Komatsu PC60-7: Yet ANOTHER Hydraulic Line Failure Today

[Mark A Weiss]

OK the next step is seeing if fluid is flowing to the swing motor. If not the problem is in the valve/linkage or the joystick.

I need the mechanic with the appropriate gauges and tools to do that. I'm limited on physical ability since my second heart attack last year. I just wish I could get a mechanic out here. I booked this latest guy in December. He did the one jobs of replacing those main hydraulic lines, but now it seems he's busy and I don't want to wait another four months as I need to plant and make a space for chicken coops and a grazing area this spring. I checked machine rental prices last year and it was absurd!

 

[Welder Dave]

I don't think you need gauges to check for flow. Loosen a fitting and see if more oil comes out when you activate the swing. Could probably take a hose(s) off and stick in a bucket to check for flow. Would want to have a good helper. You could put a tee with a valve on the line too. Have you asked the mechanic when he can come back or you're assuming it will be 4 month's? The other question is how did you treat the mechanic when he was there? What I mean is were you asking a lot questions or complaining about the other mechanic or how much everything costs, or you're on a limited budget, etc.? I don't mean any offence but sometimes people trying to help can get turned off by something which makes them a little hesitant about wanting to come back. I've done landscaping and welding for people and all they want to do is complain how much it costs or how long it took.

 

[Mark A Weiss]

Isn't the swing motor down inside the rotex? I can't access that, not with a bad back anyway. I can barely climb into the machine (very carefully) due to severe back pain (had to stop all back exercises last year due to hernias).

I was encouraging and friendly with him and his other mechanic that came and put in the new hoses. I had complimented him on the fact that the other mechanic said he's have to pull the swing gear to get at the hoses, yet the new guy did it in 40 mins with out disassembling the upper half of the machine.

Thing is, I wrote him 3 emails this week with suggestions about purging air. He responded to one of them (I quoted earlier) and that was all. I've been replying with a desire to move forward (I paid his invoice right away) and that I need to get planting and clear an area for chicken coops. Yet, no response in 2 days. I know he's in demand, but I had hoped that once he started my job, he would see it through to completion.

 

[Welder Dave]

The swing motor runs the swing gear and isn't in the rotary manifold (not sure if that's what you mean by the rotex?). The rotary manifold is just for the track drive motors and the blade if it has one. Any mechanic doesn't really care that you need to get planting and clear an area for chicken coops. Everybody wants to get their machines back working ASAP. Three e-mails in a week suggesting he might not know how to purge air might be a little much. I'd try asking him if he might be able to come over in the next couple of weeks to try and figure out what's wrong with the swing.

 

[Mark A Weiss]

I was careful not to imply that he didn't know how to purge air. I only suggested it one time that maybe the system is air bound, but he seemed not to think that was the problem.
That he's not responding to emails after I paid his invoice is a little disappointing. I asked him when he could come and finish the project to get the machine fully operational and have yet to receive a reply.

 

[Welder Dave]

Hopefully you hear from him soon.

 

[Mark A Weiss]

I sent another email asking if he's even receiving my mail (could be spam filter is blocking me). So far, nothing.
I want to get this machine working, get my food supply secured and sell it before I die.

 

[Acoals]

There's got to be a Wal-Mart within 30 minutes drive, they should have a food supply . . .

 

[Mark A Weiss]

There's got to be a Wal-Mart within 30 minutes drive, they should have a food supply . . .

Not when the truckers aren't moving. I'm preparing for the day when the food shelves are empty. Self sufficiency is essential!

 

[Acoals]

Well, I guess hobbies have their benefits . . .

 

[Welder Dave]

Not when the truckers aren't moving. I'm preparing for the day when the food shelves are empty. Self sufficiency is essential!

They aren't now so you could stock up but it's not likely the shelves will be bare anytime soon. Have you been watching too many doomsday movies? You just got a new car so should be able to afford food if you can afford gas.

 

[Mark A Weiss]

The wife bought the new car (her old car was deemed unrepairable) after shopping for used cars for many months and finding that used cars were not much less expensive than buying new with a warranty.

I bought the excavator as an investment, seeing that that cash I'd been saving in the dresser draw since about 1960 was losing value rapidly. I wanted to buy gold, but no dealer would do it off the books (worried about confiscation as like they did in 1933). Then my wife had the idea, watching me struggle all summer with a wheelbarrow and shovel moving hundreds of yards of fill around the property, "why don't you buy a machine?" so I gave it some thought, figured a used machine would hold value better than fiat paper currency, and started shopping. I wanted a mini, but couldn't touch one for under $45K at the time. Had just about $30K saved up over 6 decades of putting a few dollars every paycheck aside. So when I found the PC60-7 (guy was asking $30K and I talked him down to $27.5K). Day 4 of ownership, a pilot line lets go.. and the rest is history.. fixed that myself (took 4 days).

