She sure is sweet, the auto lube system is on and training for it is tomorrow. I'm excited a new beginning.
nice machine Im working on a crudher for a stint and would like to see this machine compared to the WA500 they have.
That's great! We have a new (2 yr old) 980H and it's been flawless. Hope you have better luck with it than your Volvos. [URL="http://
Congrats on your new machine. Looks real nice. You made a good choice with CAT loaders. It ought to outlast your old volvos - I've seen older 988Bs and Fs that have gone over 30k hours without a rebuild. The F series CATs from the 90s are my favourites because they are simple and easy to fix, and are computer free, and because they are still modern and comfortable to run. I love my CAT IT18F - no regrets whatsoever. The 9xxHs look pretty nice, and hopefully they run well too.
That's great news Coalburner, I can't wait to hear the rest of the story on the L350 when you get a chance to post it.
As my luck would have it, it did show up with some damage. The driver apparently was going unescorted and hit a bridge up in Missouri. When he picked up his escorts they inspected the loader and pointed out the damge to him, he said he never felt it.
He'd never feel that little tweak. Had that bridge of been any lower he sure would of felt it though!
Damn talk about cutting it close...
you will like that loader have fun! ran one a few weeks ago very nice loader.
Coalburner you have the worst luck ever! Brand new too!
Great machine! But keep an eye out for any oil leaks from the oil filled pins, and make sure they get checked on services it can be easy to over look them.
How in the world did a company that has a rig set up to haul 988's let him leave without an escort?
I wonder why the cab was not updated. That looks like a G series cab.
Man a few more inch's and you would have a brand new convertible 988H Most company's down here test all new equipment by.Putting a illegal on it and if it stays together for a week its a good machine.Automatic lubes are great to because they can't operate a grease gun.
As far as the lack of escort, that is a state by state thing. A 988 is under 12' wide and you can haul it without a pilot here in CA. Each state is different though. The driver should have known if it was overheight though. Then again, some bridges have mismarked clearance due to ac overlays and such. You never know for sure. Nice loader though. Hope you have better luck than the 350. I like alco will be waiting for the 350 story when you can share it.
Lol around here they are swapping 988h's for 350's.. 988h's aren't trouble free u know, but as you have experienced neither are 350's
Excuse my ignorance, but does the joystick do everything - move, steer, bucket or is that a control stick on the right side of the seat for the bucket? The lack of some sort of steering wheel just surprised me (what can I say I have an old A66). Thanks, Pat
The joystick on the left controls steering by moving it sideways. There are buttons on the joystick to shift gears and a yellow rocker switch on the front of the joystick to select F-N-R. There are accelerator and brake pedals on the floor like in all loaders. Two electro-hydraulic finger levers on the right side of the cab control the boom and bucket. These levers are very easy to manipulate using just two fingers, one on each lever. Combined functions are very easy with these electro-hydraulic controls but they lack 'feel' in the controls so they take a bit of getting used to.
it is great wheel loader, hope it can bring you enough luck.
Looks good, yea the driver never would have felt that but if that bridge were an inch lower he would have...haha It would move alot more than a WA500 because its quite a bit bigger, a WA600 or WA700 is much closer in size
I wonder where the bridge was....I am in the St. Louis area and we just had someone hit a bridge a couple of months ago.... Although from looking at the pics, and seeing the bridge, I would have thought whoever hit this one did more damage than what you had on your loader!!
The electrohydraulic controls for the implement hydraulics can be adjusted. The 834 with the 33cy coal scoop Western farmers bought in Hugo, OK was in need of adjustment when it was delivered.
Hey coalburner, hows the cat holding up? Hope its going well!:drinkup
Sure would be nice to get an update in this thread! opcorn
The 988 has been running fine and we just got our new 15 yd bucket installed. The weld-on shanks we ask for weren’t the ones I thought we were getting. These shanks fit over both sides of the cutting edge instead of just on top. This leaves grooves in the pad the truck drivers have to drive over if you keep the pad clean. The bottoms of the shanks will wear down eventually. The machine started having an issue (once in awhile and now more often) when going to reverse. The machine has to be shut down and restarted to get it to go. Tonight it feels like it’s trying to catch and then letting go. I did notice if you let it idle in gear sometimes it will catch. The Volvo also had a problem close to the same. I pulled some codes tonight as follows: E0049.3, E0155.0, 0673.02, 0585.02 and 0562.09. Don't have a clue what they are but we'll call Cat in the morning. IMHO the 88 doesn’t have the wheel power the 350 did when pushing loads but I'd still rather have the 88. When the machine is pushing real hard in 1st you can hear and feel the power being reduced (by the computer I'm guessing) (maybe to reduce wheel slip?). The 88 is a little harder for an old fart like me to get in because the arm rest/steering controls don't move very far. The cab is quiet enough and comfortable. The mirror on the left side should have been mounted in another place because it the door is opened too far it hits the mirror you'll have to get back out and readjust it. < is about the only complaint other than the shifting problem which I'm 100% sure Cat will cure.
