Well, I've done it now! Bought a 580SE with lots of leaks, a large weld repair on the tower, and some other "tinkering" needed. First step will be to rebuild the boom and dipper cylinders. They leak bad enough that it can't hold itself up more than a few seconds. The dipper cylinder I'll take into the shop, but the boom cylinders I'll do myself. Other things included on the laundry list: -Fix poor routing on many of the lines. -Replace many of the line clamps that are missing -Rebuild all the other cylinders -Replace a missing drain plug (!!!) -Change motor oil (other fluids changed just prior to my buying) -Brakes are grabby sometimes, need to check it out -Auto-leveling linkage is missing -Lights missing -"neutral" switch on the loader control is missing -Tach/hour meter is not spinning -Several pin retainers need to be fixed -New oil pan I'll post some pics. Love to have your feedback. I'm excited to get digging!
The bad You guys are awesome. I've read through other posts where a helpful observer spotted something in the background of a photo that was trouble. I suspect the problems in my photos will be somewhere in the center of the viewfinder! =) But hey, maybe you guys will see something else. The hoe is not immediately usable - I need to rebuild those cylinders and replace a few lines first. But the most pressing problem is this missing drain plug I found ... or rather failed to find! Love to have some help identifying what component this is a drain for... and how bad it is to have run without it. If there was supposed to be oil in there.... well, obviously it's dry now. Drove it 17.5 miles home through the rurals... maybe it came loose on the trip, but nobody saw any fluid loss. I need to get it plugged and refilled. The loader still operates fine, and I was driving it around my property with no problems -shuttle and other functions seem normal. (but I'm new to backhoes). Anyone know what size/thread this is so i can go buy a replacement? Other things - smashed oil pan (so I don't know if the oil pickup is working properly). Bent pad bracket should be easy to fix. What else.. oh, I found a broken bracket on the diff... take a look! Seems this used to be 4wd, but now it's 2wd. And last, checkout the redneck pin retainer made from diamond plate and WELDED to the nut... more like tack welded, since it appears to have been broken for a while.
im no expert on 580e's but i think the missing plug is supposed to be that way, it is a hole so you can put an extension on a ratchet and drain the torque converter. the broken bracket on the diff is for a parking break i believe. anyhow im sure someone that knows a little more than i do will chime in soon. hope to see some more pics of you new hoe soon. good luck :drinkup
Plug missing is no big deal, that's a dry convertor housing. The plug would be necessary on a machine with a wet convertor housing. You could stick a plug in it if ya like, keep dirt/mud out, but if you were in mud that deep, got more important problems at the moment. It's probably 1/2" or 3/4" pipe thread. Broken bracket on front of tranny is for parking brake. That shaft sticking out that you thought might be 4WD shaft is actually shaft for parking brake disk. You'll find these parts on the parts pages at Case website. Can't remember for sure, but I'm thinking the 580E had an inline fuel filter on inside of frame, about the area where that left step is on side of machine. Looks like a good machine.
While you are diging around thinking about things see if you can find the engine side sheet metal. They are actually part of the cooling system. Good luck with your project. Hope you got a great deal.
You guys are awesome. I was able to get a little work done tonight after reading that the plug is not a major problem. Thanks for the quick insight and a bit of peace of mind! And it felt great not to be digging with a shovel anymore! Ever since I sold my mini-ex, 20 minute minor yard projects seemed like a weekend ordeal. This is my first backhoe... first time operating one actually, but after the 30 minutes I put in tonight, it's starting to feel right... the brain is starting to connect to the levers and adjust to the dimensions. Interesting about the parking brake! Thanks for clearing up that mystery guys... the previous owner simply used the outriggers as the parking brake. ATC, I'll poke around under the frame some more tomorrow to look for that fuel filter. Previous owner said he just changed all the filters except the motor oil filter (which he also gave me). Oh, and a little photo here that belongs on thereifixedit.com. Nail used as a cotter key. Nice. =) I tried to post photos of the welded tower casting, but the forum won't let me, since I already posted those photos here: Now I'm shopping around for a reliable seal kit supplier. There are dealers on ebay and numerous others that come up in a web search. Any favorites? Or more importantly, any companies to avoid?
amunderdog, good point about the engine shroud. I'll keep an eye on the water temp until I can get replacement sheetmetal there.
