I just purchased an 85/86 Champion 730A series II grader and have some questions about it and will be looking for advice on how to make the best use of it. It has an 8.3 Cummins engine, but the tag is missing, and the 8400 powershift transmission. It has a blade extension that was welded on making it 16ft. but I've heard a longer blade is better anyway. The tach in the cab doesn't work and I was wondering how important the tach is? I can't find an owners manual online for series II machines (84-88). The series III are mostly similar but a few changes. The series III machines have blade float switches on the column with the steering wheel and my machine doesn't have these switches. Is blade float an option or should be a standard feature? I did notice the right blade lift is a little stiffer and appears to have a detent position when pushed all the way forward but never tried to see if was in fact a float detent. (maybe just a stiff lever?) The machine articulates but the previous owner never used it. I know it's good for some applications but is it really that necessary? There are pins to hold the machine straight. I'm guessing taking them out and seeing if the articulation switch in the cab works won't hurt anything? If I want to move the circle out to the side, can I just lift the blade up and push the lever to move the circle and then adjust it flat with the lift cylinders? This would be very useful to pull berms down on my MX track with the grader on flatter/smoother ground. Any help is appreciated and hopefully some former Champion operators will be able to give me some pointers and things not to do with my new toy. It does look like a power grease gun should be on my bucket list. I have a 5 gal. pail of grease a friend gave me when he moved. s-l640.webp (640×480) (ebayimg.com) s-l640.webp (640×480) (ebayimg.com)
http://www.sierrapark.org/Equipment/Champion_730A.htm Here you can find some free manuals for series I and III
I saw that link and it looks like they had the same problem finding a manual for a series II.
That must be the early end of the series 2. I wouldn't worry about the Tach, just make sure all of the pressure and temp gauges work. Can't help you with the float option on those machines, The cables can get stiff on that style control though. I rarely use articulation, but it can be beneficial in turning around and in certain situations, I just don't end up in those situations much. Yes on the circle shift. That's a good old machine depending on how hard its been used and how its been maintained. The 8.3 is a great motor, The entire machine is pretty hard to find fault with really. Jade equipment in Canada is the best parts resource, you can get cylinder rebuild kits online. Check you're fluids, change and service them if necessary, fluid is cheap compared to component repair/replacement. Does the series 2 have the little gear box that is driven off the crank shaft then drives the hydraulic pumps in the back or does the shaft directly drive the pump? If its the gear box type I'd investigate that little guy, I don't know if its a sealed lubrication situation or part of a system, but I do know you don't want that to bite the dust. If all you see is a shaft directly running a pump, you're golden. Look up your s/n and use that in checking for manuals. look up "1987 Vintage Champion Motor Graders Parts Manual Diagrams" on ebay, I'd post the link but its really long. Do you have some particular purposes for it in mind?
I never got a notification anyone responded to my post, thank you! I'll have to look more closely at the pump arrangement. I think it has the gearbox arrangement but maybe not. There is a pump on the side of the engine that is weeping. I don't know if it's a hose or a fitting. Hopefully the seller washes it good so I can see where it's weeping and keep an eye on it. Float is normally done with 2 switches but I don't think this machine has them. Jade is in the same city as I am and I've been there. My machine is the same as the Sierra Park one on the net but a little newer (16890). Series II were from 84 to 88 and I think my machine is right in the middle. The Sierra Park website is where I found the most info and they put up links for all the manuals they could find. I'm hoping Jade may be able to help with a series II operators manual and some insight on the series II machines. I think the Cummins engine is a better choice than a Detroit 4-71 or 6-71 and maybe worth paying a little more for. Not that the DD's aren't suitable but just in general. Common oil, quieted and better torque at lower RPM's. I have an oval track and an MX track to keep the grader in motion. Sierra Park - 1985 Champion 730A Series II Motor Grader
Saw the other post before this one. Does it have a saddle lock? Can't tell by the picture. If it does, pit the mb on the ground, unlock the pin, then wiggle the right and left side up and down a bit. There should be indicators in the casting. push one side down, and the other side up until you reach the position you want. hit the lock, might have to wiggle to get the pin back in. Just remember, that unlike most machines, you can hit yourself with the blade. Tires, stump guards, cab steps. Mechanic here ruined a tire on me. I had the blade out to the side to be cut, or changed, can't remember. I had to leave for another job. He tried to return it to the standard position when he was done, and cut the side out of a tire.
Got a chance to do a few things on the new toy. I used some furnace cement and sheet metal to cover/plug a couple cracks in the exhaust manifold and then wrapped it up with high temp header wrap. Seems to be working OK so hope it lasts. Don't need to fix broken manifold bolts right off the bat. The hyd. pump is driven directly off the crankshaft. I think the splitter box is for the front wheel drive option. I need to do a good greasing but tried the machine out for about 20 minutes just to see how it works. I think with a week or so in the seat I'll kind of get it figured out. I still need to cut the blades straight but I noticed the blade tilt sticks when rolled all the way forward and I can't roll the blade back. I don't know if dirt can cause that or if just greasing the cylinders is all it needs? Is it a common problem? It will spin the tires in 1st gear but in 3rd or 4th (can't see the gear it's in) I'm guessing the clutches just slip? Only did that for about 4 seconds pushing a little dirt/sod into a pile. Also noticed when backing up over the pile had to put it in a lower gear. The control levers are a little sticky so I'll look at lubing them up. I don't think it has float on the blade. On the plus side it starts up instantly and runs like a top. I need to get used to backing up though. I think because it's so long, the slightest steering wheel movement moves it more than you think.
