Dumb Question-removing bucket.

[N80]

Here is a picture of a crack in the loader bucket on my L4400:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/3301/size/big/sort/1/cat/500

Here is a close-up:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/3302/sort/1/size/big/cat/500/page/

I think this will be easy to fix. I was going to get my B-I-L to do it but he's busy with his own tractors and I've been bugging him too much anyway. But, there is a local welding shop nearby who will do it for about $50. I'm planning on just bringing them the bucket on a trailer. I'll just set the bucket down on the trailer and disconnect it, but I've never done this before since it is not a quick detach.

In the top photo you can see the screw that holds the large 'hinge' pin in place. I'm assuming you just back this screw out and drive the 'hinge' pin out. Is that all there is to it? Is it hard to re-align and get all the pins (4) back in? Any tips or tricks I need to know? Thanks.

 

[JeffRey30747]

I had two cracks very similar to those on my bucket. Not the manufacturer's fault, just the operator (me) may have exceeded the design limitations a few times. Mine were at the bottom of the mount. I drove the tractor to the welder and fixed it in place. I still haven't painted over it either.
Everything you have stated appears to be correct and the only trick I know is that you can magic marker or paint a line on the pin corresponding to the holes so that you can easily see how to align it for the keeper. Yours may be this way already as my dealer apparently did this during assembly of the loader.

Jeff

 

[wushaw]

Just line the hole up before pounding the pin in and smear some lube on it to help, ( use brass, aluminum, or wood drift), and get a tapered punch to center the bolt hole.

 

[KennyV]

Should weld up ok… When you pin it back replace the lower (boom) pins first then the top (curl) pins. You will find it easy using a large punch or tapered pin to help align things. When moving the top cylinder rods in or out you may notice the other top cylinder rod will move opposite to what you move the one you are pushing/pulling… You should have no trouble repining. KennyV.

 

[George2615]

Just a thought but would it not be easier to just take the entire tractor w/ bucket to them to repair in place?
For $50 they're going to charge it seems it would take more time to R&R the bucket than weld it up.

 

[ronjhall]

You should have no problems hooking up the arms to the lower holes in the bucket. You will find that aligning the cylinders to the bucket may require two people. One to hold the cylinder up the other to move the joy stick to move the cylinder rod. You will also find that hooking up both cylinder at the same time will not work. You will have to get one pin in then use joy stick again to get second cylinder aligned to pin hole.

 

[N80]

Just a thought but would it not be easier to just take the entire tractor w/ bucket to them to repair in place?

I don't have a trailer to move the tractor. I've just got a little one that can carry the bucket. There's a trailer that I could borrow, but prefer not to. Renting a trailer would cost about $70.

Thanks for all the advice folks.