Hi! I started a tread on the trackloader page about my "new" D41s-3, and i belive i can find answers more easily here. I bought the machine without seeing it, so now i pay the price... The machine has some problems with the transmission, forward it goes quite ok, but reverse is really powerless. usually it goes backwards in first and second gear, but not in third. in the third gear it sounds like the engine is working heavyer than in neutral, but the machine will not move. downhill it will pull third gear, but upp hill i have to use first, if it will move at all. when changing bevel gear oil i noticed that the machine has been under water, out came about 50 litres of water, before the sticky oil came ointhead also the hydraulic oil is totaly white, i will change that today, but the hydraulics doesnt have anything to do with the trans? In the trans the oil seems to be changed, at least it is clean, but looks quite thin (compared to CAT TO4). and the oil heats up really fast. how much does a trans rebuild cost? and how big job is it?
We currently have a D31A-17 with basically the same problem. Parts here in the US to overhaul this one amount to about $5000 through the dealer. There are some aftermarket parts available. I am not familiar with the comparability of the D31 with the D41 but I believe they are similar. The oil will heat up quickly if the transmission is slipping.
I noticed that, when checking the oil stick. even after only 5 mins use it was really warm. but the problem is similar warm and cold, doesn't change at all when the machine heat up. Today i went working with it for the first time! what a disapointment when i hit a wet spot, i almost stuck because it didn't have the power to turn the tracks. I had to use the bucket and bend it loose... I also noticed that when i drove in to a clay/sand pile, the tracks spinned in first gear, but the lifting power from the hydraulics was missing. when really trying to bend up a full bucket, the engine almost died even my 1967 MF3366 has more grunt, really sucks that a 40 years old italian machine is better. with the ** either the bucket lifts or the machine will lift in the rear, you can't stall the engine.
Hey! do you need some facts? i got a lot of good to have trouble shooting papers from the Finnish Komatsu importer! I already was dissapointed that i didnt buy a CAT, because at first Komatsu Finland didn't show any interest in my problem. the next time i called a nother guy ansvered, and now i have 4 PDF files of information in my mail box. :drinkup