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Michigan 75a loader

Hoo Gnu

Member
Joined
Apr 4, 2011
Messages
7
Location
Ontario, Canada
Hmmm...
I'm not seeing it there either, but between flakes of rust & a sloppy spray paint job, it might be there.
When it stops raining, I'll wriggle my head down there.
Thanks
 

Hoo Gnu

Member
Joined
Apr 4, 2011
Messages
7
Location
Ontario, Canada
Nope,,,Nothing there ( anymore ).

I've contacted the following trying to get info on this machine, ( I have the S/N etc. from the Waukesha engine )...
 

Hoo Gnu

Member
Joined
Apr 4, 2011
Messages
7
Location
Ontario, Canada
That's odd... Reply posted itself as I was typing,
anyways, I've contacted
Waukesha / Dresser
Volvo
Minpar
Sycamore
Tractorparts

I wonder if there's someone I missed that might have info?
Thanks
 

Hoo Gnu

Member
Joined
Apr 4, 2011
Messages
7
Location
Ontario, Canada
Great!

Where is the Serial Number located?

I understand that they came in Series I & II. Is there some characteristic that will tell me what I have?

I'm going to have to get a Service Manual for this machine, if I knew the S/N, or even which Series I have, I should be able to get the right manual.

Thanks
 

oldseabee

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2010
Messages
529
Location
Milner, Ga.
Occupation
Retired
Most of the Michigan loaders have the serial number stamped somewhere in the frame and on plate, sounds like the plate is missing.
Series I machines had the boom pivot behind the seat area, series II moved the pivot point forward of the seat area for safety reasons. Due to some lawsuits from operators injured by the boom removing some body parts.
There is no service manual for these machines, only an expanded operators manual that contains a lot of information including repair instructions for the power train components and hydraulics. The Operators manual number is 1199, that is not a part number just a manual number. There is also a parts manual number 2726 covering 75A, 75B and R.
 

Hoo Gnu

Member
Joined
Apr 4, 2011
Messages
7
Location
Ontario, Canada
Thank you.
Looks like I have a Series I.
I didn't think too much about the safety issue beyond saying to myself "there's a good reason to keep your hands inside".
 

Komatsu 150

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2007
Messages
673
Location
Northern Illinois
You should also be aware that there is no neutral safety switch in these machines. Generally doesn't matter as they wont move if the bucket is on the ground although a local mechanic was killed by a 175 years ago when he shorted the starter.
 

Pops15

Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2011
Messages
9
Location
IL
My Dad had a model 75. He bought it new in the 1950's several years before I came along. His had a gas Waukesha and teeth on the bucket. He dug crawl spaces and basements with it. He said a black Cadillac would show up every few days and the occupants would watch him. He'd ask if he could help them and they'd just say no, they just wanted to watch. This went on for several months. Dad was spread too thin trying to run two businesses so he got out of the excavating business so he could concentrate on his home building business. The guys in the black Caddy quickly offered him a job. He took it. Turns out they owned a big construction company and after seeing Dad's Michigan in action they bought one. It was a 75 with a Waukesha diesel. Seems the company operators were used to running tracked machines and couldn't (or more likely wouldn't) figure out how to operate a wheeled loader. The company sent him and the Michigan to projects all over the state. He did everything from clear land of trees to backfill and grade water main or sewer ditches, build and finish grade the greens for a new golf course, dig an occasional basement and of course load trucks. 25-30 years after he left that company I met some of his old co-workers. They said Dad was the best operator they'd ever seen (and these guys were operators and a foreman) and they never did figure out how he could dig with that danged Michigan wheel loader.
I remember tagging along with Dad one Saturday morning to pick up his paycheck. His boss said he had a little project for him if he wanted to make a few bucks. I was maybe 3 and it was a big deal to me to get to ride along in the Michigan and even get to dump a few buckets of dirt. It's not in the budget right now but some day I'd like to get a Michigan 75.
 

Komatsu 150

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2007
Messages
673
Location
Northern Illinois
Pops15 I got just the machine for you. :) I'm thinking about getting rid of ours as it's been in the shed too long. Ran when parked as the saying goes. Has the Waukesha diesel. By the way any body who could grade with one those machines was some operator. We used to have a guy that could do pretty well, way better than I ever could.
 

