Heads-up on Toolcat & Blower grease fittings

[Spudgunner]

Just a heads-up...things I noticed while I did the 500-hour service today...

I managed to shear off two of the zerks on the upper ball joints on my TC because of loose tire chain ends. The tire chains I put on my TC were a bit longer than necessary...which left me with some extra chain that I fastened-down in order to prevent "chain slap". Well, it didn't work and the chains ends got loose and it appears they sheared off the zerks. So...if you are in the same boat I suggest you really fasten those loose ends down.

Secondly, two of the three zerks on the blower were quite loose.

Also, as another poster noted, the three big bolts that hold the grooved metal wheels that guide the chute can come loose. Two of my three were loose.

Hopefully my findings might help in early detection of similar conditions on the readership's equipment.
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Unfortunately, the 500-hour service also confirmed that the main lift cylinder on my TC is rapidly dying and leaking hyd fluid at increasing rates. Fortunately Bobcat is sending a mechanic to my site to do a field repack of the cylinder. I think it's gonna be under warranty because the piston is straight as an arrow and there are no signs of abuse (which will void the warranty on cylinders, BTW).

Kevin

 

[timm9]

Kevin,

Thanks for the "heads up" on the grease fittings. Hopefully an "easy out" can pull the broken ones without too much trouble.

The other thing that keeps happening is the triangle plate over the blower fans bends if an obstacle gets past the auger. After it bends slightly it hits the auger and keeps it from turning. In the middle of the night I had to run without it. I'm sure it serves a purpose, so I keep strightening it out and reinstalling it. The bend occurs at the bottom corner. I'm tempted to take a plasma torch and cut the corner off and reinforce the new corner with some flat stock.

We have been gong through "cross links" like crazy. Out of 100 feet of harden case link I have about 20 feet left. I'm looking into some chains that our Fire Dept runs on their big engines that are cables. Supposedly they are good for 345 miles on dry pavement. Maybe I can get a season out of them with running on snow covered roads as well. Chaining up the front of the TC's just beats and rattles the heck out of them and us!

Tim