I am after rebuilding a cat 304cr with a Mitsubishi K4n engine the machine has been sitting up for 3 years now the right hand track seems sluggish and slow any body any ideas
If you want technical information, testing procedures, etc, you'll need to post a machine Serial Number.
I dint have a serial number the only number I can find on the block says K4n I’m not a mechanic I think the machine is listed as 02 -06 as manufactured
I'm sorry that is not going to be of much help. There are over 25 different models of 304 and the last thing I want to do is give you incorrect information. Look for a plate about 4" x 2" on the RH side of the upper (revolving) frame somewhere close to the front. Also if you can find a full Serial Number on the engine that might also help. K4N is the model but there ought to be 4 or 5 other digits after that.
Nige don’t know if this helps you any I appreciate your time and help thanks
Believe it or not it does. The Part Number on the casting at the bottom end of the boom identifies the machine as a 304 mini-ex of NAD-prefix. The boom Part Number was only ever fitted to NAD-prefix machines. Production started in April 2002 and ended the last quarter of 2005, so that fits with the information you supplied earlier. I'll look around for some performance data and testing specs. What part or Norn Iron are you from.?
Thanks nige thats brilliant fair play to you, County Armagh if you ever heard tell of it
Know it well. We used to come across regularly for the bike races but haven't been for a while now. Our last trip across the water was a few years back to Skerries in the South. Attached all the performance tests for the machine. I suggest you do them first and see how they stack up against specs then come back with some numbers. The only really technical thing it will need is a phototach to check the engine RPM. That test is first on the list for a reason because if the engine is not up to snuff then nothing else is likely to be either.
thanks nige I will let you know how I get on
hello nige just had a mechanic look at my problem turns out it’s the head gasket gone he thinks the wrong gasket was used, so I have to remove the head an get it skimmed I think, can you tell me is there a specific way of taking the head apart ie a right sequence of loosening the bolts I already have water pump an exhaust off an the rocker cover off as well,thanks for any advice
Loosen the head bolts starting from the ones at each end of the engine and working towards the centre in a criss-cross pattern. There is a problem regarding the cylinder head & gasket because you don't have a machine Serial Number. There are two types of cylinder head and each of them uses a different Part Number of head gasket. So please look closely at the head and see if you can find a casting number on it somewhere. Also check the 14 head bolts. Are they identical or do you have four of Ref #2 and ten of Ref #3.? Note if someone who didn't know what they were doing installed the head bolts the four bolts Ref #2 could have been installed anywhere on the head.
As I suspected. Unfortunately those are Mitsubishi Part Numbers not Cat. The only way I can think of trying to identify which type of head you have (so the correct part number for the gasket can be identified) is, as I mentioned last night, to look for either 14 identical head bolts or 10 + 4. Note that all the above stems from the fact that you don't have a machine Serial Number...!! Another thing while I think about it. If the head is taken to a machine shop have them check it for flatness before even contemplating doing any skimming work. It may be that it is good and the problem lies elsewhere - such as the possible use of an incorrect head gasket in the previous repair.
Do you know if that is the mark for tdc
I don't, and unfortunately there is nothing I can find showing how to set #1 cylinder at TDC on the compression stroke. The best way I can think of doing it is with a piece of wire through the injector hole of #1 cylinder and touching the piston crown. Then as you turn over the engine (MUST turn in the normal direction of rotation) towards TDC watch for the exhaust valve closing and the inlet valve opening on #4 cylinder. That confirms that #1 cylinder is at TDC on the compression stroke.
hello nige I got to checking the head bolts and your right there are 10 identical ones marked 14 and 4 marked 12 does this help you any
It certainly does. It makes the cylinder head gasket Cat Part Number 246-3070. The other type of cylinder head with 14 identical bolts uses a different P/N of head gasket.
thanks a million nige I’d be beat without your help
You'd be better off replacing a complete set of engine gaskets