I am considering buying a 70's 410 backhoe that has problems but is reasonably priced. When I went to check it out the engine seemed perfect but the hydraulics worked real slow. The seller said when he parked it they worked fine and that he would check it out and to come back in a week. When I came back the attachments worked fine and he said he changed a filter and 7 gallons of fluid. He let me drive it around and test it. As I was driving I found it moved slowly even at higher rpm. It would go ok in first gear but would not go along in any higher gears as though it had a slipping clutch. It did move fine in reverse. I went to the gravel bank and with the loader it would dig into it and spin both tires but when driving it back would not go up a hill unless I used first gear. All this seems very weird to me. I searched and found many threads on the internet concerning this but am still confused. The hyd. level is full, I don't think its the dry clutch because it goes up hill in reverse and spun tires while digging. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Would the engine lug down when going up hill in high gear or did it seam that the engine would pick up RPM's
Coy, thanks for asking as I need advise. The engine would not lug down and the rpms would pick up when driving along but it did lug down and spin the tires when I dug in the bank with the loader.
Hydraulics work OK? If so, it could still be a clutch adjustment. Not only is there a traditional clutch on this machine, but also a connection from the clutch pedal to the reverser system pressure. If it is not adjusted correctly then you may not have full pressure to your reverser clutch. Might be enough when your in 1st gear but the load on the clutch may be too high when in a higher gear and then it slips. So first thing to do is make sure the oil level is correct and the correct oil is being used (Hygard). Then you need access to a service manual and gauges to have the clutch properly adjusted (whether by the owner, you or a professional).
Thank you for your response. The seller is a scrap yard and bought the machine not knowing anything about it and told me it sat for a few years. He was asking $5000. When I went to look a it the engine started right up and sounds good, no smoke. The hydraulics worked very slow. He got the hydraulics working and when I drove it in the junk yard I found it to be moving slow in first and second gear but would not move in third and revving it up didn't help although reverse worked fine. He came down to $4000. The machine looks good and if I feel after I get it home I can get it working I will buy it. I only want to use it on my house for a couple years and sell it. So if I buy it as is I will first check out the clutch adjustment, clean the long screen filter, change out the other two and the hydraulic fluid. What do you think?
Clutch adjustment, oil and filter change, screen cleaning all good ideas and recommended. However I will not advise for or against purchasing the machine (or any machine for that matter). That will be entirely up to you.