Tips on bucket pin/bushing replacement

[Teemo]

Changing bucket pin and bushings on my excavator for first time any good tips on bushing removal and replacement.This is the main pin in the bottom of stick for the bucket.

Tim

 

[watglen]

What size machine?

 

[bobin35]

Weld up the inside of the bushing,get it good and hot (after ya clean out the grease of course)dont burn through the bushing either then let it cool down you can then drive them out,weld the entire gushing all the way around and in as far as you can.This shrinks the bushing,the when it cools press the new ones in with a cylinder or get some dry ice too cool the bushings.

 

[Lee-online]

Clean out the old grease then head 3 strips of the bushing front to back and then let cool. The bushing will then shrink and it can be driven out with a hammer and a drift. You can also weld some stringers to the bushing to get some heat into it.

installing the bushing usually requires a press, pulling rods and plates. Freezing the bushing helps get it started. You can also soak the bushing in liquid nitrogen for 20 minutes and then put it in by hand or with the help of a hammer.
i bet you could rig up a bottle jack to press in the bushings if its all you have.

 

[Teemo]

Machine is a doosan 225,aout 24 tons
I have access to a press to put in the new bushings,from what guys around here are telling me,the old bushings need to be cut out with a torch carefully.Those are some good ideas though.
Thanks,
Tim

 

[willie59]

Of course, I do like others and clean as much of the grease out as possible, just makes the job a little less messy. :yup

If it's a brass type bushing, another method for removal that I have used is a sharp, oval shape, carbide burr in a die grinder. Simply move the burr across the bottom of the bushing and grind a groove in it. A good sharp burr will cut a trench in it fairly quickly. When the groove gets near the steel bushing boss, you can visually see the steel appear because of a color change. Continue cutting the groove, skirting just above steel bushing boss. Once the bushing is split by groove, it allows the bushing to relax, and you can simply tap it out from the backside with a small ball peen and drift punch.

 

[Teemo]

Yeah,theres alot of grease in there,ill be sure to get that as clean as i possibly can.
The bushings have no brass in them,ive called up a buddy of mine that works for a local dealer and hes done plenty of these to give me a hand,thats going to be big since hes bringing his own tools.Should go smoothly.
Tim

 

[dayexco]

we just slice the old bushing with a torch, tap them out with punch and small hammer....run a brake home lightly thru the old bushing bore, put bushings in deep freeze night before, put film of STP on bore, and bushing.....tap them in with a lead or brass hammer...do it all the time, works slick.

 

[Teemo]

Thanks for all the tips,its all been helpful
Much appreciated.
I'll take pics of the process and let ya know how i make out.
Tim

 

[tex7550]

I like to use an arc gouger to split the bushings, very fast. Lightly polish with flapper wheel on a die grinder then press in the new bushings.

 

[ditchdiggerjcf]

be very careful with the torch if you haven't done it before.

 

[Teemo]

yeah,i agre about the torching
i hired someone with experience to do the job
ill let him do all the torching since hes done it quite a few times before.
he works for cat so i wont worry about it
nice to have buds that work in the field

 

[ditchdiggerjcf]

yep, having to weld up and line bore the end of your stick because you got carried away with the torch would not be cheap.

 

[Chris5500]

I'm a bit late by the looks of things but here's my 2c. I Clean area thouroughly. Don't bother with a gouging tip, waste of time, use a standard cutting tip. Heat a straight line through the axis of the bush along which you want to cut until it is glowing. Move the tip to the outer edge of the bush where you will start to cut. Continue heating until it is literally about to melt and fully depress the oxy trigger and if you've done it right it will blow it straight through but not to the parent metal. Move the tip further away to reduce the heat and aim it down towards the last layer of bush material. Repeat for the second cut then hit the bush out. Fin.

 

[Teemo]

Chris 5500
Thats some great advice.
Thanks

 

[absolutediesel]

Im a firm believer in the weld method- works like a charm, clean, easy and efficient