Loader Bobcat loader won't move

[dcooper]

A friend has a small Bobcat loader stuck in a remote location with no easy way to get it to a repair shop.
It´s about 10 years old and has stopped moving. The engine runs fine but when he pulls the levers to go forward it makes a grinding or vibrating sound and will not go. If he tries to force the levers into position the engine dies. Note that the bucket goes up and down fine. I looked into the hydraulic fluid reservoir and found that it seemed near empty so I filled it to the top with fluid. This did not help. I am not sure what you call the transmission device but the sound seems to be coming from there. Can you advise?
Unfortunately I did not get the model but am hoping it is a common problem.

 

[LaVoie Equipment]

Sounds to me like you have a skid steer loader.?. What model # is it?

If you do it could be anything from the hydraulic brake being locked - which would stall the hydraulics, which in turn stalls the engine. There should be a small orange pedal - middle of floor to release, older models have a large pedal to press.

However you could have a chain broke inside the chain box - one drive motor each side, chains driving from the motor to the wheels. This would lock everything up on a particular side - hard for me to believe you broke both chains.

 

[dcooper]

Yes it has the small orange pedal and found out it is a model 431. He tells me the brakes have not worked in a long time. We did make sure the pedal was not in the locked position. It does act like a stuck brake on the right side. Do you know of a way to release it?

 

[LaVoie Equipment]

Cycle the pedal a few times. Might decide to release. Sounds to me that you are correct about the stuck brake. The only thing that concerns me is you say it is only the right - typically it would be both; you may get a slight movement both ways, i.e. forward-backward.

With the little orange pedal it is a hydraulic lock. Honestly I don't think there is a way to over-ride it. You probably will have to get a dealer to tell you if they even will. Have you pulled the side covers off yet to see whether a chain is broke?

Wait a minute. Something else to check. Yours may be old enough to have a seat switch that requires the operator to be sitting down to operate (goes bad and is aggravating). That switch is directly in the bottom of the seat. Two scenarios - 1. remove and replace with new or 2. go to the Bobcat dealer and ask for the conversion kit to change to a "push to operate" kit. We just replaced a similiar switch on a 773.

OK - Check to see if you have the seat switch first, then raise canopy and pull the side cover to check the chains to see if they are broken.

Sorry not any better helper!

Tony

 

[Dr_Zinj]

Swear by the seat safety switch for normal use,
swear at it when trying to do maintenance.

 

[lilranch2001]

Swear by the seat safety switch for normal use,
swear at it when trying to do maintenance.

huh??

 

[cmr123]

Not familiar with the 431....
Check the battery or alternator. If your runnning low voltage, the brake may not be releasing. Seen it a couple times where the machine will run, but voltage is just below what's needed to release the brake. Driving into the brake will stall it just like your describing.

 

[dcooper]

Thanks for everyones help. Jason Riley at Phoenix Bobcat helped solve the problem. He said it was the brake soleniod and he was correct. We removed the solenoid and its plunger to unlock the parking brake and this allowed the cat to move. Now we just have to replace the solenoid and all will be well. Thanks Jason.