Drott cruz 40 Model. 40-yr. Will no move

[Arthur Chadwick]

First I would like to say thank u for your time I have been in this field of work for years I got a call the other day asking me to come look at a cruz 40 wheel excavator that was parked 5 years ago with no problems so they say lol I went over yesterday to go take a look to see what I was getting myself in to with it sitting so long and keep in mind I have never ever laid a hand on a tire excavator i get there and was shocked everything around it wasn't all over grown and was right on the edge of a field that gets flooded at times I asked the owner of the field if at anytime the water level had ever submerged any part of machine he said no .I had some time to spare looked it over changed the battery out with my spare and so on about a hour later it was running nice and smooth I got up in the cab ran the stick/boom a few times to see how it would all react no bog nice and smooth as it should so I returned the hoe to the transport position so I could check the rest out I tried to move it forward first nothing no bog or drop in rpm what so ever so i tried reverse still nothing like I said I have never laid my hands on a tire excavator before I see it has a 2 stick trany on the right side of seat I don't no if I missed something or a safety or did things out of order as it was wen I opened the cab door I was surprised to see as much as I did for a 1902 nostalgic dinosaur I'm kidding LOL I don't even no the year yet if I was to guess I would say late 70s early 80s I'm going to be going back over there today to see if I can figure it out and do a hydo pressure test I did see a few things in the cab that looked to be missing like a little light and a hole for a switch maybe .Not fare apart if u were sitting in the cab those holes are off to the right knee hight and above those 2 holes set over a bit is a valve which I'm sure is a air valve that is for drive system to drive it down the rd along with a lever if u were to reach behind u with your left hand wen sitting in cab like I said I have never worked on one and most likely its something stupid I'm missing if anyone can help in anyway way it would be great and much appreciated or if anyone has the service manual along with the users manual or just one of them anything would help so I'm not spending a bunch of time going over the whole drivetrain system one component at a time just to figure it out how the system is setup thats keeping me from driving it thanks

 

[Delmer]

I've been around a few cruz air drotts a while back. Worked around them, not on them. Your's is a bit older than I saw and that was a while ago. I can't help much, but the first thing I'd check is the controls, they were known to be a rats nest for controls, and age doesn't help anything. The hydraulics and transmission will survive years of neglect better than the wiring. Really you're better off waiting to find a manual than trying to figure out the system the hard way. Unless this has to move or it's scrapped at the end of the week type of situation. Some test leads and a multimeter are the tools I'd use, or buy a power probe for this.

A little googling shows Drott was bought by Tenneco/Case in 68, I'd bet your's is just prior to 68.

 

[Coy Lancaster]

It's been a 100 years since I've worked on a Drott machine. I'm trying to remember about the swivel in the center of the machine that puts power down to the drive system. Some later ones like the 880 cruz airs had electrical swivels that provided power down to tranny and stabilzers circuits. I think the older ones had air swivels on them and needed air pressure to work the transmission control valves. But of course I could be way off base here and you could just have cables that control every thing. Upload a pic of area just behind boom please and maybe I can help from there.

 

[Arthur Chadwick]

At the poster's request, this post has been removed.

I couldn't take the time to read it, but as explained in the posts following, apparently it was dictated into his phone, and posted inadvertently. It seems as though the important parts have been included in the posts that follow, so there's no real loss of continuity to the thread.

To Arthur, I apologize for not getting to this sooner, but I only saw your report of it this morning and didn't have time to handle it at that time.

~Digger242j

 

[Delmer]

paragraphs please, paragraphs make a long post so much easier to read.

I guess I was off by a few decades on my earlier post. I stick with the 68 era, just the electrical didn't come in until decades later.

It sounds like you have mostly air controls. I'd guess the controls are minimal and basic, not much of safety anything that is. Figure out roughly how many air controls are on the transmission, and what they do, and decide which ones should work then test them to see if they're getting air, then if they're operating with that air. Something like this, it helps to get as good an understanding as you can, then step back and think about it a while. Don't try to bumble through it tired and frustrated. Get the manual if there is one available anywhere.

