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Michigan 475 model????

CaptainAnalyzer

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 6, 2013
Messages
205
Location
Big Rapids, MI
Occupation
Young business owner
992 carried a 16yd bucket while the 475 had a 12yd. So yes. It is closer to a 992 than a 988 which I think was a 10yd.
 

kshansen

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2012
Messages
11,160
Location
Central New York, USA
Occupation
Retired Mechanic in Stone Quarry
992 carried a 16yd bucket while the 475 had a 12yd. So yes. It is closer to a 992 than a 988 which I think was a 10yd.

Don't have a copy of Cat Performance Handbook around here but the online spec's for the 988H show it as having a 10.0 cu/yd bucket. Back when this 475IIA was working in the quarry as a load and carry machine to the primary crusher it was most times running along with a 988 87A1964 machine. As I recall the 988 at that time was only a 6 yard machine, or a little more. Every letter increase for a Cat loaders seems to move up bucket size a bit. A quick look at Ritchie Auction site lists the bucket on a 988B as 7.1 yards and I know the 988 B were a step up from the 87A models. Of course if you start putting coal buckets on them all bets are off!
 

CaptainAnalyzer

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 6, 2013
Messages
205
Location
Big Rapids, MI
Occupation
Young business owner
Don't have a copy of Cat Performance Handbook around here but the online spec's for the 988H show it as having a 10.0 cu/yd bucket. Back when this 475IIA was working in the quarry as a load and carry machine to the primary crusher it was most times running along with a 988 87A1964 machine. As I recall the 988 at that time was only a 6 yard machine, or a little more. Every letter increase for a Cat loaders seems to move up bucket size a bit. A quick look at Ritchie Auction site lists the bucket on a 988B as 7.1 yards and I know the 988 B were a step up from the 87A models. Of course if you start putting coal buckets on them all bets are off!

Thank you for this great info!
 

d9gdon

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 12, 2010
Messages
1,517
Location
central texas
Yes, large loader sizes have increased so much since the models came out that I can't keep track of them.

Kind of like after the L model dozers came out, they're gonna have to resize them and add another model in there.

I think that Michigan 475 had a pretty good reputation back then, I guess Cat just slowly overtook their market share with equal or better loaders over the years, or more than likely just better support.
 

kshansen

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2012
Messages
11,160
Location
Central New York, USA
Occupation
Retired Mechanic in Stone Quarry
Yes, large loader sizes have increased so much since the models came out that I can't keep track of them.

Kind of like after the L model dozers came out, they're gonna have to resize them and add another model in there.

I think that Michigan 475 had a pretty good reputation back then, I guess Cat just slowly overtook their market share with equal or better loaders over the years, or more than likely just better support.

Two biggest problems I recall we had with the 475IIA were:
1. Hoses and oring failures. Probably not so much Michigan's problem just the "state of the art" for those items back then. Anyone remember those steel backed oring'seals Cat used for years?

2. Brakes, again compared to the competition probably not that bad. As I recall the locking brake chambers were a little tricky to get working right. Recall some roller/wedges that would get worn and not hold good. Seems you had to apply the service brakes then activate a parking brake valve to lock the brakes on. Good thing they had big buckets to use for parking brakes!

About the best thing about them was the transmissions. Could be rebuilt in frame by one guy working alone! Did just that one December down in Virginia. But there were a ton of hoses to remove to get access to the covers!
 
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