Hello from North Idaho! I bought a 1998 Takeuchi TB035 mini excavator that needs some work. The machine itself is in very good condition, but it has high hours. I got a very good deal on it, this is for personal use around our property digging drainage, ditches, ponds, maintaining our road, etc. I purposely bought a machine that needs work in an effort to save some money, this machine was $14000 and in our market this is $10K lower then comparable machines. I have done my home work and realize how great the Takeuchi machines are. I build custom Ford Rangers, Explorers and diesel trucks. I am a moderator over at Explorerforum.com and you can also find me on Polaris forums, atv forums, snowmobile forums and powerstroke forums under the name 410Fortune / 410customs There are two MAIN area's on this machine that need fixing, the instrument cluster, right hand console wiring and the Yanmar engine. The engine is tired, it has been started with ether for who knows how many years now. Basically it will not start without the ether and when it does run and gets warm then under load it will die and not re start. I am currently looking into repower options, I have about $5-10K to "play" with At first I was thinking no big deal just buy a whole new/reman engine and drop it in. Well there is no such thing as a reman 3TN84TL-RTBY it is too old. Yanmar can sell me a short block for over $3600 with 120 day lead time, no thanks! Now I am looking at either replacing it with a different engine or rebuilding this engine/injection pump/turbo myself I am currently fixing the wiring and hope to resurrect the original instrument cluster, if not I will add my own gauges and warning lights, switches, should not be a problem. I specialize in wiring/electrical, but I also know my way around 2 stroke, 4 stroke and diesel engines everything from 49cc to 7300cc I have not done a compression or leak down test yet I know it is getting fuel and the air filter/intake are clean the turbo has oil leaks on both sides, in and out When it does start it seems to be running on all 3 cylinders and runs pretty well (though it does seem doggy) Many other small oil and coolant leaks Small fluid leak between the engine and the pump Symptoms: only starts with ether unless its already warm Once warm and put under load it will die, and 85% of the time will not re start Everything else on the machine works as it should and is actually in very good shape, no major hydraulic leaks, tracks are nice, a little bit of looseness in the bucket pins, otherwise I am very happy with this purchase. So I am researching how to do the compression test, I have a diesel compression tester and I see Hoye tractor sells a Yanmar injector adapter for $23 I know diesels enough to know this sucker needs rebuild, it has plenty of blow by and is very low in power (33hp feels more like 15) Both cold start aids have been broken for who knows how long, it has a thermostart I believe and an intake heater. The big orange wires that feed these are in bad shape and have been left unhooked. The machine has a can of ether sitting in a metal holder that looks like it was added to hold the ether. So this diesel has been abused!! Whats next? Pull the yanmar, order a rebuild kit and get to work? or more troubleshooting? I know I can tear down the block and rebuild it with new bearings, sleeves, pistons. I will likely need to take the head to a local machine shop to have rebuilt. I can order a new turbo or rebuild it myself? Thanks fellas, we would like to get this thing up and running asap I know I have alot of questions, a few days of researching this machine and engine has lead me here HELP!!! Thank you in advance
Blow by is most likely rings, but needs ether to start points to injection pump. You didn't say how many hours? Instrument panel is shared among lots of models. Salvage yard/ used would be a place to start, as the panels are quite reliable (never failed one yet, and I've got 8 Takeuchis). As for rebuild, only one oversize piston is available. If more is needed, the block will need sleeves or tossed. Fuel system supply...the bowl/ screen separator is where to start. Remove the whole thing and disassemble/ clean/ reassemble, making sure that the inlet elbow is clear of debris. Search through my Takeuchi posts and you'll find where I sourced parts. Links to those threads can be provided if necessary.
Parts manual (double check serial number range). https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...FjAAegQIBRAC&usg=AOvVaw2h-O1ZCF9jXnq8XakXKVNQ
It was 4300 hours when the meter quit turning, it could have been 1 or 10 years ago...who knows. I have been looking for an instrument cluster online, so far no luck but I do have parts request forms filled out I have the gauge panel on the bench it seems very simple with a fuel, water temp gauge, warning lights and of course the hour meter, None of it is/was working. The fuel system supply, is that the piece the fuel/water separator is screwed into? As you can see the previous owner has added a mr gasket cheapo fuel pump and some sort of regulator. I do have the operators manual and service manual for the Takeuchi TB035 "reference index" Thank you so much! seriously this is awesome to have help
Throwing the cluster into Google, it lists 3 machines that use that cluster, but, I'm sure that there are more
So a TL26 the TB025 and the TL126 all use the cluster are these only found in Takeuchi machines? I am going to take the one I have apart, clean it, see if I can repair it, I need to know the coolant temp and if any warning indicators are lit up Today I will remove and clean the fuel system supply let you know what I find!
Thanks to @heymccall I have been doing some more reading and I think I may be getting somewhere First off I should have put this thread in the compact equipment forum - DUH homer simpson moment Second this machine only dies under load when tracking, not when digging, so it may be a hydraulic pump issue Going to do some cleaning and testing today So thankful for this forum already and this is only day two!
I removed the fuel bowl and cleaned it. I found no blockage, but I did find the source of a leak, the on and off flow lever was broken and the O ring damaged. I replaced it with a spare, now no more leaks. I also shaved down a couple of the fuel lines for a better fit and re seated the clamps. That takes care of one of the big leaks this thing had. Turn the key to run and the fuel bowl fills up, kind of slowly. Starting to wonder if we have a supply issue from the Mr gasket electric pump. It is running but I am not sure it is providing enough fuel. My question is what does the factory fuel pump look like? How does my mr gasket piece compare? I will look at manual and see if I can test fuel flow to the injection pump I have the instrument cluster apart and testing, so far it all tests good, except 70% of the bulbs are blown........... Need to test the vehicle side of things next (power). Also note it had 4740 hours when it quit!! Can I remove the injection pump and clean it on the bench?
making progress! The machine no longer dies under load or when warm! I have the instrument cluster working Since heymccall pointed me to a possible fuel issue I started digging into it. I found the way the mr gasket fuel pump was installed was causing an air bubble on the gravity feed side of things. I simply removed the bolt and laid the pump flat in the engine bay pan. Ever since this and cleaning the fuel bowl, the machine will run all day! It has more power and it runs more smoothly. I checked inside the fuel tank, nice and clean no obstructions. The fuel level was getting low which was matching the height of the electric pump = air bubble = so she was running out of fuel! Once it was running better I decided to change all the filters and crankcase oil. Cleaned the air filter, replaced the fuel filter, replaced the hydraulic return filter, and changed the engine oil and engine oil filter. Now it runs even more smoothly! She was also down about 5 gallons of hydraulic fluid. Thanks to the owners manual I found the hydraulic tank sight glass and cleared it off I replaced the diode and all fuses in the fuse panel. Cleaned up all the wiring connections on the back side of the instrument cluster (monitor) and fuse box. Now the instrument cluster lights up, all lights come on then go off, except the battery/charge indicator it flashes. The hour meter is even lit up! Now I need to hook up the fuel level sender wires and see if the fuel gauge works, also same with the coolant temp and coolant light. Next try to hook up the rest of the feed wires, the oil pressure light, and others. Confirm the alternator is charging ALL of the safety wires / gauge wires on this machine have been unhooked! I may need some help locating where they each go. I know where there is are two coolant temp sensors??, a coolant gauge feed, I see the oil pressure switch. What I do not see if the air clog switch?, and a couple of the others but we will get to that. In the factory wiring schematic there are two parts to the instrument cluster, the "monitor" (or lights/gauges) and the "controller". Can anyone tell me where the "controller" is what it looks like? the previous owners have removed the stop solenoid from this machine, engine shut down is done with a cable. I am hoping the control module is still in place. I took it as a good sign that the lights come on and then go off, but I have not tested with cluster with the machine running.....yet Next is the hard starting, she still wants the ether to restart. When cold (sitting all night) it will not start without a small shot of ether. The rest of the day when warm she will start up sometimes it takes some cranking, sometimes it fires right away. I still suspect a fuel feed issue/injection pump and also low compression. I need to perform a compression test and see where we are at. While the injectors are out I can watch the spray patterns For now I am working to remove all the hacks on this machine, fix broken loose wires and hook up sensors. Also fix the rest of the leaks. The turbo feed or return line is leaking oil, likely just a bad O ring One of the long hydraulic lines from the pump to the main valve is leaking pretty good, I plan to remove it and replace it. Some wires are chaffed here and there, I am fixing those as I see them I ordered a new grid heater, $36 on Ebay made by NGK. I am hoping this might help with the cold start issue, but I still suspect a weak injection pump or low compression or both. Engine has no visible blow by coming from PCV tube, no black smoke, only light grey smoke when cold. This is a good sign. No glow plug or thermostart on this model, only the grid heater. Today: test alternator charging see if turbo is spinning, check all air intake hookup fuel and coolant gauges see about new hydro line to replace leak dig and move brush!! Is that a wastegate on the turbo? What is the actuator for?
