as if thier was hydraulic flow moving through the left and right drive motors, what activates the brake and if its in the brake position it would look up the drive motor, so is the hydraulic fluid bypass the gears in the drive or does the brake just block the hydraulic fluid? Should I be able to spin the drive by hand if the brake is released in the drive? Thanks
I really appreciate everyone's help
I could send you a 8 page file that shows the drive motors and brake that identifies the ports and explains a lot about them. I would need a direct email address as the file is too big to post here. email me at
Thanks, here's my email:
Guys, send your addresses to each other by PM. When you publish your address on the internet like you did here, you expose yourself to harvesters and will be slammed with spam. I removed them for your safety.
Thanks, didn't realize that
What type of connection are the hydraulic test ports on a Cat 287B
We have a 2006 287b the right track pulls intermittently, did you find the problem on yours?
Not at the moment, between rain and a new baby haven't had time. So yours works every once in a while on one track
"o ring face " are used on all new cats smaller hyraulic lines
True but if, like many newer machines we have they have the quick connect fittings in many places. These look much like to oil sample ports but use a coupler Part number 6V4144.
Yes our test or check ports look just like the oil or hydraulic check ports, some kind of quick connect. Is this the part number at cat.
It quit pulling altogether, the mechanic found the outside bearing in the drive motor down
Yes the 6V4144 is the Cat part number for the coupler. My cost is $35.00+/- Not sure if there is anyone else who makes them, could do a Google search on the part number.
can get from most hydraulic hose supplyers
Thanks will be testing the ports this weekend. Will post results when complete
I have a 287b with a very similar issue. Is it possible you could send a copy of the file to me?
Hello, I have problem, after half hour working left truck lost the power.
Hello, would I be able to see this file also please? My tack moto hose blew and I'm trying to locate which one to remove. My email is [email protected] Thanks and regards Andy
Hello I'm having a very odd problem with a 2007 cat 287B I just purchased ser # CAT0287BAZSA03488 The machine runs ok at idle and all bucket functions work normal but when I try to drive it forward or reverse it builds pressure like the breaks are holding it and stars to stall the engine BUT if I lift the boom full speed and drive it wi go like normal other than when you turn right it wants to turn left and and when you turn left it wants to turn right but forward and reverse is working normal directions as long as I'm lifting the boom. The second I release the boom joystick it builds pressure and almost stalls out. If I lift slowly it will barely move so to move I have to pull the joystick full up or down so I can move. I am a mechanic I have worked on dozer's excavators skidsteers and much more but after buying the $40 repair manual that doesn't help much I'm stumped. This one has beaten me so far. Please anything would be greatly appreciated
A full service manual (new) for that machine probably costs North of $800. Look online for Cat Publication RENR4880. Did you buy the Operation & Maintenance Manual by any chance.? The left/right turn issue could be that someone has messed with electrical wiring for the joystick that controls the steering. This particular machine Serial Number (ZSA03488) has been on HEF before. I just need some help to track down the relevant threads regarding why.
Ha....!! Knew it...... Not that it's going to fix your issue but at least it gives you a bit of background.
Or it could be hoses installed incorrectly........ See the other two threads. I wonder if the hose installations for the travel are so fcuked up that there is no return path to tank for the oil from the travel motors until you open the return to tank from the lift/tilt implement valve by engaging the lift function..?
The guy I bought this from had a couple hoses reversed and the drive pump was bypassing #14