Backhoe Case 480C ate the dipstick

DJ54 · Jan 7, 2017

Well keep it up there, LOL... We got around 3" day before yesterday, and that's enough for me this year. I'm ready for Spring.

I've got myself spoiled with my 3rd heated shop. First one had a coal furnace. Second one had a waste oil burner. And now this one, I brought the waste oil burner with me out of the shop, from the other place I sold, plus have a wood/coal stove. I leave the WOF set at 50º, to keep the concrete floor that warm. Doesn't take much to keep it at that temp, and higher with the coal stove, once I'm out there working. Conserves oil too.

I picked up 14 tons of coal last year from a fellow selling a commercial lot, that was once a coal yard. He needed to get rid of the coal, so posted it on Craigslist for free, just to get rid of it. There was probably close to 100 tons all together there, but I only had room for 14-15 tons. Once I get another building up, I plan on making a wood & coal bin. I accidently called him this summer, using the voice activated Blue Tooth in the pickup. He remembered my name, and wanted to know if I needed any more coal, as he still had some. Hopefully, it will still be there when I get my bin built. It's only 18 miles away, and sure beats driving 40 miles to the coal mine, and paying $80.00 per ton..!!

SteveUSNY · Jan 7, 2017

Good deal on the coal. The second snow storm only dropped 3" thank God.

My shed is 16' x 32' with an upstairs. That is where I have a small machine shop and a wood stove. It is a pain in the butt to fire it up though. I usually wait until it is up to 30 deg. outside before I heat her up.

I still haven't assembled the steering cylinder yet. Odd jobs come first. Decided to buy new ball joints. Upon removing them, the female threads needed to be cleaned up. I am going to make a thread chaser from the old ball joints because the OD of the stud is odd at .687".

DJ54 · Jan 8, 2017

If it will make you feel better, Google the part number for that steering cylinder, or look on the Case site, at the price. It definitely gives you some incentive to rebuild that stuff, LOL...

SteveUSNY · Feb 7, 2018

Back to winter, cold and snowy. This past summer I rebuilt the engine. Behind the timing cover on the injection pump there were small pieces of rubber from the "flex ring" that is deteriorating. I bought a kit to rebuild the injection pump but two people told me "DON'T DO IT" so I took their advice and sent it out. Haven't herd yet but they said $500 to $1000 to rebuild. Fuel is one of the important things. I guess, if you want to play you have to pay. They are also going to check the injectors also. I want this to be in tip top shape. When I get these parts back I will finish putting it back together. FUN FUN FUN. I left the rocker arm assembly off so all the valves would stay closed. Should have it running this summer!!!!!!!!!

SteveUSNY · Feb 7, 2018

I did rebuild the steering cylinders. Came out good. One of the ram shafts was bent and had to straighten it with my press. Checked it with a flat marble stone.

DJ54 · Feb 7, 2018

Good to hear back. Mine is still kicking. Loaded out another 700 tons, or so of bank run gravel last fall, and this fall, for a new building pad. Still need another 200 tons, or so, this Spring to make a gentler grade on the slope going up to I on the one end.

This 480C is the only diesel I have, and if I can help it, will be the only one. Tough for me to justify diesel anything around here, when just ginning around farming. Other than machine work, I can totally rebuild any gasser here. If I were making a living with them, different story.

SteveUSNY · Mar 2, 2018

WOW! That's a lot of gravel. Glad to hear the 480C can handle it.

Got my injection pump rebuild back with 4 new injectors. When it warms up I'll be putting her back together. Can't wait.

This is the first diesel I have ever had and worked on. I have the same opinion as you and talking with my next door neighbor he said diesels are so much better than gassers, hands down. When I get this thing running I'll see what he is talking about.

DJ54 · Mar 7, 2018

Glad to hear you got your pump & injectors back. Again, diesels are great for nearly every day use. Here, my biggest tractor, an IH 656 may set for 4-5 months before I use it. Mainly to make hay, pulling the haybine & baler. But, if for some reason I need it in the winter, when it's 15º, she'll start just like in the summer. No glow plugs, or, using ether like you will need on the 480C. They have no glow plugs, and more than likely you'll find the apparatus on it, to strap a small bottle of ether on it to start. Bottles are the same size as a small propane bottle. I just use the spray can type, and just a whiff on days below 35º. Granted, they are much easier on fuel consumption, but, when they get 25-30 years old, and problems come up with the injection pump, and injectors, is the idea of finding a place to work on them, let alone down time to get it repaired. Luckily, I have a place 25 minutes away, and carry all the Roosa-Master parts I needed on the shelf.