mr gasket pump lying flat now, no more air bubble Why this regulator? I plan to remove it I do not think it is needed? Fuel sender wires just danging under the machine: Cluster (monitor) and Fuse panel repair: Some helpful notes thus far:
Machine was 8 gallons low on hydraulic fluid, holy crap.....must have been leaking from some time. Machine is running better, still does not start easily, it is hit or miss hot or cold.........but it is running better I can use it for 3-4 hours at a time and when I shut it down it may or may not re start. To start it I REFUSE to use the ether, instead I use the starter and mess with the throttle lever until it catches. Sometimes if I hold the starter for extended cranking she will fire. When cold or hot it can take 5-10 minutes of cranking (bump starter, let it rest, bump starter, let it rest). At this rate I will be going through batteries and starters. I know I need to remove the injectors and test their spray patterns and also the compression Otherwise we are making progress! Basically I am just getting used to using it, I have been getting better at moving brush and dirt, clearing the land and back filling, these sorts of things. I even tried working on the drainage ditch next to our road, so far I am really happy! it would have taken me months by hand to do what this thing has done in 3 days Still working on fixing some small hydraulic leaks and getting some gauges this engine has been installed recently, makes me wonder what it was out for? a rebuild? replace? I still need to visually check the turbo make sure its even spinning.......
Probably wouldn't have taken 8 gallon if it were checked with the machine in the correct position
Thank you for that! As soon as I saw you posted it my heart sank....I knew I had just read that in the manual the other day and forgotten about it when I did adjust the fluid level. I just removed 1.25 gallons from the machine, given the above information I had to go check. I had overfilled it just a bit...she is good now! I will keep an eye on the level. Was just using her to remove some brush, wife said she wants a grassy knoll next to the pond, well that is what she is going to get.... this thing is awesome and clearing the alder and scrub oak, leaving the soil exposed and flat. Researching injection pump replacement........ also considering rebuilding the turbo. But first things first I must bite bullet and do spray test / compression test Need to gather the tools: Do I need injector puller? Do I need injector compression adapter or will my harbor freight diesel compression tester kit have the one I need? keep it coming, I am a total newb with this machine
If maintaining the hydraulic level with the machine in the "Caterpillar" level check position were going to harm anything, my Takeuchis would've been dead years ago. No sooner than I remove oil, some idiot parks it wrong and overfills it again. I only brought it up because you said 8 gallons. As an aside, to get the extra oil out, turn off both auxiliary valves, remove a coupling, start machine, and throttle the auxiliary valve open while aimed in a bucket.
Thanks! I have a drill powered pump I use for this stuff it made short work of removing the fluid. I was fully expecting to have to suck out 5+ gallons due to my mistake, luckily I was only about 1.25 over full... I came here to learn, so far so good!
The machine is running and starting better each day. Could it be the clean fluids and filters? Cleaning out deposits? I run a little bit of 2 stroke oil in my 7.3 ford trucks to help keep some lubricity that is lost without the sulfur in our diesel.I have not added anything to the mini ex fuel tank yet I run mobil delvac 15w-40 in the crankcase Here in Idaho I can buy off road diesel for my takeuchi, would she benefit from this? I know the yanmar does not use HEUI injectors like the 7.3 powerstroke does but a little 2 stroke never hurt an oil burner. Should I add any additives to the tank once in a while? still planning to test the injection and hopefully compression when I get a chance
I've got 10k hour Yanmars with original fuel parts, and the only additive ever was PowerService white when expected temperatures are below 10°F. Will oil in the fuel harm it? No idea. It is necessary? I don't believe so. Today's offroad fuel is the same as onroad, save for the taxes and the dye.
thank you, we will just save the taxes then I replaced the mr gasket fuel pump with a new edelbrock unit, added a better (glass) in line pre filter and replaced some of the fuel line. I lifted the cab and re routed some of the hoses and wires that were being pinched/chaffed I removed the factory instrument cluster (doing nothing for me but counting hours and a flashing battery light) and I installed some equos gauges. Water temp, oil pressure and voltage. The "Tak" is running pretty well, it still takes some effort to start, but no ether. Once started and warm it will run all day. In 4 days of use I only burned through 5 gallons of diesel. Water temp hovers right around 190 degrees until I start working her a little harder then it climbs to 230, back off a bit and it drops back down. I saw 230 twice yesterday and shut it down, let it cool I plan to replace the water pump, thermostat and clean out the radiator. I also plan to have a look inside the injection pump see if the fuel valves and springs are in good shape. I am starting to suspect a weak pump given the advice on this forum and what I am seeing from the machine. I have fixed quite a few wires and removed a few rattles. The exhaust was rattling against the battery tray, some hoses and lines were loose when they should be mounted in their tabs, this sort of thing. Oil pressure is 40-90 psi depending on idle, voltage is 13.5-14 when running. All is well there! I would like to add a oil temp gauge. I have a new grid heater, I plan to install it using a push button switch, hold the button in the grid heats, let off it stops. Very very happy with this purchase and this machine. It is making short work of cleaning up the big mess the dozer makes....I am working my way around the pond clearing up debris/brush/ stumps and digging the pond out a little bit.
For temperature, on my TB53FR, after exploring all common sense options, I ended up putting in a smaller diameter water pump pulley. I think I has a thread on here somewhere.
Thanks for that! The "Tak" was running pretty well the other day when she just cut out completely, all of a sudden. I got her re started and out of the driveway thank goodness. Turns out the new Edelbrock POS fuel pump I installed bit the dust, that $63 sucker did not even last two days! So I returned it to " O really's" and found a Holley in town for $49....made in USA and no press in fitting!! I took the time to replace a couple of hoses that have been leaking. The previous owner apparently tried to fix these leaks once, but obviously used the wrong hose. The one hose in question is on the pump return side of things, it looks like he had coolant hose in there...it pretty much melted itself in place and was leaking pretty good (remember 6 gallons low). This hose was a real PITa to remove, had to cut it, use prybars, etc etc it finally gave away.. Also the turbo oil line was leaking at the rubber hose, engine side, again I think he used radiator hose! So I found the correct hydraulic line, cut it with sawzall and installed it with Vaseline and muscles. The oil line was replaced with some diesel oil hose I have, installed the new Holly pump and man she started right up with a bump of the key. I found the machine was down 3 quarts of gear oil in the turntable pump as well...sheesh I think it only holds a little over 4. So now she is back up and running, I will monitor for leaks but I am pretty sure I have stopped most of them now (at least the major ones) I then topped off the hydraulic fluid, bled the air form the system and pressurized the tank. See I am learning and getting to know this machine! leaky turbo line: where the new hose goes, fluid return to bottom of pump? Now back to work! I plan to change the engine oil again soon and change out 21 gallons of hydraulic fluid, clean the strainer and change the return filter again. Now I will know the correct stuff is in there, after researching here I found CAT T0-4 is the preferred hydraulic fluid for this machine, so I picked up 5 buckets (extra)
new hose in place Turbo leak fixed Coming along! Two more leaks solved I see wetness below the injection valves....going to monitor this
Where the lines hook-up?? Or the banjo bolts?? Either leak is doable.. IF its the top, at the delivery valve holders.. remove the steel lines, loosen the 2 keepers & retighten the holders to 35 FTLBS.. Tighten the keepers, reinstall the lines.. blow off the area w. compressed air & Brake Clean.. & test run it.. IF its the banjo bolts, its just a gasket leaking.. u can either try to snug'm up a little or get new ones.. U dont have to use Yanmar gaskets.. Bosch gaskets are more easily available.. 2 916 710 608, 2 for each bolt..
