First dozer repair experience

   / First dozer repair experience #1  

hayden

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2000
Messages
1,980
Location
VT
Tractor
Kubota L5740 cab + FEL, KX121, KX080
As many (most) of you predicted, I've had my first dozer repair experience. Fortunately it wasn't a break down but rather pre-emptive repair of some worn out parts. It took longer than predicted, and more parts were worn out that I originally thought. I guess that's the definition of a dozer.

When I was checking it out before purchase I noticed that the ends of the tilt cylinder were worn and had some slop in them. One of the angle cylinder ends was suspect as well. I got a 1 year warranty, so I didn't worry about it at the time.

Once home and after using it a bit I found that both angle cylinder ends were worn at the blade end. Then when I gave it its first greasing I discovered that the remote grease hoses that lube the angle cylinder ends on the machine side were sheared off on both sides. This meant those ends had been run dry for who-knows how long. I also found that one of the throttle cables was sticking preventing the machine from coming up from idle.

My warranty covered parts and labor, but in the shop not in the field, and I didn't want to truck it back to the dealer. Instead, I got the parts for free and did the work myself.

Of course getting everything apart was much harder that expected. Some of the pins tapped right out, but others were frozen pretty hard. After lots of pounding, WD-40, and heating with a torch I got most of it apart. One nice part of the design which I suppose exists in all dozers is that the cylinder ends have press-in replacable bearings. They are like the swivels on a tractor's draw bar, but they are easily replaced. Again, some of them came out easily, but others required taking the cylinders to a shop to have them pressed out.

So, out of 6 end bearings and two grease hoses, I got all replaced except one of the bearing/hose combinations. I just couldn't get the last retaining pin out and needed to get on to other things, so I left it for another day.
 
   / First dozer repair experience #2  
hayden,

Nice to hear about your adventures wrenching on your machine.

I've found that the hardest part of most repairs is just sticking with it. Sometimes it's either frustrating or just physically overwhelming, but I take it all in small steps and just keep at it.

Now that you got it together, isn't it time to start moving some dirt? !!!

Eddie
 
   / First dozer repair experience #3  
The bearings in the cylinder ends are spherical bearings. Be careful installing them, it's easy to break the outer race.

Those remote lube systems are nice, but as you figured out, you do have to verify that the grease is getting to where it's supposed to.

Good luck with her.
 
   / First dozer repair experience
  • Thread Starter
#4  
EddieWalker said:
hayden,

Now that you got it together, isn't it time to start moving some dirt? !!!

Eddie

It sure is, but I've still got 18" of snow on the ground and mud glore. I've plowed the snow off the work site so I can stake and survey, but it will still be a couple of weeks for all the snow to be gone so I can start making dirt piles. This forced down-time is why I decided to do these repairs now.

I'm chomping at the bit.....
 
   / First dozer repair experience #5  
It's nice having a stout press handy for that stuff! I don't and it's a real bear...

jb
 
   / First dozer repair experience #6  
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   / First dozer repair experience
  • Thread Starter
#7  
I know, I know. I love looking at pics too, but do you know how messy it is working on a dozer? The only camera I have is a pretty good one and I couldn't bring myself to mix it in and handle it with all the greasy tools.
 
   / First dozer repair experience #8  
hayden said:
I know, I know. I love looking at pics too, but do you know how messy it is working on a dozer? The only camera I have is a pretty good one and I couldn't bring myself to mix it in and handle it with all the greasy tools.

Towels...lots of towels.

Dude, give us the broken camera story, you know it dropped and was crushed by the dozer. Not the greasey hand story.

When I'm up at the weekend place I never know what I'll be doing or where I'll end up or what I see. So as you can see on my hip I always have my camera. This time is was helping my BIL put in a new engine in the JD350. We arrived at the right time, he was just about done and couldn't get it started. The injection pump was out 180 BTW. :D

Yep we dig pics man!
 

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   / First dozer repair experience #9  
Just a little snippet that may help next time your working on rusted bolts etc . WD40 works OK but Aerostart works better . The lubricating oil in Aerostart is much thinner than WD40 and the ether helps to carry it further in . Ive sprayed rusted bolts and have seen it wet the other side of the nut via capillary action . Try it sometime it will amaze you .
 
   / First dozer repair experience
  • Thread Starter
#10  
Iron Horse said:
Just a little snippet that may help next time your working on rusted bolts etc . WD40 works OK but Aerostart works better . The lubricating oil in Aerostart is much thinner than WD40 and the ether helps to carry it further in . Ive sprayed rusted bolts and have seen it wet the other side of the nut via capillary action . Try it sometime it will amaze you .

Thanks. I'll try it on the joint I couldn't get loose. - And I'll take pictures :)
 
 
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