My father bought a Cat 416C and it is set up with excavator style controls. He wants to change the controls to (right- dipper/bucket, left-boom/swing). I have searched the net and found that some have a valve that can be changed. I can't find this valve. Could someone post a pic? Without a valve, how would we change the controls? If it helps the serial # is 4zn????? (if I remember correctly). THANKS!!!
If it has a valve it would be under the left fender behind a cover plate
Without the valve what's the next best option, Changing hoses at the controls?
I don't know that you can do that. I'm not experienced with the 416C compononents, but many machines like this use individual circuit reliefs in the valve sections for each function. If yours does, it's likely the circuit relief pressure for the swing is lower than the relief pressure for, say, bucket curl. If you simply switch hoses between bucket curl and swing, you would now have high pressure relief on the swing. Not sure about this, just thought I'd mention it.
What about the dipper and boom? Do you think they would be set to similiar pressure? That's the 2 that he would change.
I really don't know. Call your local Cat dealer and ask them for the pressure settings for the hoe functions. That would tell you what you need to know.
A 416C is a linkage machine so you have to buy some parts and change some of the linkages. As stated above, call your dealer and I think there is a kit.
I was thinking that John C. It seems I remember reading a thread some time ago about a likage kit to change the controls, was thinking it was Cat 416, just wasn't sure enough to mention it. A linkage kit would be cool.
Cat has a control linkage kit for pretty much all patterns. They have the JD 2-Stick pattern, 4-stick Ford, 3-stick Case with foot swing, and the Excavator pattern. All are easy to install, but they cost more than one would think. When the "D" series came out, they made it easy to change with the valve.
I know they change them because i worked for a company that had some 416's with a excavator pattern on them.... don't know what was changed... I would think it would be a matter of switching hoses... komatsu excavators had a colored coded hose change chart.... I can jump back and forth when there on the right machine.... rubber tire pattern on a rubber tire is fine... x not so good... excavator with cat pattern fine.... r/t pattern is ok, just takes about an hour or so to get used to it again. I agree with give cat a call
Slow down there heavylift, excavators are different than loader/hoes. I've switched those color coded connections on Komatsu EX75's as you described. And some of the Cat ex's had a similar setup, with colored hose connections, prior to the models that have the selector valve. But when you "switch" these hoses, your switching the pilot lines that work the control valves. That's different than switching the hoses that come from the control valve to the cylinders. A linkage kit would be ideal, as the hose connections would remain proper. But, if it's more expensive than rutwad can afford, he may be able to switch hoses for boom and stick at the control valves, the relief pressure may be comparable, I can't say for sure. A call to Cat dealer could confirm this.
Dang it ...and I already had a wrench out I know most people like the cheaper route I did say to call cat.... I know they're changeable just don't know what they changed. The field mechanic wouldn't do it... about a hour later a move truck picked it up, drop off a 580. Then brought the 416 back a couple days later.
Cat 416 B controls boom & stick Hello out there..I recently purchased a 1994 Cat 416B the boom and stick are opposite from the cat 416's and excavator's at my real job...it appears someone has changed them at some point.I gave it a quick peek and at least it does not look like any lines have been changed or out of place could this be a linkage deal.The swing and bucket are the same configuration...it is only the boom and stick that I want to change back to the original configuration.Its a real pain running all week cat controls then switching on weekend for side jobs. Would appreciate your expertise or direction here before I go to cat dealer. Thankyou
for the 416C, take off the housing around the control levers, remove all the linkages and replace them with 2 straight threaded rods. I welded 2 bolts with the correct thread together to make it work, the machine is made to have backhoe controls and there is a mess of linkages in there to make it work excavator controls. It's an easy fix. Here is a picture of my fix.
Do you still have this pic?
next time you want to bump up an old post like this, Put your cursor over @DCH and his or her stats pup up. They have not been logged in here since 2013 so the odds of them coming back are nil.
Here’s to hoping, that picture would be handy
I have a 416C that I bought new with Ford controls. I decided to try to change it so that employees would be able to run it (it seems that hardly anyone can run Ford -also known as Sherman- controls), and I could possibly get more use from the machine. I never completed the change over, though I did buy some linkage parts. The point of my posting is to say that one could likely obtain parts from a used parts dealer, or salvage yard. I sourced my parts from 2nd Steel, which is owned by Wagner Equipment (the Cat Dealer in Colorado, New Mexico, West Texas, and I believe Mongolia).