It appeared to be the lines, the banjo bolts are dry The wetness was there after trying to start (extended cranking) and after doing leak repairs, it is possible it came from the block after I installed the new oil pressure sensor, fuel filter and pump, turbo oil line... I will let you know if it returns. I cleaned the area yesterday and will watch it I am used to replacing and servicing seals on diesel engines! I own and customize 3 ea 7.3 trucks.......the 7.3 has so many seals and O rings there is a spreadsheet I know I have a dipstick seal leak and the oil pan leaks, oil filter slightly, otherwise I have them all under control Thank you for the tips! Looking at pics of TB035 online it appears I am missing a shround that goes around the radiator area? (spearate it from the engine bay slightly or direct air through coolers?) Also I know the intake air is coming from the engine bay when it should be getting fresh cool air. I plan to dig into this more, pun intended
Pics
Out of curiosity what would it take to add hydraulics to this existing manual thumb? Thanks ahead of time My guess is I need a small hydro cylinder of correct size and pressure, the lines to feed it, additional foot pedal and adjust the line pressure? Something along those lines?
First I am going to try this today: Thanks pumpguysc!! Thanks Heymcall also you guys have been awesome! Ordered a new waterpump, I am going to remove and clean the radiator, replace the thermostat and water pump at the same time. Machine is running pretty well once it starts, but tracking around the water temp will reach 230. I am 99% sure the hard starting is a weak/inop injection pump. If I can fix the rest of the leaks and get the water temp down then I can justify the $650-1000 to have the pump rebuilt. Hopefully my thinking is correct and I can revive this Yanmar.... maybe over the winter I will remove it and refresh the engine while the pump and injectors are sent in for rebuild
My TB035 ran stupid hot (sold years ago), and so did my TB53FR. On my TB53FR, I put a smaller water pump pulley on to get the fan speed up. Doesn't heat up anymore, even on 10 hour shifts.
Takeuchi parts avail from dealer only? I see a dealer in Spokane You are awesome thank you!
Looks like the hydraulic lines for accessories / thumb are already ran out to your stick. You need to trace them and figure out what valve they are running to. It would seem odd to me that they would have run the lines out to the stick and not have provided the valve and a means of using these lines. I enjoyed your posts, I fully appreciate all you are doing! I purchased an old Komatsu a year and a half back to replace a John Deere 60G That I really should have kept - but could not justify that nice of a machine sitting more than working after a business change. The Komatsu had the wiring really hacked up, and many things bailing wired together, I have enjoyed going thru it and bringing it back into really nice shape. This is the third excavator I have owned, and it’s the smoothest operating one - maybe because it’s older and a little slower, so it’s easier to be smooth? This site has been invaluable with info!
I am pretty sure the aux lines are controlled by the extra "stick" or foot pedal lever coming out of the floor? Thank you very much! You guys don't know me yet but what I do is get old crap and fix it up to suit my needs. I have been building custom Ford trucks for over 20 years, I also do all sorts of snowmobile, atv, utv, whatever. If it has an engine I like to work on it. I also design elevators for the worlds tallest buildings, that is my day job. I pretty much grew up a boy scout and always wanted to get back into the woods, running a few different business from the house my wife and I always found it hard to get the time to go camping or wheeling, so our goal was to just work from home and eventually live where we camp. Now we are here! We re located from mountains outside of Denver (9000') to way North Idaho in 2018....it took 13 one way trips to get all of the family (9 of us) and stuff re located. Now we have been here almost 18 months and starting to get really serious about fixing this place up. The equipment makes it possible to maintain the road and property, build all the things we are after, and get the kids to school even during long winters with tons of snow. I am sure you know the drill since you are also in Idaho! I have heard good things about the komatsu excavators, I was after one of those when the Takeuchi came up for WAY Cheaper. We went and took a look at the Tak, and when I saw it ran and everything worked I looked right past all the hacks/leaks, the previous owners had done, knowing given the time and knowledge we could whip her back into working condition. It is always nice to know I could sell her for more then I paid, our investment is safe. I plan to keep this machine forever, I have a tendency to do that, I have been daily driving a 1988 Bronco II for like 20 years! Where can I see your Komatsu project? I have learned alot on this forum in the short time here, I look forward to contributing where I can and most importantly keeping this old stuff going for generations to come.......
Moose approved land changes Progress Neighbors helping move slash new cold air intake I cobbled together, previously it was sucking air from on top of the radiator, I managed to get the intake to a more clean cool air friendly location Getting ready to install push button grid heater, I had all of this stuff (aside from the heater) lying around the shop intended for other projects that never happened!!
I thought that foot pedal might be for the auxiliary lines, but I was not sure as your machine also has a side pivot boom-which is often controlled by that foot pedal. My winter project on it this year is under” Komatsu pc75uu2 offset boom to std one piece boom “ Here’s a picture of when I got it December 2017
Mine use foot pedal for boom swing and buttons on joysticks for auxiliary circuit.
yes the side pivot boom is really nice for unloading the trailer or digging the trench! It works great too. I was talking about the stick coming up through the floor with no pedal on it? (next to the side pivot control) Is that the aux control or am I on glue? That is an impressive machine you have there! They always look so cool when they are inside a building I will search out your build thread As I understand it your machine there is quite powerful! Your ex can probably pickup my ex This 33 hp Tak (probably more like 20 hp right now?) can do amazing things I can only imagine what the larger ones can do. i was after a 35-40 hp machine, should be perfect for our homestead back here in the woods. I really like the Tak for the price we paid..I just hope I can restore her to her former glory (rebuild or repower?) I'm still hopeful I can get this thing up to snuff without a major overhaul, pretty much the story of my life.
I did not notice the other rod coming thru the floor, but that is a high probability. Trace the lines n it will become clear! I did not really detail everything I did on that machine-just that boom stuff. And I did so much to it I think it would take a book! I may take the time and add that info to the boom thread, don’t want to sidetrack yours anymore!
@pumpguysc It is the holders or "delivery valve" that are leaking, looks like all 3 of them. I did what you said and removed the keepers and fuel lines, then loosened the valves, finally re torqued them down to 35 ft lbs I cleaned the area and had it dry, fired up the machine and it was quite obvious where the diesel was coming from. Under the holders, there is an O ring in there. Where can I get replacements? I will try to find the part number in my book! I was glad to have this 19mm high clearance socket made for mag wheels, it came in handy for loosening and re torquing the holders.
