Labor Sanity Check - 951C Control Valve

[jonathanks]

Hello everyone! Machine is still at the shop (951C 86J3065) and could use a bit of a sanity check on labors charges. They have me at 24 hours to R&R the control valve. I know that the tank had to be split to get it out, but have a very hard time understanding where 24 hours goes. Half that i would understand, a tech and helper taking 6 hours... And it does not appear they are including any setting of the reliefs in that. Any advice is much appreciated.

The rest of the story (there always is one) Sent it back to the shop after they rebuilt the cylinders and did the repairs to the pin bosses. They sent the machine back to me with no mention of a no holding functionality of the bucket roll, and missed a few other items. The pulled it apart and said the control valve is beyond repair (rusted and scored) so am now looking at a NOS unit for $4500 to get the bucket to be where it should. Any advice on that would be appreciated as well. I found a used one in PA, but never know if it will be any better than what I have, and I'm still sunk in the labor at this point. Was surprised the CAT machine shop said it could not be repaired...

Thank you for any advice you can give.

 

[Dave Neubert]

Have you seen the inside of the hyd. tank it being rusty is not impossible but not likely I would try replacing the relief valve first

 

[charles walton]

I would not take it back to them. I think 24 hours is rediculous.

 

[Vetech63]

Hello everyone! Machine is still at the shop (951C 86J3065) and could use a bit of a sanity check on labors charges. They have me at 24 hours to R&R the control valve. I know that the tank had to be split to get it out, but have a very hard time understanding where 24 hours goes. Half that i would understand, a tech and helper taking 6 hours... And it does not appear they are including any setting of the reliefs in that. Any advice is much appreciated.

The rest of the story (there always is one) Sent it back to the shop after they rebuilt the cylinders and did the repairs to the pin bosses. They sent the machine back to me with no mention of a no holding functionality of the bucket roll, and missed a few other items. The pulled it apart and said the control valve is beyond repair (rusted and scored) so am now looking at a NOS unit for $4500 to get the bucket to be where it should. Any advice on that would be appreciated as well. I found a used one in PA, but never know if it will be any better than what I have, and I'm still sunk in the labor at this point. Was surprised the CAT machine shop said it could not be repaired...

Thank you for any advice you can give.

Here is how the dealers worked back in the day when I was there. Every single hour has to be billable time through a 40 hour week for every shop and field service employee. If you have a full shop of equipment waiting on parts, guess where the broom sweeping time ends up?

 

[jonathanks]

Appreciate the replies. Was hoping maybe there is some kind of book rate for the more common tasks. Being a 1970 something (best guess is 76 or 77) I doubt they even have any if that anymore, they have told me that they tossed almost all of the manuals when they upgraded their system a few years ago. So they don't have a lot of info.

Of course I'm the most frustrated because I just haven't had the time, in years, to do a lot of this myself. So there is a significant amount of stupid tax for taking such an aged machine in to the big shiney machine dealer...

 

[Dave Neubert]

a used valve should be fine U billed about 12 hours to pull the hyd tank and split it on a 943 and it is tucked under the front sheet metal a lot harder to get to. If I rembmber right you can split that 951 tank with out taking it off

 

[sawmilleng]

Maybe consider getting another opinion on the valve--take it to a machine shop that does hydraulics repair and see what they think about repairing it. Repair by re-chroming the spool and bore is not unheard of. A used valve isn't a bad idea either but its more of a crap shoot if it is better than fixing the one you have. But going to the dealer pretty well ALWAYS really sucks if you're trying to save money!!

You may be better off taking the machine back unfixed, pay your lumps to the dealer, and get the machine to a smaller shop or a guy that works out of a service truck (at your site) to finish it up. Asking around about who is good at this stuff is important-- The moccasin telegraph as to who is around and who is good is usually pretty good at rating services. Just get more than one opinion!!

If the valve is rusted likely the inside of the tank and the internal piping isn't much better and needs to be cleaned up. And looking at/testing the check valve(s) is important, too.
I wonder if the pump is worn as well, if water/rust/crud has been circulating? Taking the filter and cutting it open to see if there are metal particles might be informative.

Best of luck, let us know how this shakes out!!

Jon.

 

[old cat mechanic]

Hello everyone! Machine is still at the shop (951C 86J3065) and could use a bit of a sanity check on labors charges. They have me at 24 hours to R&R the control valve. I know that the tank had to be split to get it out, but have a very hard time understanding where 24 hours goes. Half that i would understand, a tech and helper taking 6 hours... And it does not appear they are including any setting of the reliefs in that. Any advice is much appreciated.

The rest of the story (there always is one) Sent it back to the shop after they rebuilt the cylinders and did the repairs to the pin bosses. They sent the machine back to me with no mention of a no holding functionality of the bucket roll, and missed a few other items. The pulled it apart and said the control valve is beyond repair (rusted and scored) so am now looking at a NOS unit for $4500 to get the bucket to be where it should. Any advice on that would be appreciated as well. I found a used one in PA, but never know if it will be any better than what I have, and I'm still sunk in the labor at this point. Was surprised the CAT machine shop said it could not be repaired...

Thank you for any advice you can give.

 

[old cat mechanic]

When you say the bucket will not hold and rolling Did the bucket lift up the arms lift up and stay there If the bucket roll backwards and forward but we're not hold is most likely and line relief valve