Recently purchased a 1985 LS98 for dragline work at a small marina. The machine was rebuilt in the mid 2000s by Inman Texas and appears to be in great shape, less than 300 hrs since the rebuild. I'm using a Hendrix 1 1/4 yd drag on it. I've run several draglines over the years, but no Link Belts. The other machines I've run, the clutches on the inhaul line all held well enough to pull the motor down to silent if you dug too aggressively, but this one seems to slip rather easily on a hard cut. The shoes look good lining wise, no oil or grease, so I'm not sure if this is just the characteristic of the hydraulic actuators, or is something wrong here?
Clutch adjustment maybe..? Band centreing at the "dead" end if there's an adjustment on it..? I have some dim and distant memory that there were 2 kinds of actuators, one that went in all in one hit for hoist & drag and one that was slower engaging for the swing function.
I have both a maintenance/adjustment and a shop repair manual ordered for the machine, should be here in the next week or so, so hopefully then I can check the clutch settings correctly, I'm wary of making any changes without guidance until then. Hopefully it's in the adjustment.
But! If someone familiar with adjusting these type clutches and actuators would guide me, being a mechanical engineer, with years of machinest/millwright under my belt,I'll try anything once!
You're like me.....!! Give me a "book of words" and I'll have a bash at anything ...... Just a thought. Have you lifted the clutch bands off the drum to see if they are biting over the full surface area of the friction material, also are they really hard and shiny on the surface, that could do it.
No not yet, I ran it briefly yesterday, and it was dark when I knocked off, but I'll look at them Monday and see what kind of contact they are making, and look for glazing
S.O.M. pressure up to specs.?
kat09, what exactly is S.O.M. Pressure? Is that the hydraulic system pressure? Are you familiar with link belts in drag service?
Speed-o-matic pressure is your control pressure for your levers and frictions. On the newer generation of equipment now this would be called pilot pressure. Been a while since I worked on or ran the old link belts. I know if the pump press. is low or if the accumulator is not charged or is blown out the controls won't work right (slippage). Can't remember correct pressure any more. Memory shot! Check clutch adjustment also.
Seems the SOM pump belt on the companies old 108 was always loose , Just a thought
Hey! Now that you say that, I do have a belt squealing sometimes, but I thought it was the alternator, that makes sense, the alt belt would squeal right after startup, this is at random times! I'll check that. I haven't been in before dark last few days, so haven't looked at it, but i think I see in my parts book the base adjustment.
Hey Big John I was a mechanic for the Link Belt dealer here in Ohio. If your hyd pressure is Ok the problem is usually that someone has put the clutches in backwards. They will grab but slip under a load. Sometimes we put the swing clutches in backwards to soften the swing. Email me your number and I'll walk you through the fix Scott [email protected]
Yes need 1100 psi and 600 psi in the accumulator. I still currently work on these machines have ground up rebuilt ls 98s 108s and 118s anyone need any info on these old cranes and where to get parts let me know...my email is [email protected]
Worn drums will cause trouble too like was said before shoes in backwards. Rule of thumb set shoes with a hacksaw blade and very important to shim the shoes and drums must be free of oil. Baby powder is your friend. If drums are glazed hit them with a buffing wheel on a grinder. Valves in your dash need to be set so when you pull on the valve fully the plunger in the valve is flush. Test your pressures at your clutch no where else. Shut your machine off count how many timed you can pull a valve before you run out of pressure should get 10 pulls.