Well i broke it this time

[Tchamp]

Went to lift a tote of wood heard a pop and my forks would not tilt. Upon closer examination i discovered the pivot point on my lifting arms thatcontrol the machine broke….
I guess it did pretty good considering its a 2001 model. 21 years is a pretty good run i think. I wonder if i can get it repaired or i have to order a whole new assembly. I will call PT. On monday and find out.

 

[MossRoad]

Looks like the tube and the internal rod broke as well. Ouch.

You might be better off just getting the entire assembly VS repairing it.

 

[ponytug]

Sorry to see/hear about it this. I asked Terry at PT about the repair once and he said that the "repair" was replacing the whole assembly.

Speaking as an amateur welder, the repair is not simple, as you would have to cut the right side completely off, cut the pivot arm off, weld it back together in alignment, put a new pivot rod/pipe in and weld everything back up. Do-able, sure, and way beyond my abilities, and I suspect you would need an above average heavy equipment repair guy to do it.

All the best,

Peter

 

[m5040]

You don't have too much to loose trying to weld it back in place. If it dosent work, you buy a new one.

 

[BobRip]

I welded mine back together before it broke. That was many years ago. You could add extra bracing.

 

[MossRoad]

IF I was going to attempt that repair:

Short version:
- Grind pin ends loose from outside of lift arms.
- Slide pin out of tube.
- Remove tube.
- Find new pin of correct diameter or repair pin with welds.
- Slide pin into tube and adjust tube back into correct positions.
- Clean up and tack broken tube welds.
- Remove pin, slide tube into place, install pin.
- Check for free movement with lube in tube, no binds, grinds, etc.
- Hope it's OK. If not, remove and adjust again.
- If OK, then remove and weld tube welds solid.
- Reinstall, test again, tack pin ends in place on outer arms.
- Test again with hydraulics attached.
- Weld pins solid to arms.

The worst part I'd think would be grinding the pin ends out of the arms. If they beveled the holes before they put the pin in place and welded with good penetration, you could be grinding for a while, and might be tempted to use a torch to cut the pin ends out. If you do that, you'll have a lot of material to replace and hope you get the new pin holes square to the FEL arms and pivot tube. So I'd try the grinder and go a bit deep and hope you find the seams before I'd try a torch.

 

[Tchamp]

IF I was going to attempt that repair:

Short version:
- Grind pin ends loose from outside of lift arms.
- Slide pin out of tube.
- Remove tube.
- Find new pin of correct diameter or repair pin with welds.
- Slide pin into tube and adjust tube back into correct positions.
- Clean up and tack broken tube welds.
- Remove pin, slide tube into place, install pin.
- Check for free movement with lube in tube, no binds, grinds, etc.
- Hope it's OK. If not, remove and adjust again.
- If OK, then remove and weld tube welds solid.
- Reinstall, test again, tack pin ends in place on outer arms.
- Test again with hydraulics attached.
- Weld pins solid to arms.

The worst part I'd think would be grinding the pin ends out of the arms. If they beveled the holes before they put the pin in place and welded with good penetration, you could be grinding for a while, and might be tempted to use a torch to cut the pin ends out. If you do that, you'll have a lot of material to replace and hope you get the new pin holes square to the FEL arms and pivot tube. So I'd try the grinder and go a bit deep and hope you find the seams before I'd try a torch.

Talked to steve on keith in Parts at PT the part for my pt is 165.00
Then i just have to grind out the welds, remove pin,remove the center piece and rhen reinstall the new one and then have the cross pin re welded and then done

 

[ponytug]

Talked to steve on keith in Parts at PT the part for my pt is 165.00
Then i just have to grind out the welds, remove pin,remove the center piece and rhen reinstall the new one and then have the cross pin re welded and then done

That sounds great! Personally, as much I am a fan of welding, I would fork out for a new tube while you are in there, maybe even a solid one. Your local hydraulic shop might have a section of an old cylinder rod in good enough condition to work, and it would be a heck of a lot stronger.

While you are doing the repair, I would also heck that the curl plates are flat and perpendicular to the outer tube when you are done, and I would check that both of the lift tubes are working well, and move freely. I would want to make sure that there wasn't some systematic loading of one side versus the other that somehow might have induced the failure.

All the best,

Peter

 

[johara1]

The outer tube is nothing but a spacer, get a good grade of steel bar for the inside weld it up.... It sure looks dry inside, lack of grease maybe the cause...... Jim

 

[MossRoad]

The outer tube is nothing but a spacer, get a good grade of steel bar for the inside weld it up.... It sure looks dry inside, lack of grease maybe the cause...... Jim

I disagree that it’s only a spacer.

My guess would be the pin runs the full width of the FEL arms outer edge to outer edge. The tube runs the full width of the FEL arms inner edge to inner edge, with breaks where the pin passes through the roll over arms. My guess is that the tube is DOM (drawn over mandrel) tubing and it’s inner diameter is only a couple thousandths larger than the outer diameter of the pin. It’s a foot long simple bearing. That’s why there are grease zerks on both sides of the tube: To put grease between the pin and the tube surfaces.