# Articulating machine center pins , shims and bushings



## tramp bushler (Apr 2, 2012)

My Terex flexes at the center pin ! Alot . The book says I need a crane and take the machine in half to work on the pins or shims . 

What do you skiddder loggers do . How often do center pins wear out .??


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## Slamm (Apr 2, 2012)

tramp bushler said:


> My Terex flexes at the center pin ! Alot . The book says I need a crane and take the machine in half to work on the pins or shims .
> 
> What do you skiddder loggers do . How often do center pins wear out .??



My machines get greased everyday before startup ....... so far I have not had to fix anything and with the exception of the 518 CAT that has some weirdo center section, all of them are tight.

At our machine shop we have rebuild the center sections some wheel loaders, but we had a huge A frame crane that we blocked up one side and then lift and moved the back from the front, used a hilift jack to separate a little bit and then a forklift to move farther away.

You could do it with another wheel loader, just bend the machine and drive in from the open side.

Or just weld up a little dolly for the "moving" side, two stout wheels/casters and from metal frame work to hold the center section up while you pulled it apart.

Depending on abuse, pins can go upwards of 10,000 hours +/- 1,000's of hour's.

Sam


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## tramp bushler (Apr 2, 2012)

Since the pins have to be taken out while the machine is together , can I just leave the machine together and do them 1 at a time ?


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## mingo (Apr 2, 2012)

tramp bushler said:


> Since the pins have to be taken out while the machine is together , can I just leave the machine together and do them 1 at a time ?



That's what I did on my Timberjack. Supported both halves put a jack between the top and bottom pins pushed the bottom out replaced it and did the same for the top. I did it in my shop on a cement floor and had the machine turned to one side so the jack wood clear the driveshafts.


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## tramp bushler (Apr 4, 2012)

Ok . Great . It is looking like I have a problem with 1 of my main lifting cylinders . Getting lots of leakage but 




the ram is inside the structure of the front end loader cast frame . Almost as hard to describe as it is to see . 

It is the inside the yellow structure aft of the front tire . 
What does it take to repack a hyd cylinder ?


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## Slamm (Apr 4, 2012)

tramp bushler said:


> Ok . Great . It is looking like I have a problem with 1 of my main lifting cylinders . Getting lots of leakage but
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Cylinders are really not that hard to deal with. Usually there is a nut that either uses a large wrench or spanner type of wrench on the end of the cylinder once you get this loose and that can be exciting at times, heat may be necessary and should be on hand.

Then you will need to actually get the rod out of the cylinder, in theory this rod should just easily push out .......................... in theory. You could either take it apart in a very large vice that is holding onto the cylinder about mid way down or leave it in the machine with the bucket supported up with a chain or lock out device. In order to get the rod out of the cylinder it should just slip out, problem is, that is somewhat rare, we usually put them in a large vice and use air pressure to blow the rod out of the cylinder into a barrel or something ............ I have seen the rods blow out and almost go through walls, so be careful if you use this method .............could pull them apart with a chain hoist too, in the field you could have the machine blow it out itself, all methods are messy to some degree.

After that its pretty easy. There are just a few O-Rings and V seals, make sure you keep track of how the V seals are pointed, as they only work one way. You obviously have a camera, so take pics of the assembly before you remove the rings/seals. Either order a repacking kit from a dealer or measure each item and call a company with the measurements. I can get the kits for my CAT 910 for about $110 each, but there is a hydro shop that I can get everything the exact same for about $14 if I remember right and that was everything. I assume you are far from everything so a proper kit might be cheaper in the long run as mistakes could be made with individual items and measurements.

In summary, if you can get the nut off of the end, do this in the machine if you don't have a good huge vice to hold that cylinder and then the next hardest thing is getting the rod out of the cylinder (might be easy might be hard). You could do all of this in the machine by unbolting the upper part of the cylinder and letting it hang down while leaving the other side attached, but you have to support the loader arm because it will fall down after you blow the arm out of the other side. Use the machine to push the cylinder out ............ gently ................ you will loose some oil so be prepare for that event however your morals dictate.

If someone will just charge you parts and $100-150 to do this in a shop, thats the route I would go, the problem is around here most every shop will charge you $800-900 to do this and it takes longer to order the seals/kit than to do that whole job (if you are set up to do it), so however the economics work out for you.

Hope that helps,

Sam


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## Slamm (Apr 4, 2012)

tramp bushler said:


> Since the pins have to be taken out while the machine is together , can I just leave the machine together and do them 1 at a time ?



Oh yes, if just replacing the pins, but if you have to get at the bushings too, then sometimes you have to be prepare to get at them with the machine separated or you might have to cut them out and weld in new ones ........ if its just a pin replace the just block it in place and do pins only.

