With the recent sale of my 5ther, my bonds have finally been released of that debt! It has been refreshing to finally realize that i no longer have that hanging over my head!

 

While i do plan on saving money, sometimes money must also be invested. We've been thinking on priority purchases, and an agreement was made that we want a skid steer. Preferably before winter so it can be used for snow removal. I also want it to use to move my beehives. It's going to get allot of use in that department as i keep growing my apiary. 

 

Then there's need for it with other attachments that it can take the place of a tractor. If need be i can do odd jobs with it and make some extra money on the side. 

 

This was how i was able to justify the purchase. Otherwise it would have been a snow plow. Which can be used only for one thing and only during one season of the year. 

 

Now, my problem is, i know NOTHING about skid steers. Bobcat is pretty much the only brand i think ill go with considering the attachments they have available. That and the conversion kits that are made for them to use in beehive logistics will only for bobcat. 

 

So the question is which model? Definitely don't want to break the bank doing this either. Who knows their stuff about the little machines? School me, oh wise people!

Edited August 1, 20177 yr by hex0rz

Sn# 512260184

 

Previous owner said 763g high flow. 

https://www.bobcatpartsonline.com/#/catalogBrowser?path=%2F0000-Loaders%2F0000-763%2F0000-512250001 %26 Above, 512450001 %26 Above, 512620001 %26 Above%2F0006-Hydrostatic System%2F0006-Hand Controls

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.bobcatpartsonline.com/#/catalogBrowser?path=%2F0000-Loaders%2F0000-763%2F0000-512250001 %26 Above, 512450001 %26 Above, 512620001 %26 Above%2F0006-Hydrostatic System%2F0010-Hydrostatic Pump

 

 

 

https://www.bobcatpartsonline.com/#/catalogBrowser?path=%2F0000-Loaders%2F0000-763%2F0000-512250001 %26 Above, 512450001 %26 Above, 512620001 %26 Above%2F0006-Hydrostatic System%2F0009-Hydrostatic Pump

 

Can't seem to identify the area the seal would be at on the pump...

Yeah I saw that right away when I posted the diagrams, I am in the same boat with my tractor they do not break down the pumps themselves in the diagrams, need to contact the dealer to see about this. I have a hyd pump leaking between the sections but no pump breakdown diagrams.

On 10/14/2017 at 6:22 AM, Wild and Free said:

You better get that fixed, that is the swash plate linkage control on top of the pump which looks to be leaking really bad already probably due to it slopping about like that. Hopefully you can get just the seal for the swash plate control rod there sometimes those are not serviced separately, this is where skid steers get spendy real quick once you need to break into the hyd system.

There are many online places to get parts for the skid steers take some time to shop around.

 

 

 

Called bobcat today. Gotta get the control area taken apart. Said pretty much the same thing. The longer i go without fixing it the higher the chance ill have to replace the swash plate... $700!

Yeah I just bought a used Bobcat CT450 utility tractor and fixed a few minor issues and Bobcat is really proud of their parts, lucky for me mine is a Kioti / Daedong built machine disguised as a Bobcat so most all the parts can be sourced from them a bit cheaper as long as it doesn't have the bobcat emblem on the box prices are half the price. Found my tractor is pretty much a twin to the Kioti DK50SE model.

The guy at bobcat quoted me 150 for all new steering control parts. I just got the service manual for my skid steer on the web. What a wealth of information!

 

W&f, considering you are fleet manager, can motor oil and hydraulic fluid be mixed together? Saw the manual stating i can use motor oil in the hydraulic system! But it didn't say anything about mixing the two. 

I would not recommend it at all. Stay with a quality hydraulic oil, it is designed to protect and perform in a hydraulic system where as engine oil will work you will be sacrificing the component life and protection and absolutely do not mix the two. The additives can react and possibly cause other issues although rare i have seen things happen. If you were running a simple hydraulic system like a log splitter no problem but never on a hydraulic driven machine. In an emergency situation to get oil in it to get it out of harms way go ahead and then change it asap but don't run engine oil in it or mix it with hyd oil. 

If you do run an engine oil a straight 10w or a 0w20 are the only thing I would recommend.

In bulk the best hyd oil that most big mines including ours are using to get great performance and excellent component pump and motor life isa syn blend oil  called Produro 0w20 from petro canada.

http://www.pclube.com.my/lz_images/products/MSDS_produro5.pdf

 

But Of course I run Amsoil in everything I own, just swapped every cavity on my bobcat over to it as soon as I got it.