 

[Arthur Chadwick]

Again I'm sorry it made myself look like someone that shouldn't even be talking about equipment this damn technology of these phones I'm just getting in I went back after my service call

 

[Coy Lancaster]

Don’t feel bad we’ve all done stuff like that. BTW the Case 880 Cruz Air was the same machine give you another manual to look for

 

[Arthur Chadwick]

Omg I still can't believe how that got posted makes me want to pull out and start ripping up all my certs starting with my mast tech cert

The machine is a 1977 (disc) cruz-air 40 model # 40-YR Ser#1798
With a Detroit

After getting back I started right at the front with the motor at the air compressor and followed the air lines to end checking for ware and routing along the way to cab ware the rubber lines transfer over to metal lines and come to find out they end and are caped off odd so it must have been a add on don't matter air is out. #1 down but still keeped it in mind

Went back to the front at motor and started checking the wiring and harness what little there is in the engine compartment i found 1 old burnt out ground mostly got hot because of location it was cut and left by someone else I no it runs good and components are working and putting out as they should good voltage 13.3. Regulater working because of voltage drop for start up engine compartment check # 2 down

All finish here for now
Here are some pictures and all finish tomorrow

 

[Arthur Chadwick]

Feel free to add any info or any problems u have ever ran it to dealing with components

 

[Arthur Chadwick]

Don’t feel bad we’ve all done stuff like that. BTW the Case 880 Cruz Air was the same machine give you another manual to look for

Ok thank u I just wish I wasn't right out straight with all my service calls coming in I really do like working on these older models especially ones I have never worked on before just to see how much different thing operate some are good designs and very well engineered and some very **** poor designs I like the challenge of figuring them out I really do hate that the thought keeps coming up just to rip all that junk out and run a couple wires and switchs and be done with it because I'm so busy I enjoy hearing from the older service techs and operators it helps me from taking the easy way out listening to what you guys have to say and all your knowledge that you had with them

 

[Arthur Chadwick]

It's been a 100 years since I've worked on a Drott machine. I'm trying to remember about the swivel in the center of the machine that puts power down to the drive system. Some later ones like the 880 cruz airs had electrical swivels that provided power down to tranny and stabilzers circuits. I think the older ones had air swivels on them and needed air pressure to work the transmission control valves. But of course I could be way off base here and you could just have cables that control every thing. Upload a pic of area just behind boom please and maybe I can help from there.

Thank u I added some pictures for everyone feel free to share any kind of information or problems u have had over the years I can never take in enough information and its great to be passing it along to another generation

 

[Arthur Chadwick]

I've been around a few cruz air drotts a while back. Worked around them, not on them. Your's is a bit older than I saw and that was a while ago. I can't help much, but the first thing I'd check is the controls, they were known to be a rats nest for controls, and age doesn't help anything. The hydraulics and transmission will survive years of neglect better than the wiring. Really you're better off waiting to find a manual than trying to figure out the system the hard way. Unless this has to move or it's scrapped at the end of the week type of situation. Some test leads and a multimeter are the tools I'd use, or buy a power probe for this.

A little googling shows Drott was bought by Tenneco/Case in 68, I'd bet your's is just prior to 68.

Its a 1977
Thank u I have all the testing equipment u mentioned and multiple others

 

[Coy Lancaster]

Be sure and test your electrical swivel and your shift solenoids and all grounds. Good luck, and let us know how things go.

 

[Arthur Chadwick]

Be sure and test your electrical swivel and your shift solenoids and all grounds. Good luck, and let us know how things go.

I will thank u

 

[John C.]

I see to recall the engine throttle and brakes worked on air, transmission controls were electric and the outriggers were manual and only worked with you turned the house away from the engine compartment to one exact spot. I remember unloading one of those things off a trailer with no brakes and there was a manual valve that would reverse the steering wheel control to ease running long distances in reverse.

As I recall the swivels were always the biggest problems with those machines. There was an air swivel on top, then the electrical swivel and finally the hydraulic swivel on the bottom. We used to use a lot of brake clean and ether to wash the greasy mess out of the electrical swivel when the gremlins started to surface. The air swivels were simple and just used O rings for seals. States and municipalities were the biggest users of these things and most didn't get many hours on them. After about three years of use the leaks started and the gremlins were showing up all the time in the electrical systems. Most that I know of ended up like this one with vegetation growing over them.

