My 490E only has 6,000 hours on it and they've been pretty easy hours. Unfortunately, I got some water in the ring-gear grease and it really watered it down. Now it's leaking out all the way around the machine. Not sure if the seal is gone or not... Don't really know how to check. Has anyone else had this problem and if so, how did you fix it AFFORDABLY. If the bearing goes out, the machine goes to the scrapyard. Really trying to get a couple thousand more hours out of it!!!
Water often gets into the swing gear area through the rubber boot around the rotary manifold.(where the travel hoses go down through the floor of the car body) It's often cracked or has raised up. Clean it up and silicon it before pushing it back down over the lip on the floor. Look straight back behind the boom cylinder foot pins,on the vertical plate, there are half circle type holes that fill up with grease ect., make sure you keep these clean and open so the water won't sit around the rotary. To drain the water out of the swing area, crawl under the machine, up around the lower portion of the rotary. If you look up towards the outer part of the frame, either to the front or the rear, there is a oval plate with two bolts holding it. Remove this plate to drain the water. It takes a 17 mm wrench and when you remove the plate any water up there will greet you. Let that drain and then replace the plate. Then back on top, on the floor between the boom cylinders again there should be another oval plate, remove this and you can see the swing gear. Get some grease back on the swing gear. It might take a little while for any water in the bearing to work its way out but don't over grease the bearing and blow out the seal. When you are ready to sell the machine e-mail me instead of the scrappers. I may be interested in buying it.
Thank you VERY much... Wow, it's people like you that make a forum like this so worthwhile. That little excavator has been such a great machine and is in absolutely superb mechanical condition. Then, a problem like this shows up and all the John Deere (Pape) people start telling me horror stories about how much it's going to cost to fix. I am so relieved that you felt compelled to share the solution! You can see pictures of the 490E at www.petersfamilytrucking.com
Couldn't have said it better excavator. I've put a many hours on a 490E just like that but a little newer. If that does work i think you have to split the machine and but a new swing seal in and it is costly.I usually hear of bigger machines with this problem. Most people just keep draining the water and adding grease.. But hope its just the manifold.Good luck