Considering I'm not used to gauging things by an hour meter and more by how many miles driven, im having some difficulty gauging fuel consumption compared to work performed. 

 

Im a bit concerned the engine is using allot of fuel? I was told to run the machine at full throttle when doing any work. It's at about 2500 rpm, full throttle. Any ideas to gauge something like this?

Although running at full throttle is good for the hydro system and cooling, you should still operate engine speed to match the work your doing, but still never lug your engine or run at a lower rpm to couse hydro whine.  You just need to find that sweet spot where you and your machine can run happy. 

 

What kind of work have have you been doing that requires full throttle all day,?that could be a big factor in fuel consumption, Do you idle back down when exiting the machine, or idle down if doing light work that doesn't require a lot of force? 

 

I have been running a log splitter off my Kubota,  I can run it just a little above throttle about 1700 rpm, for about 4 or 5 hours a day, It gives enough power for the splitting force I need to split a couple cords and I only use about a gallon of deisel.

I agree with the above statement, hydros need about 1/2-3/4 throttle at minimum to do anything and keep the system happy but above that depends on work load and how hard you are working it. With skidsteers its all about getting a feel for the machine and what it tells you while working with it. If you are stalling out the hydraulics and or drive system and it is whining you need more throttle.

9 minutes ago, 01cummins4ever said:

Although running at full throttle is good for the hydro system and cooling, you should still operate engine speed to match the work your doing, but still never lug your engine or run at a lower rpm to couse hydro whine.  You just need to find that sweet spot where you and your machine can run happy. 

 

What kind of work have have you been doing that requires full throttle all day,?that could be a big factor in fuel consumption, Do you idle back down when exiting the machine, or idle down if doing light work that doesn't require a lot of force? 

 

I have been running a log splitter off my Kubota,  I can run it just a little above throttle about 1700 rpm, for about 4 or 5 hours a day, It gives enough power for the splitting force I need to split a couple cords and I only use about a gallon of deisel.

The guy that bought my B2150 a couple weeks ago was not familiar with how hydrostatic transmissions worked either. He took it for a test drive and was wondering why the loader was so slow and the drive seemed so sluggish ect Had to walk him through the basics of a hydraulic driven hydrostatic machine as well and show him the difference in how they perform "or actually don't" when at low idle versus at half throttle or more then he finally understood and was a happy man and cut me a check for it lol.

I was doing snow removal with it over the weekend. And yes, anytime i exit it for something ill throttle it back down. 

9 hours ago, Wild and Free said:

 

The guy that bought my B2150 a couple weeks ago was not familiar with how hydrostatic transmissions worked either. He took it for a test drive and was wondering why the loader was so slow and the drive seemed so sluggish ect Had to walk him through the basics of a hydraulic driven hydrostatic machine as well and show him the difference in how they perform "or actually don't" when at low idle versus at half throttle or more then he finally understood and was a happy man and cut me a check for it lol.

I wish somebody would would buy mine ,then I would be forced to go in debt for a bigger one (lol) 

3 hours ago, hex0rz said:

I was doing snow removal with it over the weekend. And yes, anytime i exit it for something ill throttle it back down. 

Snow to plow already, the only snow we've had is usually gone before you can even get a plow to it, but that probably won't last much longer.

 

As far as your fuel consumption, I would think about a gallon an hour if your working it hard, other than Back off the RPM a little and you will probably see a cut in your fuel use 

 

I'm going to track it more and maybe pull the injectors too. Have them bench tested...

So i started working on the steering control repair. Got to the swash plate output shaft. The bobcat guy says the plate on top with the 4 bolts is the seal and i believe the diagram showed an o ring under it also.

 

I undid the bolts and hydraulic fluid started spewing out. So i put the plate back on but it's still leaking a drop or so every 5 seconds. Do i need to relieve pressure anywhere or is this a gravity feed situation? I Just don't want it sitting the whole time until i get the parts and then it has no fluid. 

 

Wasn't too bad to get the parts off. I pray i don't have to replace the swash plate. That would involve removing the engine just to get to the hydrostatic pump. Then tearing into the pump.

 

I should only be out a couple hundred for parts for a few different issues going on. 

