How to open up the track on a cat 235?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ส.ค. 2024
- I have this old Cat 235 excavator. I'm trying to figure out how to open up the track without buying the $6k Cat tool.
I made my own hydraulic tool for removing the pins of the hydraulic rams. I suppose I could make my own tool for doing the pins but I was hoping there would be a better way..?
I’ve seen people back the track adjuster off all the way and take the track off still connected. You can pull the idler out and reseal the adjuster and put the whole thing back on.
If the tracks are too tight to throw off you'll need to split them.
You'll need a big hammer , a long bar with a smaller diameter bar welded onto it at 90 degrees and a friend to hold it , plus gas to warm up the chain links and hit the sucker !!! Job done 👍
The easy way on older machines like this is to take off two shoes. Cutting the bolts off is easiest and fastest. Then using a cutting torch cut the link on both sides where it hugs the pin. Do a nice clean v cut . Spread the cut with a chisel and then drive the pin out. Back together just re assemble and then weld the v back up with 7018. You can weld the pin if your worried.
We've done this on a few older farm machines where it wasn't woth the effort to press the pin. And never had a problem and we're working in solid rock fill. Plus with what you paid cat you could have bought new aftermarket links with master links.
That scorpion crawling around that rail at around a minute 20 or 30 would have to find the flat end of a hammer first.
I bet I have changed about a hundred of those 235 track links. The company I worked for had 5 of them with junk undercarriage. All you need is a 20 pound hammer and a cutting torch and welder. In four hours I could change the track adjuster seal and have the track back on . Done it a bunch
remove two pads next to each other and torch out the pin about 1'' deep without hitting the link. do both sides like that and the pin will come with a air hammer. install a new pin but loosen the holes slightly or sand down the pin diameter.weld around the pin to keep it there.thats what works for me!
Awesome bro that was precisely the answer i was looking for thank you. So your saying they are flared at both ends so once you torch 1" out on each end it's not bound any more and the pin will knock out. Is it only flared at the ends and tapered or is the pin the same diameter is entire width?
I priced a track press that does up to about 2" pins. They wanted $10,000.00 bucks. So up to my local after market (not a dealer of any brand) and they just beat the pin put with a hammer and another punch type pick ax looking tool. It takes three guys, one big guy to swing the hammer, one to hold the punch tool in line with the master pin and one more guy on the other side holding a dead weight (very large sledge} against the chain link so that the pin absorbs all the energy from the guy swinging the heavy hammer against the pin.I came real close to buying that pin press because a local dealer wanted $600.00 bucks just to send out a service truck with the same hydraulic press to push out the pins and then I'd have to pay another $600.00 to push them back in when I finished changing the idlers. Got two Berco Idlers installed on a 40,000 lb machine for under $2,000.00 at the aftermarket equipment place. I really wonder why they didn't have a hydraulic press at the after market shop but I guess they are just old school tough mechanics that are so used to doing it with raw tools and they definitely have the knack down pat. When there is the will there is a way if your young and tough enough.
James P Bergeron I work at Berco of America. Which location did you get the idlers from? I work at the waukesha one.
We use an electric jackhammer with a blunt tip. One person works the jackhammer, the other holds the bit against the pin. You can put skid steer forks over the link and use a ratchet strap to help hold the jackhammer up as well if necessary
I would love to know why they use such pins in the first place and not a simple bolt and nut setup.
I converted my track to carry a 1" grade 8 bolt and lock nut instead of the master link. I have a small 345 crawler, but I wonder if it would work on a larger tracked unit as well.
Hasn't wore out yet...
I'd see if I can break the track bolts loose first, and if that fails, take a torch to the bolts on the underside of the pads. Once you have the 2 pads removed on the master link, take your torch, or a bronco gun and cut the pin until it gets loose in the bushing
"childishly easy". I laughed. Not at you the person who posted this but at the service tech who said that. He obviously had a pretty good sense of humor that day. It's not that simple sometimes of being " easy".
The 4th yr apprentice at our yard took out the master pin and removed the left idler and spring assembly on a Kom. PC228 in about 2 hrs last Saturday. Not that hard.
12 lb sledgehammer and a dolly in a sliding collar should be enough to drive it out. Turn the track around to the idler and get a friend to hold the collar while you lay into it with the sledge. It may need some heat, if thats not enough to move it, you will need to get a bit more serious and gas cut the pin and put a new pin in when you put it back together.
A lot of spray lube, a heavy sledge hammer, and find a hardened pin a bit smaller then the master link pin. Oh, you'll also need a trusting 2nd person to either swing the sledge hammer or hold the piece of steel to knock out the master link pin. Endurance!
A track adjuster seal is NOT a reason to take a machine out of service. Simply use a hand jack to get the front idler tight, (and subsequent track) then place a sufficient piece of steel jammed in place to hold it tight until you have other issues with the track. This will get you by until you have further issues and truly need to open up your track. Not being disrespectful, just wish to see you off and digging!
