I bought a TL26 last week, it's super clean, runs great, and everything is tight except for the attachment/bucket pins, they have some slop and need to be replaced. I was able to find the bushings and seals, but the pins are listed as a backorder item. There has to be aftermarket options available though provided they are sized correctly. Do I have to order the bushings and then measure the ID of them before looking for pins? They aren't anything too fancy, grease fitting on one end and a bolt through hole on the other. I suppose alternatively couldn't I just get an OD measurement of the old bushings, and order matched parts, even if the pin size differs a bit from OEM?
I did a google search by my machine designation: CAT287b and got a few different hits. The new pins were the same size as the old. I had to order a hole saw to expand the holes for the larger OD of the new bushings. I'm sorry, but do not remember the name of the place I bought them from. I think they were in south Florida though. I got the hole saw from Kimball Midwest. It was $200 or so IIRC but cut the holes with a cordless drill in about 10 minutes per hole.
If equipment manufacturers made all their pins a round number, like 1 1/2" or 5 centimeters, aftermarket companies would benefit. So they just muddy the waters with myriad oddball sizes so you have to get them from the dealer. I noticed a set of aftermarket business end pins and bushings from NY Heavy Tractor on ebay for Cat 235/246 and several others, around $300 for the set. Anyone ever buy from them? I suspect they are softer than OEM and possibly looser fit too (easier to machine in both cases). Also the eye in the end of the tilt rams doesn't have a bushing, so no way to remove that slack without paying a grand or more for 2 new rams (or drilling and re-bushing them somehow). The quick coupler has bushings in it too and they are not even shown in my Cat parts book. So even if the aftermarket pin/bushing set is perfect, it will only remove half the slop. edit: Here's the link https://www.ebay.com/itm/1429091-6K4148-Bucket-Pin-Bushing-Kit-Caterpillar-CAT-236-246-248-252-262-248B/262129771530?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649
Same deal, just hole saw the holes larger and install bushings.
http://mro.kimballmidwest.com/searc...664&method=and&isort=score&view=hybrid&srt=12
I've never used one of those. The description says depth of cut 1". Drilling a step larger hole and keeping things aligned seems like it would take a lot of skill since the pilot doesn't bite. I would probably screw it up.
I tack welded a thin plate in the hole to get the pilot to bite and the hole saw to start cutting true. The larger sizes have a deeper cutting depth I think. I made it through in one cut and it must have been 2" thick or so.
I ordered new bushings, I'm going to see if that tightens things up enough for the time being and just reuse the pins that are in it. If they are still sloppy I'll just get the pins ordered and hope they come off backorder in a reasonable amount of time.