I'm not sure how long yours will be setting between uses, but I would advise looking for a fuel additive, that prevents algae growth in the fuel tank. A small bottle will go a long way. I think the brand I got is Bi-Kleen, and only because it was on the discount shelf at TSC. It only takes an ounce or 2, per tankful of fuel. So far, no problems.

SteveUSNY · Mar 9, 2018

I agree with everything you said. I wish my 480C was a gasser but this is a new experience and a new lesson to be learned. Thank you for the fuel additive advice. The usage of the 480C will definitely be sporadic.

I would be very careful on the either. I have read it is bad for diesels. I know they used it to start mine in the past and 3 out of 4 top piston rings were broken and one of the pistons had the spacer between the top and middle ring was also broken. My 480C used to have the ether bottle apparatus also but was gone so a whiff of either probably would be ok. I am going to stay away from it though. I bought a block heater that screws into the block specifically for the 188 engine and I have read about using a heat gun at the intake manifold will help with cold winter starting. I am hoping this diesel will have tons of power.

DJ54 · Mar 9, 2018

I've seen a lot of people spray a bunch in the breather, then get on and crank the engine. I've heard quite a few clunks over the years too, doing that. I can stand on the Op. deck, reach around the windshield on the ROPS. I start rolling the engine over first, then one short burst of starter fluid to get it going. My new equipment storage building doesn't have electric ran to it yet, and may be a while. Higher priorities elsewhere here. So no block heater, or blow drier access.

I think you'll be happy with the power, especially with the torque converter. No bogging out, like with a clutch. I have to watch when loading bankrun gravel, or it will spin in sandy material, and not really know it at times. It's all in feathering the throttle, while lifting, and curling the bucket, when in the fine stuff.

SteveUSNY · Mar 10, 2018

I have a clutch and prefer the simplicity.

What I did with the cab floor was cut it into kind of a triangle with the point of the triangle terminating under the seat post. That way I can see the back tires. I am used to my old IH tractor, and the cab of the 480C makes me feel closed in. I am hoping that I will get used to it. The cap has heat so I think I can.

DJ54 · Mar 12, 2018

The torque converter has me spoiled, especially when you load out 30 some loads a day, and 5 buckets full to fill the truck. The old 310 had a clutch, and I definitely felt it at the end of the day, loading that many loads. The important thing with a TC, is to come to a complete stop, before changing directions. That's a lot of torque slamming something, if you don't, and shortens the life of it dramatically.

All in what we get used to.

SteveUSNY · Feb 12, 2019

Hi DJ54, Finally got time to sit down this winter and fill you in on what happened since the last post.

On the advice of two people I sent the injection pump off to the repair shop and bought 4 new injectors. Finished rebuilding the engine and does it run nice. All kinds of power!

While flushing the fuel tank I fished out a plastic nozzle from a plastic fuel tank and also the screen that went with it, separately. Had to make 3 special tools, long chop sticks, a wire with an L shape at the end and welded a screw on the end of a long wire to get them out.

The tilt cylinder on the front bucket was making jerking movements when contracting. Turns out that the 1.5" diameter ram shaft was bent .25". Straightened it also with my press and got it straight to within .002". That was a difficult job, but got it back together with new seals. It was still was choppy. I took the sight glass out to clean it, thinking it was full, but the glass was dirty and guess what, there was only one gallon of hydraulic fluid in the tank. After filling the tank everything went smoothly. I'm embarrassed because I should have checked it sooner.

I installed all new hoses on the front bucket, the backhoe lift cylinder hoses and one stabilizer cylinder hoses. New battery, cables, starting solenoid and alternator because it wasn't starting well.

I am now in the process of rebuilding the stabilizer arm bushings, they were completely gone and I had to weld the egg shape hole to fit the new homemade bushings.

I found a new problem while using the tractor. The forward/reverse lever is barley putting the transmission into gear in either direction. The guy that had it before me said he had his brother rebuild it. I think he didn't put it together properly, so this summer it has to come apart to see whats the matter.

