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Ford 4500

Willie B

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Jan 2, 2016
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Mount Tabor VT
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Electrician
An old friend died. His grandson bought his Ford 4500 backhoe. The swing tower has been neglected way too long. The bottom bushing wore out forever ago. It wore until pressure caused cracks in the metal where the bottom bushing should be. It landed in my lap today. Can anyone tell me what this metal is. It appears to be cast, but has factory looking welds on it.
Options as I see them are to weld to build it up, then line bore, or cut it off, and weld on freshly machined steel in its place. If it proves to be cast, I won't risk all that welding.

Willie
 

Metalman 55

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Feb 6, 2013
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Ontario
How about some pictures to show what you have there? On our old 580 Super D Case we had a badly worn bottom pin on the tower that tightened into a taper with a nut on top to snug it up & it was so sloppy that it could not be tightened. We ended up forming a 16ga mild steel cone sleeve that fit the outside of the pin & when reassembled & the top nut was tightened it made the problem about 90% better. This picture does not show the nut as it is hidden behind the swing cylinder rod, but that is the best pic that I have. We have sold that machine a few years ago.
 

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Willie B

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I don't have a smart phone, not smart enough to use it. I'll get one of the techno wizards to get some. One of my 580K had a less severe form of the problem. I was able to replace bushings, and pins. This Ford wore 'till the bushing wore through. The boom dropped down, and rubbed against the frame behind, causing it to crack. The bore where the bushing went is out of round, The flat surface where a thrust washer once supported the weight of the hoe is no longer level. Pressure caused the "casting" to crack. By the time I saw it, he had ground out the cracks, and (I believe successfully) welded the cracks.
Now, it is shaped near factory, except the bore is out of round by .040, and the machined surface where all the weight sits on flat washer is likely .100 lower at rear. It'll be either a build it up, and machine, or cut it off, and replace.

A tractor not worth fixing to a logical man is precious to a grandson missing his grandfather. I'd like to help if I can.

Willie
 

Willie B

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The Ford is a complex form where it drops down, then sticks out. The bottom of the swing tower sits on a disc that should take the wear. This protrusion us about 180 degrees a circle, and extends to tractor frame. It is worn, and I think maybe bent a bit.

Willie
 

Metalman 55

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That tower does not look that bad..........Looks like someone already did some repair work on it?
 

Willie B

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Jan 2, 2016
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Electrician
Yeah, he just bought an old Dialarc 250 HF. He's new to TIG, has limited experience with stick. He has a little MIG I consider useless.
He ground out the cracks, welded them up. It looks good, time will tell how it holds up. It evidently is not cast iron. I guess cast steel. He's been researching line boring, I haven't figured out how to turn a boring bar short of a big investment. I have Super Hogs, but they turn 300 RPM on slow.
 

Bls repair

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Hire someone to do it if a one time only deal
 

Willie B

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Mount Tabor VT
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Once before I tried to find someone to line bore. Closest professional I could find was 100 miles. He was booked so far out, he couldn't even estimate when.

Willie
 

Labparamour

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Sep 6, 2013
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Washington
Check Kieth Fenner's YouTube videos (TurnWright?) and look for his series a couple years old on line boring.
He shows using a tool insert in a solid bar.
If I recall, he mounted the bar in his lathe and the part on the cross slide.
Your part looks like it may be small enough to do that to.

TomV, on this site, has shown some line boring- he does some great work!

I've also seen a couple videos where they have a square tool bit through a round hole and set screws to hold.

I'm looking to attempt something similar on a loader bucket.

DB
 

Willie B

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Thanks for the reminder. I will. Yes I have a very large lathe. I have never used it, don't really know how. Maybe it's time to learn.

Willie
 

NH575E

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I think I would try to get a bushing and pin and see if that would fix it. You could use that big ol lathe to make a driver so you don't distort the new bushing.
 

Willie B

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It's very distinctly out of round, not parallel to the upper pin, and the thrust surface is not perpendicular to the pin line.

Willie
 

Willie B

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This machine owner is a Hell of a carpenter, broke, then repaired nearly every component on a Jeep, but very little heavy machinery mechanics. He adapted half a drill press as a power unit, welded it to the swing tower, and made it work. It involved a lot of first time lathe work, but it's back together, and working. I'm proud of him.
 
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