the nuts are actually 3/4" but this socket worked in a pinch leak came right back: I think these are the O rings, looks like there are a few small parts in there. Does anyone have a diagram of this valve assembly? Thanks
I believe I have a micro fische here for my pump / similar pump I would like to know if part 33 and 32 need to be replaced? Anyone have part numbers for the O ring (33) and the lower seal 32? Is 32 copper? If so I can likely re use
I found this old thread: HeavyEquipmentForums Explains how to use the AUX hydro, basically you move the blank metal rod sticking out of the floor to the left, now you have bypassed the swing boom controls and the foot pedal now controls the aux hydrualics
okay I have fixed the fuel leaks. I took apart all 3 valve holders, cleaned and re o ringed them with new harbor freight O rings!! No more leaks. Each valve holder has a small plunger a spring and a tiny copper washer that go inside. I carefully removed each one, working from left to right. Making sure to have a rag in place to catch any parts that fall. remove the left one first then you can get a wrench on the middle and then right. with all 3 removed I cleaned all parts with carb cleaner, let dry. re install the plunger and spring using vaseline to hold them inside the valve holder, same with the small copper washer. I hit the copper washers with a propane torch to re anneal them. Then install with a film of vaseline so they stay put while you thread them back in place. Clean all mating surfaces, found the correct O ring in my Harbor freight 400 O ring set, install with vaseline and carefully torque to 35 ft lbs. NO MORE fuel/air LEAKS at the injector pump! Machine seems more responsive to the throttle lever now and seemed to have a bit more power. We are down to one small oil leak after solving 3 major leaks, only one small one left!! plunger, spring and washer held in place with vaseline New problem, the right hand track started sticking Meaning it would go forward and back, then stopped going either direction. Hold the lever to one direction (forward) I can hear fluid and valve sounds but track does not move. Let it cool off and it started working again, forward and reverse....then a few minutes later stuck again. No rocks or debris I can see. Now learning about final drive motors....fun fun! Any advice is welcomed..........the right hand side track has always been slightly slower/weaker then the left. I need this thing running again! EMERGENCY!!! You see it is now ATV season here and all 3 kids are riding their ATV all day long....for me this means a full day of stopping starting, maintaining, fueling, moving, flipping over, re starting, fueling, pushing, yelling, waving, whistling, trying not to get run over, etc as I try to keep the kids safe and happy riding. However they are getting a bit older (11, 10 and 7) and their riding is improving (3rd-4th season on ATV) and they really want me to build a big table top obstacle/jump in the back yard. As you can see I NEED the excavator running again!! Memorial day weekend kid ATV fest. I was not expecting to be a ATV mechanic just yet but the wife found a 2010 Polaris Outlaw 90cc at a yard sale for $350 (no start, 1500 machine!! I build/collect kids atv so....)!!! I had it running in 10 minutes with fresh fuel, did oil change, etc. This had me digging out the two other kids quads (two 1980's Suzuki LT80's I rebuilt, both machines ground up) and getting them running too. At the end of the day I finally had time to fix fuel leaks and then finally got some seat time in the Takeuchi only to have the right track start to give fits. Now I need to build them part of a race track and no excavator!! This is an emergency if this forum has ever seen one this would be it! 3 kids + ATV = need to build a jump! Please don't make me pick up a shovel again I have a mini ex! All kidding aside, I'm going to check final drive gear lubes today and check idler wheels and track tension. Last I looked all idlers spinning freely and track tension seemed ok LOL
messing around with the Tak the drive motor appears to be fine, it's the idler wheels that need attention and like yesterday two wont turn, one feels like it is about to fall apart Looks like I will be fixing/replacing/servicing all 8? idler wheels and the two top post idlers? Not even sure what they are all called but all the rollers need bearings I will service the gear lube in the final drives while she is down top posts = carrier rollers idler wheels = track roller found in parts manual
okay taking the tracks off both sides. I ordered 8 replacement bottom rollers and two replacement top rollers All of the rollers on this machine are questionable, two of them are in pieces when I pulled them out, only one even turns smoothly. Also one track is on backwards and the tensioner was totally loose, track was loose Next time I have to shop for tracked vehicles I know what to look for!! Lucky for me all of the bolts have come out easily with my electric impact (dewalt 20V 1350 ft lbs break away force) and both track tensioners appear to be working just fine. Now we wait for parts, I found bottom rollers brand new for $96 each (x8) and top rollers $130 each...shipping hurts on these parts but still just over $1140 not terrible considering it will all be new when Im done Now to try and pry the track off so I can 1) remove all the rollers (pry bars) and 2) turn one track around 3) service the final drives fluid
Tracks are off, rollers are off, not bad for a few hours and one 46 year old dude. I have cleaned all of the dirt out and sprayed some lube on all moving parts. Next I will rotate the final drive motors until the drains are at 6 o clock so I can service them. Now I wait for parts......in the meantime I can install the grid heater and turn one track around One of the top rollers, the mount is bent pretty good...I need to figure out how to bend it back, usually = torch and large pry bars See anything odd? one track loose one track tight This track is backwards final drives could use new gears, will have to wait for more $$$ Bent idler mount SOB!
She is back up and running! 8 new rollers installed 2 new idler wheels installed Had to use a pry bar under the old upper roller to get the bracket straight again. It actually bent back without much effort (long enough pry bar) With two dudes it was pretty easy to put the tracks back on, used a floor jack, 2x6 for leverage, and two pry bars, one of them is 5' long Pumped in about 2.5 tubes of grease and we are at the proper deflection on both sides! The drive motors were drained of lube, one side was bone dry. I filled both sides with diesel fuel and rotated them several times. Drained the black fuel. Loaded them up with ATF and let it soak, then rotate, let it soak, repeat. Drained the atf out, repeated this process again, and finally filled both sides with 85W-140 gear lube. She rolls like a new machine! No more struggling to move around. The sticks are super responsive now, I am confident this was my overheating issue..... I bet she runs cooler now when tracking around. A little over $1000 invested and she has a like new undercarriage. I found the main rollers online for $96 ea, the top idlers were $125 for both HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY to have the mini ex back, the projects for her start stacking up (literally) you don't know what you are missing out on until she is down!
You might double check the manual for the recommended gear lube. I used the 85-140 oil in mine and mentioned it on a post and was told it was the incorrect oil for the final drives. I researched my manual and found that the 85-140 was NOT correct for mine. The recommended oil was much lighter. Something about the way the gears move in them the heavy oil does not lube correctly I guess.
hold the phones the track on the pass (right) side is not holding tension? Dang..... have to lookup how the tensioner works, it was holding before the roller swap?? I loosened the zerk/nut one turn max as per the manual (360 degrees) to remove tension, the fitting is plenty tight now. I will try and go see if grease is being pushed back out of a seal or something?
When the tensioner rod is exposed for long times it pits through the chrome When the tensioner is retracted that pitted surface can damage the seal
Thank you, pretty sure its fixed/holding now I removed the grease zerk fastener completely, cleaned it up and the mounting area/threads. Re installed, new grease and it seems to be fine SO FAR! Now she rolls around without much effort and I do not expect to see much overheating anymore will report back! it is nice to have all new rollers with proper track tension The final drive motors are also holding their 85-140w gear lube...soon to be swapped out for 90W
Well the track is holding tension! The machine is rolling around very well and working smoothly! She still gets hot, yesterday it was 80 outside and the water temp climbs to 230 pretty quickly when tracking around....for just digging it runs around 190-210. It is only when I push her a little, doing some backfilling, back dragging, pushing debris with the blade that the temp rises. So I am going to go forward with the new waterpump and thermostat installation, I will also clean/flush the radiator while I am in there. Plan to blow out the oil cooler as well, as much as possible. I have been trying to get ahold of a Takeuchi dealer to sell me a smaller waterpump pulley (it will spin faster) but so far no response = SUCKS!! Tak is working quite well!! I love this machine
Didn't I post the dimensions and part number of two pulleys somewhere in here. What part number is your pulley? Your Takeuchi dealer is like McDonald's, if it ain't on the menu, they have no clue. I got the dimensions from a Yanmar Engine dealer's tech dept. Continental, IIRC. As for water pump, your wasting your time, unless the bearings or seal is out.
Yes thank you sir! I have the part numbers I found them by searching your old threads. When I contact the Takeuchi dealers nearest me I sent the part number (I know better, I maintain fleets of vehicles and do all the parts ordering, etc) Next I will try online dealers who are more interested in making a sale. I was hoping to get familiar with my closest dealer with this transaction...no luck yet. Spokane washington is closest dealer FYI
It's not about turning the water pump faster. It's about turning the fan faster. Again, what part number is your pulley? Outside diameter of your pulley?
ah ha! I will check number and diameter when I take it apart. So far I have only written down the two part numbers from Tak (thanks to your thread) and asked dealer about availability of the smaller one. I do have a new waterpump sitting here already.
Just pulled your parts manual. You have 96mm pulley (129556-42530) My TB53FR had 110mm pulley (129403-42380) I switched my 110, on my TB53FR, down to your 96. No wonder they can't help. Do they make one smaller? I has no idea.
As for your overheating issue, have you drained the coolant and cleaned the cooling system out/refilled with fresh coolant yet? I have a little yard truck (96 Mazda B4000) I recently had overheating issues with and thats all it was...the coolant was who knows how old and very gunky looking. Cleaned it all out, ran it with water/radiator cleaner for a bit, drained and cleaned it out as best I could...new fluid and its good to go.
Where is the strainer located for the hydraulic tank? I have a new hydraulic oil filter for mine but am unaware of where the strainer is located? I'd like to get mine cleaned out as well.
Strainer
They cant help because they do not answer their email system or voicemail, all I did was ask availability of this part number (the 96mm pulley) Thanks to you I now Know it won't do me any good since I already have teh smaller pulley I will do a flush and fill on the cooling system see if it helps, if not then I will remove the cooling system, install new waterpump and thermostat, clean the radiator fins and tank...see where we are at. I do know I could run an AUX E fan on this unit, I have plenty of alternator voltage to do so. Thanks guys! Seriously thanks for the help! The Tak has become my favorite new hobby both using it and working on it
Just something to check on regarding your failed fuel pump. Is your machine 12 VDC or 24 VDC? My TB175 is 24 Volt. Running a 12 Volt pump on 24 volt will fry them fairly quickly. When I got mine last year the electrical was all screwed up. I have reworked several of the safety circuits and bypassed others, as always learning something new. If I can help let me know as we are probably close to each other.
That's funny. My 4 TB180FR are all 12 volt, and, according to the TB175 parts manuals, they are 12 volt, too.
