I have a 2004 Cat420D IT with 4100 hrs on it, while out snow clearing yesterday I've noticed that my steering wheel knob is not in a set position for going straight...I guess there is some sort of play in the steering wheel....even though while driving on a road if I turn just slightly left or right it responds appropriately....is this the way this is from day 1 or do I have a problem with my steering about to rare it's head. The Machine was bought used off a friend who has owned it since new. But he is out of town for the holidays. So any 420 owners care to chime in? Thanks Rampking
Just to be clear, while driving straight I look down and the ball is at the 12 o'clock position, while driving on a road it requires a little left and right adjustment to keep her straight but I feel its due to road and bumps. But after working on a parking lot and driving back on the same road going straight I'll look down and the ball will be at say 7 o'clock. I think that's more clear??
The steering knob will not stay centered as it would do on a street vehicle as it has a pump in the column providing hydraulic pressure to do the actual steering. The knob will move over time as some leakage occurs in the pump. You can sometimes force it back to a position by trying to steer with the machine stopped, and engine off, but it will not stay centered for long.
Thanks very much, I guess that was a dumb question...as you can probably tell I am very new to heavy equipment. I just bought this one in September, it was always a dream of mine to own a backhoe so I took the plunge....going to do a main,front and rear diff. Final drive oil change soon. Anyone with any pointers for the new guy, stuff that most pro's would just assume???? Thanks King
rampking, there is no such thing as a dumb question .the only dumb thing is not to ask.if you don't know how are going to learn? nice looking tlb good price? tb
Your HMU (hand metering unit) may have excessive internal leakage. You may also have internal leakage in the hydraulic steering cylinder, as well there may be lot's of wear in the steering ball joints. It's possible that your hydraulic pressure for the steering is low. These are just some areas you could check. Otherwise, if you do a lot of roading with your unit, it's best to change the differential/brake compartment oil every 250 hours when you change the engine oil and filter. Roading really heats up the diff/brake components, and the brake discs and plates wear exceptionally fast, which mainly causes the spider gears and the diff assembly housings to wear out and break much sooner than they normally would. If, when you drain the compartment, you find a little or a lot of brassy looking debris, it's probably too late already and it would be best if you dismounted the axle assembly and rebuilt it. There is no filter for the oil in this compartment, and leaving the dirty oil and debris can ruin each brake assembly, the differential assembly, and the wheel bearing and axle housing. There is a different part for the brake discs now I'm told, that does not cause the terrible wear like the older ones did. I used to buy those from an outside OEM, but I hear they are available from Cat now too. Some of the parts you would need are also available from New Holland dealers, and they are cheaper than CAT, unless you are a CAT "best customer" and get a very good discount on parts. (CAT uses the same axle assembly as NH) I had a lot of 416's and 420's in my fleet, so I always kept a spare axle assembly on hand, which took my best mechanic about three hours or less to swap out. Rebuilding a well ruined axle assembly, at that time, was around $2500.00. I suspect it's much more now. By the way, the alternate type brake discs were more expensive up front, but they lasted so much longer, and did not wear out the other internal components badly, so the overall cost was much cheaper. Engine wise, be sure to oil sample. That little engine is prone to dirt intrusion is a couple of ways and it spells trouble fast. Essentially, it's cheaper to replace a worn out engine with a new one, also much faster. The most trouble I had was the stabilizer cylinders and rods. They seem to get nicked or scratched, or bent often, unless the operator is really careful. Any of these leads to excessive wear in the hydraulic system and more trouble and expense to you. Another problem with these machines, is lack of grease, particularly the backhoe swing assembly and the bucket linkage. Use a very good moly grease, and grease these points often, even up to three or four times a day depending on use. The swing assembly is very expensive to rebuild and for me, it was cheaper to replace with new. You should know by now, what happens quickly to the bucket pins and bearings when they run without adequate grease, particularly in mud and water. I liked the 420D's, they were more comfortable than other brands to operate and fairly easy to maintain. But maintenance was always number one! Without it and proper daily servicing, you will have a pile of junk fairly swiftly. Good Luck!
That's a lot of help surfer joe, I greatly appreciate it, I am gonna do all the oils this weekend. The brakes do sometimes squeak when applied but they seem to work fine. I hope these are still in good shape. This weekend will tell.