Hoo Gnu

Member
Joined
Apr 4, 2011
Messages
7
Location
Ontario, Canada
I think I may have finally located the serial # on my Michigan 75A, Series I.
There is a 6 digit number cast into the underside of the pivot point where the upper main arm is fastened to the frame.
 

Knotworking

New Member
Joined
Nov 15, 2011
Messages
4
Location
Duluth, mn
Hi guys, new to the site. I have a Michigan 75A that we used to use for dirtwork. It went years without running, but I got it started up and am in the process of converting it for snow removal. My issue is electrical. I was having battery drain, and overheating wires coming into the ignition I believe from the regulator. Also burned up my fuel pump. I am going to scrap the positive ground system. So am I to understand that I can run a GM alternator with the buit in regulator and run 1 wire to my positive post on the starter?? Is this all I need to do? Or is there multiple steps. I'm sort of a novice mechanic so any help appreciated. Thanks!
 

oldseabee

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2010
Messages
529
Location
Milner, Ga.
Occupation
Retired
Not as easy as that. reversing polarity will affect any elecrical guages, the needle may try to move left instead of right, some of them you can rewire. The starter might be polarity specific and run backwards. You need to have it checked by an electrical shop .
 

Komatsu 150

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2007
Messages
673
Location
Northern Illinois
I did it on our 75A years ago. I used standard Delco alternator, 55 or 60 amp I think. The gauges all work. I think I might have had to change the wires on the amp gauge. From memory the other gauges were not polarity sensitive. The starter doesn't care, it will still run the same direction. Very easy on this machine. The wires burning up may have another cause. The original positive ground system will only supply something like 20 or 30 amps, nowhere near enough for night work with lights, heater, etc. We were overloading the original system and I was replacing regulators and generators every year or so. The alternator ran for at least a decade of active use and still works fine probably 20 years later.
 

Komatsu 150

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2007
Messages
673
Location
Northern Illinois
Just thinking about it a little more, you might want to run a new main feed wire to the ign. switch anyway of bigger gauge. As I remember the main feed is on the starter terminal. The other gauges might need polarity reversal I just don't remember doing it. In any case they all work including fuel gauge.
 

Knotworking

New Member
Joined
Nov 15, 2011
Messages
4
Location
Duluth, mn
Ok, where does the main feed from the old regulator go, is it to the ignition switch? I am thinking it does, but not sure. I am pretty sure this was the wire burning up. It has more to do with grounding issues than anything. I am thinking if in fact the regulator feed went to the ignition switch, I should be able to just run a new feed from the alternator to the switch? Appreciate the imput guys!
 

Komatsu 150

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2007
Messages
673
Location
Northern Illinois
If you're running a one wire alternator all the regulator wiring is disconnected. The wire from the alternator goes to the ungrounded large terminal on the starter and there is another wire on this terminal that feed to the ignition switch. I'm assuming you still have the pedal starter so the battery lead goes to the same terminal on the starter. The only three wires on the starter terminal should be the battery (now positive used to be negative), the alternator, and the main fee to the ignition switch. The other starter terminal is grounded. If you don't have the pedal start attach your new wires to the solenoid terminal that the battery cable is attached. The original regulator wiring had a wire from the reg. batt terminal to the run side of the ignition switch to energize the generator field when the key was on. (I think that's right haven't worked on a generator in a long time)
 

Komatsu 150

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2007
Messages
673
Location
Northern Illinois
Of course I goofed that up. If you hook it up like I said it will work but the ammeter will not. I need to look at my notes. I think the one wire needs to go from the alternator to the the wire that used to be hooked to the regulator batt terminal. Maybe somebody with a better memory will chime in.
 

oldseabee

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2010
Messages
529
Location
Milner, Ga.
Occupation
Retired
That ammeter won't handle the higher amps from the alternator, it will just peg out. Need to replace it with a voltmeter connected to the on side of the switch and to ground. Be sure to not to hook it to the hot side of the switch or it will drain the batteries with the switch turned off.
 
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