If you pull a bucket full of "heavy coal" (fines) can you pull it on it front tires or do the lift rams give way like it is in ride comfort mode? And do you use accelerator pedal or do you set it on full rev mode?
The machine handles the new bucket loaded with wet, washed, fine coal very well. You can pull the rear whells up with most machines depending on the height of the bucket when you lift and curle. But no I can fill the bucket until it runs over the back and the machine stays planted. This was the first thing I tested soon as I got on it, went right for the highwall So it looks like shes got plenty of ass. The ride control is not installed yet. The parts are here were just waiting on a cat bolt twister. Maybe sometime this week. I use the pedal and full rimpull. I really don't dont care for the throttle lock. After 20 years of pedal it may be hard learning curve for me besides our hauls are many and very short. I was going to get some pictures of her working tonight but left my cam at home.
Looking forward to it -- keep us posted!
Full rev mode isn't hard to get used 2. And the engine a low rev hasn't got much torque , if the machine got a bucket full and lifting and pulling away the engine stays on lets say 1000 rpm with the pedal to the floor. Short work is perfect for full rev mode.. ideal for loading trucks...
Go and do ur spamming somewhere else dude..
Hey and don't forget to check and re-torque the oil-pan bolts. They are prone to leak..
I made a note. I have some more pictures and video I'll put up when I have time. Still having trans problems the kickdown now. When the kickdown is used the machine shows 1st put wont move. The ignition switch has to be cycled t6hen it goes again. Very unhappy with the local dealer getting things fixed. had a bad coolant sample waiting on a level 2 results
Caterpillar was on site today to install the ride control. They say it will take about a week.
nice, Never drove one that large.
How's she doing?
We've got six 824H's, a 988G and 2 988H's that all do the same thing. It's a sensor issue, they replace it and a few hundred hours later it starts again. The 992D also does it once in a while, but all you have to do is stomp the declutch a few times to get it to clear up.
The machine is lookin good!! But can you honestly say that the 988 is better to operate than the L350? I had the opportunity to try both the 988 and the L350 the same day and I felt that the 988 had very low lifting force compared to the L350 and it was also 15 seconds slower climbing up the same 250 meter long hill with load. The fuelconsumption was 20% higher on the 988 and by the end of the day had felt pain in my left hand by using the steering joystick. The only thing that I liked about the machine was climbing out of it and into the L350 again.
You're new here, but if you back and read the horror stories they had to tell about the L350, you'd probably agree that yeah, they can say the Cat is better.
L350 thread
Hey Alco, He was talking about the operating side of it The 330 series weren't the best machines but the 350 is allot better , shame that coalburner had a 350 moth. Volvo's are very good loaders and very popular over here. Strong , silent , good to operate .. 220's are beasts.
Exactly, there is no question about that Volvo failed to deliver a reliable machine and perhaps there are more quality issues on the L350 compared to the 988. My experience is that Cat has got some quality problems with their machines as well. So I just want to hear the operators side of it.
My point is, they never really got to operate it, it was always down. I see it like this, a machine that won't stay running is a pain to operate, so I stand by me earlier post.
As I recall they had several engine failures a couple of axle failures and lots of problems with the electronics. Quite possibly there is better service or different expectations in Europe than in the States but from what I read of the problems the coal man had with his Volvo, it appeared to have many design problems and real poor follow up from the dealer and manufacturer. Could this be a machine built in the States as compared to a European built machine? I don't know. After reading all that many would definitely shy away from the Volvo brand. Thanks for the opinions from the continent.
