John Deere 555 question

[sixshooter]

I am looking to buy my father a john deere 555 loader with a back hoe attachment so he can move dirt around his property and because I am building a house and want to have the equipment. I found one for a good price however it has a little problem. I am hoping someone here can help give a little insight to what it could be. It is a 1980 555, when it is moving, it will work fine but then the right track will either bang and keep turning, or bang and stop, requiring you to usually back up and then start again. It isnt consistent, it is intermitten. The owner says it can happen within a 20 feet, or not happen for 10 passes, but when it does, it shakes the machine. He stopped using it after the 4th time it happened. He still moves it once a month, but not for earth moving. Thanks

[RonG]

It could be a few different things I suppose but you could check the bottom rollers to start.I can see the back roller jamming against the sprocket or some such thing.Have you checked the final drive housings for oil?Ron G

[sixshooter]

I havent really checked anything yet. I am new to working on heavy equipment, as I always worked on cars, trucks, boats. My father has worked on some, but that was years ago. The current owner checked the fluids he said and they were fine...according to him. I tend to trust him as I have known him for a few years and he is very meticulus.

[Construct'O]

You need to have the owner run the machine and you try to see what is happening when it stops or bangs.Maybe you can see what is going on.How tight are the tracks and how worn are they?

If to loose they will bunch up and cacth on the track guard at the front and the rear of the machine.To tight they will sometimes bang, it bang when you run up over something because the recoil spring compress then unloads.

Sprocket might be jumping the pin and bushings ,because they are wore out.

Track pad may be cacthing on guard.I would start there first.Then if not there? Final drives would be the next guess.Good luck!:usa

[OneWelder]

Follow construt'o advice, then if your still interested in the machine, be warned these 500- 555 JD of the late 70s early 80shave a bad reputation as far as the trans. is concerned. Offer to buy the guy a new trans filter, take the old one out and cut it apart. Any metal particles are BAD! Trans filter is located under the operators seat, not bad to change and you do not need to drain the system
Also if steering clutch - Brakes are not working properly another bad thing. They share common oil supply and debris gets pumped from one compartment to another and that is what usually screws up the trans. Parts from JD are expensive on this component(roughly $10,000 just for parts)
Filter is short money - less than $20.00

[sixshooter]

So I bought the machine....good price with the back hoe attachment, because of the track problem. I figure it is worth what I paid for it in parts. The sprockets are a little worn, but the machine acts strange. It will work seemingly fine until under load, like up a hill. The pedals stick a bit, but that does not seem to be the problem. What the machine does is usually it will lock the track and the machine will shudder repeatedly or stall. The track does not seem too tight, but how can I loosen it? There was a grease fitting to adjust it out, but I did not see a relief valve to loosen it. It didnt lock up getting onto the trailer, just going up the driveway. Put it in reverse and it went fine...just not forward. Took it back down the drieway and it went fine forward back up until the same steeper spot. Any ideas? I will check the other posts ideas, but I wanted to see ideas with the new info now that I bought it.

Also, how do I check the final drives?

[Komatsu 150]

I just answered your other thread before I saw this. This really sounds like final drive damage. Drain the final drive. You'll probably find pieces of steel.

[OneWelder]

Final dr. fill plug is located on a slighltly raised flat boss on final where final is bolted to rear frame carrier assy. (at rear of machine sight in from edge of track pad - about even on dozer) Roughly at the hitch hight.
Drain plug is under machine on inner side at the lowest point of final. Both plugs are of the recessed head type 1/2 or 3/8 t bar should undo
If am understanding you correctly I agree with Kamatsu 150.
Although the track changing tension has me confused.
You can try prying sprocket with long bar- but usally they start leaking before they lockup if a lower bearing -so probaly a bearing or gear higher in final.
To loosen trks.look for a raised bolt ether right next to the grease fitting for tightening or more likely under where the grease fitting is screwed in- about 3/4 or larger wrench size
If track tension is changing alot solve that - before pulling final apart- unless final is full of metal debris