Went down to check on my backhoe today. He has removed the boom assembly , swing tower and swing cylinders. The bottom hole on the tractor is going to have to be line bored. And I have to get a new swing tower. Cat was 2800$ for a new one , I opted for an aftermarket with the same warranty. It is supposed to have the bushings like the newer D models already in the swing and boom base. Tractor has 5000 hrs. We have a lot of rock here so I expected this to happen sooner or later. Little later would have been better , I am also putting a new u/c on the 943 loader. I ordered the u/c 3 days before the pin in the backhoe gave. Also during this I was hauling dirt about 100 loads , off loader in truck out of truck on loader. Pulled or tore a ligament in my right knee. May need a go fund me page before this is over, or raise some KY "tomato" plants.
$2800 isn't that bad; friend of mine had a 900 sized tracked front loader. A sheet metal cover over the battery compartment was bent, 1/8" steel. So he ordered a new one from Cat. Went to pick it up and was $600!! Maybe 1'x2' in size. This was 25 years ago, so it's probably a $1200 part now. Who makes an aftermarket piece? Wouldn't seem to be enough demand to make a mould, and tool up to machine it.
I'm not sure who makes it. The piece has the same warranty as the CAT , which who knows how that plays out. If you are familiar with any cat hoe starting at the B series up to the middle D series , the swing tower in my opinion is the weakest link on the hoe. I have not really looked at the E models. Some of these , the boom base pins pull out of the swing frame. Off road equipment in Tennessee offers these aftermarket. They are bushed like the newer D frames. The earlier ones , the pin sets in the casting. CAT should have known better IMO.