willie59
Administrator
Well, time for another Bobcat thread.
Ok, I'm seeing way too much of this on Bobcat machines lately, Bobcat has changed a component on the drive neutral centering device, they must be using some cheap steel or something. You don't typically see this on the older BC machines, I've got a 753 in the shop right now that looks like the original components and they don't have the wear the newer machine components have. What am I talking about? Let me get the centering plate off and you'll see it.
Caution; before you make any repairs or adjustments to the drive centering device on a Bobcat, the first thing you must do is get the machine off the ground on 4 stands. Don't trust just tilting the bucket forward and lifting front wheels, it could drift down. It must be on stands or sturdy blocks.
First, you have to remove the centering spring. Now, there's a little trick to this. You can remove it quite easily. But then putting it back on is a bit of a problem because you have to compress the spring to start the nut on the long center bolt, you only have two hands and no room for a helper in there.
Here's a solution that works well for me. Thread a good quality zip tie under spring, at least two (three is even more durable) zips.
Move one of the drive levers just slightly off center to compress spring just a little, then zip the ties.
Now you can remove the center bolt/nut, and you have a handy caged spring that's ready for re-install.
continued...
Ok, I'm seeing way too much of this on Bobcat machines lately, Bobcat has changed a component on the drive neutral centering device, they must be using some cheap steel or something. You don't typically see this on the older BC machines, I've got a 753 in the shop right now that looks like the original components and they don't have the wear the newer machine components have. What am I talking about? Let me get the centering plate off and you'll see it.
Caution; before you make any repairs or adjustments to the drive centering device on a Bobcat, the first thing you must do is get the machine off the ground on 4 stands. Don't trust just tilting the bucket forward and lifting front wheels, it could drift down. It must be on stands or sturdy blocks.
First, you have to remove the centering spring. Now, there's a little trick to this. You can remove it quite easily. But then putting it back on is a bit of a problem because you have to compress the spring to start the nut on the long center bolt, you only have two hands and no room for a helper in there.
Here's a solution that works well for me. Thread a good quality zip tie under spring, at least two (three is even more durable) zips.
Move one of the drive levers just slightly off center to compress spring just a little, then zip the ties.
Now you can remove the center bolt/nut, and you have a handy caged spring that's ready for re-install.
continued...
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