I have a 2005 Cat 303CR (#DMA04353 )that the swung, blade and boom offset valves have little pressure and or operate slowly after removal and replacement of main valve body. The mechanic took pictures of pilot hose arrangement but lost phone prior to replacement. Parts book and service manuals are not clear to me on routings of boom confluent valve and I can't even find the accumulator. Any help on routings of pilot boom confluent valve, boom overload valve and accumulator hoses would be appreciated .
Does your service manaul have a full-size version of the hydraulic schematic.? If it will help I could send you one.
Thank you. No, the service manual didn't have a full size schematic. Not sure if it will help. I went to the Cat dealer and they let me take pictures. The schematic showed 4 pilot lines on the right side of the #4 valve, all in line on schematic but two over top of two on the machine. I couldn't/can't figure out which port is which or where those 4 lines lines go. The parts department was most helpful but they couldn't figure line configuration either, as crossing one another and quite jumbled on the screen. Also, I can't find where the accumulator is. Not beside the boom or near the valve body as indicated. Is mine not supposed to have one or did the mechanic remove for some reason and lose it?
There does not appear to be one on your machine. I'll send you a pdf copy of the hydraullic schematic.
I hope he didn't take apart the main valve. If he did and lost the photos of that too you could be in for a rough time.
I'm in for a rough time as the main valve had to be removed for repair. The machine had 1500 hrs. when I bought it and was just a little hard starting. about 2200 hrs. has to replace starter, but still hard start. Took it to a dealer and no help, but $600 to get that diagnosis and replace an o ring on a solenoid valve on pilot control. . Shortly after picking mainup machine from dealer developed boom and left travel problem. Talked to dealer and they said it was pump or valve problem; pump #4500 and main valve body over 12k, individual valves not available. I didn't like that diagnosis and had a mechanic take valve out because I didn't feel comfortable removing it myself. I found the boom overload valve had a casting defect that rerouting hydraulic oil which I believed was causing the pump to charge while cranking and also boom-left travel issue. Repaired and helped mechanic reinstall valve. The mechanic didn't mark all of the lines and hooked some up incorrectly. I got the machine to mov a d out of there, with low pilot pressure and very slow swing, blade and boom offset functions, or the front three valve section, which I believe is controlled by the #4 valve that I can't figure out routing with the schematic or parts book.
That's the big thing with pictures. You can take them but all the pilot lines look alike and its still very easy to mix them up. Much better to physically mark them with coloured zip ties or something.
Yes;, marking all of the lines is the best way to get them back in the right places, especially when the schematic and parts book are jumbled and the service manual doesn't tell you where all the hoses go. This whole fiasco doesn't entice me buy another Caterpillar to replace this one if I can't get get it to swing.
I just bought a 2005 303C CR last weekend. It's currently in my shop with all the covers open, fixing a few issues. If it would be helpful I could snap a couple pics
I think it's a bit unfair to blame Cat for a mechanic who couldn't do his job properly. My 2c. YMMV.
I need a source of information on proper location of the four pilot ports, two over top of the two (t1, bm2, p and pp2) on the right side of #4 from front of machine valve , to help get me in the right direction. I don't blame Cat for the mechanic's inabilities . I didn't mean to offend anyone. The indifference or inabillity of Caterpillar to help physically identify unmarked ports, which would help in resolving line placement issues stemming from the need to repair factory installed, badly cast boom overload valve on a machine only having 2,000 hours on it is upsetting to me. That was not the mechanic's fault. Years ago I could call the dealer and the service department would help; and, if I couldn't fix the problem myself, I could depend on them to send a mechanic to fix it, and you could depend on it being fixed. The new machine hydraulic systems are quite complicated., so one would think all! the more reason to have line configuration parts diagrams someone can read, not just guess at, on multi port valves, to rely on, wouldn't one think?
Thanks.Pictures would help. The right side of valve body, #4 valve especially.
The hoses that you are trying to identify where to connect. Do any of them by chance have a narrow aluminium tag right next to one of the end fittings that carries a Part Number.? they would have done when the machine was built but not guaranteed to still be there after this many years.
Some lines have numbers but not sure where they are supposed to go. I gave one of the numbers to parts department to get a replacement. He said the numbers will identify them as to the lines but don't tell him where each end connects. If they had been hooked incorrectly on a multi port valve , like the right side of the unmarked #4, it would be difficult to impossible for him to determine correct port to connect since ports are not identified.
Not possible to follow on the hydraulic schematic? Cat hydraulic schematics are pretty good, they'll at least show you where they connect.
I don't understand where to the connect the hoses going to the T1, bm2, pp1 and thep ports ,on right side of the #4 valve. The positions are not identified and two over top of two on valve and all in one line on the schematic. I could read one tag on hose coming from swing motor,
The tag on swing motor hose that I could read, #213-9416. Another swing motor line I could partially make out I believe ends in 242.
213-9416 is number 30. Top left.
Thank you. The #30 line is a ittle confusing in picture. Is connection on valve #4 , at top,right toward rear of machine? picture is a little different from my machine as I couldn't find the accumulator on mine. Nige said it doesn't have an accumulator., so I don't know where that line would go?