580k-ck

[AU.CASE]

Hi all,

Really puzzled by this ex Government machine I've bought!

In the cab was a new bottle of brake fluid, ok Case still use Hydraulic brakes in 1995 production.

After a good clean under the fill hatch / upright cover I planned to change the brake fluid.

To my surprise the master cylinder is filled with TCH!

The blue cap / ventilator has had the fluid specification over stamped with TCH by the service people [last dated in October 2009].

What gives?

Is this a CASE standard for this machine?

Or is it a mod?

The brakes work really well, just toe pressure seems to be ok so far.

 

[AU.CASE]

Bolt not noticed!

Hi all,

Whilst giving the machine a good clean out to keep any weeds where I can control them, I noticed a lot of mud in the right guard.

Bit more washing and found that the rear axle bolt was topped at the chassis.

I went underneath when I was looking at this machine for missing / loose / glued in bolts.

This bolt was only held by side thrust and had been gone for a long time by the look of the rust. All four are going to go when we can afford to get over the purchase and the machine is keeping oil in the hydraulics - clam cylinders are bad!

Glad I found it early.

 

[willie59]

Good looking machine you have there AU.CASE.

Many Case hoes used TCH in the brake system. If it does, I sure hope someone hasn't put brake fluid in it, it will destroy the rubber components of the brake system.

That's a rather unique looking rear tire, haven't seen one with the small lugs between the long rib lugs before.

 

[mitch504]

That's actually a super k isn't it?, with the gearshift beside the driver instead of between his feet? In my opinion the SK is probably the best hoe ever made. SKs definitely use TCH in brakes. I think mainly in case you get a leak you won't be filling trans. with brake fluid. If you think there is a chance anybody added a little brake fluid I would immediately flush with TCH. ATCO is right, brake fluid is terrible on things not made for it.

Atco, I have seen that tread pattern advertised somwhere before, I think it was supposed to reduce treadwear when on road, by not having such a big gap,but not fill the gap and make useless off-road.

 

[willie59]

Atco, I have seen that tread pattern advertised somwhere before, I think it was supposed to reduce treadwear when on road, by not having such a big gap,but not fill the gap and make useless off-road.

That's interesting, I haven't seen one of those before.

 

[RHINOS TRANNYS]

There was a lable on the cap when the machine was new that was warning USE TCH ONLY

 

[alrman]

Make sure you replace BOTH those transaxle mounting bolts.
The one that hasn't broken has had a lot of exra load on it, & wont last long.
Rhinos is correct about the tag missing from the master cyl - I don't know how Case ever got away with using those blue caps with "use dot 3 " on them.
I would flush the brakes, as the brake fluid is heavier than mineral oil & the brake fluid goes straight down to the tranny - chances are if brake fluid has been used the damage has already been done.......

 

[AU.CASE]

Thanks all for the replies!

Yes it is a Super K with the gear lever in the RHS instrument cluster.

Concerned about the possibility brake fluid was added I popped out the rear floor and with a fair bit of difficulty ran a jet of clean oil out of the LHS brake which is a good start.

Am right out of TCH at present so will drain reservoir then give them both a good purge out to see what pipes off.

Yes thanks alrman, will change the transaxle bolts, the substitute was an old one from the dead axle of my 1150D and I always felt these bolts should go about every 2,000 hours or so just for reliability.

Will drop back about the fluid once I get a chance to flush it.

Next problem is a leaking LHS planetary gear housing, plus a bit of play in the king pin bearings, so it will need a rebuild, oil is clean so that is good.

Also noticed that all the grease nipples right across the machine took grease easily which probably says that it was maintained.

I found the front pivot would only accept grease if the front axle was off the ground.

 

[alrman]

I'd like to share a good story about 580SK transaxle mounting bolts.
I was a service supervisor for a case branch when SK's were new. Had a customer who every time he would ring, had a joke to tell me. This day he rang & asked if I could send someone out ASAP as his diff had just fallen out of his machine!
"Yer righto! that happens all the time HA HA, good one Jeff - tell me another one - HA HA!"
His reply - "I'm serious the *@#(ing thing has just fallen out ! I don't know how I'm still alive!" - his tone of voice helped convince me this story could be fact.......
Those huge transaxles are held in with just 4 of 1" x 9" long bolts - normally when one breaks, it sounds like a gun shot - he says he never heard any.
Well, he was contracted to the city council here - involves alot of road travel.
He was travelling down a substantial hill on a narrow one way road in one of our affluent suburbs, says he hit the brakes & whatever bolts that were left holding the axle in- let go...... if you have seen these transaxles, they are very front heavy. The front of it falls forward & shears everything out - driveshafts/BRAKE LINES/park brake cable/ cooling lines/ suction hoses _ everything! With the momentum of the machine it starts a cartwheeling effect as the transmission would tumble over & over & over - pivoting at the rear axles - every time the front hit the road it would drive the operators seat, straight up his spine. This lasted for a 100 metres or so.
The wheels contained the transaxle under the machine.
Imagine the ride, down a hill, kangaroo style ride, NO brakes, surrounded by BMW's, Mercedes Benz's, Alfa Romeo's.......
Says he lined up a pile of gravel - right next to workers smoko shed - & sent a tidal wave of rocks all over the place.
That diff smashed everything you could imagine under that machine - took us about 6 weeks to sort out the mess.
Moral of story ........ keep a vigilant eye on those 4 bolts! :drinkup

 

[mitch504]

After alrman's post I'm going to check those bolts before I get on next time.

Those steering knuckle bearings can have a fair amount of slack before they damage anything else. If you come up with a good way to get them apart when they are stuck let me know.

P.S. alrman, was it under warranty?