 

Admittedly, because of my lack of knowledge in these machines i didn't buy something as ideal as i hoped for. But in all things, i seem to get many opportunity to learn the school of hard knocks. I suppose i should be used to that by now...

 

One more thing, maybe someone can answer. In warm weather, the machine would turn over fine. But now that it's been cold, i have to crank it 3 or 4 times to get it to fire. I'm going to physically check that the glow plugs are good. The indicator and countdown timer work on the displays...

Edited November 12, 20177 yr by hex0rz

You will have to drain the hydraulic tank down to below the level of the pumps otherwise it will leak as you found out. Once old o-rings are disturbed you are screwed they are usually either rock hard and crack or rotted out and fall apart I would not recommend running it until fixed now as you may introduce air and dirt and cause major issues plus if you do start it now may wind up with a major leak. You have a Kubota engine so if parked outside in the cold it will be normal to start a bit harder than usual. Still a good idea to check the glow plugs though. i like to check mine once a year or every other at least. I am sure you have a V2203 Kubota engine same as what I put in my L2850 kubota tractor but unsure if it is direct injected or indirect. If indirect you definitely need to keep up on the glow plugs as they start fairly hard even when its warm out. Indirect injected engine should pop off pretty easy without much glow plug action until around freezing temps.

Edited November 12, 20177 yr by Wild and Free

Yea I'm not running it again until i get the parts to fix it. Should get it up and going by next weekend. The unfortunate thing is the hydraulic tank is the highest point of the hydraulic system. The leak is seeping out around from the seal at the swash plate pintle. 

 

Yes the engine is a v2203 Kubota. Nifty little engine. Tell me everything i need to know about them! Injectors, injector pump and timing, what their weaknesses are and anything else you think you should add. 

19 minutes ago, hex0rz said:

Tell me everything i need to know about them! Injectors, injector pump and timing, what their weaknesses are and anything else you think you should add. 

 

The injection pump is part of the block. You have to tear down the engine to repair the injection pump or time it. I've worked on a smaller 23 HP Kubota a few years ago and seen how they are built very strangely. The one I tore down failed because the owner didn't know what an air filter was. Piston rings were gone and cylinders needed to be sleeved. Maintenance is key ot longevity for these little engines. 

 

So this picture you can see the empty block and the injection pump case on the side which you get to build yourself and time. 

 

No the engine doesn't need to be torn down to work on the pump. The pump actually is only held into the block with 6 bolts/stud nuts and 2 alignment dowels but one needs to remove the intake manifold which is easy to lift it out and timing is set by adding or subtracting shims from between the in injection pump and block housing, very simple and easy design. These are super simple little engines to work on and like mike said general maintenance is key they will give you a long life. The pump cam stays in the block. Just a couple linkage springs to unhook through the side linkage cover you see on the side and one on top of the gear case.

Edited November 13, 20177 yr by Wild and Free

Did a little bit at a time chipping away at the repair to the bobcat. Got parts in and fixed the leak. Took a bit of a learning curve on reassembly and adjustment. Got the controls neutraled out and adjusted. Stays in one spot now and the controls are like a night and day difference running them now. I still had the bobcat on jacks so i didn't get too much seat of the pants experience.

 

I lost allot of hydraulic oil waiting for the parts to come in. Gonna have to wait until i get more oil until i feel comfortable running it again. 

 

I checked the glow plugs with the DMM and they checked out. I still need to try and get a compression test and injectors tested.

 

I took the battery out and verified the cells and charge state. Battery was still good but i dunno for how long because no one pulled the stickers for the date codes...

 

One thing that bugged me was at idle or upon shutdown the machine made a nasty noise that sounded mechanical. It had something to do with the engine area as it went away with throttling up. So i had an inclination it was the drive belt tensioner. Unfortunately they don't have a constant tensioner feature so to speak. Eventually it loses tension and needs adjustment. Well, i got to that point and the dang thing couldn't tension. So i pulled it and spent an hour looking at it as to why it wouldn't. I said forget it and put it back in after greasing it and tried again. Finally, it takes a 4 foot long pry bar to get it to finally move. 

 

But boy, now that it's working right im convinced its helped with the idle rpms and it doesn't make that nasty noise at idle or on shutdown. 

 

Next thing i gotta work on is wheel seal replacements. 4 of these little dreamy things to replace.... boy i can hardly wait.

 

It seems like with me and all things i get involved in, i sure do learn allot with all these learning curves.