So doing my annual maint before using it and one of the final drives is leaking the gear oil right out of it. Did some research and it looks like it is most likely the 'floating seal' I took the front cover off and it doesnt look too bad, not much gunk at all in it so I think I caught it early, its for my own personal use, not daily business wear and tear so I really dont want to send it off for the big $$ rebuild, I just want to take it apart and replace the seal but I have no idea how. Can someone give me a high level run down of the process? Im in Maine, anyone know of a shop that would do this kind of work besides a dealer? Thank you ~ PHil
I am watching your thread here, working on my personal (new to me) TB035 and I have the tracks off to replace the rollers. I figured I would service the final drives.....one of them was bone dry... I filled both sides with auto trans fluid to let it soak, rotate them several times, let it soak, repeat. Only to have all of the atf drip out of the back side of the right side drive..... now I know why its dry. Needs a new seal. New drives are $1100 each +, mine are working fine, just need to hold the gear lube!! I too am looking to replace the seals.
Update - So I found I could purchase the floating seal from aga-parts.com, Ive removed the final drive and cleaned it as best I can, waiting on parts to take apart as I do not have the memory I did 25 years ago. My new question is on the hoses that feed the final drive, one for sure needs to be replaced so I am planning on replacing them all but when I look under the frame of the excavator on where they go, I cannot see how in the world I can get my hands and a wrench up in there to disconnect the other end of the hoses. Can any one tell me how this is supposed to be done on a TB015 unit? Thank YOu ~ Phil
By tilting the cab? Does that gain you access to the top side of the hoses?
Hi so im not your average home owner and thus have an excavator, but thats it for experience with heavy equipment. Most maint I've done on it beyond oil and grease is to repin the bucket and arm. Can you describe what is involved with decoupling the cab and then how I would tilt it without it possibly falling off? Thank You ~ Phil
Hmmmm well my takeuchi TB035 is the first trackhoe I have ever owned also (homeowner) but when we bought it the dude showed me how to use a ratchet strap and the boom to tile the cab forward. The TB035 is designed to work this way. With the cab tilted you have access so the whole big valve that controls all hydraulics, access to the front of the engine, all hoses, and the drive motor for the cab turntable and the hydraulics for the boom swing function. Your TB015 should also have a tilting cab from the factory, let me do some searching see if we can figure this out Also if the TB035 is not running I am able to tilt the cab myself with a strong ratchet strap There are hydraulic lift cylinders that help lift and hold the cab when it is tilted. I found this: HeavyEquipmentForums
Interesting, so is there bolts or a pin needed to remove to allow the cab to tilt?
Hi sorry I didnt notice the link, thanks, I will see if I have anything like that on mine....
Ive been trying to find info about tilting the cab or lifting the bonnet or whatever I can search for your TB015 and I have come up short! I know you can lift your seat to get access to some things, I am not sure if your cab tilts on that little machine or not! You can download the user manual and service manual. I did not see anything right off the top in the owners manual that shows how to tilt it. let us know what you find out!?!?!
Hose in question is NOT accessed from top. It goes from travel motor to center swivel joint.
Hello thank you for the diagram, so I have looked up from the bottom and do not see a way to get my hands and a wrench up in the small space available to see the end of the hoses in the center swivel joint area. Is there a special wrench used for this or do they hire 10yr olds with tiny hands/arms to do it?? Thanks ~ Phil
I sub contract a dwarf for those jobs.
It is not uncommon, even on my larger excavators, to have to remove one or more hoses, and/ or fittings, to access a failed hose. Even on a 53 ton Cat 345C. And, even then, the X frame is so packed, between the hoses and dirt, that they have to be pulled out together. Try replacing a hose in the slewing arm conduit of a TB180FR. Some evil monster zip tied them together before sliding them through the conduit.
I had a TB015 and I believe the cab did not tilt forward. Removing the cab floor should grant you access to the rotary manifold to take off the hoses ( very limited access). Hope this helps
That does not sound fun, I watched a youtube video of someone replacing the final drive and hoses on a different make excavator (was green) and it was very easy design to access the fittings under the unit.
Hi thanks I will look at what it takes to remove the floor, one cable for sure needs to be changed but the opening is so tight I may need to remove a smaller one first to make room for the fitting.. ~ Phil
Hello so I FINALLY got the floating seal replaced in my final drive and now in getting it ready to install it BUT I discovered one fitting is bent and leaking... In looking for a replacement for it I am unable to find it. NAPA and a local heavy equipment place both don't carry it and each told me different suggestions for what each end on the fitting is. It is a 90deg fitting, one end has an O-RIng connector that connects to the final drive and the other end connects to the hose. I have been told the end going to the final drive is an M5 BOSS and the other end for the hose is 1/4in NPT. I have ordered a couple different versions and neither are right, I showed a friend and he said the end going to the hose is NOT NTP as the threads are straight and not curved toward the end as NTP normally is. The links below are a couple pics of it, I am hoping someone here can tell me what each END is and who I can order it from. Thanks! https://photos.app.goo.gl/xUWzLDQBis1zV2aQA https://photos.app.goo.gl/RsKck6bqp4uVTjjG6 Thank You ~ Phil
You don't have a Takeuchi dealer? Freight will be higher than the price of the part.
Hi thanks, no dealer around, I found the part number but figured I should be able to buy a simple fitting locally or online from a hydraulic parts house but cannot identify what each end is. Also, Anderson is where I attempted to buy the floating seal for the drive and the part they send me didn't fit and it was a special order and couldn't return, not impressed with them. Always possible it doesn't have the original stock drive so that's why the seal didn't fit. Aware of any other online dealers for Takeuchi that your aware of?? Thank You ~ Phil
The fitting is BSPP Male x BSPP Male adjustable. If you could measure OD of threads each side? "9052" is the right series. You have to figure out size.