Just checked the operators manual for the TB175, it is 24VDC
See, you (I) learn something new every day. Some TB175 are 24 volt.
Don't feel bad, That is what I like with these forums we all learn something and at the same time help each other out. I have learned a lot just reading these.
interesting! I am 99.9% sure this is a 12V system, my machine has been hacked together before I even got it. The factory ignition switch was just sitting there under the console not even hooked up anymore, they grabbed two wires and ran them directly to and from the starter, the fuel pump feed is stock(ish) though and it comes from a 12V fuse. The first thing I did was re do all their shotty wiring and insulate, route, and re wire it properly. I will put my multi meter on it to be sure, but I did test the power going in and out of the stock fuse panel when I re wired it... I think Im good! this tak will have a push button grid heater (cold start) which is also 12V and I am wiring that from scratch, the ignition switch and fuel pump circuits are already done. Some safeties have been bypassed like the left arm console does not move, no safety there, and the fuel cut off is now a manual cable. Shes old, but she runs great and shes all mine!! Keep the ideas coming, I really appreciate any and all advice...two heads are better than one.
Hey neighbor!! I'm north of Ponderay ..........Athol is not far I drive through there all the time
I just sent you a PM " I think" with my contact info. If you don't get it let me know.
Okay finally got some time to work on the Takeuchi! She has been running pretty well, when cold it can take a bit to get her started, but she stars way easier then before. I plan to add a new grid heater system before the snow falls, that should help with the cold starts. I have fixed almost all of the leaks, she was still leaking a little oil. I thought it was coming from the dipstick tube, I have been monitoring it. Well it opened up and the leak got worse...so looking deeper into it, I think I found it. The oil feed line to the turbo developed a crack. So I went to remove it and bring it into the shop, I was hoping I could braze it shut. Nope. the banjo bolt at the injection pump SNAPPED off clean! as soon as I went to move it. So I spent the entire day on this issue yesterday. First off nobody in town has a 8mm x 1.25 banjo bolt, and even if they did it would not be the "restrict or type" we have here (tiny feed hole) After looking online I cannot find a banjo bolt that looks like this Yanmar one. So I made it myself. drilled out a 8mm bolt...grabbed my trusty dusty harbor freight copper washer assortment and got it fixed. 3 attempts to braze the hole shut in the line failed, First with plumbing solder...nope wont stick. Then with "alumaweld" ALMOST sealed it up.... it held pressure just enough to pass the bucket of water and air hose test...but once installed on the machine...first a small drip of oil followed by a river. So the line came back off. I ended up cutting out the bad section, flaring both ends and using gates fuel line and clamps...its holding just fine now. Phew leak fixed! back to work small leak turned into a river of oil very quickly so I was finally able to find this leak! Split/crack: Broken banjo, lucky for me the broken bit came right out with an easy out built my own: Alumaweld repair, I thought I had it Had the line on and off the machine like 4 times yesterday! PITA! First attempt with fuel line repair did not work...whoops I think my flare was too sharp and cut this hose, so I re did the flare Checked her over, good news the final drives in the tracks are holding their gear lube jut fine. No other real leaks anymore, a tiny bit of hydro fluid leaks from under the pump, otherwise I think I have it beaten! I also took this opportunity to do the coolant flush and fill, I cleaned out the radiator and oil cooler with air and water. I noticed the cooling fan has seen better days. I plan to replace it AND add a small e fan so when the temps climb I can bring them back down. So far after the flush and fill, a NEW air filter, and cleaning the cooling stack she runs right at 190.....nice! It used to climb to 220...then 230 and I shut it down. So far yesterday she stayed at 190.....but its only 75 out so it doesn't count. Oh yeah and in town a couple of weeks ago I was shopping at the local outfitter store and I commented on the pry bars the people in front of me were holding. There was an issue with the register so while we waited I was making small talk with the nice people in front of me...the convo about the pry bars quickly turned to their uses when installing tracks on a excavator, that lead to us talking about putting tracks on our Takeuchi machines?? Turned out it was Rbrown225 from the forum!! What a small world eh? that was cool to run into him totally random in town..... Anyone have a part number for the engine driven fan? in the book it just calls out the entire engine, no pat numbers for just the fan..
Regular brass/bronze brazing rod would have likely fixed the line. It looks like that might be how the line was originally made.
I agree I did not have that stuff, I am not great at brazing rods, I can sweat pipes and solder wires...still new to brazing I should have gone over to my Dad's he used to make jewelry......... but an already all day event would have turned into even bigger deal..... Thanks for the tip! I was wondering what that brass colored stuff was called
YUP.. Brazing rod.. I had a customer afew weeks ago that sent me a broken injector line.. It was split at the "pipe".. from over tightening. I heated the line w/an oxy torch & slipped off the ferrule.. cut off a small section of split line & used a brazing rod to re-attach the ferrule.. only took me 3 tries to re-attach it to where it wouldn't leak.. Lol I sent it back w/ no warranty.. he said it sealed up like a clam shell. NO more leaks.. Theres def. an art to it tho..
I know u like to "make things" 4-10, but all those pump parts coulda been had thru a fuel shop.. Just say'n.. I DO LIKE your handy-work tho.. I'm work'n w/ a fella right now that needs springs for his BobCat inj. pump.. Bobcat told.m 30.00 apiece & NO delivery date.. but atleast 2-3 weeks.. He gave me his pump #.. I looked up the parts in my "secret book" & can get'm tomorrow for 10.00 each..
What model is that machine ? I can email you the manuals if you like so you have them .
1998 TB035 I have the "owners manual" and "service index" books, but maybe there are better ones. My book just shows the yanmar 3 cyl as part number 35 "engine" no break down of engine parts I would like part numbers for the engine cooling fan and this oil feed line. As you guys may have guessed the rubber fuel line repair did not last. It leaked, so I double clamped it, then that leaked so I went shopping for flared fittings. This line is basically 5/16" brake line, which I was able to find in town. Then I found some Ford trans cooler lines lying around that the 5/16" fits inside of perfectly, so I made some sleeves and welded it all together. Now as I am sure some of you who have been down this road before know it can be very tricky to weld up hydraulic lines (which is why they braze it together from factory) Each time you lay down a bead or a tack, there is a spot when the bead starts and stops where pinhole leaks develop. So you put another tack on top of that, moving the leak. The fix is to use more heat...get the base metal hot enough so the welder is just moving the pool around but WITHOUT blowing through the material.....its a fine line. So after 3 weld attempts yesterday I have two small pinholes to still deal with....so today I go back grinding and welding until I get this sealed up. I am the shop, nobody in town was interested in fixing this thing, I do not know of a "fuel shop" anywhere within 100 miles?? I can piece together the fittings and use clamps and flares and soft lines, or I can plumb it with brake line bits, or I can just finish fixing this line myself. Just need to be a better welder, more practice. I am pretty good and today will be getting better...lots of research last night. I am thinking of a way to put the whole line under vacuum, thus drawing the weld into the pinholes?? or just braze the pinhole leaks at this point? I'm using my trusty Hobart 220V mig with co2/argon and its working fine on the lowest setting, I just need to put more heat into the weld so the base metal pools.... I have oxy/acc torch, I also have small 120V mig but no gas... I am getting really good at R&R this line....I think it has been on and off about 10 times now...the machine is about 200 yards from the shop too...Good exercise!! Thanks for the advice thus far! If I can find this part from yanmar I would expect it to be $180-250 and take weeks to get..... I do need a new engine cooling fan though, without having to remove the existing one first to compare parts with online pictures. You guys rock!
Parts manual https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...FjAAegQIBBAC&usg=AOvVaw2h-O1ZCF9jXnq8XakXKVNQ Pipe assy, lube oil...129139-39030 Fan, Cooling.............121520-44740
SWEET!!!! Now that you posted that I found the pages in my book? Not sure how I missed the first time?? I filled out a parts request online for Takeuchi parts dealer...lets see what they say THANK YOU!
I tried them in my Anderson Equipment parts portal. Apparently, they've never sold them (not in price book). May I (and your wallet) suggest that you price them through a Yanmar engine dealer. My TB53FR radiator was significantly less expensive through a Yanmar engine dealer. Basically, if it's in the engine section of the book, it can be had via a Yanmar engine dealer.
Well, my Takeuchi dealer say $35.69 for the cooling fan. (Yes, $36). But, that pipe number has to be searched deeper.
