Backhoe 447 Backhoe Hook Adjustment

[Cocre]

Anyone have some good advice on adjusting the "moveable latch plates" on the 447 backhoe to allow correct alignment so the L-pins can be inserted easily on a 3320 tractor?

I moved the latch plates after removing the backhoe (my bad) and allowing the lean to be further back than the recommended 5 degrees. I could not get underneath the hoe enough with the tractor to get the rockshaft arms to engage the hooks without moving the plates. Now I can't get the pins holes to align using just the rockshaft. I can hook the hydraulics back to the hoe and use it to do the rest of the work, so it is no big deal, but I would like to use just the rockshaft if I could.

I spent an hour or so moving the plates this way and that, but the hoe was always either too low, or high enough but out of align front to back to prevent the L-pins from being inserted. Any suggestions are appreciated.

 

[CinderSchnauzer]

I have not removed my 447 BH often enough to determine the perfect method. Some suggest setting on pallet. The bucket position suggested in the Owners Manual doesn't seem to produce the right results for me. Next time I will try - Boom locked in upright position - Bucket teeth pointed straight down.

As for the Rockshaft. Depending on age of unit you might try to get this fixed as warranty. It's one of the listed troubleshooting items in the OM.

From the shop my rockshaft would not lift the BH high enough to remove or engage the L-pins - I had to fool around using the BH controls. It was about 1/8" too low. The Tech came out and elongated the holes in the plates with a grinder. It was a while ago and must admit I was not paying real close attention, so can't say for sure if you will need fore or aft adjustment. The key is in the alignment of the plates - there is no other adjustment that can be made to the rockshaft - I'm told.

If the plates are correctly aligned removal / installation is pretty much as in the video.

 

[SFish]

When they delivered my 3320 with the 447 on it I asked the sales representative to demonstrate the on-off procedure (having read here about problems). He couldn't do it. I asked the service manager (good guy) about it, and he said that this was one of his biggest complaints about the 3K-20/447,8 combination. A good idea poorly executed.

I have found that it is relatively easy to back up and pick up the hoe with the rockshaft arms as high as they will go, and just put a cheap floor jack under the hoe, a little farther back from the lateral pivot point, and when the rear wheels are about to come off the ground the pins will go in easy.

Steve

 

[Cocre]

Thanks for the suggestions. I think I will grind the slot in the moveable hooks to allow them to sit lower thus hopefully picking the hoe up higher. I will also keep the floor jack handy.

Other than that I will just use the hoe hydraulics to position it.

 

[Cidertom]

H'mmm
Having had a 448 for a couple of years with a lot of mount-dismount action. I love it, however, my 3pt limit was a touch low from the factory. As part of the BH install the local tech adjusted it and it works great.
Before I did any grinding to make bigger slots , I would weld a thin strip of metal on the removeable part of the hook. Slots will keep getting out of adjustment.

The only issue is the by the book parking position does not work for me as the bucket leaks down tilting the hoe back. I part it now with the bucket full open and a chunk of 6x12 under the teeth. Before I learned this I was having to back up, connect the hoe, reposition the bucket and then back into position.

 

[HobbleCreek]

I have found that it is relatively easy to back up and pick up the hoe with the rockshaft arms as high as they will go, and just put a cheap floor jack under the hoe, a little farther back from the lateral pivot point, and when the rear wheels are about to come off the ground the pins will go in easy.

I have a 4720 with a similar problem. sometimes, when the stars are aligned (or when I've parked it in just the right spot perhaps) it goes on without a problem. Most of the time I fiddle with it for an hour or so. I finally decided to search this forum for answers and came upon this thread. The floor jack idea is a lifesaver. In seconds (literally, less than a minute) both L-pins were in. A minute later I'm ready to dig. Obviously it would be better if the equipment had been engineered properly in the first place, but this works well enough to keep me sane (or as sane as I've ever been at least).

Thanks so much for the good suggestion.