WOW. I just checked out the Case parts catalog. It's very refreshing to see companies finally distributing this information instead of locking it up and charging for it. Komatsu made me send a photo of my serial number before they let me into their secret website. Case makes it much more accessible!
Check the boom cylinder tubes for being bent(hence scoring inside). I just put one on a C model. The Coleman Equipment site has prices on Case parts. The seal kits are very reasonable from Case. Make sure you use the correct fluid to top up the brake master cylinders, do not use brake fluid, check the operators manual first. Phil
Looks like a fun project.
Seal kits are only around 20-25 dollars USD. I am curious why the dipper cylinder is getting farmed out and the others are not? After taking them off the tractor, they all look the same on the inside. I've used equipment parts source for some other aftermarket items and they were reasonable and I had no problems.
The dipper seems the heaviest cylinder, and I was just hoping to avoid wrestling with it. I also read somewhere that it if I do it myself, I should dig a hole and put the boom down in the hole to make access easier... which I suppose I can do, I have space to dig. So is the dipper do-able without a fork truck and a 15' cheater bar? The smallest cylinders, the ones running the loader, hold pressure just fine, but will eventually need to be done. I suppose I can practice on those first. Time is slightly a factor, since I would like to prove the machine is useful before my wife gets the idea it's just another big project in the yard. Taking a cylinder in and doing the others myself seems like it would speed things up. But maybe I'm overestimating how long it takes to rebuild a cylinder. How long _does it take?
I used our little john deere compact to lift it out. if I'd dug a hole for the boom to lay in, I coulda used a engine cherry picker I bet... I had a six foot cheater on my breaker and gland wrench. if it won't come loose with that. peen the end of the cylinder tube with a small shop hammer. Atco has a post around here about doing that. First cylinder, budget 2hrs +/- so you can go slow. After first one it will go faster. Prepare to loose a couple gallon of fluid, kinda messy. Like I said getting the cylinder off the tractor is the hardest part. Sometimes it's easier to leave the tube on the machine. Outriggers for example, just undo the pin out by the pad and pull out the rod leaving the tube on the tractor. That way you don't have to fight two things at once. If the suction is making pulling difficult you can undo the hose going to the extend side of the tube and put some air pressure to it...
You mean this thread Scott?
That's the one... works...
Removing cylinders ATCO, that's a nice thread with your peening technique! I'll have to try it if things are stuck. ScottAR, I'd do like you if I had a second tractor or lift truck available. I'm going to have to either improvise or use brute force or both. I dropped an ad in Craigslist looking for recommendations for a local cylinder rebuilder... and got connected to a guy with an mobile hydraulic repair business. We worked out a fair price for getting the dipper and boom cylinders rebuilt, with the bonus that he'll show up on site. The backhoe is unusable as it is now, so paying someone experienced for the first (and time-critical) repair seems like a great way to go. I'll be able to peek over his shoulders and get to experience the basic techniques in person. When it comes time for the lift and tilt cylinders and outriggers, I'll be ready to take them on myself. Now, after finishing the digging I needed to do today, I decided to get started on removing the cylinders. Take a look at the position I put the hoe in.. it's convenient to use a shop crane to lift the cylinder out... but I worry that when I remove the boom cylinders, the assembly won't be able to support itself. Perhaps I'll block it with a 4x4 post in the joint between stick and boom. What do you guys think? Also, since I drink well water, I'm pretty careful of what I let drip into the ground. Check out my improvised drip chute, which I slung under the boom. I made it from two reflectors (from fluorescent light fixtures in the trash), held together with sheet metal screws and hooked to the boom at one end with a piece of mild steel TIG rod. I know, I should have some safety wire handy... but lost the spool somewhere in my shop.:beatsme Works well so far.
