Case Dozer LH Track not responding, Please Advise

[EddieWalker]

I have a 1989 Case 1550 Dozer with an 8 way blade.

It's hydrostatic drive with the Case engine. I know, Case only used Cummins engines after 86. But that's not one hundred percent accurate.

My problem is with the LH drive. It wont respond anymore and when I go from reverse to forward, the RH track will keep going and the LH one is dead. Forward is my biggest problem. I had to back up all the way to my barn to park with only minimal control of the LH track.

My LH Drive Idiot light is on, but its always been on without any trouble. I have a leak at the back of the light and figured that was the reason for light being on.

Any thoughts or advice will be most apreciated.

Thanks,
Eddie

 

[Taylortractornut]

Eddie make sure the fluid is full, I had a deere owner comby with an older 750 Deere and the fluid level had gotten low and it was only pumping to one track. Also check the filters and if thats not it try the linkages and do a pressure check on that side hydraulic circiut. Id also jack it up off the grand to see if that track would try to pull and have a helper there to operate it and listen for any noises comming from a pinion gear or pinion shaft. I had a customer baffle some dealers with his 850. The fluid and motors all put out good pressure they didnt thing about the gear reduction being broken.

 

[EddieWalker]

Thanks for the advise.

I forgot to mention that the fluid leve is full while I'm running it, and I check it at the end of the day, but over night it will drop a fair amount while sitting. I keep looking for a puddle or where the oil is going, but cant find it.


Eddie

 

[EddieWalker]

Here's the latest. The guys at Case said I need to do a preasure test of the pumps and that it might be a good idea to cut open my filter. I did that today, and found metal shavings in it. This is very bad. I don't know how bad, but I'm thinking something in there is going to cost me allot of money.

I need to decide to continue with testing the presure or just get a truck to haul it to the dealer, or maybe pull the pump and get it rebuilt.

The mechanincs at Case said costs could hit $15,000 for a new pump!!!!!!!!

 

[markct]

i have always wondered why some pumps were so outrageously priced? 1500 for a pump is understandable, still hurts, but 15,000 is reduculous

 

[EddieWalker]

I really hope that wasn't a real world price. I only paid $23,000 for the dozer, two pumps would be more than the whole thing is worth.

I forgot to mention that the mechanics at Case also said the same pumps that are in my 1550 dozer are also found in a John Deere 850C.

Does anybody have any experience with those pumps in the Deere?

The mechanics also said they don't work on the pumps, but farm it out to a shop in Conroe TX.


Thanks,
Eddie

 

[Taylortractornut]

Eddie I hate to hear of these troubles, Im not a strong beliver in hydrostatic dozers and havent had any luck with the Deere line. If the pump isnt salvagable Id call around those used parts dealers in and around Texas. They may have what you need or a rebuildable core. I have had to do this in some situations where my part was badly damaged and it saved me some cash. One thing on a hydrostatic is thares no way that 100 percent of the metal can be purged from the system.
On the price of the pumps they are so high because they have built in gearing and valves that control the speed and direction of flow. Thats a hydrostatic pump its all self contained in one unit. Id try to farm out a rebuild and get an estimate first then look for alternatives. I think 15000 would be a bit high.

 

[EddieWalker]

Thanks for the advise.

I spent the day yesterday calling around and trying to educate myself on these things. It seems the more questions I ask, the less I learn.

After several recomendations, I decided to drop the pump and motor off and Sartain Fluid Power in Lone Star TX.

They said all the right things, seemed to have a well run shop and plenty of major clients. Only time will tell if I made the right decision.

The price to rebuild it is still unknown.

 

[EddieWalker]

They wanted the drive motor also because of the metal shavings that were in the filter, so I took it out and brought both.

They found some paper product in the motor that was in the valves, but otherwise the motor is fine.

The pump unit is several pumps. The very expesive, piston pump is made my Sundstrand and luckily it's fine.

The problem is the gears are worn in the Charge Pump, which is made my Eaton.

The shop is calling around to find the parts, but the age of the pump is making them hard to find. It's a 1989 Case Dozer, so I guess that's old for pump manufacturers. Hmmm.

Hopefully this week I'll get a price on what it will cost to fix.

 

[jinman]

Good luck, Eddie. It seems that old dozers have the same problems as old tractors. They just take bigger jacks and bigger bank accounts. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Hopefully that charge pump will get you going. Did you figure out where your fluid was going?