$36 I would order one now!! For engine parts I will try Yanmar dealer, I like to shop around and save $$$ for sure. Good news! I ground down yesterday's final welds and the result is two tiny tiny leaks. Easy to identify and fix...so I think I have the oil line licked! I was using more heat in my welds and it appears to have worked. I did not persue the brazing repair very hard because I have learned with a stress or fatigue fracture like this it will return....sleeve and replace the bad section is a more permanent repair. Also the work I did to the cooling system and replacing the air filter, the water temp has not risen above 190-195. It will take a hot day to find out for sure, but the so far cooling issue may have been helped. I suspect it was the air filter mostly as the cooling system parts were not very dirty and the coolant mixture was good. A new fan would really help out as this one is missing at least half of one blade and the other blades have lots of missing material on the edges, it slammed into the shroud or something at some point. You guys are awesome! Thank you....now I can finish loading the last two trailers of debris and this section of land will be ready for the box grader. We do it like this, Case 350 dozer goes in and clears the brush...lays over all the larger trees we want down (under 10"), moves the bulk of the dirt around, then the Tak comes around and piles up the mess, does a little back filling and grading. Stacks up the debris and brush. The dozer is hooked to a military trailer to haul the brush over to our brush dump (embankment). The Tak is used to fill the trailers, but we use an old 33" tire and tow strap to empty the trailer loads onto the ground. The finally the John Deer compact tractor (1984 650) comes with the bucket and box scraper to level and do the final smoothing. We have rakes and spreaders for our atv, so the girls drive around picking up the final sticks and spreading the Pacific Northwest ground cover (clover, grass mix) So far the results are awesome! We have about 3 acres looking like a park, 3 more acres in the debris cleanup stage, and 3 more cleared of brush...pretty soon we will have increased the size of our usable land by at least 9 acres....in one short summer!! Machines are awesome.....worth every $$$$$
The problem with welding it, is it might crack in the heat affected zone beside the weld. There's a reason it wasn't welded from the factory. Tig welding maybe but that requires some precision welding that comes with experience. Brazing was the best method of repair.
Thats great! Post some pictures, its motivating to see progress like that. I'm hoping to do similar work to our property in the coming years. Im jealous of all the work you've done on your machine! I have a similar machine in similar condition and havent had any time to work on it...its been sitting for months. Im hoping this coming weekend to fix two small leaks and at least do a temporary fix I figured out to get the machine moving again.
Needed to put a "Y" in front of part number to get Yanmar part price from Takeuchi. Y129139-39030 is $66.29 @ my Takeuchi dealer.
I am not so sure about that. While I see your point, I will disagree The crack in the pipe is from fatigue, engine vibrations and time. If it was to be brazed the brazing material would only last a while before the crack re appears. The welding with sleeves is more permanent, this tube is pretty thick walled and when welding the base metal heated up and accepted the weld very well. The reason it was brazed together from the factory is they were pipe fitting, they were brazing over connections where the tube was inserted into the fitting, the braze acts like a glue and sealer, not a patch. I do not think patching the crack with a brazing material would last very long, it may seal up but in time its going to crack again. I have not had a tube break next to a weld, I know the metal gets weaker around the weld, but this metal is pretty strong and thick, granted I have not welded together Oil feed lines before like this, but I have done many EGR tubes (exhaust gasses) and a few AC lines and power steering lines....the welds are still holding there even under lots of PSI (high side on ac system over 200 psi!) I am confident the welding was the way to go And that is after reading for hours about people who have gone down this same road before me... I came to the same conclusion they did. Plus my dumb ass had already cut the tube and flared it!!! Convinced the brazing would not last I was after a better connection like a flare with fittings or sleeve with welding. Thanks for all the tips and advice, I love discussing projects on the discussion forums, for sure!! Two heads are ALWAYS better than one. I will get some pictures of our progress! I really need a dump trailer......please send $$$$!
Pics coming! Thank you!!! This has been many years in the making the ability to have machines like this and the ability to have the time to use them. I have made many sacrifices to live this way... like I have been driving the same truck for 25 years (no payments) and work 2 jobs all the time (work weekends!) Like you I enjoy fixing things up, which is good because it makes these machines affordable. I buy them cheap needing work and then fix them up to suit my needs, it is nice to know I could sell the Tak for way more then I bought it for....but then I would NEVER sell my TAK! I love this machine very much. Japanese sure know how to build stuff.... and it suits our needs back here perfectly. You have to make the time! start a thread and get that sucker moving! It is very satifying to start with something that can barely make the trip home and turn it into something that can last for generations ON THE CHEAP!! Knowledge is power, any monkey can turn a wrench, its the forums and information I get from you guys that make repairs and upgrades possible! And for that I am thankful. So I spend alot of time on the forums also helping others, to give some back. You can find me on lots of Ranger/Explorer/Powerstroke/ATV forums doing my thing for many many years... (410customs, 410Fortune)
Many people have successfully brazed hydraulic lines that hold thousands of pounds of pressure.
Thank you Welder Dave, as I stated before I am a pretty good welder (many years of fabrication and tinkering under my belt) but I am no professional or expert by any means...As I am sure you can clearly see by me trying to use tin solder and alumaweld on a steel line! I am still learning about what metals can be welded together and cannot..Just when you think you have it sorted out, the world throws a new challenge your direction. After reading about brazing, welding, soldering I find I still do not know much! But I am here to learn and access to the info I do need is at my fingertips. A properly done braze can be stronger then the metal around it! KEy word being "proper". Base metal is to be heated to about 900 first and the brass braze melts around 840, of course prep is everything. Brazing occurs at a higher temp then solder but at a lower temp then welding. Brazing can be used to join dissimilar metals too....interesting! Can joint steel to cast........ That would sure be handy..... Now back to fixing up the Tak and getting some land pictures..... Electric cooling fan came in, just a cheapo 8" fan that is made to work good as a puller...since it will be mounted on the back side of the cooling stack The oil feed line is back off the machine for the final weld (I hope) The line was barely seeping a little oil yesterday so I left it on the machine while I finished loading the last pile of debris then drove the Tak much closer to the shop. The machine leaks less oil and hyd fluid now then it ever has in my care, shes leaving just a few drops in the soil, before it would be more like a half cup....when I first brought her home she would leave puddles of oil and hyd fluid. I have "fixed" (or patched together LOL) about 5 smaller leaks and two major ones. Not including the air the pump was sucking in the injector lines through old O rings. This was the single biggest improvement I have made, pump O rings. I suspect this cracked line had been leaking for some time. I kept thinking I had excessive blow by and it was pushing oil out of the dipstick tube. I am curious to know if my turbo is building any boost, without plumbing in a boost gauge how do I know? I already checked the cold side impeller and it spins just fine and smoothly, but this is obviously the stock turbo and has many years and hours on it. I love rebuilding turbo's, this one is TINY!!
Lack of boost, in addition to low power, always results in excess black smoke, both during throttle up, and full load. I'm sure that there is a boost spec out there somewhere.
That "little guy" probably puts out 5-8 psi.?? but like u McCall, I would think theres a spec somewhere in all those books...
17psi wastegate? From here (TNV manual) https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...FjAEegQIBxAB&usg=AOvVaw2mw3HxSYQpCdhmWrLoalwj
17psi wastegate actuator cool So when we achieve 17psi the waste gate opens fully? So this baby must make like 20 psi I do have a manual Bosch boost gauge I can plumb in temporary, maybe a good excuse to get a better boost gauge for my truck This machine does not smoke much at all, a little grey at first cold start, but no black smoke that I am aware of, once started it runs smoothly and has good power.
Im back! Tak is running very well, however the right side track (passenger) is not holding tension. Plenty of grease up in there, so it looks like the seal/O ring is bad My question is how do I get the tensioner assembly out for repair? Remove the track and with the machine in the air does it come out through the bottom? Or out through the end where the idler wheel is? Is it bolted in or just floating on a frame? I have parts manual, I see diagram of the parts in question but nothing about how to remove it from the machine. Thanks fellas!!
Remove track ,remove idler wheel with spring .Remove grease jack assemble .Disassemble grease jack and reseal .Jack is floating in frame behind spring assembly .I can email you the service manual .What is your email ?
awesome thank you, so it is just that "easy" will do and report back.....
If you would like some manuals shoot me your email address.
PM sent! Thank you!
