I am still playing with a buddy's 743B to do some work around my folks house, but I now have a leak I can't really reach. I need to change the hose or tighten the fitting in the lower right corner. Any suggestions as to how to get to this? Not a huge leak yet, but I'm not a huge fan of spending money on fluid to turn around and basically turn around and dump it in the dirt. thanks guys
you need a set of large crowsfoot wrenches
I guess that would be possible, kinda shudder at the thought. Its either that or pulling the cylinder I guess....
Hey I remember those, they are fun to get out, till I saw the pictures I'd forgot how much fun they are. If I recall correctly it was easiest to block up the boom slightly and remove the cylinder, slide it out the front and change both hoses and then put it back together again, but as I recall that end wasn't the problem its the other end of the hoses that were almost impossible to get at or was it the ones on the other side of the machine? Too many killed off brain cells since I've done it to remember but I was thinking those ends were the easy ones to get to for some reason, that and the pins that hold the cylinder in were pinned in place and a bear to get out since they rusted in the holders and I think maybe they need to go out not in to remove them but don't quote me on that either, something about a hose holder inside the frame that held them in place so the cylinder has to come out to get the holder off and replace the hoses, boy thats been 15-18 years ago since I did one on my old bobcat I had back then. I don't think the crowsfoot wrench would do it and if so the hose holder wasn't accesable with the cylinder in place but shine a light down behind the boom and cylinder and see if you can see anything in there that holds the hoses in place or where they go from the cylinder, down behind the cylinder in the frame and inside the motor area and along the wall and into a valve somewhere? almost inaccessable inside by the engine or was it a hose connected to a steel line in there somewhere? Maybe tilt up the cab and thats how you have to get to the pin to pound it out that holds the cylinder in place, under or behind the fuel tank?? All I recall for sure it was a miserable job and once you did one side you did the other at the same time, I need some more pictures to recall for sure, there are none left around me to go look at and try to recall exactly how we did it but it seems we had the ends of the pins drilled and tapped with threads so if we had to do it again we used a porta power and a hollow cylinder to suck the pins out and that made life a lot easier the second time around and we didn't put the clamp back on either that held the hoses down but that was about all I can recall, if you need some more help, locate the lines and where they go and also the cylinder pins, whats in the way or take some more pictures so I can see again.
Like randy said, block the arms up a ways and remove the cylinder......if it has been greased the pins should come out easy. Be sure to note which hose connects to which tubeline in the engine area for proper reassembly, replace both hoses while you are in there, and make sure the allen plug is tight....if it is loose, make sure the o-ring isn't damaged before you tighten it.
Thanks guys, I will try to do some work on this in the coming weeks. This had been sitting in the woods at a friends afraid that the pins won't be so easy to remove, but I'm sure we can get it figured out. The upper pins really need to be greased, and I have a tool thats supposed to inject oil in the zerk fitting to unclog the fitting. The fittings are clear but still can't get oil or grease to those upper pins,any thoughts on that while we're at it? Hoping that if that cab is up, I can knock the pins back to the out side.
You say the fittings are clear--I'm assuming you have taken them out and pumped grease through them. When you do that, while the zerks are out be sure and take a very small screwdriver and clean the hole for the zerk out; many times these holes are caked solid with old grease, dirt, paint, etc. That plug of stuff gets rock solid--no way are you going to disolve it with oil from a "rejuvenator" or force it through the clearance around the pin. I've had some fittings on pins that we couldn't get grease in until we removed the keeper bolt(s) and knocked the pin part of the way out. Then try to get some grease in it, maybe squirt some penetrating oil on both ends, knock the pin back in, raise and lower (or whatever), and try to pump more grease in it. This will work every time, but of course it can be a PITA (whatever that is ), this is not very handy if you can't get to the pin to knock it. Now that I have my own machine, I keep 'em greased and we don't have that problem. But I did have the same problem on a brand new JD ag tractor front loader--had to drive the pins half-way out the first time to get 'em to accept grease If you try the "rejuvenator", let us know how it works for you. I've been tempted to try one before, but puckered over the price. On the subject of lubrication, for years (working with machines owned by other folks), I have struggled with the Bob-tach levers. Danny Budd, in the rental dept of Bobcat Knoxville taught me the trick. In addition to greasing the fittings on the side of the Bobtach pins (the recessed ones that frequently are hidden in mud), he uses an old fashioned oil can with used hydraulic oil, ATF fluid, or other light oil, and squirts it liberally alongside the Bobtach pins, the lever pivots, the springs--everything that moves. I use used KTM motorcycle fork oil, Silkolene 5W or similar. Do this, work the levers up and down, squirt some more, and my wife can lock and unlock the Bobtach levers with two fingers. No more struggling or bending the levers with cheater pipes. Makes a work day much nicer. (If you read this post and it helps you, I'm sure Danny will accept beer. . . . as a thank you). :bash The first joints to wear out on a Bobcat are the main lower pivots at the front, arm to Bobtach. Grease these every day--or twice per day if you're really working it. When they get "waller'd out", the entire Bobtach commonly is replaced, unless you know some welding genius who can somehow sleeve 'em--I've never seen that. I've seen some worn out by 1,000 hours, others go 5x that.