 

[Panmanm437]

I've got a 580-K no TCH-tag, but has the blue cap that is pictured in post #1 with "use dot 3" on it. Did Case do this to sell more parts? Somebody had some "dot 3" in mine, cost me some parts. "Dot 3" big no-no in these. I like Case backhoes but, "dot 3" should be ground off the blue cap. Mike, panman

 

[alrman]

Those steering knuckle bearings can have a fair amount of slack before they damage anything else. If you come up with a good way to get them apart when they are stuck let me know.

P.S. alrman, was it under warranty?

Yes, it was warranty - a loan machine was quickly made available also. Never found out how much it actually ended up costing to repair.

Steering knuckle bearings? Do you mean ball joints attatched to steer cyl?
If so, they can be a challenge to remove. There are some flats on the chrome rod - you need to grind down an open ended spanner quite thin to fit in the allowed space - thus losing alot of strength - but I've always managed to get them undone by locking that spanner against the axle housing & then giving a 2" open ender attatched to the ball joint, some sharp hits with hammer.

 

[drifter590sl]

i allways read the book

 

[mitch504]

American - Australian translator?

Steering knuckle bearings? Do you mean ball joints attatched to steer cyl?

I meant the bearings at the top and bottom of the steering knuckle that the spindle is attached to on a 4wd. You know, the little conical bearings that are under the boltdown caps at the top and bottom. All four of mine are siezed tight and I have run out of non-destructive ideas to get them out. When the wear gets a little worse I am going to take the torch to it if nobody has any better ideas.
By the way, I checked the rear end bolts on mine and they were fine. I had to check them cause I kept imagining myself taking one of those kangaroo rides into the swamp.
Thanks, mitch

 

[alrman]

Ahh yes, king pins - they are a problem. I've had some stubborn ones to remove, but have always managed without heat. Remove the bolts & flog them right near where the bolts go in (point of triangle flange) from one side & then back again - try to get some rotation happening - put some penatrating fluid in from cv area (for the lower ones) - then drive an old screwdriver in between the flanges & work your way up to a pair of chisels or steel wedges. Then yell at it a bit & be grateful your not stuck in an office somewhere!
Persevere... Persevere.... Persevere....................

 

[AU.CASE]

Hi all / alrman,

On the topic of the King Pin bearings, mine has a small amount of play on the left hand side, [assuming the bearings and cups are 'ok' when I strip it] is it the right approach to just 'shim it down' to preload the bearings again.

I imagine equal shims should be removed from both bearings to keep it concentric when setting it up?

Liked the transaxle story, keeping mine under light work until those bolts are in the bin, although I did break a 3/8" mild chain yesterday, snapped in in 1st reverse like a biscuit, whilst demolishing a big old chook run here on the station!

 

[AU.CASE]

Another thing I have noticed when the machine is at idle and in gear there is random and very brief burble from the transmission, sounds like air in a pump, goes away under low revs, machine might labour a bit when it happens, not sure, any ideas?

 

[alrman]

On the topic of the King Pin bearings, mine has a small amount of play on the left hand side, [assuming the bearings and cups are 'ok' when I strip it] is it the right approach to just 'shim it down' to preload the bearings again.

I imagine equal shims should be removed from both bearings to keep it concentric when setting it up?

Yes AU, that's correct, assuming that there are shims left to remove.......
You can normally see them hanging out of the flanges of the king pin posts.

Another thing I have noticed when the machine is at idle and in gear there is random and very brief burble from the transmission, sounds like air in a pump, goes away under low revs, machine might labour a bit when it happens, not sure, any ideas?

That's a standard feature of the SK transmission - nothing to worry about.

 

[mitch504]

That reminds me,my sk has a loud whine when it's in gear sometimes. Sometimes it will stop when you take the shuttle out of gear and put it back and sometimes it starts again. It sounds like a starved hyd. pump and seems to be coming from the torque converter housing. It started a day or two after I brought it home from the auction. I changed the fluid, cleaned the strainer, changed the filter,checked all the lines for dents and restrictions; then have just lived with the annoyance for ten years.

For the bearings; I have tried all the things you suggested combined with torch heating without any effect. When they or the loose cv joints get a little worse I will drill and tap the grease fitting holes larger to fit my 13 pound slide hammer and if that doesn't work I'll have to get more destuctive.
Thanks, mitch

 

[AU.CASE]

Hi all,

Have had the 'hoe in dock doing a few basic things to make me feel more comfortable to use it, I am a bit obsessed about oil staying in and dirt out!

Have put seal kits in the 4 in 1 clam cylinders and there is a couple of images of my home made gland spanner, which was last used on the 1150D main lift cylinders. Had to fire up the mill at one point as the centres were different and budge a bit of rust in one thread, but it did the job well.

Right now I have the LHS front planetary housing off and waiting for the weather to lift [yes actually raining in Australial ] so I can reseal it all. The main seal had been damaged with rust build up from salt atmosphere, yet the hard chrome underneath is still smooth which is the main thing.

Like all Case I have worked on, this machine is ultra easy to maintain, especially after I read the Service Manual.

On that topic I bought a SM from an ebay seller in the US. It is 'ok' has a lot of 'seller branding' right through it, doesn't cover the side-shift and later production changes in the 580SK, that I have found so far anyway.

I became a bit concerned that the primary air filter was damaged because it had a bulge under grey duct tape on the far end. It had been dropped and dated in October 2009 with 2141 hrs. I mentioned this a while ago to the dealer and he said the tape was seen occasionally but I have not seen filters with that tape until the new one came in from CNH with the tape I was surprised to see. So the dealer told me the truth which helps. Also the safety was nicked and it will be changed too, just in Case.

Will get some images of the planetary rebuild if weather permits.