My track tension problem was caused by the angle iron track that the tensioner rides in between had came loose. Had to re weld it.
Thanks for posting that. I'll check mine for cracks.
Thanks! I will check the angle iron when I have it apart... should be able to get to it this week! Just bought a old farm dump trailer to haul around behind the compact tractor, this will make my life so much easier.
Picked up a cheap dump trailer off craigslist. Turns out is was a 1936 Ford dump truck at some point in its life, they hacked the whole truck apart with a torch and built this PTO dump trailer from it. Went through the whole PTO system, changed fluids, etc. Working awesome now! Proud owner of another Ford!!! This thing will help us so much around here! Up to this point in my life (47 years) every trailer of material I have ever hauled (alot) I have unloaded by hand.........NOT ANYMORE!!!!!!!!!!! Been looking for a good dump trailer to use around here for about a year now...not wanting to spend $3500+ this sucker is perfect! Also perfect size for our fleet of "mini heavy machines" They used the front axle under the trailer, part of the original frame to make the trailer and then mounted the whole dump box and undermount PTO hoist. Been dumping since 1936 and it's a Ford! I'm in love. 1936 hubcaps!!! Took a bit to figre out how to make it dump... now we have it working from the drivers seat of the John Deer.....awesome!! 17 HP John deere has no issue moving this thing around or dumping the box. WIN WIN So new we have a dumper..........back to the Tak track is off, tensioner removed....tooo easy! (had 3 dudes here yesterday recruited their help) Anyways I found the sealing O ring is FUBAR and the grease seal (looks like a wheel seal) was in good shape but was pinched at some point. There is some pitting on the piston and the and cylinder, but nothing that would cause a huge loss of grease. I cleaned up the shaft with some scotchbrite and PB blaster, found I have an O ring that fits and re used the grease seal. Put the whole she bang back together and it wont take grease? The grease valve itself is giving me fits... So now I am cleaning out the grease valve (zerk) assembly....let it soak in de greaser overnight and clean out the check ball... original seals: found a match in stock! I re used the grease seal as it appears to be in good shape aside from being pinched on the outside edge, I simply used RTV to seat it. Hoping to fix the zerk and have track tension today!!
Some pitting?
I think that could chew itself and the bore up even worse.
That piston is $285, and, absolutely, needs replaced.
Thanks fellas time and money
Of course it needs to be replaced, its all 1998 in there!!!!!!!!!!!!!....... I wish I had the money to replace every part but I don't The pitting you can feel with your fingernail starts a little down past the shiny section. It looks worse then it feels. I imagine this thing could be machined down a bit and a smaller seal and O ring could be used? Probably easier just to buy two new pistons..... FYI I have been told finding those seals and O rings is next to impossible? Need to try a Tak parts dealer. This sucker will have to hold up for a while, I have other projects that need the $$$$ right now. The track is still holding tension after sitting all day, before it would hold for about 30 seconds. Today I am draining the track final drives again, going to flush and fill them one more time....when I got the machine they were DRY and full of black goo when I did fill them........... I did also order a replacement cooling fan, the 7 blade version for a 3 cyl yanmar.... that should help with cooling, my fan looks like it went to war and came home wounded
Tak was running awesome! Dug out a huge Birch stump that was in the way of progress when I hear hissing and spot droplets of hydraulic fluid coming up through the right hand joystick console.. Tip the cab to reveal a split hose. Some of the hoses in this thing are obviously still 98, and somebody has been through this undercarriage enough times to where hose routing is questionable. I would LOVE to take this thing all apart, clean it all out, replace all the worn hoses and O rings....remove about 50 tons of mud/grease/ crud....but that will have to wait. For now we just replace each suspect hose one at a time to get us through the summer...... Took a bit of doing but we got the split hose out and Im off to town to try and get a new one, otherwise have to wait till Monday to have one made Now I also spotted slight leaks coming through the joystick controls. Spent yesterday evening researching how to rebuild Takeuchi pilot valves....looks to be a Kawasaki PV48 style valve. I plan to order new O rings and seals for both sides, about $40...
hose was replaced next day, leaked fluid was cleaned up, hydraulic fluid topped off and Takeuchi was back to work! The track tension is still holding 100% I also drained and filled both final drives again, I flush them a few times a season. My neighbor watches us move dirt around the property, he keeps telling me I should have bought a backhoe. I keep telling him he will never convince me of that because I love this track hoe! I can ALWAYS still get a backhoe to add to the fleet but the Japanese Tak has stolen the show
All right some more maintenance on the Tak Yesterday I replaced the O ring and seal on the left side track adjuster. This time I used the factory seals instead of re using the one I had plus harbor freight O rings Right now tracks are both tensioned and holding! I also installed new Yanmar plastic cooling fan, the one that came with the machine had seen better days. Also cleaned the oil cooler and radiator, blew out all of the fins, etc That was a huge PITA job with a steep learning curve, I was happy to find the pass side access panel behind the fuel tank, this allows access to radiator bolts on the front side.. The Tak was getting quick to reach 230 degrees water temp if I was doing anything buy just digging. I found the oil cooler screen was partially plugged with some cottonwood and the cooling fan was missing half of its blades. I expect much better cooling now........ Next installed 2 new Ebay shifter boots. The ones I picked online worked out perfectly!! The factory boots were ripped to sh*# and were allowing water in and hydraulic fluid out....... Hydraulic and engine oil leaks slowed to a minimum now.......very happy with that. We go months without needed to add hyd fluid, the engine oil leak is minor and no longer needs topping off Two of the return lines in the hydro system were the source of the main leaks, I replaced those and double clamped The engine oil dipstick was the source of the main engine oil leak, I mvgyvered a homebrew seal and it has slowed to a trickle Cold starting can still be a PITA... I have a new grid heater, relay and switch here that will get installed this fall Otherwise the Tak is AWESOME Worlds greatest shovel I will get some pics of our projects, we have built a dirt ledge, we have excavated the pond/swimming hole and now excavated 3 ditches for building footers, adding a 2 story addition to our house........
Some pics Dipstick was leaking, used small piece of rubber hose to make a lip seal Really really stopped the main crankcase oil leak new Yanmar cooling fan Ebay joystick boots worked out perfectly! Filled old growth cedar stump with dirt and planted apple tree inside, this way the deer and moose cannot reach the young fruit tree
$15000 usd for this machine seems too much? For $15k, you should have gotten a machine in good order around 2500 hrs. Is this grey market?
I don't know from this machine, but you don't get much at all for $15K these days in anything.
your kidding right? Its not like I just woke up one morning and went to buy an excavator....I shopped for almost a year before I landed this machine. I paid $14000 for it, and it was indeed in working condition...I mean it started and we drove it on and off the trailer. No it is not black market this is a USA machine built by Takeuchi which is Japanese I have found two others in my price range since I bought this one, both also needing work, neither of them built by Japan. The Tak is one of my favorite machines, it gets more use then my John deer tractor or my bulldozer...simply because many of my projects involve digging...... 3 cyl Yanmar turbo diesel! PLus the engine had recently been "rebuilt" on this sucker...and it runs fantastic! I am a mechanic so everything I buy I buy cheap and needing work, I could sell my Tak for about $16-18000 now and upgrade I challenge you to find me a 20-30 hp mini excavator for under $15000 CASH, no extra dealer fees, no setup costs, private market...... in the Pacific Northwest..... go ahead, I will wait. Even black market would be fine with me, I'm not scared I can find parts for those too $1500 you might be able to buy a bucket......but no machine attached.
Maybe your market is starved for supply. You said it needed work and the odometer didn't work. What a new bucket is worth is a red herring. And now that you fixed it you estimate 16-18k?
Not sure why you're pursuing this, if there's lots of good cheap mini exes out there, post up some ads. I buy grey market from Japan now and then, or used to. The exchange rate is still decent.
You routinely buy excavators directly from Japan? Are you in the business of selling excavators? You can't go by the ads because people ask double what they end up getting.
I have to ask why you're being so negative and confrontational? As I said, "now and then, or used to" I did and I was, but not lately. I'm just curious what axe you're grinding, that's all.
I'm looking to buy one so I want them to be cheap.
Oh! Got it, thanks.