We did start to stock up in 2020, but our house is tiny and we have little storage other than kitchen cabinets. If I had a larger place, we could have a walk in pantry. That would have been nice. But I'm not a fan of commercially produced "food". I grew up with chickens back in '49 when we moved to Stamford and built the chicken shed in the back yard. So all through the '50s we had plenty of eggs and sold them to the neighbors as well. My wife wants to get us self sufficient. We're off grid with our electric, well and septic, but food is still something we depend on a working economy for. When no one pays the truckers, the food won't get to the stores.

 

[Welder Dave]

You've said all this before. You seem to be all doom and gloom and the world is coming to the end. Who's not paying the truckers? I don't think the stores are going to run out of food anytime soon.

 

[Mark A Weiss]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I see the culling of millions of chickens. The sun is going crazy with flares (grid could go down), the country has unsustainable debt and WWIII is likely to engulf America. At least I have reliable electricity and water supply. The food supply, I would like to have control over, too.
But in the meantime, I need to get the machine working, and ready for sale. Have $182K in medical bills from the two heart attacks last year.

 

[Welder Dave]

Good Grief! Perhaps your doomsday theories contributed to your 2 heart attacks. Look after your health and listen to your Dr's. They aren't out to get you nor is anyone else. There is no shortage of good healthy food. I really wonder if the mechanics that have worked on your excavator have been turned off by your bleak view of the world. It's certainly depressing. You were given 2 second chances, make the most out of the time you have and stop thinking the world is about to self implode. You're not likely to get a 3rd chance the way you're going.

 

[HarleyHappy]

Dave, those Doomsday Prepper’s are not worth your time.
Let it go.
Think some Xanax is in order.

 

[Georgia Iron]

Dave, those Doomsday Prepper’s are not worth your time.
Let it go.
Think some Xanax is in order.

Dam i must be evil. If i thought anarchy was around the corner screw the medical bills. I would run all my credit cards to max. Wait one of them is there now with this 963 under carraige. Cash is going to be worthless, so a working excavator has more value than the funds. At least you can dig graves or tank traps or look for gold...

I would be ok with it swinging only in one direction as long as it swings.

I just got an email that all metal building components are going up 12% on may 02. Things you own are getting more expensive. Tires are up already. Another wave of stupidity is headed our way.

The question is will people have the money to carry on or will this be the straw that breaks the camels back.

 

[HarleyHappy]

About 20 years ago, I was in a Grainger and we were expecting a big storm to come in and even though I don’t like Grainger because of their inflated costs, I was there anyway. There was this guy buying a generator and you can imagine their cost and anyway, this guy was going on and on, about how while everyone else would be out of power, HE was going to be fine because he had just spent a few grand, on a brande new generator.
He turned to me and asked if I was getting ready for this big storm.
I replied, well yea, I had already got ready, he asked how.
I told him I went and bought a few boxes of ammo.
He asked how was that getting ready.
I explained, if it was that bad and I and my family really needed something, I would just go over to his house, and take it.
He didn’t like that at all.
You can do everything you want to get ready for Armageddon but if people really need something from you, you better be able to protect it.
When I lived in a close neighborhood, back when generators were kinda rare, them things running, were a magnet for thieves.

 

[Acoals]

you better be able to protect it.

Ah, no trouble, all the preppers have an AR15, and as we all know, buying an AR15 automatically turns a guy into Seal Team 6, so no worries there . . .

 

[Mark A Weiss]

Funny, that my wife was saying the same thing last year "you read too much of that ZeroHedge, stop reading that, it's giving you a heart problem!"
Actually, I read that more for entertainment, and some foreknowledge of what to stock up on.
My real stress is coming from the tax collector and the building dept in my town. Unbeknown to me, they switched from doing 10 year revaluation cycles, to 5 years and they are using aerial photography to 'inspect' properties I found out. Well, got a call from the building dept about my solar panels. They said they didn't have a permit on file. I told them this is MY property and I don't need their damned permission to do what I need to do to survive. $740 monthly electric bills were heading us to a shut off several years ago. Can't pay that when you're living on $910 social security retirement. So I did the solar, seeing that we were going to be unable to afford electricity soon. Good thing I did. I told the building guy to F off and my wife hung up the phone.
But back taxes have been a stress source for me, as well as the damned roof is leaking again, due to those scammy white roof coatings not lasting anywhere near what they claim. 10 year waranty, but leaks after 2 years.. no luck trying to get most of these suppliers to make good on it.
Most people my age are in or moving into assisted living facilities. I don't have that sort of money. I've been toughing it out here on the mountain for 59 years, since I acquired the land cheaply. Hoping I can keep going. My neighbor died peacefully in his sleep, but was healthy as an ox all his life. Hope that's how it goes for me. I hate hospitals!