How difficult is the tear down of the 374 DL excavator? What I need to know is: How hard or how long would it be to: - Removal of Bucket - Release and Removal of Cylinders - Removal of Counter Weight (Rear) - Retract the Treads to 12’ 1” (Main Body) ???
I guess the correct answer is "it depends"..... 1. What lifting equipment is available.? 2. What power tooling (impact or hyd/pneumatic wrench) is available.? 3. Is the excavator in question equipped with the (optional) counterweight handling cylinder.? 4. Will it be cleaned before you start to work on it or will you have to dig out the undercarriage.?
I can't answer any of those questions. Let assume (I know I should not) all the correct equipment is available. To your third question, I will say yes. To the 4th, since it is used...got a shovel??? I have been task to transport, but the above items need to be done before transport. I know the person will ask, if I can take care of this (hiring someone onsite or near), so I kind of want to know how bad the sticker shock will be?
In that case getting those answers should be your first task. For obvious reasons the time required to prepare the machine for transport is going to directly depend on the available tooling and lifting equipment, and whether or not the machine is clean before you start. Worst case scenario it could take the best part of a day just to clean the undercarriage. Do you at least have the machine Serial Number.? That will answer Q3 because if it is fitted with the optional counterweight handling attachment it will be listed in the machine options. If it doesn't have one you're going to need lifting equipment (crane) capable of removing the 25k pounds counterweight. Also which cylinders do you want to remove.? That requirement has me a bit confused. Normally for a machine the size of a 374 the disassembly goes something like - narrow the track gauge, remove bucket, strap bucket linkage to stick, remove counterweight, drive machine on to lowboy. Job done.
I do not have the Serial Number yet, they are still getting it purchased. I was tasked to find out information prior to them even having said machine. I was reading your reply and if I said 10 hours to prep the 374 to a driver that was to haul it, I more or less need a day just to get a machine onto a lowboy.
10 hours for one guy, or a crew.? If a crew how many people in it.? You could be close, or you could be a country mile off. The problem is you don't have enough information right now to make that determination. For example what happens if the main bucket pin (see attachment) won't come out when you put the hydraulic press on it.? Or what happens if it takes 2 guys half a day simply to dig out the undercarriage to adjust the track gauge before even laying tools on the hardware.? The sheer size of the track frame hardware can multiply the time taken to remove/tighten it by a factor of 4-5 if you don't have adequate tooling. Also consider that there probably will not be space between the track links and the hardware to use a large impact wrench. Most likely it will need a hydraulic or pneumatic-drive wrench, think a RAD or similar. These are M36 bolts tightened to 2,000 foot pounds. Also worth mentioning is that the 374D is a 100% metric machine when it comes to hardware. Do you have metric tooling.? If it does not have a counterweight handler then you need to budget time & money for something that will lift 25k pounds off the machine and get it on to a truck. Here's a video of the counterweight removal process on a 345B which is smaller (17k vs 25k pounds) but the procedure is the same. It's nowhere near as easy if you don't have that attachment on the machine. Attached the instructions for removal of the bucket (needs hydraulic pulling equipment) and narrowing/extending the track gauge.
Attached the two procedures to R&I the counterweight. One if it is equipped with the handling attachment, the other one if it isn't.
Nige, The videos was amazing and awesome! I felt like I was there!! it showed me what you deal with removing a part and time it takes...This will aid me in future, so that I am realistic in quoting a timeframe!
I was able to ship my 345CL from Pittsburgh, PA to Martinsburg, VA with everything on but a bucket (had a bucket coupler) on our 4 axle trailer. Coming back, someone didn't like the weight at the permit office. Had to remove stick assembly and self loading counterweight. Stick was straightforward, just need caps and covers for the hoses. The self loading counterweight, on the other hand, had the six bolts so tight that I broke every socket I had and my multiplier. New tools came on next day and still no joy. Ended up heating the bolt heads cherry red and using a 6 ft pipe handle on a 1" drive ratchet driving a 5 to 1 multiplier to get them to crack loose.
Why a 4 axel? Why not 6 axel, still have permits, but save yourself stress?
@BaserJeffrey - IMO you are missing HMC's point that if you don't have the correct tooling for this size of a machine you can end up spectacularly foobarbed. Remember that he's talking about a 345, a machine 2 sizes of magnitude smaller than the 374 you are asking about. I hope this photo explains why you need the correct tooling for the track frame hardware. No way would an impact wrench fit in the space under the track.
I’ve spent two days breaking bolts loose to narrow the tracks on a 385. Those can kick your tail. Plus you’ll need something to shove them in. It’s not hit a switch and they suck in hydraulically. Based on previous experience a properly equipped truck and two guys that know what they are doing can have it ready to ship in a day, but that’s best case scenario. You’ll probably have to remove the dipper as well to get your height to a reasonable number. Also, double check your overall width and inside width with the tracks slid in. If you’re loading on a beam they get kinda close on a 10’ wide trailer with a beam deck as the beams are wide, especially a west coast trailer. Depending on trailer and where you’re going it might be less work to leave the tracks out and permit accordingly.
That’s a 385 on a 9 wide west coast trailer. Not much room to spare.
Not too hard about 2 days work In pa you rarely see any more then 4 on the trailer and a a tractor with a lift axle (8 axles all together) I believe that that's all you can permit with out Mega head aches but that's just speculation.
IIRC, we're at 161k lbs, when assembled, sans bucket, with our setup. Tractor has pusher plus tandem drives, and trailer is 3 axle plus single axle stinger. Why no 6 axle trailer? A) we don't own one, 2) the 345C was our largest machine, iii) it was PA, MD, VA going down, and coming back, due to construction, it was VA, MD, WV, PA. In PA, I could permit it, sans counterweight, on the 3 axle trailer, and add the stinger if I didn't feel like pulling the counterweight. The PA turnpike didn't always like to approve the 161k, so, the counterweight came off.
Wow..To get some of this right, I have a bit of homework to learn all the in's and out's of how a machine breaks down and just what it needs to do it right. Also, Heymccall when it deals with permits, one size doesn't fit all? so going one way may be one price and going the other it might be different? I understand construction, throw you a curve, but each state may or could hike the rate for a permit?? I beleive total weight was coming in at around 145K for the total package, so I thought it would be able to get away a few more things!
I dunno the rates. I just know that it was 3 states going down, and 4 states coming back. And, at 161k, Maryland requires night moves, PA is daylight only.
I had the opposite...no night moves, only day and on set roads. So at sunrise, crack everything on...sunset, no matter where you are....Shut it down!! One driver was a bit pissed, crappy cell service and nothing for miles!! So in the morning, he was hungry!!
Where’s is loading and where’s it going? Each state is different. It is definitely not one size fits all. What trailer setup are you going to use?
Check your messages. I’ve tore down and moved more than a couple of these. They’re made for transport and it’s quick and easy assuming it’s got counterweight removal.