removing control valve.

[Al Miles]

I have a Bobcat 743 and am about to remove the control valve for repair. Does the engine and related parts have to be removed in order to remove the valve.
Does the hydraulic reservoir have to be drained first?

 

[Junkyard]

Search posts by Willie59. He covered fixing a lot of control valve issues in them. Don't recall what models it covers but he did a lot without removing the valve. Very detailed posts, I'd bet you can fix what you need to do without removing it short of a major failure to the body itself. He's pretty sharp on that stuff.

Junkyard

 

[Al Miles]

Thanks for the reply.
I did read one of his explaining how to get access to the front of the valve through the side panel. That was on a later model, I tried to get at mine through there but no luck. I can get to the port block. I belive the 743 is a bit different than the later models.
I will look up some more of his postings.
Al

 

[Ronsii]

I have an older 743, access for the valves is under the cab. Just tilt the cab up and it's in the back on the left... if you have auxiliaries that will just in front of the main valve.

 

[crewchief888]

my last resort would be pulling the valve....
the only reason to pull the valve is to replace it.
drain or remove the hyd tank, it gravity feeds the hyd system, it will be leaking until it runs out of oil.
the biggest PITA is getting to the linkage to disconnect it
i you have to, remove the steering levers and support sheet metal

 

[Al Miles]

Thank you.
I will drain the tank and possibly remove the engine, that will give me a chance to get all the crud out of the fan shroud.
Any Idea where one can buy a seal kit for these? The Bobcat place in Victoria says they sell each o-ring and seal individually.

 

[kshansen]

Thank you.
I will drain the tank and possibly remove the engine, that will give me a chance to get all the crud out of the fan shroud.
Any Idea where one can buy a seal kit for these? The Bobcat place in Victoria says they sell each o-ring and seal individually.

Can't help on a kit, might have to go the "one piece at a time" route.

My only 743 experience was on a 1989, not sure what age yours is but engine on this one was very easy to slip out. It does help if you have a fork truck handy. I put a plate of steel on the forks and parked it level with the rear of the 743 and could slide the engine out and on to the plate with little effort. Going back in was a little trickier as you have to get the drive line started on the splines, but not too bad.

Our tank did not have a drain, book says just remove hose going to the pump, well that makes for a major mess! What I have done when changing oil was to disconnect one of the going to say the tilt cylinder and putting it in a barrel. Then start engine and move control to have oil come out the hose. As soon as the oil stops kill engine. There will be a little oil left in system but the worst of the mess is avoided.

 

[bobatack]

and start the next thread when engine comes out.....most likely

 

[crewchief888]

and start the next thread when engine comes out.....most likely

 

[Al Miles]

I did remove the engine plus the muffler, rad, oil cooler, Fan housing and a bunch of lines. I have access to the valve. A real pain in the rear.
Took me a while to get the engine out, the exhaust wasn't going to come off the manifold without breaking off a bolt and the pipe was frozen to the muffler, so I had to use a saws-all to cut the stub off the bottom of the muffler. I will weld it back on before I replace everything. I'm also not as strong as I was when I was 60 so I had difficulty moving the mass around.
Thank you for the advice.