 

[old timer]

I know I am late to this party, but I will try to help out.
To start, thank you for the pictures, brought back memories of sleepless nights, new swear words learned, copious amounts of beer consumed, keeping 5 of those running. My dad had bought the first DROTT in Canada (p.s. it was powered by a Ford industrial gas engine) all his later ones had Detroits.

First thing I noticed someone did you a solid and changed the electrical swivel to a cut down version of a 1085C swivel, that means the parts can be found.
That steel tube running down the center of the swivel looks like a modified version of the later model (40B) shift tubes. Accelerator and brake, pretty inventive!

The transmission is a Reverse-O-Matic, new parts are getting rare as hen's teeth, but they were used in just about everything rolling from packers to small cranes. the electric shift solenoids haven't been available new since the mid-90's, Trombetta makes one that will fit with a little modification. And being a later model ('77), it will have the larger torque converter.

In the cab, the ball valve is the throttle lock, one push button on the dash box is the parking brake, I THINK all that is still available thru Mico. One of the other push buttons is the start, don't trust them, they are evil, install another in the engine doghouse.

You likely have already found the shift/outrigger fingers that extend below the upper-works of the cab have been welded numerous times, that's usual (go ahead and ask me how I know HAHAHAHA please refer to the first part of my post)

One more thing, Drotts are the only machine I have run across that the pin clearance was in the pin. In other words, a 2" pin is actually 1.990" and the bushing bore is true 2"

All in all they were a pretty solid machine for their time, when my dad shut down his company we were selling off Drotts with 25,000 hours on the clock.

Again, thanks for the memories, stay safe!


I think I am going to go curl up in the corner in a fetal position remembering all of this, WOW
Hope this helps

 

[Coy Lancaster]

I know I am late to this party, but I will try to help out.
To start, thank you for the pictures, brought back memories of sleepless nights, new swear words learned, copious amounts of beer consumed, keeping 5 of those running. My dad had bought the first DROTT in Canada (p.s. it was powered by a Ford industrial gas engine) all his later ones had Detroits.

First thing I noticed someone did you a solid and changed the electrical swivel to a cut down version of a 1085C swivel, that means the parts can be found.
That steel tube running down the center of the swivel looks like a modified version of the later model (40B) shift tubes. Accelerator and brake, pretty inventive!

The transmission is a Reverse-O-Matic, new parts are getting rare as hen's teeth, but they were used in just about everything rolling from packers to small cranes. the electric shift solenoids haven't been available new since the mid-90's, Trombetta makes one that will fit with a little modification. And being a later model ('77), it will have the larger torque converter.

In the cab, the ball valve is the throttle lock, one push button on the dash box is the parking brake, I THINK all that is still available thru Mico. One of the other push buttons is the start, don't trust them, they are evil, install another in the engine doghouse.

You likely have already found the shift/outrigger fingers that extend below the upper-works of the cab have been welded numerous times, that's usual (go ahead and ask me how I know HAHAHAHA please refer to the first part of my post)

One more thing, Drotts are the only machine I have run across that the pin clearance was in the pin. In other words, a 2" pin is actually 1.990" and the bushing bore is true 2"

All in all they were a pretty solid machine for their time, when my dad shut down his company we were selling off Drotts with 25,000 hours on the clock.

Again, thanks for the memories, stay safe!


I think I am going to go curl up in the corner in a fetal position remembering all of this, WOW
Hope this helps

Brother I know where you are coming from on those old Drott 40's I worked on a few of them myself along with the 88R's and the later Cruz-Air machines. They were all a nightmare to deal with.

 

[Vetech63]

Well, If this was a Drott 1800 crane I could help. I saw alot of those in the early 80's..........still have a service manual somewhere I believe. Might take me weeks to find it.

 

[Coy Lancaster]

Well, If this was a Drott 1800 crane I could help. I saw alot of those in the early 80's..........still have a service manual somewhere I believe. Might take me weeks to find it.

I worked on a few of the Carry Decks before.

 

[Oldironsask]

I have inherited a machine exactly like this. I know very little about it. I had it running last fall, but then the weather changed and I haven't been back to it since.
I have alot of questions as to the controls. Would anyone have a diagram or a layout of what all the pedals/sticks do?
At the rear side of the seat, there are also a couple hydraulic levers, that I am confused over.
Any help would be appreciated. After this unit is running and mobile, I have a little newer model to figure out.