ASV RC50 - Bucket Cradle + Cylinder Pins and Bushes.

 PHASE TWO - Replace pins and bushes.

This is the bucket cradle - all the bushes worn out and pins shot.

We machined new bushes to suit - bored them to size and welded into place.

Bushes welded into place and then reamed to suit the new pins.

Pins slide into new bushes, all ready for assembly.

Like Hannibal says " I love it when a plan comes together."

Now we start on the worn out bucket cylinder rams.

Both side are worn beyond repair.

And so we have a plan.

for the rod ends we will fabricate new bushes and weld them onto the rods 

after removing the old ones.

Easy said!  Of course.!!

4 x round bar ready to be machined on the lathe.

Ready to be welded onto the rod ends.

Next we execute the old rod bushes - leaving the rod only.

We prep the steel for a low hydrogen weld and coat the rod with anti-splatter.

The executed rod end and the cylinder ends.

A patient weld - and the rod end bush is mated to the rod.

Next is the cylinder ends on the bucket cylinders.

Here the plan was to machine the worn-out hole larger and press fit a new bush into place.

Worked like a dream.

New bush - New pin.

For the load arm cradle cylinder ends we had a challange.

They wee so worn that there was not enough meat to machine a bore for a new bush.

So after execuing the cylinder ends we came up with this plan.

Two eyes were machined on either end of a lenght of flat bar.

These were then machined off and welded to the cylinders.

The machined eye - ready to be welded to the cylinder.

Job done! Eye welded into place.

Only thing left is to hone the cylinders before assembly + fit new seals.

All assembled and back on the machine.

Ready for the next few years of hard work.

Top-end of the bucket cylinders.

Bucket cradle all assembled and in place.

ASV RC50 - Pins and Bushes on the Cradle Arms.

 RC 50 ASV Skid Steer Loader has a very worn set of pins and bushes.

This week starts off with removing the cradle and replacing all the pins and bushes.

Here is a clip of the free play between the pins cradle bushes.

Check the slop in these bushes.

The RC50 has had the bucket arms and cylinders removed - 

Ready to remove the loader cradle.

And off come the cradle - now we inspect the damage.

Many years of hard work and abuse and this pin is worn-out.

Chech the wear in the bush - more than egg shaped.

The hydraulic ram is not much better - here the eye has retired.

We start removing the old bushes by grinding away all the welding with the trusty 9"

A little more tricky this one - Not at all , just a mild challenge.

Notice the internal webbing, welded to the bush!

How do we tackle this?

Now the web is free from the bush!

Next we drive out the old bush -

Ready to accept the new Terex bush.

This is the genuine bushes supplied by the manufacturer.

Slid into place and ready for the weld.

Great fit Buddy!

And so the welding begins, the fun part.

We have folded a flat bar around the front of the arm and welded it up

in a bid to strengthen and support the bushes.

Worked like a dream.

Cradle bushes welded into place.

End Side of the cradle, capped off to strengthen the arm.

This is what the job looked like after assembly.

The top view of the bucket bushes and the shiny part is the new perches made for the cylinders.

Read bbout this watr of the job in the next post.

Excavator Dipper Arm Repair - Bush Replacement.

The dipper arm on any excavator takes a lot of punishment, 

Even with good lubrication an regular servicing something has to wear-out.

on this Kobelco SR35 the time has come to have the bosses machined out and replaced with new ones.

After removing the dipper arm from the excavator, the arm was secured to the mill bed.

Some rough cuts to make way for the new bosses.

 Final machine cut to size.

Machining the opposite end.

 Turning the new boss that will be pressed into the dipper arm.

This approach was adopted because the boss and bushes were so badly worn that simply replacing the bushes would have made no improvement.

Boss turned and ready to be pressed into the dipper arm.

New bush that runs inside the boss.

All pressed together and in the bottom you can see the new bush.

Dipper arm like new.

Only one way - the right way.