Dig-It towable Backhoe partial restoration

[Wa11banger]

Hey felllow TBN fans I just bought a Dig-It towable backhoe that needs a little tlc before being considered serviceable again. I figured I'd post some pics, detail progress, and seek advice here in the project forum. It's deer season so progress may be a little slow but we'll get it done. So lets go through the breakdown

The good:
It actually does work, I tested it out and although rough it does work
It is all there and in decent shape, except for an original gas cap and a cracked hydraulic cap

The bad:
The previous owner filled tbe hydraulic reservoir with hydraulic fluid instead of 10w-40 as stated on the warning label right next to the filler

The carb needs rebuilt, the float valve is either stuck/broken/missing (lol) something.. It runs pretty good but if you forget to turn off the fuel, in three days it will completely fill the engine with gas. Currently drained.

The curl cylinder is the only cylinder the previous owner did not rebuild and it is leaking like a sieve. I cannot identify mfg or a part number so I am a little confused on how to order new packings for it.

And finally the tow bar assembly is bent fairly bad.. will have to detail out this repair because I will probably need some ideas here.

Well here it is sitting with gas tank, hydraulic reservoir, and oil drained ready for some tlc


A couple of pics of the damage that I need to correct to make it more easily towable

Bent tow bar assembly


Right side tow bar mount area looking down


Close up of right side tow bar area


That should cover it for starters.. If any of you have any ideas of how to best bend that back without breaking my back I sure would appreciate them.. Current thought is to cut it off and rebuild from new metal

 

[Illini22]

I loved the digits we had at the electric utility I worked at. Of course, we were hand digging cable faults before they purchased dig its. They were great for rear lots. We had our mechanics weld a piece of c channel perpendicular to a 42" snow blade. Punched a threaded hole thru it and drilled a hole thru the bucket. It was an amazing backfilling machine, plus we got another 2 feet of reach.

 

[Wa11banger]

Yah, I think its going to be a fun little machine and project.. I know it may not dig a pool but I am sure every aspect of it's use will be better than by hand and if the the capability it had while it was handicap was any indication.. These are not weak machines at all. Even with the engine not running top notch it tore through the ground without issue other than a little bog on the engine.

 

[BeezFun]

If you take that tow bar assembly off, heat it with a rosebud and it should bend. Probably need a template to get the correct shape, you can see in the second photo that they had a slight offset originally. You could also take it to a body shop that does frame straightening, they'd have the equipment to do it.

 

[Illini22]

Your dig it was one of the later, better models. You have larger caster wheels than what the originals had. We had kohler motors. One of the lower booms cracked where it pins to the lower boom. It was from hauling them behind the line trucks. Eventually we just pulled them with pickups as they only weighted about 600 pounds.

 

[Wa11banger]

This has a kohler magnum 18 for an engine. I have no idea how much it weghs but it has to be more than 600lbs.. My FEL has no problems picking up my 620lb box blade but cannot get the wheels of this thing off the ground. It was a real chore trying to get it off the trailer I transported it on to bring it home

 

[Illini22]

Kkk, I must be mistaken on the weight. It's been at least 15 years ago.

 

[Wa11banger]

It's all good Illini22, I appreciate the insight. I still haven't had time to tear into it but I believe all the gas vapor and oil are out of the engine so sometime this weekend I should be trying to fire it up again. If it runs even reasonably I will begin the tear down of the carb.. I don't want to work on that engine until I hear it go again after the block and cylinders being filled with gas. I will fog the cylinders so they get a good coat of oil and I plan to turn it over a couple of times without fuel or spark to get oil back through the system before attempting to start it again.

 

[Mendonsy]

Kkk, I must be mistaken on the weight. It's been at least 15 years ago.

You were mostly right. The spec I saw says it weighs 2600#.

 

[Illini22]

That has to be a typo.

 

[Mendonsy]

That has to be a typo.

I think you're right.
I found one site that said 2600#, one that said 2700#, and two more that said 1200#. The 1200# sounds more reasonable.

 

[bandaidmd]

so the red cyl's are rebuilt oem and not replacements?

Reason i'm asking is if the originals were made to be compatible with motor oil and the new ones are made for hyd oil there could be a issue, would also be relevant if they were rebuilt and the seal kits were made for hyd fluid and not motor oil. Maybe i'm mistaken but I thought motor oil in a hydo system was a no no.
Just throwing that out there if I,m wrong I won't take offence to being corrected.

