I recently (within past 30 days) changed the final drive oil in the planetaries on my tracked machine. After working several different jobs in a number of locations, I noticed an oil leak from one of the finals after a move on the flatbed. Granted, I had been running fairly fast for long stretches through some really wet, swampy ground but these finals have never leaked before over the past several year. So I monitored the temps of the finals during the last day job with my IR camera. After finishing up that day's job, I pulled it home and drained both sides. There was very little oil in either side. Call me paranoid but now I have to wonder if someone sabotaged my machine while it sat idle on a job for a few days??? I don't normally inspect those parts closely prior to start up but looks like I need to change some habits. I've since flushed the finals with a diesel & engine oil mix, ran the tracks about 1,000 feet, drained the flush mix and refilled with the correct fluid. The magnets were not looking too clean but not totally trashed. Off to the internet to search for something to make it tamper-proof. I keep everything else on the machine locked up tight but what can you do for final drives? Turns out there are tamper-proof sealants to keep things secure if you need to question whether or not something has been fiddled with. I now have some on order so I will KNOW if a plug has been touched! I thought I should share this info for those of you with questions about tampering (Spud Monkey is 1st to mind here). There are a number of products available by several different manufacturers including 3M, Dykem and others. Mine is already on order. I know those damn tree huggers hate me because I make those trees, and furry/scaly critters, scream as I blast everything to bits. I would not put sabotage past any of them.
There are greenies smart enough to know anything about finals?
How many hours on your machine? Maybe it developed tiny leaks over time?? It's anybodies guess what thieves will resort to these days.
I just changed the oil within the past 30 days for the first time in 2 years. Both sides were at full prior to that draining with very little dust on the magnets. No previous leakage as they were always at spec level when checked. No extreme condition jobs as of late since that oil change. Loss of oil on both sides does not make sense unless intervention was applied by others.
A dab of paint with a paint pen can serve the same purpose, providing it's in a place where it won't get rubbed off.
I had a HS friend that was a self proclaimed environmental activist and would screw with every machine he could get ahold of, because in his mind, they were destroying forests. I will admit, even without the internet back then, he was quite knowledgeable on how to destroy a machine. Even to the point of digging a hole to hid the oil he drained out of a machine and using black nail polish to make it look like it had oil in it. He had Cat and Case and Dressler keys.
we had this stuff we called pigeon poop for inspection. Same purpose, it signified we checked torque etc and that it wasn't messed with after.
Wow! that is scary
Just spot weld the plugs
Is there any possibility of lock-wiring the drain/fill plugs.?
Question: What are the chances that when you parked the machine the plugs on BOTH final drives were at the bottom so that if someone removed them the oil would drain out.? It would need to be a pretty major conicidence I would have thought.
I guess you can monitor it and makes sure it's not leaking. What about using a little red Loctite on the drain plugs? Would make it hard for thieves to remove them not knowing they need to be warmed up.
That's just luck of the draw....or the park. There are 2 plugs on each final. One final had significantly more oil than the other but it was still much lower than what I had filled it to. Over 24 hours since re-serviced and no leaks evident. This stuff does not just happen by itself. That would make it more difficult to check the oil levels. Not a good idea in my opinion but a tamper proof seal would leave evidence of intrusion yet leave it easy to check oil levels. These finals run over $8k each and I've already replaced 2 over the years. I don't like the idea of purchasing and replacing more of them.
The 120 has three plugs. I've been pouring gallons of 85-90 in the leaker. I'm finally going to get it apart and fix it next week.
What style are the plugs? If they are internal hex requiring an Allen-type wrench, just fill it with silicone. If it's an external that requires a socket, those would be a bit harder to make tamper evident.
just use a air scribe and run a straight mark across plug and housing--it's what my old logger friend did for his stuff when he had vandalism to his equipment. he covered it with greasy dirt afterward.
Camera's, and an old camper trailer near machines on site with a crappy car, and do a setup like the kid did on home alone make it look like someone is there all the time.
When you drained the oil you drained out all the goo that kept the seals from leaking.
You are going to drag this whole show to every job ? ? ?
On a bigger job where the equipment is there for a few weeks or longer having it look like someone is staying on site doesn't sound like bad idea. Put a sign on the car that says so and so's onsite security and move it every couple of days. If you have power leave an exterior light on the trailer on and an interior light on a timer and vary the times it goes off. Might be enough to deter would be thieves.
I had a Kobelco excavator that in the winter, when it was really cold sometimes, it would leak some oil out of the final drives between the sprocket and the housing, when it warmed up, the leak would go away, it was not easy to spot, but there would be a little puddle of gear oil on the tracks, I just monitored it and never really lost that much, but overtime, like two years, you may lose enough, not sure if that could be the case with your machine?
Mine does the same thing. I just check/change when I do engine oil changes.
When I did the service last month, the oil levels were full, even after a couple years of use. I do check them every so often. No leaks prior to servicing, no evidence of leaking on a job, then suddenly both drives almost void of fluid. I can usually smell this oil when it leaks. I don't feel paranoid with the circumstances and history of these units. My only logical deduction is an outside influence to cause the lack of oil.
Would spray paint be something that could be used to mark the indexing of the plugs? I would think if someone loosened the plug they would not take the time to line everything up exactly.
I thought about that and safety wire but the way the plugs are recessed, and the amount of abrasion that can happen, negates either of those two solutions. Paint won't break the same as a dedicated seal will nor be as evident. The 8mm hex hole and the thin perimeter gap are my best bets for making it evident if tampering has occured. My order of sealant/goop should be in this week. I even checked the ground where I had the machine parked for a few weeks during summer vacation - not a spot of oil to be found. More verification and less paranoia.
My problem is not just dealing with tree huggers, trailer trash or thieves, this person apparently turns wrenches too. Where at I haven't a clue cause I have never seen his service truck leave the place except for going to neighbors. Point being, no matter what I do if he truly a mechanic of sorts he will know ways around tamper proofing. Hidden cameras is my only recourse as there is only one way in and one way out,. Trying to play like it's occupied won't work since they have to go by their place before getting to my place on whoever comes and goes.
Unless the person doing the tampering has the same color and manufacturer of sealant, there is no way to break this sealant and not have it evident. I tried letting a test bead set up - it could not be removed without leaving evidence of a broken seal. And it fluoresceses under UV light for easy visibility of seal. My finals are still full after a number of jobs. No leakage on either unit. I am 98% convinced that someone messed with my machine. Now it's just a matter of looking at the sealant on the plugs to know whether or not that they have been accessed. Peace of mind if nothing else.
Better get some cheap game cameras and put them up, only need to make sure batteries are good until something happens
I have tried that but they don't activate through the Lexan. Leaving them out in the open is asking to have them stolen. Mounting them on the machine is to have them knocked off. If I could get my mini backup camera to trip when it senses motion and then record to a hard drive that would work - where do I find it?
Just need to hide them when you shut down, cheap ones in case they get stolen, always put up 2 one kinda noticeable and one hard to find.
At least they didn't dump a handful of sand into your final. Fill the hex with spackle and paint over it.