Hydraulic rat's nest I'll be attempting to fix this tangle at the same time. A few too many fittings for my liking. Plus it puts the hoses in danger when I swing out to either side.
We got the three cylinders out today. Seal kit is on order and everything should be back together by Friday! The shop crane actually did come in handy. We didn't have to wrestle the cylinders at all... I didn't get a drop on my shirt or pants.
Looks like your doing a good job tearing into it sporklift. Keep us posted.
Good progress. Looks like your boom lock is missing the pin and the rubber strap.
looks like he took the pin out to fix that mess of hoses, and for the rubber strap use a piece of old tire...
Scott, sharp eye! Tonka, you're right, the previous owner removed (and lost apparently) the pin while fixing hoses. Some of the short hard lines have been lost also. I can see the lock fits in the obvious spot, but I'm not actually sure what the rubber strap is supposed to look like, or how it works exactly. Also missing are ALL the hose clamps, so I will have to improvise something to control the hose routing. I suspect they're expensive from Case direct. My mobile repair guy also makes custom hoses on-site in his van. I'll probably go ahead and replace all the lines with metal showing - which is all of them in the backhoe! Since the middle hard lines going to the bucket cylinder are bent up, I was considering removing them altogether and replacing each assembly (two flexible hoses and one hard line) with just one flexible hose. I don't have a feel for how this might (or might not) affect performance, but the thought of a few less connections to leak is appealing. Also, I can guess the cost of the hoses will be somewhat proportional to how many ends I need, not just the total length of hose. Comments on the wisdom of doing this are welcome! The weather forecast is looking sunny.. and I still plan to have it done by Friday.
Trouble! Bad news. One of my boom cylinders is shot - the tube is dented and has been wearing away at the piston. So in addition to a rebuild, I also need a replacement tube and piston. (!) Question: Is anyone willing to sell me a spare? Or can you recommend a good (affordable) source for new/used parts? I'm really bummed out. Man, I was looking forward to having it back together this weekend.
Aftermarket parts After some checking, I've found a number of places I can buy aftermarket parts. Even the Case dealership offered me aftermarket parts when I balked at the $1200 for a new cylinder. Looks like I'll be able to get a new tube and piston for about $500.
Equipment parts source is who I've used before. Everything happened like it was supposed to. Broken tractor.com has similar pricing although I've not ordered from there yet.
New parts are on order and I anticipate we'll have them back by Friday! My mobile service mechanic can make hoses to order on site, so ALL of the backhoe hoses will be replaced! While I wait for the new parts, I am removing the hoses to make them easy to measure out. Some have come off easily, but I'm having trouble with one of the hoses. It seems there was not much room designed-in to allow wrench access at the spools. The hose nut is 1.25", and my wrench really won't fit in there. After removing the sheet metal and popping open the fiberglass hood (the one the control levers go through), I can get my wrench on one or two of the hoses, but most are impossible from that angle. How do you guys do it? I'm thinking of getting some stubby wrenches, although it seems they would not allow enough leverage.
I've used a set of crowfoot wrenches on a ratchet/extension with some success although my set stops at 7/8" I think. You may find taking off one gives access to the next. I'll look at my D tomorrow to shake out some ideas.
Bent boom cylinders are not uncommon. I understand that Case lists a beefy crowsfoot wrench on CNH. It's the only one I would buy, after getting one from Snap-on that just won't do it. Let us know how you make out with that. Phil
Phil is right about the crowsfoot wrenches from CNH. That is where I bought mine (3 of them). They are made by OTC Tools. They are extremely tough. Be prepared to pay dearly for them. The 1 1/4" was $55.00 plus tax. They are worth the high cost though because I don't think you will ever round off the hex on a fitting with one them.
Thanks for the feedback guys! I checked out the CNH website... do you need special permission to buy tools there? A link to where I can buy would be greatly appreciated! Alternatively, I was thinking of cutting up an old 1.25" 6-point socket and welding an extension onto it.... sort of like an O2 sensor wrench on a car. Actually, I made such a tool for an 02 Sensor last year.