 

[aczlan]

so the red cyl's are rebuilt oem and not replacements?
Reason i'm asking is if the originals were made to be compatible with motor oil and the new ones are made for hyd oil there could be a issue, would also be relevant if they were rebuilt and the seal kits were made for hyd fluid and not motor oil. Maybe i'm mistaken but I thought motor oil in a hydo system was a no no.
Just throwing that out there if I,m wrong I won't take offence to being corrected.

The difference between UTF and Motor Oil is (as I understand it) the additive package and oil weight. Also, UTF is designed so that any water goes out and ends up at the bottom of the tank where you can drain it out, vs keeping it mixed in line motor oil is supposed to do.
See:
Motor Oil/Hydraulic Oil/Differences? | Hydraulic Fluids | Bob Is The Oil Guy
Which Hydraulic Oil ? - Topic
UTF vs AW ?? | Hydraulic Fluids | Bob Is The Oil Guy

For some discussion on the subject.

Aaron Z

 

[Wa11banger]

It has to be more than 1200.. it is beastly heavy. I know numbers are a mfg game but I can supposedly lift 2000lbs with my loader but I cannot lift this thing... Not that it really matters I dont particularly care what it weighs just want to fix it and dig holes with it.

Very curious about the difference between motor oil and utf also. Would the less viscous utf cause any performance loss to the system? Anything to gain besides water handling properties?

 

[aczlan]

Its a single weight oil, so when cold it will be harder to pump than multiweight engine oil, but I don't know that there would be enough of a difference to hurt anything.

Aaron Z

 

[Illini22]

Wall, where to you think all the weight is at? I just don't see it.

 

[Kernopelli]

I have a model 258 that was a previous Verizon machine. It weighs right at 2700# on the local scale. Everything on it is built like a tank so it's not hard to imagine the thick steel weight adding up. Cylinder rebuild kits ( and parts off all types) are available through Heartland Equipment. Needed some new bushings and my boom cylinder was leaking and the OEM cylinders are the type that use the square wire to draw the gland nut tight. I was never able to loosen the gland nut. Took it to a local hyd. shop and no luck. They referred me to our local "Go-to, end all, professional heavy equipment hydraulic repair shop".....they do all the local excavation and coal mine companies stuff. They ruined the gland trying to get it off.....and still never succeeded. I finally decided to order a new, similarly spec'ed cylinder from YZoutlet Hydraulics for just a little more than the rebuild kit.

It came with a 12" Q.A. bucket and we built an 18" bucket and thumb for it. I didn't have the OEM backfill blade but had a very similar blade laying around and made tabs to quick attach it to buckets.

Has a low hour Kohler CH18....since the Command is a later engine than the Magnum and the 258 is an "unusual" model ( per Heartland) and it has a factory Aux. Hyd. circuit on the boom, I assume mine is a later Dig-It model. Pretty handy machine.....it's no mini-ex but it's a LOT easy to haul than one and sure didn't cost me as much as a similar digging capacity Mini.

 

[Wa11banger]

Illini22, I cant say for sure what its weight is because literature is hard to come by. But everything is extra stout. The thinest metal is 1/4 plate and thats where the controls are mounted. Most everything else is 3/4 inch. If it were 1200 I would of been able to pick it up or at least get it light on its wheels. I was unable to do either. I will see if I can find some car scales and see what it weighs before I am done.

Thanks for the info on the cylinders and parts Darryl I appreciate it. And I saw the pics of yours on the backhoe thread quite a good looking machine. I think I am going to go to an 18" bucket when this is all over not that I know I need to, a little wider ditch profile is usually easier to work in. Might as well make it a little easier to make it wider too

 

[Illini22]

Ours had rubber tread material on the bottom of the outriggers.

 

[Wa11banger]

Mine also has thick cross sections of rubber stacked sideways is the best I can describe it.. But I think thats a factory option, as the feet are quick disconnect and I have seen pictures of them with "T" plates for feet. I guess those type feet may be used for more of the soft soil areas. Mine also has the extra flotation tires as described the are supposed to minimize repair work to the soil when the job is done.