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Cat 320 cl Fan bearing failure

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anthony0488

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Mar 21, 2011
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Location
New York
Hi, I have a 2006 cat 320cl SN Pab06177, replaced the fan bearings more than 8 times, we use oem and aftermarket bearings, but it keeps breaking then in less than a month of use, change the pulley and problem still there, any idea why this is happening? It even damage the rad a fan a couple of times. Thanks
 
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Bls repair

Bls repair

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Fan belt tension right,belt alignment ok Fan balance ok,other accessorie drives in good shape?
 
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Chisumtrail

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Texas
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You have changed the complete drive group? Their was changes over the years.
 
Nige

Nige

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Jun 22, 2011
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G..G..G..Granville.........!! Fetch your cloth.
Bearings replaced eight times you say. In what sort of time frame..?
What Part Number of fan pulley did you install..?
Has the engine been removed for any reason or have any major engine repairs been done before the problem started occuring..?
Does the engine vibrate (or appear to vibrate) excessively.?
Have you looked at the condition of the engine mountings.?
 
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hosspuller

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Just a thought to add to the others … (as HM posted ) contaminated or improper grease. You changed the bearings, did you use the same grease on all the new bearings ?

perhaps someone is using the same grease for the pins & bushings. A heavy grease in a high speed bearing like a fan pulley will churn, channel, heat, etc. Dirt on the gun tip may not matter to a pivot but introduced to the fan bearing will grind it in short order.
 
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anthony0488

Active Member
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Mar 21, 2011
Messages
34
Location
New York
Thanks for the response guys, this are sealed bearing, the older machine use the greased ones.
We replace the bearings, the fan pulley gp, but they broke again.
 
Nige

Nige

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Reference HMC's post #5 above from Service Mag SEPD0994 of 2009. The upgrade referred to in that document was introduced at S/N PAB03029 so the OP's machine (PAB06177) should've been built with it ex-factory. Hence my question what Part Numbers the OP is using.
 
John C.

John C.

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Has anyone else noticed these types of failures happening on name brand products in recent years. The manufacturers set up the updates on fix as fail criteria and now the R&D is paid for by the buyers of the iron. No one gets the update notices until a failure and all the factory says it "that's too bad."
 
Cmark

Cmark

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Jan 2, 2009
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Lol. "Product development on the customer's time" has been Cat's unwritten mantra for years. I disagree that nobody knows though. Cat's system of communication with dealers through Service Letters and Service Mags is excellent, imo.
 
John C.

John C.

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I spent twelve years at a Cat dealer and the last thing they would ever do is let a customer know that there was a change in the product that if not taken care of right away would cost thousands to fix. The only people there who would let you know depending on who it was were the field mechanics. That was after they were called out to fix the broken component.
 
Mobiltech

Mobiltech

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The pssr (product support sales rep)is supposed to keep his customers up to date on affected product.
 
Cmark

Cmark

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When I worked for a dealer on field service, probably a quarter of my time was spent administering service letters.
 
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Welder Dave

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I guess it depends on the dealer and/or salesman. When my dad sold equipment he would immediately let his customers know if there was a recurring problem with a machine. He was well respected by the factory and they even changed the oil drains on some machines on his recommendation. The last thing you need on golf course equipment is oil dripping off the frame because of a poor design. You shouldn't have to crawl under a machine to clean every nook and cranny after you change the oil.
 
John C.

John C.

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My experience has been much the opposite. It was only through networking with other companies with the same or similar iron that cued me onto huge expensive issues. More than once I’ve asked dealer personnel about issues and been told “l can’t talk about it.”
 
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Welder Dave

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Like playing dumb. In my dads case it just part of looking after his customers. One of the reasons he was so well respected in the industry and had a 75%+ market share. He visited the factories often for training and product info and also spent a lot of time studying new machines. I don't think there's a lot of sales people that put in much extra effort.
 
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