I don't know about the service cause I haven't been in the states but we dislike as much a machine that's in the workshop all the time. The design of the 330 came from the vme (Volvo Michigan Euclid) era so it wasn't really a Volvo from the ground up I guess. Lot's of Cat's are build in Europe .. Liebherr is from Europe and so is O&K , Demag to name a few. It's a shame to stay away from Volvo. Ok the 330 and 350 maybe after reading coalburners story but The smaller loaders (from 220 and down) are good machines. That I agree on.
Volvo 350F is a new-developed machine of Volvo from scratch, and is not based on the old 330th I think he got a bad machine, simply, and Volvo should have replaced it, and borne the full cost. There are lots of 350F's going around the clock without problems, some have some issues, but that's for the dealer and Volvo CE to solve. It's like with all other brands. I think you have a problem with the Volvo dealer's service and attitude, just as we have problems with the CAT dealer here. Good equipment, bad organization abroad. ... and all make lemons sometimes. I want to run Caterpillar equipment, but it's not really and option over here if you havent got your own workshop crew, and huuuge company wich the dealer listens to when it comes to guarantee and things like that. I feel sorry for Coalburner, and ashamed to Volvo and the dealer did not solve his problem and compensate him. They should have put another machine there that showed how good they actually are. And figured out what went wrong in the production.
I'm new to this site but have been working on loaders since the early 1970's. The old 87A 988 Cats! In our company we have a few 988H's at various quarries in NY state. We have been having a problem with ours and I have been told at least two others of the same vintage have the same "problem". Just wonder if anyone else has seen this. The one at my location is S/N BXY00384. What ours is doing is this: After dumping bucket into haul truck and letting bucket return to level then if operator rolls bucket down to try to dig under ledge on quarry floor. When bucket is then lowered to ground it will not hold position but rolls back to level. However if bucket is lowered to ground in a level position and then the operator moves the bucket level forward it will easily pick the front of the machine. While I was laid off this winter they brought an outside contractor in who used to work for the local dealer and had worked on this machine while still at the dealer. I'm told he did the calibration on the control valve and checked pilot pressures and found nothing out of line. It was then decided that problem was in tilt cylinder. I had more or less ruled that out from the little I had played with it but he removed cylinder and took it to his shop to repair it. Well as it turned out there was nothing wrong inside. Right now the machine is back together with the problem still there. For got to mention this loader does NOT have ride control, besides I would not expect that to have an effect as I believe that only functions on the lift circuit and our problem is as far as I know only on the tilt circuit.
Just thought of an unrelated problem we had that had us pulling our hair out for a few months. The monitor system was at random times telling us our trans filter was plugged. I could write a book on the things I did to try to cure this but to make a long story shorter the actual problem was a temperature sensor on the top of the range transmission had a defect that somehow was activating the plugged filter warning alarm. Maybe five minutes to screw in new sensor and problem is gone. If anyone needs part number of this sensor and exact location let me know. Or if you want the whole gory details of what was done before finding it let me know.
Your tilt problem sounds to me like it is in the valve. From the symptoms, it is letting oil out of the head end to let the bucket curl down by gravity, but somehow letting air in the lower end of the cylinder instead of oil. When you put it down, the air compresses, and the bucket curls back up to where it was. When you do the same operation on the ground, you have to force the bucket down, so it does so under pressure, and therefore stays since it is full of oil instead of air. So, if I am right, the question is, Where is the air getting in at???
Plugged filter alarms are mostly temperature-dependent in the electronis monitor system. If the oil temperature is low and the filter goes into bypass - no alarm. If the temperature is above the threshold and the filter goes into bypass - alarm. Therefore a dodgy temp sensor maybe occasionally indicating a higher than actual temperature combined with cold oil that puts the filter into bypass mode = nuisance alarm. The temp sensor function should have been one of the frist things the dealer looked at TBH.
