cat 267B Joystick

[tbone1471]

I have a 267B and the switch for the aux hydraulics is bad. I have called cat about getting a replacement and they said it was somewhere around 600. He said it is serviced as an assembly. I am not sure what this includes. All I want to do is spend a few dollars on a switch. I have narrowed it down to a hall effect thumbwheel switch, probably made by ottos. My biggest issue is there is no part number on the broken switch. I need to know the current and voltage rating of the switch and how it is wired inside. Does anyone have a service manual or has anyone replaced just the switch? $50 from ottos sounds a lot better than $600 from cat

Thanks

 

[maxamillion67]

I had the samething on my 2002 242 Cat skid steer. I did buy a replacement from cat and still could not get it tot work, cost $300.00. I ended up buying a toggle switch with 3 positions off in the middle and will spring back to the off postion when released. It is a double pole, double throw switch. The handle should come apart with 3 screws to romove the old switch. Take the old roller switch out and used the plate on the switch is mounted into the handle. If you pm me your email address I can send you pictures of the new switch and it better explanation, I can not get picture to down load to this site for some reason.
Thanks, Don

 

[tbone1471]

Thanks for the help. I have taken the joystick apart and looked at the switch. The magnet in it has corroded and fallen apart. I tried replacing it with some I had lying around, but they don't create enough force. I thought about doing the toggle switch like you suggested, however I wanted to retain the variable flow so it doesn't slam my plow blade around. Do you remember the wire colors and if they were hot, ground, or solenoid and the voltage rating of the switch you replaced it with? This thing is driving me nuts. It flows just enough to barely move the blade and I know if I break the switch apart to see its internal wiring I will need the plow the next day. This is it I just need to know what configuration: http://www.ottoexcellence.com/products/hall-effect-thumbwheel/

 

[tbone1471]

Thanks. I took the switch apart and put some magnets I had lying around in to make it work just enough to upset me more. I want to retain the variable flow for a plow I have so it doesn't get slammed around. I think I am just going to order the switch from ottos and see how it goes. Does anyone have a wiring diagram so I don't have to trace or probe them, I have to work on it in the cold.

Thanks

 

[maxamillion67]

Send me your email and I can get send you one.

 

[lgammon]

i am having the same problem, any ideas ? did this work?

 

[maxamillion67]

I sent you a email. If you PM me your email address I can email you a schematic.

 

[waveman]

having the same problems with the joy stick. bought a switch with hall effect from digikey, need wiring diaghram.
this switch has three wires, any help would be appreciated
thanks
steve

 

[tbone1471]

If I recall correctly the original cat harness has four wires. The three wire switch will not work. Also you have to have ordered the switch with the right output. I believe there were six different options. The reason it won't work is because the switch feeds back through the hydraulic computer. It doesn't work directly on a solenoid. The four wires work two completely different circuits, two per circuit. Otto will not sell you a single switch and their minimum purchase order is 1000, if you can get them to sell to you. No one in the U.S. or overseas stocks the otto switch.

Cat also made a two button joystick without variable actuation that you could replace with standard buttons on early models. Max's diagram is a good for both joystick configurations but, unfortunately the hydraulic computer programing is different. I hate to say it but just pay the outrageous $400 to Cat for the $30 switch because there is no other way around it.

 

[tom236b]

Posting this in case it helps someone else, I couldn't find anyone that had fixed it or found an aftermarket option. Cat 236b 2006?. Seems to be common problem. I fixed the rocker switch for the auxiliary hydraulics for 236b. Auxiliary hydraulics not working. After pulling apart the machine to check solenoids, wiring to ECU floor plate etc, took apart the joysticks, took out the rocker switch. by carefully prying apart at both ends (thin plastic) removed the thumbwheel, there were what looked like the remnants of a magnet attached to thumbwheel. Couldn't afford the new joystick $500 from westrac. Took 2 x kids toy magnets, ball magnets approximately 3-4mm diameter, drilled both sides of thumbwheel where magnet remnants to create a small depression with a 4mm drill bit. Hot glue gun placed a small daub of glue and pressed magnet into position on each side of rocker switch, stuck to steel first to check orientation of magnet pole, removed and placed same orientation into depression, so it just cleared the base of the switch with the rocker in place. glue gun filled the spaces between and around the magnets. Knife to trim excess glue. first checked switch worked without reassembling with springs, just holding rocker switch in place against switch base (the bit with the electronics) etc. once working reassembled rocker switch and joystick. Some points, rocker switch has to be working for auxiliary hydraulics to work.

