How much to charge for this repair?

[Welder Dave]

We haven't seen pics. of the new repair yet.

 

[Dave101]

First thing I thought. What is the cost difference between a new linkage and OP's time to repair it? Figuring in downtime it cannot be cheaper to repair it unless a new linkage is not available.

Also moved this over to the wheel loader section.

It is available but parts like this are not on the shelf and are special order items. They probably need to be manufactured after ordering?..
Downtime is a huge expense! The project its working on is an investment and the investors are paying interest on a loan so every breakdown extends the completion date, and waiting 2+ weeks for a special order item can really add up when you have a couple of machines break on a big project. If the loader is not running it leads to a cascade of other machinery not being able to continue working and it adds up also.

My bad, I meant to put it in the loader section.

 

[Dave101]

If it's basically a flat plate with bushings on the ends could have a steel supplier cut a new one and then weld bushings on. Could have made it a little thicker but the looks of it too. Simple to cut and simple to make new bushings. The hardened internal bushings are wear items and should be readily available either OEM or aftermarket.

I have doubts about the repair but hopefully it lasts a little while anyway. I wouldn't stand near a loaded bucket. There could be a lot of liability there if it broke again. Even the slightest weld flaw or lack of penetration could lead to a crack and failure. If it was completely unobtanium and repairing was the only option, I at least would have got some help and removed it to weld on a bench. I had to weld the top swing mount back on my backhoe after it ripped off. I didn't have a choice but could make it stronger because it wasn't a full penetration weld. The bushing basically ripped out of the plate. Undercut around the factory weld didn't help. I V'd the plate on both sides so I could get deeper penetration welding the bushing back on. I had a 4 pass v-groove/fillet weld vs the factory single pass fillet weld (with undercut).

Yes it is flate plate with welded bushings. Simple but not so simple. Have you ever had to call around the metal suppliers and try to get an uncommon size and in something stronger than A36? Yeah they can get it, its halfway across the country or further, shipping standard mail is gets real expensive real fast, freight is 1 week or more + suppliers time to cut it, and your at 2 weeks just to get material.

The plate is easy, 2" x 6" available locally.
The bushing is around 8" OD x 6" pin is my guess. try finding some A572 or similar tube in that size. You'll spend all day calling around metal suppliers and sorting who can get it in less than 2 weeks.

 

[DDoug]

So how much did you charge ?

 

[Dave101]

So how much did you charge ?

Based on the hours it would have took from what some other members posted, it is about a 2 day job. Took me 15 hours not including drive time. (drive time is about 50 minutes one way)
I havent billed them yet, but think $1,500 is a fair price. (I do alot of work for this company so we're flexible)

 

[CM1995]

Downtime is a huge expense!

It always is. That's why I asked this -

Figuring in downtime it cannot be cheaper to repair it unless a new linkage is not available.

 

[Welder Dave]

I think you're doing a lot of assuming. I don't think the link or bushings are anything special. It did break after all. A shop I had make my wheel adapters typically orders 50W steel which is much stronger than A36. Good machine shops would have suitable bushing material and maybe the plate as well. It's not a very big piece. There would be hardened replaceable bushings inside the welded bushings. The link could have even been made out of thicker material to increase its strength. I don't think it would have cost much more than you charged to have a new link made and it wouldn't take much time to make. If downtime is that critical rent a loader till it's repaired. If the repair fails they're back to square one. Sometimes you have to carefully weigh if the best option is repair or replacement. It's not your fault the link broke and the machine is down. That link was very poorly repaired/butchered and should have never been put in use especially if they couldn't afford downtime. Anybody that's not even a welder could have seen that link would fail. Sorry, but I would have talked to some machine shops. You don't make much if a new link is made but you also don't have the liability if it breaks. If repairing was absolutely the only option, I would have at least taken it off the machine to attempt a lasting repair.