Michigan 175B

[ruralexmech]

I know a lot of people have been asking about the Michigan/Clark 175 wheel loader series so i thought i would make a video of it showing you guys around the machine and stuff. YouTube - Michigan 175B Part 1 YouTube - Michigan 175B Part 2

 

[FarmerAlex]

Thanks Ruralexmech, that was a brilliant movie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It seems the 175B was really the machine to have. What horsepower does that engine put out??

Would love to see how you operate it The Detroit sound puts a smile on everyone's dial

cheers

Alex

 

[ruralexmech]

Glad you liked the video FarmerAlex! =D. Yes it really is a good loader, I'm a pretty young guy and i wasn't around when the machine was made, but i still appreciate the quality with which things were built back then. Its horsepower is around 290 and hopefully I can get a video of it driving or me driving it pretty soon, ill be sure to let you know right away

 

[FarmerAlex]

ruralexmech that will be fab , i'm seriously considering getting one as well, have found a good one, theres pics on the other forum link. Sadly this one doesn't have a detroit in it. I also appreciate brute strength. Depending on how things go i might also post up some pics and vids of the new toy

cheers
Alex

 

[ruralexmech]

Aww man, thats too bad it doesnt hav a detroit in it=( But still its a great machine, I can't wait to see the pics if you end up getting it! Keep me posted man, i hope all goes well =D

Logan

 

[FarmerAlex]

I have found a detroit 8v71 for $1600 in running condition, so if the engine is no good i will replace with a detroit

cheers
might take the gf and go and look at it next weekend
will definitely keep you posted

Cheers Alex

 

[ruralexmech]

I have found a detroit 8v71 for $1600 in running condition, so if the engine is no good i will replace with a detroit

cheers
might take the gf and go and look at it next weekend
will definitely keep you posted

Cheers Alex

Ahh, very glad to hear there may someday be a Detroit screaming in that Clark/Michigan 175B again. It's also very nice to hear that you can share your passion with someone else, especially someone as close as your girlfriend.

Good luck to you!
Logan

 

[FarmerAlex]

175 loader Down Under

Howdy, have asked a few what points to look for on the loader, was wondering what your advice on what sort of bucket i should get??? I have a log fork set with it, which will be great, will use for log clearing and such. Whats the average cost for doing the full service on the loader, have done a faiir bit of research and found the hydraulic tank is about 80 Gal. Engine oil is about 30L and then filters plus other odds and ends. If i do get it i will definately post lots more pics vids and anything that might help others.

Just another question while i think of it, at 15000 do you think that is a good price for a piece of equipment like this?

Many thanks again

Alex

 

[ruralexmech]

I guess i would need more pictures (more pictures are always good ) and a ballpark estimate of how many hours it has (or at least the frame). Also, do you know if the engine is running? or are you going to replace it with that screamin' Detroit? =D In terms of buckets, i would need to know what kind of material you are handling (will it be aggregate, rock, dirt, etc.). Also, for a price on the full servicing i guess i wouldn't really know all that well because the work we do in our shop is for our own equipment. We're not really like a repair shop because we do all of the earthmoving work with our own equipment, and then we repair it ourselves as well. So i wouldn't really be able to give you a good estimate, although maybe someone else on the forums could help him with that?

Hope all goes well,
Logan

 

[FarmerAlex]

Ok the hours on it are 5883 hours, it says its a 1981 model. Now i think i will be mostly moving clay, maybe some rock, thinking that i probs will need a bucket with teeth. Cheers

Now the servicing i'm going to do all myself, just wondering how much you budget in terms of oils and filters.

here's some pictures cheers
alex

 

[ruralexmech]

That's a nice machine you've got there Alex! It seems to be in really good shape for its age and 5883 hours isn't too bad either for it. I don't really see any signs of misuse or damage to the machine, outside of the work mother nature has done on the paint this machine seems pretty mechanically solid by the looks of it. That's also one of the newer 175's in the B series, I think that the 175 was switched to the C series shortly after 1981.
I might be off on the price of all the oils and filters but i think you could expect to pay somewhere around $300 for everything. I might be off, but its the best estimate i could make... i hope my young age doesn't make me way off.
Yes though about getting a bucket with teeth. Clay is a hell of a lot more difficult to dig with a general-purpose bucket and not only that, but you said you might be moving around some rock as well so a toothed bucket will come in handy there too. You should be okay with an in-line toothed bucket (meaning the teeth are all equal distances out from the front of the bucket edge).
Also, how about the engine? did you say you were going to use the one in there? or is it going to need to be replaced? If the one in there will work, could you tell me how it runs? Does the exhaust produce black smoke, or does it burn excessive oil? Check the levels and cleanliness of the transmission, hydraulic, and engine oil too. Those are also good signs of whether or not a machine is well taken care of. Finally, if at all possible, try doing some digging with it and make sure the steering and boom/crowd cylinders are tight. Then make sure that the engine doesn't get bogged down too easily when you are going into a pile or lifting the load up. Any other questions at all, feel free to ask =D

Logan

 

[RonG]

Those machines came from the factory equipped with an ROPS and a cage of sorts wrapped around each side of the cab for safety so the operator would not fall off I guess.The cage would always get bent after some hours and looked like heck.
One of my employers had two of them and I ran them for years.They were a good loader.Ours had 8V71s in them.I have never seen one with anything else in it but a Detroit.I did run a 275 for a while with a 335 Cummins in it.Ron G

 

[FarmerAlex]

Thanks again Logan, making the decision process much much easier. . Had another question again, I believe that the 175B has a three speed power shift, can this be used on the move, or does it require you to be stationary?

