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Anyone know what this is?

Kimo

Active Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2017
Messages
29
Location
BS
Trying to run down a crank no start on Cat M312 (3054). This looks like it should just be a ground but the red wire is bugging me. Not hot when key on.
 

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John C.

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 11, 2007
Messages
12,870
Location
Northwest
Occupation
Machinery & Equipment Appraiser
Used to call those a fire breathing dragon. The early generation Komatsu D155 dozers used them. I had never heard of them being used on a Cat, but that engine looks more like a Perkins than a Cat.
 

LACHAU

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 11, 2009
Messages
991
Location
Saigon, Vietnam
Used to call those a fire breathing dragon. The early generation Komatsu D155 dozers used them. I had never heard of them being used on a Cat, but that engine looks more like a Perkins than a Cat.
Perkins is a subsidiary of Caterpillar. some Perkins engines and Caterpillar engines are interchangeable, they are exactly the same.

Caterpillar 3054 is similar to Perkins 1004-40

1E20E75F-37D8-4673-8970-65FB4B0519BA.jpeg 19128FBD-F5B0-454D-B87A-606DBBE511A2.jpeg
 

Kimo

Active Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2017
Messages
29
Location
BS
This is like a old made up comedy bit...except for the comedy part.
Here's the chain of events...
I had a small leak coming from turntable, no other leaks or issues. Since hydraulic fluid cost $50 a gallon here, I thought it prudent to stop the leak. So I pulled and resealed swing motor. No more leak! I used the machine for about an hour and the right stabilizer seal blew out. I blocked the line and went back to work. 30 minutes later the stick cylinder blew. I repacked the stick cylinder and went back to work, within 20 minutes both blade cylinders blew. None of these are seeping oil, they are just exploding. I've dumped 50 gallons of new CAT TO-4 fluid on the ground. I chained up the blade so I could go back to work and the force from the blade snapped the chain, twice. I switched to a heavy 3/8" grade 80 chain. I was able to get limited use for a few hours with the blade and stabilizer chained up. Then the batteries mysteriously started draining empty over night. Charged and tested batteries, they're fine. Could find no obvious draw. This went on for a few days, so I started kicking off the battery cutoff anytime I turned the machine off. This kept the batteries from dying. Then 2 tires blew (same hub). I replaced the tires, fired up the machine, moved 3 feet and the left stabilizer cylinder started leaking. I shut it down. Went to start it the next day and it just cranks, no start. Checking, I found the main fuse was blown (60amp). Replaced the fuse, turned on battery and burned the fuse again.
This all happened inside of 3 weeks. I doubt I put more than 3 or 4 pampered hours on it, total.
WTF is happening here? It's like it's infested with tiny snickering gremlins.
Anyone ever heard of anything like this? Something blowing a 60a fuse should be obvious, but I can find no culprit.
 

skata

Senior Member
Joined
May 10, 2007
Messages
1,541
Location
midwest
This is like a old made up comedy bit...except for the comedy part.
Here's the chain of events...
I had a small leak coming from turntable, no other leaks or issues. Since hydraulic fluid cost $50 a gallon here, I thought it prudent to stop the leak. So I pulled and resealed swing motor. No more leak! I used the machine for about an hour and the right stabilizer seal blew out. I blocked the line and went back to work. 30 minutes later the stick cylinder blew. I repacked the stick cylinder and went back to work, within 20 minutes both blade cylinders blew. None of these are seeping oil, they are just exploding. I've dumped 50 gallons of new CAT TO-4 fluid on the ground. I chained up the blade so I could go back to work and the force from the blade snapped the chain, twice. I switched to a heavy 3/8" grade 80 chain. I was able to get limited use for a few hours with the blade and stabilizer chained up. Then the batteries mysteriously started draining empty over night. Charged and tested batteries, they're fine. Could find no obvious draw. This went on for a few days, so I started kicking off the battery cutoff anytime I turned the machine off. This kept the batteries from dying. Then 2 tires blew (same hub). I replaced the tires, fired up the machine, moved 3 feet and the left stabilizer cylinder started leaking. I shut it down. Went to start it the next day and it just cranks, no start. Checking, I found the main fuse was blown (60amp). Replaced the fuse, turned on battery and burned the fuse again.
This all happened inside of 3 weeks. I doubt I put more than 3 or 4 pampered hours on it, total.
WTF is happening here? It's like it's infested with tiny snickering gremlins.
Anyone ever heard of anything like this? Something blowing a 60a fuse should be obvious, but I can find no culprit.
Wow. Was this machine sitting for a long time? Plastic and rubber deteriorate with age, and then when put to work, they fail.?
 

Kimo

Active Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2017
Messages
29
Location
BS
Alternator rectifier crapped out maybe? Will act like a dead short overnight. Dont know if that would have killed your ignition feed fuse.
Starter and alternator are on another fuse. They're operational.
 

Flat Thunder Channel

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2020
Messages
378
Location
Ohio
Mouse special? I hate mysterious wiring faults. That is a a huge fuse. Look around for the hot spot in the wiring. It has to be heating up pretty good to blow a fuse that size.
 
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