Custom Tool So I built a custom Crows-foot tool by cannibalizing a 1.25" impact socket. Good news is that it fits over the hoses and physically fits into the tight area where the hoses connect with the spools. I even have room to get my breaker bar in there. The bad news - the trouble hose (top left hose) is STILL too tight to get off. I don't know why it's so tight. So far, all the other connections have been reasonable, but I'm applying a lot of force trying to undo it. Unless it's a left-hand thread (?). In fact, the force was enough to pry open the socket-end of my tool. I had to bend it back in a vise and add gussets! Any ideas?
sporklift, I realise it's tight space in there, not much room to work, but if you can hit on the hex ends of those JIC hose fittings with a hammer, even if you have to use a drift punch and hammer and hit on the points of the hex like your trying to unscrew them, then they'll come loose with little effort from your handy crowfoot wrench. It works really well if you can bang on the flats of the hex fittings, don't think you have room to do that though. Nothing in there is left hand thread.
Thanks ATCO! I'll try your trick... I think I can get (or make) a punch long enough to reach. It's good to know there's no left hand threads.
You will find this method very effective getting fittings loose all over your machine, especially the large fittings. JIC fittings are very friendly to work with. For fittings out in the open, no sense struggling with wrenches trying to pop a fitting loose, simply hit on the flats of the hex on the fitting with a hammer, a couple of good whacks on 2 or three of the flats, and they'll come loose with very little effort.
I've got all but two connections off - one on the bucket cylinder and one on the spools (connection to rod end of the dipper cylinder). And those two have been a bear to get loose. I whacked at them with a hammer (couldn't get much of a swing) and tapped using a brass punch, but it's just not budging. Has anyone used a solvent that can be sprayed that might free up the threads?
Atco's method is a sure thing. But,when all else fails try tightening the fitting and then loosening it. Try it several times. Don't go crazy on the tightening though. I know it sounds like a dumb thing to do but it has worked many times for me.
Slow progress. This single difficult fitting has delayed my backhoe restoration by 2 weeks! Conventional wrenches failed to work on this stuck fitting, even after removing some of the body panels for better access. Next, I tried chopping up an impact socket and welding up my own IEW (Improvised Equipment Wrench) - which broke. I bought a set of pump (farmer) wrenches with short handles which fit into the available space, but I could not get enough leverage. At about this point, my assistant mechanic (my son!) suggested I cut through the hydraulic hose and use a regular deep socket. But that would introduce grinding dust and metal swarf into the hydraulic line, perhaps even into the spool! Nothing seemed to be working, so I resorted to ordering a set of heavy duty crow-foot wrenches. If my custom-welded tool had been strong enough, surely, it would have worked, I thought. A week later, I received my new crow-foot wrenches, and despite using an 18" breaker bar, I still could not budge it! On closer inspection, the crowfoot wrench ends up hitting the threads on the next spool. Maybe the tool sold by Case is shaped differently. Finally, down to the last resort, I decided to take my son's advice and cut through the hose. This gave me access to put a deep socket on it. I estimate it was about 200 ft-lb to break it free. For reference, the head bolts on my Ford V8 are 130 ft-lbs. I put a video up on YouTube of the cutting action. This video will make you cringe, but we got the job done. YouTube - Removing a Stubborn Hydraulic Fitting . What you don't see on the video is how I purged the hydraulic fluid (to clean away swarf) without turning the machine on. I stuck a very large shop vac over the port and pulled the spool lever, which sucked hydraulic fluid out of the port. This would have happened anyway when I started the machine after everything was put back together. But by using the vacuum, the abrasive swarf ended up in the shop vac, instead of my newly rebuilt cylinders. The vacuum trick seemed to work pretty slick, so maybe it will help someone else in a similar situation.
Sounds like you need an Atco ultra trick suck bucket... Job Well Done btw...