Simple things first, and I know this post is from a while back. There should be a rubber stop assembly to prevent the door hitting the mirror. Maybe it got left out when the reapir work was done to the cab roof after the loader hit the bridge while being transported to the job site..? Fault Codes 562.09 - Cat Monitor System 585.02 - Transmission Output Speed Sensor #1 (there are 2 sensors) 673.02 - Transmission Output speed Sensor #2 (well golleeeee, do we see a pattern here?) 02 - data erratic, intermittent, or incorrect 09 - control not receiving expected information (I would guess from the transmission speed sensors in this case) I would suspect a harness connector fault, maybe something as simple as a plug not fully home in a socket. Event Code E049 is a Coasting in Neutral Warning - naughty, naughty. Event Code E155 is a High torque converter outlet oil temperature - again naughty, naughty. Talking about the "wheel power" of the modern generation of loaders, it is the electronics telling the engine what to do when it's detected that the loader is in the pile digging. All the larger loaders from 980 upwards work this way as far as I'm aware. Check out the diagram below. At 1800 RPM the converter can absorb all the torque that the engine can produce, leaving nothing for operating the hydraulics. However if you look at 1200 RPM the engine actually produces more torque than at 1800, the "Torque Rise" all engine manufacturers famously quote. If the loader is in 1st gear forward, the bucket is on or almost on the floor the floor (as detected by the boom angle sensor), and the ground speed is less than 1mph the "Dig Strategy" is activated. The engine is commanded to go to 1200RPM which in 1st speed should be sufficient to keep the machine moving into the material. At this RPM the converter can only absrob a percentage of the engine power, leaving the rest to run the hydraulics. A lot of operators who've never run the system before equate this to the engine "lacking power" where in actual fact it's the engine doing exactly what it needs to to produce an optimum power balance between the converter and the hydraulic system.
NIge A little off topic question for you here. Since you just educated us on the operation of the loader, can you tell me if the wheel dozer version does the same thing with the engine speed when pushing, or is it set up different because it is supposed to push most of the time, unlike a loader only pushing hard part time?
Jerry, which model of wheel dozer are you talking about, specific to a Serial Number prefix if you have one..?
Well I can't blame the dealer as I was the one trying to trouble shoot this problem. One problem I was having is how intermittent the problem was and the fact they did not want to stop production for trouble shooting. I did not see anything in the service manual indicating a connection with oil temp and don't think it ever gave the "false" warning when machine was cold. I did measure the pressure drop across the trans filter and it was well below the actuating point so I was confident that the warning was a false one.
First up there will be nothing in the Service Manual regarding that AFAIK. Maybe their should be. It's all tied up in the Monitor System software. I only know about it because I've worked with the larger machines that use a much more sophisticated Monitor System called VIMS and in system that you can actually get into the software and see exactly what value will actuate and deactuate any particular alarm. I'm sure you can see the idea. If Cat put a spring that was so strong in the bypass valve to prevent it opening with cold oil then cranking the engine up in the morning at 20 below and then going straight to High Idle would immediately turn the filter element inside out. So the spring has to be suitable for "normal" operation and something has to be done about nuisance alarms when the machine is cold. If the filter is bypassing with cold oil you don't want the alarm sounding every time you rev the engine up. Therefore in order to generate an alarm both the temperature must be above X degrees (normally 60-65 DegC) and also the bypass valve switch contacts must be closed indicating that the bypass valve is open. That's always one good reason to allow the systems a few minutes to warm up on a cold morning before loading them. I think what you most likely had was a temperature sensor that had not failed completely (would have been better if it had TBH) but was generating varying temperatures, some genuine, some not. If at some time it indicated more than the threshold temperature and the filter bypass valve happened to be open at that same moment the machine would throw a plugged filter alarm. From the sounds of it the temp sensor was dodgy because replacing it fixed the problem.
I know about the inside out filter deal. We had some Terex trucks with Allison trans. that at least once each winter some driver would get into it too soon, pushed the cans right down over the center bolt. I think that is what they call hydro-forming! The way I finally found the bad sensor was I finally got access to the lap top with Cat ET on it, only had one lap top for several plants all across the state, but that's another story. Using the Cat ET I found logged events for trans. temp but not plugged filter. This got me looking in the right direction. I knew I was getting close when all I had to do is touch the wires coming out of the sensor to turn the warning light on or off.
Nige My question above was just a general one, not machine specific. I was mainly thinking of comparing to the same size machoine as what you posted the curve for the loader, so I would say 834H, to get a comparison. Your answer above just got me curious is all.
