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Cat 215B LC Excavator (SN 9YB01651) - Looking for info and advice

ksliger

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2023
Messages
150
Location
Tennessee
Greetings, I own an old Cat D7E, a 977L and an original D5. I am rather fond of these older Cats and have been wanting a 215 or 225 excavator for a while. The other day while driving down the road I spotted an old Cat 215 sitting at an excavation and trucking business near me. On a whim, I called them and inquired about it. The gentleman I spoke to said that it didn't have any batteries in it and hadn't been started in a couple of years. I asked if it had any other issues and he said that it had a broken sun gear on one side and he said the final drive would need to be repaired. He told me that they put a new hydraulic drive motor in it a couple of years ago and then not long afterwards the sun grear broke. He said that everything else works to his knowledge. I have watched some videos and studied up on this a bit and I am thinking about trying to buy this as a project machine. As seen by the SN tag, it has the venerable 3304 DI engine. I plan to go up there with some batteries sometime soon and get her running. I am wondering if anyone can tell me the year of the machine based on the serial number? Any overall thoughts about the Cat 215B LC? There's an awesome youtube video here of a guy rebuilding the final drive of a 215 with a broken sun gear. I've never done that before but I might just be crazy enough try try. Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Also, by chance does anyone have the manuals for this on PDF?

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Last edited:

Nige

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2011
Messages
38,597
Location
G..G..G..Granville.........!! Fetch your cloth.
I am wondering if anyone can tell me the year of the machine based on the serial number?
Built January 1986.

Parts availability, both OEM, aftermarket, and used ought to be fairly reasonable. A Parts manual would be key in searching so that you can search for specific Part Number(s).

Also, by chance does anyone have the manuals for this on PDF?
No, but I can at least give you the Cat Publication references. For machines from that era pdf manuals are likely to be few and far between.

Parts Manual - HEBP1487.
Service Manual - SENR3035. Here's one on eBay
 

ksliger

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2023
Messages
150
Location
Tennessee
Built January 1986.

Parts availability, both OEM, aftermarket, and used ought to be fairly reasonable. A Parts manual would be key in searching so that you can search for specific Part Number(s).


No, but I can at least give you the Cat Publication references. For machines from that era pdf manuals are likely to be few and far between.

Parts Manual - HEBP1487.
Service Manual - SENR3035. Here's one on eBay
Thank you!
 
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