Newbie Maintenance Questions ....

[Gixxer600]

Hi everyone. I just bought my first machine! : )

I recently bought 73 acres of land that we will live on. We plan to clear an area for a house, barn, and then a few fields. The land is mostly brush with some very small trees (4" or less). The rest I want to keep and there are not that many that are larger anyway.

I wasn't "in the market" for a bobcat but the right deal came along and I couldn't resist. Got a swinging deal on an 08 T300 with hi-flow and ac cab, etc. (Also a grapple bucket was included).

So .. I picked it up today and took it straight to the carwash (I am sure the carwash owner appreciated that! lol) it was nasty with tons of crap caked inside the tracks.

So tomorrow will be the first time I take it off the trailer and actually use it. When I picked it up the seller had driven it to GA from TX for me and we moved the trailer from his truck to mine and I drove off. So I don't even know anything about the machine yet!

I want to make sure I do everything I need to do to make sure this machine is in tip top shape. I know I should grease "everything" but am not sure what "everything" is. I was wondering if there is a maintenance checklist that I could use to make sure I do everything I need to do to this machine before I start heavily using it.

Thanks for any advice, tips, etc!

Craig

 

[willie59]

Haven't worked on a T300, but have most other Bobcat models. Check your hyd level. Should be a sight glass on the left side of the machine above the track. All the loader arm component pins have a grease fitiing. No fittings on anything on the innards of the machine. Be sure and check the attachment lock pins on the coupler. If they haven't been used for a while, they can get stuck.

 

[Gixxer600]

Get ready to make fun of me ....

What is a coupler? :-D

How many places on the machine would you estimate I need to grease? I want to make sure I get them all.

Also, is changing the oil or any filters something I can do myself? As to hydrolic fluid will anything do or do I need a certain kind? If I am using something different from what is already being used in the machine can it mix or do I need to drain it first?

Complete newbie here. I am mechanically inclined but have never owned a machine. Want to make sure I do things right. I figure if I take care of this thing it will last me forever.

One more thing, the front door is missing because it was damaged sometime in the past. Best way to get a replacement?

 

[willie59]

Naw, ain't gonna make fun of ya. You don't know if you don't ask.

The coupler is the plate on the front of the machine that attaches various attachments (bucket) to the machine. If you have a "Bobtach" it has a hyd cylinder that operated the attachment locking pins, if not, you'll have two levers to operate the locking pins. There's a grease fitting on the side of the coupler to grease these pins. You might have to search for it, and the hole the fittings are in may be clogged with dirt hiding the fitting, very common.

Changing the oil is not hard. You should have a hose that comes off the bottom of the oil pan to drain the oil. It will have a #8 JIC cap on it, takes a 7/8" wrench to remove it. Make sure you let the engine warm the oil, otherwise it takes forever for oil to drain out of hose. Use 15W/40 diesel engine oil.

You can use AW46 hyd oil. You can find it at most oil suppliers or NAPA stores. Is the hyd filter at the rear of the machine, located to the right of the engine up high with like a funnel plate beneath it?

As far as machine parts, aside from filters and undercarriage, there's not much aftermarket Bobcat parts. You'll have to go to Bobcat and get a door.

 

[Gixxer600]

Ahh that makes sense now. : ) (Coupler).

Mine has the Bobtach ... and I will search for grease fittings.

As to changing the oil, do you know how many quarts it takes? (assuming it comes in quarts). As to the filter if I go to napa will they be able to look it up or do I need to figure out the model before hand?

What about fuel filters?

I will have to look for the hyd filter I will have to look where you say to look tomorrow.

Dealer is the only place to get the door? Grr.

 

[willie59]

Bobtach...cool. We couldn't do without one as we handle so many attachments with our machines. Tilt the coupler forward a little and search on the side of the coupler a few inches above the coupler pivots. You'll find about a 3/4" hole with a fitting in the center of it. It may be packed with dirt. Then there's a fitting on the back of each coupler pivot. Every pin on the loader arm components has a grease fitting.

Oil? Can't remember. Got too many numbers in my head. Probably going to be somewhere between 1 3/4 gal to 2 1/4 gal, but can't remember for sure. Most Bobcat filters are available from aftermarket suppliers, like Wix or NAPA. Just write down the filter number off of the filters and your NAPA store can cross them to their filter, which is a Wix filter.

You only have one fuel filter. It will be the lowest filter mounted on a bracket. You'll see it and the oil filter when you open the rear door.

Most Bobcats have the hyd filter in the rear. To the right and high when you open rear door. Some have them under the cab. Haven't worked on a T300 so I don't know which you have. If it's in the rear area, cool. You'll have a plate under the filter which funnels oil down the plate so it doesn't make a big mess. Unscrew filter slightly and let the oil drain down the plate. I attach a funnel at the end of the plate held in place with a piece of tie wire to direct the oil into a pan, then use starting fluid to clean oil from plate when new filter is installed, don't even get a drop of oil on the machine.

You could do a search at Machinery Trader, used parts/dismantled machines for a used door. Never know...you might get lucky.

 

[KSSS]

I think you will want to find an owners manual and read it from front to back.

 

[Gixxer600]

Amen to the manual! Where is the best/cheapest place to get one?

 

[Timark80]

Hey Gixxer600,
On my t320, it has 22 grease fittings all the way around.
It takes about 10 qts of oil.
Checking track adjustment should be a big priority too.
Your 300 is almost identical to the 320.

 

[Gixxer600]

track adjustment? Any tips?

I need a manual!

 

[Timark80]

pm sent

 

[Gixxer600]

Thanks for your help on the phone today Timark80 ... I got those tracks tightened up a good bit and then my grease gun died (yes I am lazy and bought a cordless powered one :-D ). I will get them all the way to the 1" mark tomorrow once it's charged again.

Bought all the filters and stuff to do the service on it, now I just have to pry myself off the machine long enough to actually DO the work - hehe. I wish I had a covered area on my property so I could work on it this weekend while it is raining (that is the forcast anyway).

Today I got an error code though ... I will post about that in a sec!

Craig

 

[Timark80]

Ok let me know how everything is going for ya