Thanks! yea it sure is a lot of work for just a seal :(
It is not that bad actually. I tried a variety of ways to open up my track but a sledge hammer and drift pin worked the best. It took a bit of time, an hour or so but knocked the master pin out eventually. I then found some used parts (my idlers were bad), but tomorrow my bulldozer should be pushing dirt. With you though, I would jam a chunk of steel in there and go to work. I did not have that option. It honestly is not that bad. Its just when you think it will never go...it does.
One thing, be wary of using heat. Best to use a sledge hammer and drift pin.
+Travis Johnson this machine doesn't have a master link so that's what makes it more difficult. I was able to sledge the pins from the hydraulic rams but not the track.
I remembered that there is a big spring in series with the tensioner presumably to absorb shock loads. that was one of the reasons I decided against propping it. but maybe I'm over thinking it
That is not a bad idea. I have an old Kobelco 904D which has a bad track adjuster seal. If I can 'get in there' to see how to get the steel piece in place to keep it tight, I will try it. The inspection I did a few days ago didn't reveal any way to do it b/c it is encased in a square tube but will check again.
i use my fifty ton push pull screw puller made big plate to push pin through use one inch impact 175air pressure hammer away used to use big jackhammer
Thanks for the video and all the responses were a huge help. But how much did it cost for cat to fix it. $14,500!? What currency is that, I hope not USA.
Need part 2 of the video I have a 235 that needs the same repairs and can't find repair video for 235
I ended up taking it to Cat LOL
I don't think you need to break the chain to rebuild the tensioner. Most of them just have four bolts holding the cylinder in place, pull it out, rebuild, reinstall. No big deal.
Maybe on the newer machines you don't , but on this one it's inside the housing and it needs to slide out the front. You open up the track to slide the idler pulley out the front and the ram comes out with it. I saw the cat technicians did it that way as well.
turn the track so the master pin is sitting in the sprocket teeth. look at the pin and make sure there are no welds holding it in. get a oxy/acetylene torch and heat the link around the pin and drive the pin out with a smaller diameter hardened steel pin and big sledgehammer. For track work you should have a torch set and a "Slide Sledge". I work alone and it works for me. Torch set might cost around 800 and another 300 or so for the slide sledge. cheaper than six grand.
+Thomas Hare The problem is that this machine doesn't have a master link. The pins are insanely tight. I brought it to cat and they said they used a 100 ton press to do it
it don't matter now but why not use the torch and blow out a pin and put a pin to use as a master. every track has a master pin. that one with the dimple is usually it. so if it was that stuck just cut it out with a torch and install a new one. I had to do that with my liebherr shovel. my master pin was seized
+Thomas Hare yea I asked them if they could do that while they had it apart. they said there are kits for some types of tracks but they couldnt find one for this track. well hopefully it will be good for the next 20-30 years. I only use the machine for personal projects so it doesn't see many hours
+Thomas Hare yea I asked them if they could do that while they had it apart. they said there are kits for some types of tracks but they couldnt find one for this track. well hopefully it will be good for the next 20-30 years. I only use the machine for personal projects so it doesn't see many hours
+Thomas Hare yea I asked them if they could do that while they had it apart. they said there are kits for some types of tracks but they couldnt find one for this track. well hopefully it will be good for the next 20-30 years. I only use the machine for personal projects so it doesn't see many hours
i have the same problem, looking for the master pin and the same ring on the pin as you
did you manage to fix your problem, the bearings have gone on the front idler on ours
that looks like a paper wasp nest, if it is we have them here in Australia
john rabbitt I ended up having Cat do it.
One piece of advice I can give you, they charge about the same rate for a service truck to come to you than they do to send a heavy haul truck to pick the machine up. But their shop rates are lower in their shop than in the field. And, if any unexpected parts break, with the service truck they need to drive back and forth to pick up parts , and they charge you every minute of it. So as counter-intuitive as it may seem, it is usually cheaper to bring the machine to them than to have them come to you.
castirondude yes that frightens me too
knares2 yes one time they quoted me 4500 for a field repair and it ended up being like 14500.
castirondude z
built a c clamp with a bottlejack on one side
I did something like that but I clearly undersized it. stopped the ram dead in its tracks without moving the pin
+castirondude ouch
We cut the link and weld the pin back in. Easy pleasey
What did you do ? I'm curious .
Had cat pick it up, fix it and drop it off to the new place. It was not too expensive actually. Maybe 4k total including moving it breaking the track repacking the cylinder and bringing it to the new place
Of course that was like 8-9 years ago surely it would be more expensive now
@@castirondude Do you have vid of reassembly of the 3412 and install in the r.v. ???
@@zephyrkincaid1177 I got side tracked building an addition to the house. I have the short block just about done , need to get back to working on it !!
@@castirondude Can't wait ! Thanks 👍👍👍
Remove the entire track?
this is basically how it's done th-cam.com/video/gPN6ML88FkM/w-d-xo.html