Jerry, I just wanted a bit of time to check, before opening my mouth and putting my foot in it - not for the first time I hear you say ...!! There is no similar system for the Wheel Dozers, only the rimpull control that is either under the control of the left pedal or the rotary switch on the RH dash panel. The electronic Rimpull control works in just the same way as the old VCTC converter control on the old 992's. It limits the pressure to the TC Impeller clutch and so slips the input side of the converter. KSH - as you have discovered ET is your friend, although in a lot of cases you can actually pull Diagnostic Codes using the Monitor System on the machine if you don't have a laptop with ET immediately available. It's well worth knowing how to do it just in case you are ever confronted with a similar situation again. If you're playing with electronics on a regular basis then Cat Special Instruction REHS0126 contains a list of all the Diagnostic Codes and Failure Modes.
Caterpillar Bulletin TIBU3671 describes your problem with the bucket. The makeup valve and pump can't provide enough oil to keep the cylinder filled with oil while dumping a load. It does mention a new software being tested that will allow the hydraulics to fill the cylinder if the control is held in dump position a few seconds after reaching the dump stop. So make sure you have the latest implement software to begin with and if that doesn't help there's a rework avaliable to fit a regeneration valve for the bucket function. See Service Magazine SEPD0990 and special instruction REHS4199 for more info. If your machines already have this valve installed it can clearly be seen since it's mounted directly on top of the bucket cylinder.
I hadn't dug deep into the system for the documents Per refers. If you need them then PM me with an e-mail address that I can send them to.
Nige if you are responding to me about the TIBU3671 and the REHS4199 I can access the REHS4199 online and was able to get a copy of the TIBU3671 from local dealer and have passed that one on to my boss and he is passing it up the chain of command to see what they might or might not want to do. I don't see it a a big problem as long as we know it's not a parts failure that could cause major damage in the future. It would have been nice to have know this information before we paid to have the tilt cylinder removed and rebuilt. But then I just stumbled on this Forum last week.
Check out SEPD0990 as well ......... "A Tilt Regeneration Kit Is Now Available for the 988G and 988H Machines". I think one of the kits listed in that article might be exactly what you're looking for. Not cheap though, about $8000. If it was me I'd be hitting up my dealer for some participation in the cost of buying the kit from Uncle Caterpillar's cheque book, especially if the machine is out of warranty.
Well I've passed the information on to higher powers to see if it goes anywhere. Besides the cost of the kits is the amount of work needed. As I recall the main control valve has to come right out so it can have one of the spools changed. Then there is some mention of the fact that spools are matched to the valve body when it's made and the new spool might not fit without some extra work. Does not sound like a good project to start the week we start production for the season!
I've read through the SI a few times. First up, the implement valve does not have to come out. It's simply a case of removing the end covers, sliding one spool out and installing the replacement. If the replacement is too tight and has to be ground then the original spool can be temporarily installed while this is done. Just that the regeneration function will not work until the replacement spool is in the control valve. A lot of the parts for the modification can be pre-assembled before you down the machine to cut down on the time it takes. Agree with you though that it's not the sort of thing you tackle unless you are fully tooled up for it and have read the installation instructions every which way for at least a week prior to doing the job.
Hi Coalburner, Is the machine still in one piece, or did they had to pull the pumps allready? I did see from the pics you have a kind of series 2 988h (the frontend controllevers are different) so those maybe are better machines. We have 2 988h's with the G-style controls and they have given us a lot of trouble with the pumps, and from what I heard we are not the onlyones.
I wonder why they don't use twin joysticks like the Cat 2900G LHD does? The left joystick is the exact same as a 2900.
Did you find a fix? this has been crazy ride! short of replacing the main harness? Did you find a fix I have all of the above codes and seem to be experiencing the same problem. This has been a on-going problem! Engine replaced, transmission/torque converter rebuilt, speed sensor's are working fine. Short of replacing the main wire harness I am speechless, forward and reverse direction keep cutting in and out??? any suggestions???
Did you find a fix I have all of the above codes and seem to be experiencing the same problem. This has been a on-going problem! Engine replaced, transmission/torque converter rebuilt, speed sensor's are working fine. Short of replacing the main wire harness I am speechless, forward and reverse direction keep cutting in and out??? any suggestions???
Hi Erica, some more information would be helpful and some one may be able to help you (assumptions are made that you have checked all the obvious areas) 1/serial number? PLEASE 2/list of codes and FMIs? 3/do you have access to ET? can you use a data logger? 4/description of problem when it occurs how long does it last for does it resolve itself do you do something tricky to make it go away 5/is it temperature sensitive ? 6/can you replicate the fault or is it intermittent I have probably forgotten something to ask but some one will chip in Regards Mark 250