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973 quit moving

gwhammy

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2013
Messages
602
Location
missouri
Talk about bad luck, I was cleaning up a brush pile today with the 973 I bought last fall. Everything was working great then I heard a loud pop and felt it then the machine quit moving. I'm guessing it broke the drive between the motor and pumps. The hydraulics still work which drive off of the gear case on the back of the motor. I've put a whole two hours on this machine since I bought it.
This brush pile is on property we built a 18 acre lake on about five years ago. I blew the motor up on my other 973 and the 963 on this lake. To top it off my 322 exc. burnt on this lake also. I think this spot is haunted for me.
 

CM1995

Administrator
Joined
Jan 21, 2007
Messages
13,250
Location
Alabama
Occupation
Running what I brung and taking what I win
Damn GW did you dig up any bones around the lake??:confused:
 

Cmark

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2009
Messages
3,176
Location
Australia
Are you sure you've not blown a transmission hose? I've never seen a pump drive fail. The implement hydraulics work off the tank under the front cover..
 

gwhammy

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2013
Messages
602
Location
missouri
It was a big bang and you could feel it threw the machine when it did it. I've blown drive hoses before and never felt them break. I'm going by there tomorrow and look at it. This a 96 model so yes it does have a separate hydraulic supply from the hydro stats. I didn't see any oil leaking when I looked under it but I was not very happy at the time and didn't hang around.
 

gwhammy

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2013
Messages
602
Location
missouri
Talked to a mechanic buddy and he thought the charge pump might have broke or it could be the drive shaft but he's never seen one break. He was going to look at his books when he got to the shop today.
 

gwhammy

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2013
Messages
602
Location
missouri
Talked to him today, he thinks the female coupler that bolts to the fly wheel probably gave up. Any way about it the motor has to come out.
 

Dave Neubert

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2018
Messages
1,651
Location
Monroe NC
should of looked at the SIS it looks like your drive coupling is most likely the culprit the one I looked at has a plastic drive I have had problems with those in skid steers
 

gwhammy

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2013
Messages
602
Location
missouri
Sometimes I wonder why I battle these machines. This one down, I was running the older one on a pond and boom. Hydraulic leak!! Looked at it and figured it was more than a shade tree fix. Took it to shop and after 1 1/2 hours washing finally figured it was the hose from valve body crossing behind the oil tank to the bulk head on the other side to the lift cylinder. Another hour of me and a mechanic buddy hammering on it in the heat we had to take both hoses off. Only 102 degrees in the sun but the wind was blowing. Hopefully cooler in the morning putting it back together. I'm getting to old for this shat!
 

gwhammy

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2013
Messages
602
Location
missouri
So you thrash on it with a mechanic and get it going and move it to the job late in the afternoon. Rains 3 to 4 inches that night!!! Life is great if you can stand the pressure!!!! So I work 2 paid hours all week but the cold beer still tastes good on a Saturday evening setting on the patio!!
 

Adam Walden

Active Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2021
Messages
29
Location
30143
I just rebuilt all the hydraulic drive system on a 963 bbd suffix, the drive pump on he right side self destructed and pushed metal and pieces of bearings out of he pump and through the hydrostat system, I found all the failur in he filter but I still had to go through all the hydraulics and check for metal, while they are separate systems they still work off the same oil and same tanks
 

Welder Dave

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2014
Messages
12,260
Location
Canada
That must have been costly! Cmark posted some pics. a couple years ago of what all went wrong and how to properly clean up a hydrostat loader. I think it was 963 too. Everything had to be taken apart and cleaned, everything!
 

Adam Walden

Active Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2021
Messages
29
Location
30143
That must have been costly! Cmark posted some pics. a couple years ago of what all went wrong and how to properly clean up a hydrostat loader. I think it was 963 too. Everything had to be taken apart and cleaned, everything!
yeah it run him pretty close to a hundred grand, after parts and labor
 

Welder Dave

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2014
Messages
12,260
Location
Canada
I'd guess the rest of the machine was in pretty good shape to spend that kind of money on it. If the machine is older and doesn't have DEF or too much electronics might have been the best way to go over buying a new machine.
 

Cmark

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2009
Messages
3,176
Location
Australia
When discussing Cat track-loaders It's important to compare apples with apples. The C series and later are a completely different animal to the first generations.
 

gwhammy

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2013
Messages
602
Location
missouri
First generation runs a separate tank for the hydraulics and hydro stats. Better systems I would think.
 

Adam Walden

Active Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2021
Messages
29
Location
30143
I'd guess the rest of the machine was in pretty good shape to spend that kind of money on it. If the machine is older and doesn't have DEF or too much electronics might have been the best way to go over buying a new machine.
I don't remember how old it was, I know it was a C model and a bbd serial number so its not to old,, the engine was a 3126 I think it only had maybe 8,000 hours,
 

Cmark

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2009
Messages
3,176
Location
Australia
Which are more reliable?

It's debatable. With correct maintenance, the early HPCU machines give good service. The early C series suffered from drive pump failures and parts are hard to get. Also like a lot of electronic controlled machines, they suffer from bodgy wiring repairs and people tampering with them in ignorance. The first D series machines are now starting to get some big hours on them but appear to be holding up pretty well.
 
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