Repairing Bobcat Loader Float Detent

Finally. . . I have the long-promised photos and details showing the float-detent assembly on the end of the Bobcat 773G spool valves.

This thread is presented as supplemental to the superb thread, "Replacing Bobcat loader control valve seals" by Willie59. :notworthy If you are not familiar with that thread, you might stop right here and go study that one first.

Without Willie's work and encouragement ( relentless prodding!), I would never have considered doing this repair myself. I just look smarter than you--I'm really not. If I can do it, so can you.

I bought my 2001 773 G turbo used in 2003 or 2004. It had only 166 hours on it when I found it on that cold snowy day in Girdler, Kentucky, so I just had to have it for my wife. ( Yes, I mean the machine as my wife--no decent woman would have me .) As I recall, everything on it worked except for the float detent. I had never actually operated a Bobcat loader that had a working float detent. I don't know if they don't grease the parts when they assemble 'em or what, but they are either hard to engage (high pedal pressure required at the full extent of pedal travel) or they fail to lock in the detent (float) position--or both.

It's not something that you are likely to fix as a stand-alone repair. Sooner or later the control-valve seals are going to puke. That is the perfect time to repair the float detent. The additional parts required cost less than buying Willie lunch. Let's see if I can remember after 18 months. . . .

Part Diagrams & Listings

To start, the parts breakdown diagrams and listings are a helpful reference, for this and for other control-valve repairs.

Disassembly

The float detent assembly looks like this, after initial cleaning but before disassembly.






The end cap, properly named the "detent sleeve", pulls off in the direction of the arrow , releasing one set (pair) of float detent balls and one
spring. This is the part that you might wrap in a shop towel, and as willie59 suggests, stick it down in a bucket prior
to pulling the cap off. ( I'm not sure that's so important--with your safety glasses on, close your eyes and pull it off!
It doesn't matter if the balls go flying--you are going to put new ones in anyway. )



Here is what you see after removing the detent sleeve. The arrow indicates the hole where the spring and detent balls
came from. Note that only one set is exposed and out at this point.







To expose the second set of detent parts, push back on the "collar" in the direction shown. Remember the balls will fly; it is good to cover the assembly
with a shop rag for this step.

Image 4434b.jpg




With the collar pushed back, the second detent spring hole is exposed. In the photo, the spring is in place in the hole.

Image 4440a

Removing the adapter from the shaft

To allow thorough cleaning of the entire assembly, use a hex bit to unscrew the "adapter" from the spool shaft. The opposite end of the spool shaft can be
held in a vice, on the flats of the clevis end without scarring the polished spool.


Image 4442



Image 4435



Image 4437

Inspect the inside of the collar for any wear or grooving. Minor scuffs can be smoothed with 800 grit wet/dry paper, followed by 1200 or 1600.
(I find that the most common "crocus cloth" is far too coarse for polishing precision parts).

Apply a light-to-medium coat of assembly lube (Viperlube) to the inside of the collar. After cleaning and reassembly of the adapter, spring, collar, and washer to spool shaft, it should look like new.


Image 4438

Assembling the detent balls and springs: Pliers

The reassembly of the detent springs and balls is supposed to be the hard part. Knipex pliers, Willie? Nope. I bought "The Pliers" with the
money I saved doing this repair myself.


Image 4455




The pliers are not stocked by Bobcat dealers. Bobcat gets these from a speciality tool distributor, and then marks them up. That's OK if you want, or,

. . the pliers are part #MEL1278, available for approximately $95.13 directly from:

SPX OTC Customer Service
ph: 1-800-328-6657
Email: S2.AMER.OTC@spx.com (You might try email, but a phone call is better)
Fax: 1-800-578-7375

I know what you're thinking--you ain't paying no $ 100 US for a tool you expect to use once or twice. OK, go ahead and spend all day trying to do it with whatever pliers you have in the drawer. I had other things to do. . . .

The pliers have small indentions for aligning the balls.

Image 4457a

Apply some assembly grease to the indentions in the pliers and to the new detent balls. Position the balls in the dimples in the pliers. The grease will hold the balls in place in the pliers.

Image 4449




Hold the collar back and insert the new spring into the "lower" hole.

Image 4440a



Position the pliers with the balls on the ends of the spring. Squeeze the pliers snug against the adapter. ( "Snug" is not shown in the photo. )

Image 4441


A key technique figured out by my boy, M'take: At this point, keep the pliers snug on the adapter but rotate the pliers slightly. This further depresses the balls completely into the spring bores. While continuing to hold the detent ball pliers snug, release the collar, allowing the collar to push the pliers off the balls while the collar simultaneously captures the balls.

Install the second set of detent balls & spring

Apply assembly lube to the inside of the detent sleeve. Insert the second spring in the hole in the adapter.


Images 4443


Image 4444




As with the first set, position the greased balls on the pliers and then on the ends of the springs. Squeeze the pliers, then rotate 1/8 of a turn on the adapter. While continuing to hold the pliers, push the detent sleeve onto the end of the adapter, continuing to push firmly until the pliers are pushed beyond the detent balls and the sleeve now captures the balls. NOTE: This step will require that the sleeve be pressed hard enough so that the special pliers partially depress the collar and main spring before opening the pliers, all the while holding the detent collar firmly over the balls and springs


Images 4450, 4452, 4453

Float detent assembly completed!

That's it! Done! Follow Willie59's instructions in the "Replacing Bobcat loader control valve seals" thread to reassemble the spools to the valve body.

Again, be absolutely sure to buy extra detent springs and balls. They are cheap. We lost one--only one! When it went flying across into the cluttered shop, my boy M'take gave me the horrified "Whadda we gonna do now?" look. I just grinned, took a swig on my beer :drinkup and said, "What, Boy, do you think your Daddy is stupit?" I just reached in the parts bag and pulled out another ball. (Yes, he thinks that. . . . Lol )

My thanks again to Willie59 for planting the seed for this project--both the repair and the thread posting. Willie's the Dude. --Dr. Jim

Nice work Dr Jim! :drinkup

willie59 said:

Nice work Dr Jim! :drinkup

Click to expand...

Agreed Indeed.. Outstanding info and detail here, I thank you and Willie both for serving this Forum (and us little people who want to learn) so well here.. BRAVO!! :thumbsup

You like the job-appropriate pliers, Willie59? Just drool! :laugh I didn't figure I could do it with slip-joint pliers. Lower skills require better tools sometimes.

You could use them, you know. Whatcha got to trade? Maybe a bad glow plug or two? Burned out light bulb? I could bring 'em to you if I could find you--just where is "Tennessee"? Lol. Bunch of dang redneck hillbillies, I hear. It's the only place I've ever a'heerd anyone say, when connecting cables to jump a dead battery, "Put it on the addy, Put it on the addy! Not the take-ee-way!"

Thank you again, by HEF friend and neighbor, for your work on the Loader control-valve thread. You are the man; I merely emulated your example.