Cat 246 - Loss of Power

[01Time]

Thank you @ThreeCW for your persistence in getting me the examine the filter. While I haven't cut it open yet, I do believe the culprit has been confirmed. As soon as I removed the filter I recognized a small piece of plastic that made up the tubing I had dropped in the tank a while back.



It's so frustrating to know that if (a) I hadn't dropped it in the first place, (b) the strainer had been screwed on to suction tube, or (c) the tubing had been sucked into the suction tube the other end first (the other end wouldn't have fit past the transition from metal to rubber hydraulic tube) - this would have never occurred.

I remember reading in one of the threads about cleaning the system out, but it seemed that the amount of hours put into that would (financially) break me. What is the most reasonable method to cleaning out the system?

 

[apetad]

Just getting out here to work on this and here's what I'm seeing so far...

The sight glass read over MAX when I got here. I moved it to the shade to work on it and now I'm noticing the bucket being equally sluggish. After I ran it long enough to get under a tree, the sight glass is now showing between MIN and the bottom of the gauge.

I've got the ROPS up and I'm looking for the drain line. I guess the shade is too effective, because it's hard to see into the open bay and I can't seem to find it. I might just have to put it back in the sun just so I can see what I’m doing. (I guess the human eye doesn’t like such a divergence in lighting!). Plus, I don't think the drain pan I brought is going to fit underneath. I might need to use some southern ingenuity to figure this out.

It's the plastic pump coupler attached to the flywheel, teeth stripped, but still just enough of the pump turning to let it move a little bit

 

[01Time]

It's the plastic pump coupler attached to the flywheel, teeth stripped, but still just enough of the pump turning to let it move a little bit

I guess it could be something else, but it appeared to be the exact plastic of the tubing that fell into the tank.

 

[Steve Frazier]

If you don't find any metal particles in the filter you may have gotten away with it. If that's the case, no metal, I'd put a new filter on and try again, it may be the plastic clogged the filter enough to restrict oil flow. You never know....

 

[ThreeCW]

I remember reading in one of the threads about cleaning the system out, but it seemed that the amount of hours put into that would (financially) break me. What is the most reasonable method to cleaning out the system?

There is some pretty good flushing information start at post #39 of this thread:
https://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/threads/caterpillar-287-need-help-with-hydraulics-machine-moves-very-slow.80965/page-2

The flushing required is going to be determined by the type of failure. Give us an update of your trouble shooting.

 

[01Time]

I finally cut open the hydraulic filter. No metal particles visible nor were any picked up by a magnet. There was plastic in there though.



Since I changed the filter, it has a bit more power - but it's far from normal. My plan is to get it onto my trailer and take it into the shop.

 

[ThreeCW]

No metal in the filter is certainly good news! Let us know what the shop finds.

The plastic in your system is causing grief somewhere.

Do you have any idea how much hose got munched up?

 

[01Time]

No metal in the filter is certainly good news! Let us know what the shop finds.

The plastic in your system is causing grief somewhere.

Do you have any idea how much hose got munched up?

I don't really know how much of the plastic from the tubing got loose into the system. I think because the plastic was so thin, it just started to break down. It was a very thin plastic held in form by a wire structure. None of the actual tubing got sucked in, it's just that the plastic started to shed from the wire skeleton and it's hard to tell how much.

Guy called me and said he pressure tested the system and it lead him to the relief and pilot control valves. So he removed and cleaned them. Once he got it back together and started it up, it's now running as good as before! He checked the new filter I had just put on and he said there is plastic in there too, so I will be changing out the filter again. So, assuming this fix is permanent my bone-headed mistake cost me 10 hours of paid labor and some filters. Luckily https://shop.cat.com is offering 20% off filters this month with free shipping!

Best case scenario is that all the plastic has been removed. But if this problem returns, I'm hoping I now have the road map to repairing it myself. I guessing I'll just need to get a pressure gauge and plugs/caps to be able to do this myself, if needed?

 

[ThreeCW]

This was probably a once in your lifetime repair. I’m glad to hear that no other components were affected and you ended up with a happy ending.