If anyone knows where to get after market thumb rocker switch let me know.

If auxilary hydraulics not working for cat skid steer and you have one of these rocker switches suggest checking this first rather than pull apart machine.

 

[FarmerGordy]

I had the samething on my 2002 242 Cat skid steer. I did buy a replacement from cat and still could not get it tot work, cost $300.00. I ended up buying a toggle switch with 3 positions off in the middle and will spring back to the off postion when released. It is a double pole, double throw switch. The handle should come apart with 3 screws to romove the old switch. Take the old roller switch out and used the plate on the switch is mounted into the handle. If you pm me your email address I can send you pictures of the new switch and it better explanation, I can not get picture to down load to this site for some reason.
Thanks, Don

Thanks for the post. I'm having the same problem with my 252b3. Could you send me some photos and possibly show me what wires you tapped into. Thank you Gordy
Echo_elec@yahoo.com

 

[Tags]

Not sure I would put much faith in getting a response from Tom236b, he hasn't visited here since December of 2015....

 

[Brenda l Stedman]

Thanks for the post. I'm having the same problem with my 247b. Could you send me some photos and possibly show me what wires you tapped into. Thank you
Acmegarage@msn.com Brenda

 

[Ryan Bunce]

Hey all - I started with this thread down a journey to solving the issue without buying a whole joystick. I ended up 3D printing a new roller switch. Here are the 3D models that you can 3D print on your own. I used a small bar magnet out of an iPad cover for the hall effect sensor to 'sense'. You may need to tweak the design to fit whatever magnet you use.

https://www.tinkercad.com/things/2L6WHEd56j5

Let me know if anyone else is successful with this - I hope it's helpful to someone else who doesn't want to spend $850 bucks on a fricking joystick.

 

[ledian]

Hey all - I started with this thread down a journey to solving the issue without buying a whole joystick. I ended up 3D printing a new roller switch. Here are the 3D models that you can 3D print on your own. I used a small bar magnet out of an iPad cover for the hall effect sensor to 'sense'. You may need to tweak the design to fit whatever magnet you use.

https://www.tinkercad.com/things/2L6WHEd56j5

Let me know if anyone else is successful with this - I hope it's helpful to someone else who doesn't want to spend $850 bucks on a fricking joystick.

amazing! thanks for posting this information. Just have a question when i remove the old thumb wheel switch, the new switch would i have to move over the two springs.

 

[Ryan Bunce]

My springs were as rusted as the magnet was. I replaced the springs with a spring out of a pen - one of the click style. I had to try a few pens before I found one that was just right - I cut the pen spring in half and used each half on each end of the roller. The 3D print has a couple of spikes sticking out to center the springs and then I used heavy duty hot glue to attach the springs to the roller.

 

[ledian]

My springs were as rusted as the magnet was. I replaced the springs with a spring out of a pen - one of the click style. I had to try a few pens before I found one that was just right - I cut the pen spring in half and used each half on each end of the roller. The 3D print has a couple of spikes sticking out to center the springs and then I used heavy duty hot glue to attach the springs to the roller.

I got my just got my item you design 3D printed does the magnet go on the bottom of the wheel and do I have to put some hot glue to hold it down?

thank you by the way for you help caterpillar wants me to pay $1050 for a joystick i really hope I can figure this lol

 

[Ryan Bunce]

Yeah, the slot at the bottom was designed for a magnet I found - you may need to resize it for whatever magnet you find. It works best with a small bar magnet that has a north and a south pole on each end.

 

[ledian]

Yeah, the slot at the bottom was designed for a magnet I found - you may need to resize it for whatever magnet you find. It works best with a small bar magnet that has a north and a south pole on each end.

ok I dont have a 3D printer I had to pay some guy on Facebook market place so I just use the same design you made I know I had a old iPad cover with that little bar on it but don’t remember what I did to it but I can’t find maybe I can find one online maybe i can measure it see what comes up on line.

 

[Ryan Bunce]

I ended up printing about 4 iterations of it before I got it just right. There are some online 3D print shops that will ship you your part next day if you're willing to be patient .

Good luck to you!