It's pretty much a manual transmission. it should go, spin, or stall. Where is the splitter box? there should be a valve up front under the tool box. It puts power to the scarrifer, or the front plow mount.
The eight speed does have clutch packs that can fail but the master clutch could be slipping as well. Need to have someone watch the driveshaft between the clutch housing and the transmission to be sure.
I did stall it once. Backing up over the pile I pushed, I had to use a lower gear or it didn't seem to want to move. I figured it's the clutch packs but it will spin the tires in 1st gear and did stall so I don't think it's a big problem. I wasn't giving it lots of throttle when I was just trying it out for the 1st time. The splitter box is a gear box to run 2 separate pumps off the crankshaft for the front wheel drive option. I'm wondering if it's common for the blade tilt/pitch to stick when the moldboard is all the way back? If it isn't all the way back it works fine and I can roll it down to see the back of the cutting edges. I don't know if a little dirt/sod could be causing it or if just needs greased better. I would have thought the hyd's. would be strong enough to roll the blade. 1 cylinder had the mount broke but it was repaired but also 1 cylinder looks slightly longer or the rod is longer. I don't think that makes much difference as long as the blade rolls properly. Hoping someone will have an idea of what to check. I don't know if each circuit has separate relief valves if that could be a problem or maybe the internal seals in the cylinder are leaking? Seems that if the seals were leaking internally, the moldboard would want to roll when pushing but it doesn't. Any insight is appreciated.
I don't think there are any greaseable parts besides the pins on either end of the tilt cylinders. There are 2 big bushings that slide, and tilt. I wouldn't grease them, they get full of crap. They might be worn, and jamming. I think they are called quadrants, but it's like a shark fin that goes from the solid part of your circle, to your MB. Are they moving in and out when you roll the mb ahead and back, Next time it sticks, try side shifting at the same time. There are a lot of movement points. If I rotated my circle past the point where it was worn out of round, it would jam. I had no splitter box, just the shaft from the crank to the pump. the grease diagram had the picture of the pump for 6 wheel drive mounted behind the other pump. I had the crank mounted pump, a pump mounted to the engine block, and a small belt driven pump
I thought those had the hydraulic pump driven off the flywheel and then a combination transmission/ steering and brakes pump under the radiator. Tach’s on the old Champions were usually ran off the alternator. To do backsloping, roll mouldboard all the way back, then slide mouldboard all the way right. Sideshift circle all the way right and from there you adjust by lowering left mouldboard lift and raising/ lowering right mouldboard lift. Sometimes I’d articulate so the front tire was up on the back slope a bit to get the edge of the mouldboard where I wanted.
But the welded on blade extension might make backsloping impossible. I never had one. Have you got some gears that transmission is weak in?
I haven't run it enough to know if all the gears are OK. They all seem to work but I'm not sure how they work under load. There is a pump on the side of the engine and looks like a double pump off the crank but no splitter box. I'll try side shifting the next time I'm out to see if it makes rolling the moldboard easier.
I'd say you probably have a great old machine for your needs. But most contractors don't part with a grader unless she has considerable wear. Your MB might be coming back a little too far. you might be able to weld a couple of butt stops some where that won't interfear with blade function
I could certainly weld a couple stops on. They wouldn't need a lot of weld. I'll play with it next time I go out and see if side shifting makes any difference. It originally had a snow wing so I'm thinking it belonged to a county or municipality and they sold it when it got up in hours. Is it common for the blade pitch to get stuck? First thing I'm going to do is give it a good greasing. It has had some grease but nothing on the circle or side shift that I can see. Was going to use dry graphite spray. Manual says to use grease and diesel but I think that would just attract dirt.
we used to use a graphite powder. It was in a box, and you spooned it out. Only sticking I had was rotation. It was from uneven wear.
I was looking at some Champion graders when I went to the RB yard. I think I have an easy fix if the molboard is rolling too far forward. There are slots beside the pitch cylinders that the moldboard follows when rolled. I think if I got some thick fairly stiff rubber I could easy use a bolt and some washers to hold them in the slot to limit max. forward pitch. I think rubber might be better because it would cushion when hit rather than being solid like steel would be.
The bolt that goes in the slot should have a bushing on it. Are the bolts gone? that might be your problem.
There is bushings but on the side I looked there was a slight flat spot. I'm guessing from years of rolling the blade back it got pounded a little flat. It rolled OK today so maybe just had the moldboard in a worn spot the other day. Maybe I could loosen the bolts and turn the bushings so the flat spot isn't what hits the end of the slot???
You could build up the end of the notch with a bit of weld. The big bushing where she slides, and rolls, can cause over center movement. Once she reaches the top of the arc, it can push out the lower part of the MB where the large bushings are worn. Rolling the MB ahead or back can also lift it off the ground. Example. put the cutting edge on the ground with the MB rolled ahead so you can see it. Rolling it back will lift it off the ground. Sometimes when you are cutting, and you can feel her wanting to break traction, rolling the MB back a bit will stop that without lifting the draw bar.
I watched a video where the operator rolled the moldboard ahead to feather out the last of the gravel he was spreading. It allows for only needing to use one control to lift the blade evenly. I'll take a closer look at the bushings an such on the back of the blade and then have a better idea of the best fix.