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Bought a Drott 3330. Question

guitarbrian

Member
Joined
May 20, 2023
Messages
6
Location
AZ
I need to check and top up the transmission/forward reverse box. In any gear, it will move a little, but then it stops. Maybe an inch. I think it feels like something is out of fluid. Or pickup tube is clogged... How do I even get to the top of the transmission? There is not much room under there. I was looking today, and maybe remove the front deck? That would open up some space towards the front, but the transmission seems to be smack under the turntable.... Anyone know where I can find a service manual? I found an few online for the 85rm2... But no idea if it different enough to be of no use. Those are pdfs and ~20. Theres service manuals on eBay for ~300... thats a lot, and one is for the wrong serial range, I sent a message to the other, waiting to hear if its the older 3330...

The engine runs real good, but found out it is getting diesel in the oil... so that is going to be a project. The whole thing is a project.

Hydraulics are kind of working, the turn table swings, and the winch works, boom extends... but haven't gotten the outriggers to move yet. They are on a switch system. I don't have any questions yet about this, I'll worry about that later.

I want to be able to move it first.

Only other info I have is it's a Case 188d, and 3 speed trans, with a foot pedal to shift from F/N/R. Year seems to be 1978.

Any info on where to find the trans filler/dipstick would be much appreciated.
 

Coaldust

Senior Member
Joined
May 9, 2011
Messages
3,286
Location
North of the 60
Occupation
Cargo Tanks, ULSD, RUG, Methanol, LPG
Sorry about your broken Drott money pit, but welcome to the HEF, new guy. Good to have you. We’ll need some pictures. What’s your plan with it?
 

guitarbrian

Member
Joined
May 20, 2023
Messages
6
Location
AZ
This started because I was walking around the auction yard, and saw this had a Case 188d motor. I have a Case 580B Backhoe, with the 188 gas engine. It runs alright, but after some research, it looks like the 188d diesel will be a mostly drop in replacement if it dies on me. It's in good operating order, and I have a lot of projects around the property, so I'm keeping it for the long term. My interest in this was partly if I can't make it into something, I'll save the engine and part out/scrap the rest. But after looking at it, the machine is in really good shape, so I think I'll try and get it going. Especially if its just seals and such. If I hit a real problem, I'll probably circle back to the original plan.

On the other hand, it's still at the auction yard, and part of me is tempted to just have them run it in the next auction... It'll probably go for less, but I have a lot of projects already... I paid just under 3k for it. A little disappointing to find diesel in the oil, but the 188d looks like its a sleeve engine, and I've replaced sleeves/pistons/rings before and that doesn't scare me. No metal in the oil, it was just very thin and smelled like diesel. I don't know how else diesel would be getting in the oil... It has to be rings, right? Motor doesn't smoke much, I didn't check blowby, there's a vent tube on the valve cover that I wiggled, I think it will just pull off, and I can see how much blowby I'm getting. Can't really speculate, well I can hahah, diesel in the oil is a injector/piston/rings problem??

I put fresh oil in it, fixed a coolant leak, and it fired right up, sounds really good.

Any idea how much it weights? I've got a trailer that I'm comfortable up to 11k lbs, I'd like to get it moving under it's own power to load/unload/maneuver. So now I want to make sure theres fluid in the trans. When put in gear, it engages for a second, but it feels like it's not picking up enough fluid, and the clutches are disengaging. Looking at the closest service manual pdf I could find, there's a fill plug on the right side... so there's hope that I can find it, just not much space under there.

You can search it up on Ritchie Brothers, might need to be logged in. https://www.rbauction.com/1978-CASE-3330?invId=13813172&id=ar&auction=PHOENIX-AZ-2023192

It's the only Drott that sold in the last May 3rd auction here in Phoenix, so you can find it under past sales as well. I also found it still on eBay... Which is interesting, since it's sold. The only Drott 3330 for sale, it's got some really poor photos, but it looks like that is where it sat for a good long while.

The pictures look worse, since it's sitting on 2 flat tires... The machine isn't beat up, and no rust out here in the desert.

I fixed up the tires, so its sitting level and after replacing an inner tube, the tires will be usable for a while.
 

skyking1

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 3, 2020
Messages
7,465
Location
washington
the fuel in the oil is not rings. There is probably nothing much wrong with that engine besides the injection pump seal.
There is a guy here who knows these and many other pumps, @thepumpguysc
He and others would help you get that sealed up.
 

guitarbrian

Member
Joined
May 20, 2023
Messages
6
Location
AZ
Thank you for the info, that makes a lot of sense. Since it idles and sounds so good. I just resealed a CAV/DPA injection pump, which wasn't too hard. This looks very similar, but isn't keyed, so I'll have a few extra steps when taking it in and out.
 

guitarbrian

Member
Joined
May 20, 2023
Messages
6
Location
AZ
Well I brought it home the other day. It's heavy. I had some issues with the trailer, so it was a sloooow ride home, but I made it, and now to get it moving under its own power. I found the fill plug for the F/N/R box. Getting a wrench on it, and then somehow fluid up there is another story... They didn't make these easy to work on.

I am in the thinking stage on the injection pump... I've watched the videos on how to get it set on the timing mark, but man is that going to be hard. There is no way to really see in the inspection window, and only about 3 inches of clearance before the frame is right there. Maybe I can use a camera or something, but seeing others, and how faint that line is, it's going to be tough. Probably pull the valve cover to at least get close to TDC, then start looking for that mark. Just thinking out loud... typing
 

guitarbrian

Member
Joined
May 20, 2023
Messages
6
Location
AZ
Well no good news. The F/N/R box has fresh oil, and metal filings in it. Not a CRAZY amount, but the first few onces I drained out were nice and sparkly.

So.

Anyone have a general idea what I good running Case g188d engine is worth? Nothing is listed, or sold on eBay, but I'm not sure where else to look. I was thinking around 2k, but that's how I ended up at 3k in the machine in the first place. Hopefully I'm not way off. I wouldn't sell the motor, as I said before, I'll keep it for a backup in my 580B backhoe, but if it's worth 500, then I might reconsider, and just put the whole thing back in the auction.

The main components look good, turn table, hydraulic winch, etc. I sell on eBay, but with nothing listed or sold, I just don't know what any of it is worth, and if it would even be worth taking the time to save the parts before scraping, if I go that route. Thinking I'd save the deck, it will make a nice work table.

Anyone know someone that buys parts machines here in metro Phoenix?

Or I found parts/rebuild kit for the FNR box. I've rebuilt one automatic transmission, and it's still going in my truck, so this looks relatively simple... Depends on what's wrong, but can't know that until tearing into it... And should the torque converter be replaced/rebuilt? Hmmm... Lots of questions that I don't even know the questions to ask. Maybe there's something to learn before I pull it, pressures etc?
 
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