Thanks Scott, I think I've got an extra bucket around here that I can try ATCO's technique. It wouldn't hurt to give it a second purging. The fluid won't be wasted - I'm replacing all the hydraulic fluid and filter when the rebuilt cylinders go on anyway. I scheduled the next visit by my mechanic (who has turned out to be a fantastic find, by the way!). In the meantime, I decided to replace a missing hose bracket... by casting it out of aluminum. Check it out: YouTube - Foundry Making a Part for my Case 580 SE (Part 1) YouTube - Foundry Making a Part for my Case 580 SE (Part 2)
Oh yeah, definitely a place to use the suck bucket. I'm gonna have to start a thread about that trick Scott so that we can easily direct folks to it. :yup Great job on casting the part sporklift.
I hope the suck bucket isn't like relative bearings. Glad to see I'm not the only one who has to resort to unapproved tactics to get things unscrewed. Only thing I can say is try Kroil, I've had that stuff work wonders, that and tapping almost always undoes it. You just spray and tap to work the solvent in then try to twist. Sometimes it takes a day or two going at it, but it works almost as good as heat.
Hokiesmokes, I was wondering if a solvent would help... but afraid it would ruin the seals in the spools. I really don't want to have to rebuild the spools just yet. I've got PB Blaster.. good idea to stock up on kroil too, though.. I think I'm out.
Guys, can you help me out on recommendations for what hose rating I need? If I don't figure it out, I'll be going with 2-wire 5/8" hose rated at 3500psi. Gotta order the hose stock today.
I'd say that would work fine for the hose you need. I don't think I've seen a backhoe boom with 4 wire hose.
Mechanic ran off with my money - and cylinder! Time for a very sad update. Before I start, everyone go read ATCO's sig. My mobile mechanic went out of business... (apparently), taking with him one of my complete boom cylinders, a replacement boom cylinder tube and piston (new aftermarket parts), and $700 I gave him to buy a used boom cylinder. The other hoe cylinders were rebuilt and mounted as promised, and he custom-made and installed all new hoses on the boom. But for the past two months, my machine has been just waiting for that one boom cylinder. Originally, he had me order a new aftermarket boom cylinder tube and piston, since the originals were dented and jammed up beyond repair. But after assembling the new aftermarket parts, he reported that my rod was also slightly bent and the assembly won't move on the test bench with less than 2500psi. I wasn't happy about this - it makes no sense to ask me to order new parts if he wasn't sure it would work with the rod we were planning to reuse. Is that what you guys would expect too? So I've paid almost $1400 for a cylinder I don't have, and I don't even get the old broken parts (the original dented boom cylinder tube and damaged piston) to weld to my "wall of FAIL." (that's where I put any part that breaks on me). Add to that another $700 for a new aftermarket cylinder I bought, and I've paid $2100 for that ONE cylinder. And I'm still missing the accessory parts that were on my original - the curved steel guard and the fittings. That brings me to a question. I need to order a fitting (#49 in the image) but want to be sure I order the right part. I know it's a #12 JIC male fitting on one end, but how do I specify the other end? I've heard it called "O-ring boss" before, but what size? Worst case, I can haul the cylinder downtown and get a match.. but I was planning to order the fitting online and have it shipped to save me a trip into town. Maybe you guys can save me a trip?
Ok, so I id number 49 on the lookup, 218-5065 and plug it into the Case online "parts store" (this is new!) and it spits out: HYD CONNECTOR, 1 1/16"-12, 37º x 7/8"-14, O-Ring The lookup footnotes says it includes the O-ring should you decide for dealership. Most O-ring fittings I've ordered at my job come with the O-ring too but never hurts to check. HTH
Thanks Scott! That's just what I needed to know.... surplus center (and McMaster Carr, surprisingly) don't carry that size, so I'll probably just go to the dealership tomorrow. So close to getting it running again. When I parked it 10 weeks ago, I didn't imagine I would be down for more than about 4 days. Anyone else have this happen with a mechanic?
Nope, I've never hired a mobile mechanic either though... I auto shops I've used are brick n' mortar... I wrench on my own tractors.
