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Swing drive

Tradesman

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IMG_1278.JPG IMG_1277.JPG IMG_1279.JPG I have always had the shop check my levels, but I am bravely trying to do more of my own service work now. Today after changing the engine oil and filters and checking the rear end gear oil the next on my list was to check the oil levels in the winch and slew drive winch was no problem I drained it and filled with new gear oil next was the slew drive the book says it's a Tulsa 5200 or 6000 but the drain plug and level plug are not where they say they should be in fact I can't find a plug at all except within a couple inches of the bottom. Don't want to screw this up can I get some of that good advice you all are famous for.
Thanks in advance.
Tradesman
 

Knepptune

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Is that swing drive, motor on top, brake in the middle, planetaries on the bottom? Yours looks a little odd.

On some of those swing gearboxes they'll have a plug on top that is actually a dipstick. Like between the brake mounting bolts and the bolts on the outer lip.
 

Junkyard

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I'd be looking for an allen check plug, flush with the case or under, towards the top of the swing gear. Most likely in the most inaccessible place possible. Packed with crud on top of that because that's what allen style plugs are good for!
 

Tradesman

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Is that swing drive, motor on top, brake in the middle, planetaries on the bottom? Yours looks a little odd.

On some of those swing gearboxes they'll have a plug on top that is actually a dipstick. Like between the brake mounting bolts and the bolts on the outer lip.
I was hoping someone would recognize the casting mark on the first picture and I could it up on the net. I looked and felt all around it and can't find filler plug anywhere.
 

Tradesman

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I'd be looking for an allen check plug, flush with the case or under, towards the top of the swing gear. Most likely in the most inaccessible place possible. Packed with crud on top of that because that's what allen style plugs are good for!
Thanks, tomorrow I'll get a big light and a mirror.
 

Tradesman

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I found it! I used a mirror and a flash light, it was on the top dead center and to make it better its an 8 mm. allen head , just guess how well that came out " NOT" so I quite before I screwed it up. My guess is the drive motor and brake will need to come off. But not by me, I have no idea what's going to fly apart when it comes off, so for now I loosened one of the drain plugs and its nice clean gear oil coming out ( I just let a few drops out but it was right there with obvious volume behind it)
If anyone recognizes the markings on the picture I posted please let me know a make and possibly a model so I can get drawings of it. Its pretty clear its not the one in my parts book .
 

Junkyard

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Ah yes the pesky allen. Did the 8mm fit good? We've got some that appear to be one size but once you clean the crud out of them they end up being a tad bigger. Some get slightly boogered, especially IMT rotary drives, and you end up having to drive the allen socket it. If you can get to it with a little propane torch try warming it up a bit and see if you can get it to budge. I can't see it being in there so tight you have to disassemble to remove it.

As far as the motor and brake coming off there shouldn't be anything flyin out. A little oil, the sun gear may want to come out on the shaft and there's probably a thrust washer of some sort between output shaft and sun gear but that's about it. It's a heavy though, more than you'd want to manhandle off.
 

Tradesman

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I had to drive the 8 mm on I think the problem is where it is located I can't keep any down pressure on it when I turn it and it naturally wants to lift out of the hole when I turn it. I'll maybe put some heat on it and get one of my sons to hold it down with a pry bar. Next because it's on the top with no dip stick how full do I fill it?
 

Junkyard

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On our Watson rigs they'll run about 3/4" below the fill hole. On the Cat machines when I pull the motor/brake off and haven't drained gearbox it's full right up to the top of the gears. I don't see any reason you can't run it almost full. Unless you've seen a leak or residue somewhere I'd imagine it's probably ok. At least you'll have the plug out, know where it is and hopefully it comes out easier next time.
 

Tradesman

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On our Watson rigs they'll run about 3/4" below the fill hole. On the Cat machines when I pull the motor/brake off and haven't drained gearbox it's full right up to the top of the gears. I don't see any reason you can't run it almost full. Unless you've seen a leak or residue somewhere I'd imagine it's probably ok. At least you'll have the plug out, know where it is and hopefully it comes out easier next time.
Thanks man. I don't mind wrenching a bit but I haven't worked around anyone doing it so it's the unknown stuff that intimates me the most.
 

Junkyard

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You're welcome. I tore into my first "machine" at about 3 when I took my high chair apart. Since then I've learned a little haha. All these years later there are occasions I tear into something and "oh $hit" as stuff comes uncorked.

Stay warm!
 

Knepptune

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The check balls that are spring powered are the ones that get me when they come apart. If you dont know theres a spring powered 4mm ball in there its guarenteed to fly across the shop never to be found again.

In that gearbox the biggest things to watch out for are water and over filling on oil. If the swing motor or swing brake start leaking internally they'll over fill the gearbox. If you havent had any leaks just drain the oil into a container that you can measure the amount oil. Then just put that same amount back in.
 

Tradesman

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The check balls that are spring powered are the ones that get me when they come apart. If you dont know theres a spring powered 4mm ball in there its guarenteed to fly across the shop never to be found again.

In that gearbox the biggest things to watch out for are water and over filling on oil. If the swing motor or swing brake start leaking internally they'll over fill the gearbox. If you havent had any leaks just drain the oil into a container that you can measure the amount oil. Then just put that same amount back in.
No leaks and the oil looks like it just came out of the jug. I had an old 4792 it had an up facing gear it would get a different sound to it you knew it was time to dump the gear oil because it had water in it, I changed it likely 5 times a year and changed the top seal once. And it rarely ever sat outside.
 

crane operator

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Tradesman, the big coffee can sized box that's white, isn't actually a gearbox. That's your swing brake. Its probably spring applied all the time, hydraulic release. Some brakes, on the pedal in the cab, just stop the hyd flow, letting the springs come on, some have a separate pedal brake. I don't think yours has a separate pedal brake, but it could, I can't see how many lines are coming to it.

Most likely the oil in the coffee can sized chamber, isn't gear oil, its hydraulic. No need to check or change.

The upper white case, directly under the black hyd motor, will be the reduction portion (if it has reduction), and may have gear oil, may not. It may not even have reduction, and that's just a coupler case.

Don't take apart the lower can, without being prepared for the spring pressure to push the can apart. Sometimes I just pop them, sometimes you'll want them in a press to unbolt, depending on spring pressure.

Elliot should be able to give you a parts diagram, that will show you what all you have. They'll have a service picture too, but sometimes they don't let owners have that , its "dealer" only, but ask nice and they'll let you have it.

If you have a parts book, it should show a breakdown.

You're old 4792 was a constant friction swing, the elliot is probably free swing? Which is why the gearbox is so much different.
 

Tradesman

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My parts book shows two different Tulsa units that are completely different than the one installed. I don't know if the previous owner changed it or if it was done at the dealer level and recorded with Elliott I guess a phone call to Omaha will tell.
No I don't have a swing break peddle.
There is a small hose going into the middle portion of the unit I assume it's the break release similar to the winch break.
 

crane operator

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Yes, the swing brake will be much like the winch brake. Simply a stack of discs and clutches. The brake pack will be hyd oil, not gear oil. No need to change.

Elliot tends to use stuff from their sign trucks, so they could easily have changed to something that worked better. They were kind of new to the crane game, but have been in the sign truck game for years, and are known for making a great sign truck.

You could see what's in the collar box just under the motor by just pulling the two bolts on the motor and pulling it up and off, then you could see what's under there, its just a spline connection.
 
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