Its cool I don't mind this conversation at all, this is a discussionb forum and this thread has been dead since I have just been using the Tak this summer, no real major repairs except for the one hydraulic hose that blew and some new seals and boots on the joystick controllers. If I could find this machine for $1500 I would be rich, because I could bring them home, put about $2K into them and re sale for big profit!! If you guys are like me you are always looking at heavy equipment for sale in the area, just in case this happens....and it does. Sometimes you can get a steal of a deal!! We are looking at a 10,000$ road grader right now, 4x4, from the 70's with a 12' snow blade in full working condition with chains I said my Tak might be worth $16-18K to somebody else, it could easily be worth more IF it had working factory gauges...you see I bastardized this machine, because I do not plan to sell it. Instead of trying to get my hands on a takeuchi instrument cluster and making it work (I found one for $400 used, but passed) I just added some aftermarket gauges to show me I have oil pressure and watch the coolant temp. I als put the grid heater and cooling fan on my own switches...next I will be adding LED lights so I can work in the dark a little. Also I plan to build a couple of buckets, one small one for trenching water lines and a large one for cleanup/clearing snow...... If I was to "restore" this machine I am sure I could get $20K for her.....but that is not my goal, she is very useful. To get a 30 HP mini excavator up here in North Idaho from Seattle to Bozeman as far south as Boise, this was the best deal I could find in months and months of looking. I am super glad I did get this machine, I will always pick Japanese over Chinese equipment.....I am super impressed with the Takeuchi brand! I am not sure how many hours are on this rig, the hour meter stopped working long before I acquired her.....but who cares? She runs, she digs and she is awesome for a track hoe, 3 cylinder with a turbo!! I have fixed most of the issues she has, left with a couple of small leaks, but as long as I keep on top of the fluids, filters and track tension....she is ready to rock and roll.
some good deals around $20K, not much to be had around $12-14 https://spokane.craigslist.org/search/sss?query=excavator
this for the win! https://spokane.craigslist.org/hvo/d/eastport-1989-case-1280-excavator-25-ton/7217232446.html I like my CASE machines, they are TOUGH as nails
I'm back! Spring is here First up sometime in early Feb 2021 we had some warm weather, it was like 55 degrees for 3 days straight and the snow began to melt. The water started to run a little early this year (like 2 months!) and the flow was threatening to take out our road..... so the Tak had to come out of winter storage and do some emergency road repairs (ditch clearing) It saved the day! I was able to keep the water in the drainage ditches and stop it from cutting our road in half. Takeuchi saved our butts. Now spring has sprung so I brought the tak around to the shop and gave it a full once over, checked all fluids, track tension, cleaned and lubed the machine. Then I started to pick up right where we left off last fall....moving some dirt! then it happened............ the left hand track stopped responding. Dang! I lost a final drive. It is locked up solid. The Tak is dead in the water, sitting in field. I now have the track off, we took the cover off the backside of the drive motor housing only to find it packed with sand/mud/clay WHOOPS! I had no idea that cavity would fill up so badly. So now part of the yearly maintenance will be to clean out the frame/drive motor spaces. Anyways I was able to remove 3 of the 4 hydraulic lines without issue, the 4th one is rusted badly and is rounding off. So I am planning to replace or repair that hose. Next step is to take my bolt buster (heat induction tool) and generator over to the disabled Tak and see about removing the bolts that retain the drive motor. It looks like I will be ordering a new final drive on Monday. I can get them for $1800 and change shipped, two for $3600..... I am also planning to replace the drive sockets, I figure now is the time. So my question is, is it best to replace both final drives at the same time or does it really matter? The other side is still working fine ....for now Im hoping if I spend $3600+ these new motors will last as long as the originals (1998 to 2021!)
Replace them both because you have hours on them. And you don't need to get stuck when you need it the most.
smart thinking!! So last year I replaced all of the hydraulic fluid and the filters The fluid coming out looks perfectly new and clean I have heard when a drive goes it can contaminate the fluid Is this something I should be worried about? I guess it depends on if the failure was on the hydraulic side or the gear side of things, right? Once I get it out we can open it up and have a look see
both final drive motors replaced with rebuilds from findtractorparts.com these guys were great, they were about $500 cheaper then the competition for two drives delivered to my door in days. This tak has been abused no more! Looks like she spent time as a river rock in her past life, I do not think they ever cleaned out the under belly, instead they left that job for me. Made this way more difficult then it should have been. We had one bolt round off and I had to cut one hose. I also had to have two new hoses made as the new final drives are different from the originals, the two speed line changed locations and fittings. Machine feels WAY BETTER NOW with two new drives and all new hydraulic fluid old drive finally out what a mess Attempted to open it up and fix, not going to happen with the gearbox side of things seized up there was no way to remove the cover Hydraulic side was fine, gear side = fubar Time to order two new drives, $3600 later....... remove belly access panel to find this start cleaning it out by hand Nasty up in there!! I used much PB blaster and wire brush and now it all looks good as new in there Pulling the 4 hoses through and cleaning out the spaces, replacing the 2 speed hose sure was fun! In the dirt....with the spring flood water rising.
Drove it up to shop to do the other side Next up new drive wheels, tracks and rebuild the bucket pins...........
Had the track off the tak again Grease seal blew out again I think I may have pinched the seals last time I installed? I’m not sure. Either that or the pitting on the shaft from rust was cutting them? In any case I repaired it again best I can without buying new parts (800$) I may have to build a new shaft here if this does not hold I sanded the shaft smooth this time Installed new o ring and backup seal along with new grease seal This time I drilled and tapped two holes added some screws w washers in an effort to help retain the seal So far she’s holding
If you think the pitting caused it you can have the rod rechromed .
Re chromed? Nice! I will look into this, thank you
Rechrome? That piston is only $285.
And, there are 8 dismantled machines listed here https://www.machinerytrader.com/listings/dismantled-machines/takeuchi/tb035/construction-equipment
Could a speedi sleeve be used possibly with some type of shaft retainer under it to seal the pits? Have also read of people using an epoxy and sanding it smooth. .
Thanks guys for the ideas It must be $800 For both parts, it was last year when I priced them. Hindsight I only need the shaft. right now it is still holding Good to know I can get the shaft hit for under $300 although that still seems like a lot, I could probably rebuild it using some shaft stock from McMaster car I kept calling the Takeuchi dealer in Spokane Washington last year for part inquires never even got a call back…. right now I’m working to install a new grid heater using a heavy duty relay and pushbutton. I know the previous owners turned her into an ether white, I refuse to use ether on my diesels
Ether is fine if used properly on engines designed for it. Some engines like Kubota's should never have either. That's why they have glow plugs. Thousands of machines come from the factory with ether injection systems. These are the best, especially systems that won't allow either to inject on a warm engine.
Hi all I own a TB035 and the Main Hydraulic Cylinder will not lift. I have done a bunch of testing. When i lossen the Hose at the main control valv, hydraulic fluid pushes out of Both ports. I assume the issue is with this block in the main control valve, as it should not allow anything through until I apply pressure with the control? Any help would be appreciated.
Hey bud any chance you still have this servixe manual floating around?
Always have them on my external hard drive . What is your email ?
Ahh Legend its [email protected] Thanks heaps
I am back! Had to re register since my old email was lost thanks to yahoo small business Anyways Takeuchi is doing great! I came here to post an update I was finally able to fix the track tensioner.. but not the way you think First I tried to fix the pitting I sanded and cleaned the tension piston down to bare metal. Cleaned it, smeared on jb weld, let it cure and the. Sanded it down with a “tube cleaner” belt sander. I was hoping this would work. It didn’t The Teflon seal actually folded the jb weld up like a curtain So that was a total bust So about three years ago I noticed that a ford ranger bottle jack is about the exact same size as the tensioner assembly So I made it work And work it did… perfectly I now have a track tensioner that works and it was free I plan to do the other side as the Geeze zero track tensioner will lose tension on that side after a few hours of work The bottle jack side holds tension forever Very happy with this mod, been battling this issue for 3+ years Had to modify the hack slightly and cut a chunk off the track tensioner assembly so the bottle jack would fit properly
More similar shape and size Even the adjuster wheel and grease zerk were in close enough locations I didn’t even have to modify the access hole Grinder mods
Tensioned Happy!!!
Now that's thinking outside the box! Just hope you don't get a flat tire on the Ranger.
Hahahahaha yes that is true. I have about 20 rangers on my property at any given moment so no shortage of these jacks Thank you I’m so glad it holds tension … very hard to use the machine with a loose / ratcheting track all the time Now I’m going to focus on new bucket pins, two new drive wheels and eventually a power thumb