The first task i have for this loader is to level a dam on a hilly block, ill post a diagram of it later tonight, i'd say that there would be at least two weeks work.

There are about a dozen medium trees to remove, plus all the other excavation work to be done.

Cheers

alex

 

[Bigstevex4]

Hey couple things the tourge converters are differant for cummins and detroit
that secound loader has way more than 5800 hours on it who knows when and how many times the hour meter was changed or not working
Check the center pin huge issue with those if you keep them ajusted there great but nobody ever did.

 

[FarmerAlex]

Gday all, sorry haven't replied, now i rang up the bloke, it is at a metal recycling yard, apprently everything on it works well, he hasn't used it since he has had it. Said it was too big for him, now hes selling as just wants to clear the yard. Hopefully this will be a really good gem, that i will just snap up

Cheers

Alex

 

[oldseabee]

That vintage required a complete stop to shift forward to reverse but speed gears could be shifted on the go with some throttle work (upshift let off the throttle for an instant, downshift keep your foot in it). A shift from forward to reverse on the move will cause teeth marks in the steering wheel. Later versions introduced modulation on forward and reverse shifts, I'd have to do some research to pinpoint which year that was.

 

[ruralexmech]

Gday all, sorry haven't replied, now i rang up the bloke, it is at a metal recycling yard, apprently everything on it works well, he hasn't used it since he has had it. Said it was too big for him, now hes selling as just wants to clear the yard. Hopefully this will be a really good gem, that i will just snap up

Cheers

Alex

Yea i haven't been on the forums in a little while either :/ Work has been really busy lately because our truck drivers are breaking all of our trucks! First the rear end goes out in one of them, then the tie rod gets bent to a 45 degree angle, then the turbo starts sticking in another! But were starting to get them all fixed lol. Anyways, real glad to hear this machine could be yours soon, i like helping people out (especially when it comes to heavy equipment ).

That vintage required a complete stop to shift forward to reverse but speed gears could be shifted on the go with some throttle work (upshift let off the throttle for an instant, downshift keep your foot in it). A shift from forward to reverse on the move will cause teeth marks in the steering wheel. Later versions introduced modulation on forward and reverse shifts, I'd have to do some research to pinpoint which year that was.

Thanks for helping out on that one oldseabee, I kept forgetting to ask my boss about the shifting because of our recent business. But always glad to learn something new

 

[FarmerAlex]

Gday, Ruralexmech, dont worry about it , i had a car accident earlier this week so have been tied up with trying to sort of recover and dealing with insurance companies. What is an acceptable oil consumption for a engine this size? Is the power shift relatively easy to repair? Has any one had issues with the brakes? i assume they are drum? and does the torque converter overheat when doing a lot of high speed driving?

Cheers

Alex

 

[oldseabee]

The transmission is a counter shaft type as opposed to the allison which is a planetary type. by removing the front and rear covers, the clutch packs are exposed and can be rebuilt in frame with a little patience. 1st and 2nd packs are the same, fwd, rev, 2nd, and 3rd are the same. The convertor has no lockup feature so it can over heat if overloaded for a long time. Roading the machine will not cause overheating unless you try to run up hill or work in too high a gear, if the machine starts to bog down just downshift. There is an oil cooler in the bottom of the rad so if the engine overheats for some reason, the cooler won't work very well.
Brakes are Air over hydraulic 4 wheel disc with automatic axle by axle emergency system

 

[FarmerAlex]

Thanks a lot oldseabee, thats brilliant info!!!!!! What type of hydraulic oil do you use in your loaders? Is it an general light engine oil, or a specific type of hydraulic oil. I saw recently a special deal for casterol hydat oil i think, for 630 something dollars for a barrel. So given that the loader needs 80 plus gallons would require about two barrels. How often should this oil be changed?
I generally write up my own maintenance schedules, just wondering if its a 1000 hour type limit??? Are the final drives sealed from the gearbox? or do they share the same oil?

Whats the average fuel consumption per hour on a machine like this??? For my tractors i work on the general rule of thum For every 20hp used = 1 Gallon per hour fuel consumption. Therefore at 250 hp being used on average 12.5 Gallons per hour. Is this a fairly accurate estimate

Cheers

Alex