Here ya go sporklift. #6400-12-10. 3/4" JIC (#12) which is 1 1/6"-12 thread 37 deg flare x #10 (7/8"-14) SAE straight thread (o-ring boss) http://www.discounthydraulichose.com/JIC_37_x_O_Ring_Boss_Steel_p/6400.htm
LOL, I know that feeling.
OMG...yeah, I know that pain. LMAO! :lmao
Parts on order (again!) Thanks for the help and links guys! The fittings are on order now, but I'm done predicting when this will be back together. Nice to know I'm not the only one to ever underestimate a project =)
I hope things go smooth for ya from here out sporklift. Sucks to hear your wrench put the screws to ya. :Banghead
How do you eat an elephant..........one bite at a time
haha, Ando
un-rusting a steel hydraulic line Good news - with the assistance of heat lamps in the garage, I've got the cylinder painted despite the cold weather! Bad news - now that I am installing the cylinder on my machine, I noticed that one of my steel lines is full of rust scale! :Banghead Pretty nasty stuff, too. Figuring that putting it back on as-is would be a recipe for disaster, I am trying to de-scale the rust from the inside of the pipe. So again, I hope to lean on the experience of those who've been there, done that. I just imagine bits of scale breaking off, traveling through the system and galling the inside of the pump. Am I being paranoid about the rust? Is my pipe salvageable? I'm soaking it in PB blaster at the moment, hoping to dissolve as much rust as possible. Is there a way to pickle the line? Would sandblasting be successful? Or is it just better to bite the bullet and get a new line made? Attached - a few photos of the cylinder repainting.
Photos of rusty line So you can see how bad the rust is:
That looks nasty sporklift! Yuk! I'd sleep a whole lot better at night with a new tube on it. Just about any good hose shop would be able to make a new piece of tubing for you with the flared JIC ends, I've done it many times. BTW, that new adjustable o-ring boss fitting you have there, make certain that you install it proper, I've seen too many that weren't and it destroys the steel washer on the fitting. Remove the fitting. Back the locking nut away from the washer. Push the washer back toward the locking nut until it bottoms against the fitting threads. Now screw the nut against washer and put some light tension on the nut. Now you're ready to grease the o-ring and install the fitting. Screw it in the cylinder until it's seated the o-ring and pointing the direction you need turning it by hand, no wrenching the fitting. If it stops short of where it needs to point, back the fitting out until it's oriented properly and lock it down in that postition with the locking nut.
Boom Cylinder Installed. Mostly. Today I installed the boom cylinder. Now I'm only held up by the missing hard (and rusty) hard line. I'll follow your advice and just get a new one... I've spent too much to risk over a $100 tube. I sure like the way the new machines are with a single boom cylinder - fewer hoses, fewer places to leak and less complicated overall. Thanks ATCO for the advice on the adjustable o-ring boss fittings. I did similar to what you suggested when I installed it. The only thing that feels sketchy is that the JIC fitting is tighter than the o-ring boss - so I have to put a wrench on the 3-way fitting to keep it from spinning when I tighen the JIC hose end. I shouldn't be cranking down on the o-ring boss fitting should I? Seems like that would damage the o-ring.
Dang, that's some nice looking work bro. Don't worry too much about the o-ring on the adjustable fitting, it's rather durable. But it is a good idea to keep from turning the fitting while setting the hose fittings. An adjustable o-ring fitting will never be as tight as a JIC tube or hose connection, they will turn more easily. Once you get your new tube made for the cylinder, looks like you'll be good to go.
New hard lines; painting (again!) I have to admit the hard lines were less expensive than I imagined - about $100 for two hard lines and the needed fittings. I think one of the fittings is 304 stainless because the body is not magnetic, but the threads are. If it were 316, the cold working wouldn't have made the threads magnetic. I'm happy I'm following ATCO's advice - I feel better already knowing I'm not risking rust chunks circulating back to the pump. But the downside to hard lines - I have to paint them... and wait for the paint to dry. The way I'm doing it now, I have to apply thin coats (primer, then paint) and leave it to cure under heat lamps in my garage which is hovering around 45F lately. So it's taken 2 more days to let the paint cure properly.