This backhoe has way more problems than I expected for only having 2600 hours on it. The shop that rebuilt the injection pump confirmed that the engine had low hours. When I am finished it will be a good machine, and that was what I wanted was a retirement project but give me a brake!

SteveUSNY · Feb 12, 2019

Oh, I forgot to mention I bought an International 444, put a Fisher plow on it and then bought a snowblower for the back. I put an oil pressure gauge on the 444 and no oil pressure after 15 minutes of running. The oil pump cover was pot metal and had bowed between the bolts. It had to have been that way for years. So I reinforced it with .25" plate. I works great now. I will be using it on this upcoming storm.

stuckmotor · Feb 12, 2019

Wow! I'm dreaming about a good backhoe and Case is at the top of my wish list but, if yours had only 2600 hours and all those problems, maybe I should wake up and use a shovel.

SteveUSNY · Feb 12, 2019

Don't get me wrong, Case is one heck of a backhoe, I think the people before me used it hard. Even with all the problems I am still happy with the machine, although a shovel is cheaper and generally won't break down. Since I have had a backhoe though, I have forgotten how to use a shovel.

DJ54 · Feb 12, 2019

Hey Steve, good to hear you got it going. Yes they are a high maintenance machine, if you don't take care of it, and how you operate it. I still have mine, but don't use it as much as I did, but still use it quite often for little jobs. When I first bought both of them, the 480 was simply an upgrade, I had in mind to sell it when I was done with the major stuff. Now, I'm not so sure. It's just so handy to have around, and have a couple other jobs to do with it yet. Not all that much for the hoe, but way more than I think I want to shovel anymore. Guess my age is showing now, and seems I get Tennis Elbow anymore, when digging with a shovel for over 5-6 hours. Plus 99 other jobs with the loader, saves me changing the bucket on the loader on the IH 656, which is not a quick-tach.

Case is a nice light hoe, with decent power. If I had my 'druthers,and a larger truck to pull the trailer with, a real nice Ford 550 4 stick would be my preference. Break out force has to be half again as much, and much faster cycle time too. But, the 480C is light enough to pull with my 1 Ton dump, so it works for me. Still way faster than using that #2 Razorback..!!

fried1765 · Feb 13, 2019

DJ54 said:
Hey Steve, good to hear you got it going. Yes they are a high maintenance machine, if you don't take care of it, and how you operate it. I still have mine, but don't use it as much as I did, but still use it quite often for little jobs. When I first bought both of them, the 480 was simply an upgrade, I had in mind to sell it when I was done with the major stuff. Now, I'm not so sure. It's just so handy to have around, and have a couple other jobs to do with it yet. Not all that much for the hoe, but way more than I think I want to shovel anymore. Guess my age is showing now, and seems I get Tennis Elbow anymore, when digging with a shovel for over 5-6 hours. Plus 99 other jobs with the loader, saves me changing the bucket on the loader on the IH 656, which is not a quick-tach.

Case is a nice light hoe, with decent power. If I had my 'druthers,and a larger truck to pull the trailer with, a real nice Ford 550 4 stick would be my preference. Break out force has to be half again as much, and much faster cycle time too. But, the 480C is light enough to pull with my 1 Ton dump, so it works for me. Still way faster than using that #2 Razorback..!!

I have a 49 year old 4 lever Ford 3400 TLB that I have owned for 33 years.
The hoe breakout force is amazing.
Went through the entire machine 3 years ago, and it looks nearly new.
I now have the itch for a 4WD machine, with two stick hoe, though it is for play only, and I do not need it.
Am looking for a 1000 hour or less Kubota L48, and hope that getting rid of my fantastic Ford will not be a mistake.
Any opinions?

SteveUSNY · Feb 13, 2019

DJ54, I agree, I don't need a backhoe but it sure is nice and handy. I like to dig drainage ditches and drain pipes and transplant large trees among other things. Couldn't live without one now that I have one.

By the way what is a #2 Razorback?

fried1765, I have only owned 2 backhoes, my first was a '64 3414 gasser and it was a good machine, very little maintenance costs. And the 480C Case that I currently have. Haven't used the backhoe yet but it has the extend a hoe which is another dimension that will be very nice. Still have to tighten it up before I use it. For me, the Case has lots of power, much more than the 3414, and it is a well built machine and designed for ease of maintenance and operation. It is a good looking machine too.