Good morning, everyone I found your forum through a random search. I need some help here with a machine that my boss purchased. There is a pretty bad stretched link on one of the tracks. I know damn well, he's not going to want to replace the entire track chain (we call him Ebenezer McHitler). What is the easiest way to do to replace a stretched link.
It's not stretched it's worn out....... And if it's worn out I'm guessing a lot of the other links in the assembly are probably not too far behind it, so consider the condition of the entire track link assembly before jumping in to fix a single link. To do anything with that really needs a 100T portable track press to push pins out. It's a bit more complicated than that but you get the idea. If you don't have one then the first task is to find someone who has. By the time you add up the cost of tooling and labour a replacement link assembly would likely work out cheaper.
If you don't have this equipment, you can't do anything. Buying a 100-ton chain press (with a manual pump) costs 422.5 USD, and replacing an E320C 45-section chain with track shoes costs 859.1 USD. It's better to replace the whole set than to replace one section at a time.
Well that's definitely something to look at. He'll probably try to weld it up or something to that level. I can't even get him to fix the air conditioner and the blower motor in the cab.And here in florida, the heat is stupid unreal. His solution? buying a twelve volt fan that plugs into the cigarette lighter.
Might I respectfully suggest that you start searching for alternative employment.......... Also FYI the link/bush wear in your original photo can't be welded up successfully.
I am running a 320C in deep S. Georgia...same heat issue as Florida. If the AC is down our machine is out of service until it gets fixed. A 12V fan is worthless in that kind of heat. I am with Nige...be on the lookout for a civilized working situation.
Wow. What happened to the men in the world? Our civilization was built with horses and manual labor. There wasn't any such thing as A/C in construction equipment until the last 40 years or so.
hahah..you are a hoot. I've done plenty of work outside in heat...treework during Katrina comes to mind first. Sometimes so hot that we did the work at night. We needed a crane but had to make do with rigging. But sitting inside a glass box in the summer sun of South Georgia. I think you don't have a grasp of reality. Go for it, though, my congrats on your gumption.