My first track loader!

[boone]

Hi jason, glad to see another 175 owner on the board. Wish I could help with your problem. I'm sure someone on here or redpower might know. Keep us posted, I might be fighting the same type issue in the future.

Finally got a Saturday to work on the loader. It was one of those Alabama days - hot and sticky.

First order of business was removing the rear main seal we had previously installed. We mistakenly installed the AG/truck seal not knowing there were two types.

The one on the left is the double lip, double spring, National seal for wet housings. The one on the right is the AG seal, minus the wear ring.



Bolted the seal installer guide to the crank and slipped the new seal on.



Put the seal driver on and started turning the nut. I don't know how you'd do this without this tool. We were fortunate enough to be able to borrow one from a good friend.





Installed front cover and motor mount yoke.

 

[boone]

The flywheel threw us for a loop. We'd get it on and get all the bolts in but two which wouldn't be lined up. Come to find out that the distance between a couple of the bolt holes are different, which is hard to see with the eye. The flywheel only goes on one way. We finally had to use a caliper to measure bolt hole distances so we could match up the flywheel to the crank. Guess this is for balance. I don't remember the manual mentioning this.



My brother and his father-in-law dropped in just in time to help. Everything went pretty smooth except mating up to the torque converter - this took several tries. We finally used some long pilot bolts to marry the bellhousing up to the torque converter. Once we got everything lined up, including the teeth, we pushed the motor forward and together it went. Talk about a sigh of relief. It's safe to say, alot easier taking out than it was putting in! Dad's quote was, "next time we're hiring this done."







One more day of assembly and I think we'll be ready to test fire...

 

[boone]

Almost there

Just got in from working on the loader. Ran into a couple of snags and so we didn't get to crank it today. We'll need another day at least. I'm beat :sleeping

 

[yellowrosefarm]

Everything is looking good. I just noticed that your turbo is in back of the exhaust outlet whereas mine was toward the front. It's interesting the subtle differences there are in these machines.

 

[upbrakie]

Fantastic thread! Your so close now! Keep up the great work!

 

[Goldtrigger]

Boone, great series of posts. I recently bought a really beat up 175B, unknown year. Engine/transmission/undercarriage appears to be solid. After about 2 hours of use, we found the radiator is leaking and we knew when we bought it the starter was cranky.

How much do you think the radiator weighs? We have to pull it as our first big project.

 

[yellowrosefarm]

I'd say about 400lbs. I had to use my forklift to handle mine. It was $2000 to recore, and that was before copper got so expensive.

 

[boone]

Thanks guys... congrats on getting your 175 goldtrigger. At least you got to use yours before your first big project I'd say yellowrose is probably right on the money with the radiator weight. We used a Kubota L2550 with the same boom you've seen in the pictures to lift the whole front assembly out minus the oil cooler. It's about all the litle Kubota could lift...heading up an incline was steer with the brakes.

One thing to watch if you remove the front with a chain or cable is to watch the fan clearance. We were afraid of driving the radiator into the fan when installing. Mainly because our chain lift point was closer to the front which caused the radiator to tilt backwards just slightly. I have a pic if that doesn't make sense.

 

[Goldtrigger]

Radiator Lift

Boone and Yellowrose, thanks for the information. That was what i suspected. I have access to medium sized Kubota so we should be able to lift it. Problem I have now is the starter has completely failed and we may have trouble getting the bucket up! Getting the starter out with the bucket down is going to be a real chore!

 

[yellowrosefarm]

You can take it out from the bottom by taking one of the belly pans out. Make sure the battery is disconnected (hopefully your disconnect switch to the right of the seat still works) then take out the bolts holding the starter to the bellhousing, then once its out disconnect the wires. When reinstalling, connect the wires first, then put it up in the hole. At least that's what I did. The used engine I got came with a 12V starter with the tag painted over. It didn't take too long running it on 24V before I was in the same position you are in.

 

[Goldtrigger]

Yellowrosefarm, thanks for the info. I haven't looked at the belly pans yet, guess i will figure out how to jack the Beast up a bit and see what the underside looks like. Hopefully, they aren't welded on as some have reported.

 

[yellowrosefarm]

With a little shoveling and a tarp, I didn't have to jack up the machine. Just try to put all the tools you think you'll need within reach. Crawling back and forth to get tools isn't much fun. BTDT

 

[boone]

Great suggestions Yellowrosefarm. We preinstalled the starter, but had to take it off before installing the engine. Once the engine was in, we went in from the top with the starter. But there should be plenty of room underneath to do it.

We've used plywood, floorjack and an impact gun to take the pans off/on. Maybe you'll have goodluck getting the pans out. The only one we had trouble with was the front little pan...still can't get it off.

 

[roda]

looks real nice

 

[Goldtrigger]

We will take a look Sunday or Monday. It is so blasted hot here now, we have to go at it at day light and quit by about noon. One option we have considered it using my 4 ton winch on the front of my truck with a doubler, coming over the top so-called ROPS on the Beast and pull the bucket up and blocking in place. Problem will be scuffing the winch cable and picking up the truck vs the bucket. First option will be to try one last time to get the starter to engage, then come in from the bottom, then the winch.

 

[alandownunder]

goldtrigger. if you have a tractor with remote hydraulics connect hose to lift cylinder to lift bucket. i would first turn crankshaft via the fan might have to tension belts .engine stops in same spot on flywheel (1 in 4) , teeth more than likely rounded if starter spins but does not engage. a 12 volt chain saw sharpener will clean teeth up on fly wheel and a new bendix drive for starter motor hope this helps alan

 

[Goldtrigger]

alandownunder, you were correct. we turned the crankshaft with the fan, it kicked over and after several attempts, we finally found the sweet spot and she started. We have her braced up now and once she cools down, we will pull both the starter and the radiator. She overheated after about an hour, boiled the radiator out. So we have another problem. Don't you just love this old equipment! Boone, we figured out we can get in from the bottom, but we are working on dirt. Like you, we have a lot of junk in the bottom of the pans.

 

[alandownunder]

good to hear she fired up, did you check the radiator to see if water was circulating in radiator, i had a cat30 that kept overheating turned out to be the impeller stuck, the fan was turning on shaft she got hot enough to drop the valve seats. alan

 

[Goldtrigger]

Alan, not sure. The fan is turning, all looks good. Radiator has a leak, which seems to be the problem.

Boone, we have taken over your thread so I am going to make my own thread today and show a picture of by Beast. Thanks bearing with me.

 

[boone]

Goldtrigger, no problem at all. Thanks for the update. Glad to hear you got it started and the bucket up. That will make working on it much easier. It can take a good while to get that junk out underneath. Having the engine out really helps you get everything but I wouldn't recommend it Does yours have a shroud around the fan? Ours doesn't and I'm not sure if it comes with one.

Not much has happened on our end. Been busy with other stuff. We're on the lookout for plate that goes over the optional crankcase breather hole located above the oil cooler. Our application uses the top breather. We forgot to take the old plate off the other engine. :Banghead Also the oilcooler on the side of the engine has a different size fitting and angle and so we've had to round up some brass fittings to replumb it. Unfortunately, the pipe coming down to the cooler is rigid so we might have to change this to something more flexible. Hopefully, we'll be back on it this Saturday...we're wasting good weather.