System Flush Today should be the day I put the new hard lines back on the machine and fire it up! Before I do, maybe you guys can help me ponder the best way to flush the old hydraulic fluid (which had water in it). I would simply follow the procedure outlined on this forum where I raise both the loader and backhoe, then detach and cap the filter, and drain the system in stages. However, I just replaced all the lines on the backhoe (not including the loader or stabilizer lines). So these lines should be empty already. I would have to fill the system up with new hydraulic oil to raise the loader and backhoe, only to then purge a fair bit of that new oil out. Would it be better to simply drain the reservoir and top up with new fluid before firing it up? After draining the reservoir, the only oil left should be in the loader and stabilizer lines. I'm hoping that it's a relatively small amount of old fluid that would remain. I've got 15 gallons of fresh tractor oil in my garage, but hate to waste new oil if I don't need to. What do you guys think?
Guess what part I misplaced! Got the hard lines back on and routed - no more capped lines sitting out in the rain! The previous owner did a number on the hard lines, including a special tube, P/N D69421. The way he bent it forced me to route one of the hydraulic lines a bit funny. I called the dealer, but they said the part is now obsolete and they can only get me used parts. I installed new hose wrap to keep the wear points protected, although my photos were taken just before I put the wrap on. Next, I drained 14 gallons or so out of the reservoir - including water that had settled at the bottom of the tank! The oil was creamy - no surprise there. After topping back up with new fluid, I was ready to start the machine and work the air out of the lines..... But in the process of rebuilding the backhoe section, I misplaced one key component. Literally. I am missing the ignition key! Lol! How funny.
Working! These repairs may have taken me along a circuitous path, but I fired her up for the first time today, and it's working! There were a few fittings that needed to be tightened just a tad bit more, but generally my new routing worked. As a quick test, I dug a small pond, maybe just 15 yards worth. Somehow all the "work" I had to do around the property didn't feel like work at all! Before I do any serious work, I'm going to need to replace all the missing clamps along the boom and fine tune where I put clamp the hoses so that the bend relief and service loops work in all positions. Anyway, time to go move some more dirt!
Looks good sporklift. I bet you're grinning like a mule eatin' briars.
Nice work! I still think running a backhoe is about the most fun you can have with your clothes on although I haven't run a grader yet...
You know I am! I tried to explain to my wife why it makes me so happy... she gave me the "I don't get it, but I'm nodding yes" look. LOL I'll have to take your word for it - I've never run a machine naked! Just kidding, I know what you mean. Even just watching machinery in motion can be fun, but when the machine does what you are thinking, it's hard not to smile! Something about the kinematics of it. All that said, my brain is not yet connected to the control pattern. I'm used to running a cat pattern excavator and it's quite a readjustment. But hey, I've got a tank full of diesel - sounds like time for more practice!
Hi sporklift, you can get the tubing support blocks from Case to clamp the tubing to the cylinder. Also, it looks like they used live swivels where the hoses from control valve, hose A and B, connect to the Tee's at the cylinders. I don't know if they are necessary. Once you get to operating your machine, if you have a problem pinching those two hoses, or it works the fittings loose, you might consider fitting those two swivels.
Yeah, I was going to fabricate some clamps - probably machine them from delrin or similar. Maybe I should check with Case - the stock clamps might cost less than I imagined. For temporary use, I put a block of urethane rubber between the hard tubes and the cylinder: Wow, good catch! I didn't realize those should have been live swivels. I'll keep a close eye on them. Also, I added hose warp to protect the obvious rub points:
Missing Hose Clamps I took inventory of the clamps that are missing or need adjustment.
You are having too much fun Sporklift, glad to see you get it together. Merry Christmas to you and all in HEF. Sporklift, say hi to my cousin in Vancouver, Wa. HaHa. Just kidding, but he does live there.