Sam


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## tramp bushler (Apr 4, 2012)

Wow . Thanks Sam . . This morning I dumped in 10 gal. Hyd fluid. 108$ . Fired up the loader + headed off the landing . I happened to look at the top of the ram and fluid was pooling up on top of it . I hsd a customer on the way so haf to get a load out . While pushing in to skid road O could see fluid sguirting out the top of the cylinder . These Terex cylinders have 3 ,9/16 head bolts that hold the top of the packing on .




.view from cab.










.


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## tramp bushler (Apr 4, 2012)

I hope I don't loose this smart phone . Sure is handy .

So I think If I set the bucket on the deck of my Duce+ half it will be high enough to get at the top of the ram . I was told I can take out the 3 bolts and the top will slide up the ram . Then I can get at the packing ect.


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## Slamm (Apr 4, 2012)

Yes, that is correct, make sure your bucket it as high as you can get it comfortably so its out of the way and something big under it. Brace the loader arms themselves not just the bucket, because the bucket could flip and everything fall down.

I think you will be fine. If you work on the cylinder still attached to the loader and not on a bench, you won't need a big vice to hold it, so it might be a lot easier for you to handle it.

Hydro leaks, like poor fuel mileage are very expensive in the long run.

Have fun.

Sam


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## tramp bushler (Apr 4, 2012)

I'm glad my breakdowns only come 1 or 2 at a time . Glad I already know how t cut timber . I can't imagine having t learn all this stuff at once . . 

Thanks for the lesson . I'll keep everyone posted . Maybe someone like me out there will learn some stuff that will make their lives easier .


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## Tzed250 (Apr 5, 2012)

Make sure the rod has no significant dings or scratches. Imperfections will damage the new seal set.


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## tramp bushler (Apr 5, 2012)

Well I tore into it today . Only lost a couple drops of oil this cylinder is different than any of the 3 in the manual .




this is how I left it last night so to be sure all the pressure off. 





This is what I found today . The single rubber O ring was tore apart . The good thing is I don't have to pull the top pin on the ram . The O ring comes by the foot and I just need to cut it to length and Super glue it together in the groove . . Only problem is there is none in Glennallen so it's a 400+ mile round trip .


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## tramp bushler (Apr 5, 2012)

Tzed250 said:


> Make sure the rod has no significant dings or scratches. Imperfections will damage the new seal set.



The top oil seal on the ram is good . I would need to do some real mechanicin to change that seal . I hope it lasts forever .


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## redprospector (Apr 6, 2012)

tramp bushler said:


> The top oil seal on the ram is good . I would need to do some real mechanicin to change that seal . I hope it lasts forever .



I hope it last forever for ya too Tramp, but you know you've got 2 strikes against that happening.
One....It's a Terex.
Two....Nothing last forever in the woods.

Andy


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## tramp bushler (Apr 6, 2012)

Hey ; whats wrong with T Rex's . .


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## redprospector (Apr 6, 2012)

Oh, as a whole I guess nothing.
I had a bad experience with one of their new machines last year (mostly with a new dealer).
Just saying the word Terex leaves a bad taste in my mouth for an hour or so. 

Andy


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## tramp bushler (Apr 6, 2012)

redprospector said:


> I hope it last forever for ya too Tramp, but you know you've got 2 strikes against that happening.
> One....It's a Terex.
> Two....Nothing last forever in the woods.
> 
> Andy





redprospector said:


> Oh, as a whole I guess nothing.
> I had a bad experience with one of their new machines last year (mostly with a new dealer).
> Just saying the word Terex leaves a bad taste in my mouth for an hour or so.
> 
> Andy






Did it have a Screamin Jimmy in it . They can say what they want , but the old guy wad built when I was 13 years old . 38 years ago . 
No , it may not be modern , but dirt , snow and trees arn't too modern either . 



Did it have a screamin


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## tramp bushler (Apr 6, 2012)

I really like Jimmies . I was around a modern Terex a couple years ago . No where near the charector of the old green iron . Ide like to slap the misguided soul that painted mine yellow .. :msp_mad:


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## redprospector (Apr 6, 2012)

tramp bushler said:


> Did it have a Screamin Jimmy in it . They can say what they want , but the old guy wad built when I was 13 years old . 38 years ago .
> No , it may not be modern , but dirt , snow and trees arn't too modern either .
> 
> 
> ...



No, it had a "Perkapillar" in it. One of their new & improved PT100G forestry machines. I owned that machine for a total of 150 days, 60 of which it sat in their shop. 

Andy


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## tramp bushler (Apr 6, 2012)

. Ya . I look at new iron online and I wonder who is going to move enuf timber to pay for them . 
Half million $ machines . We don't have pulp mills up here anymore . 
I only paid 5 k $ for my loader and I've logged 30k $ of firewood with it in 6 months of operation . 
I know thats not much . But it already paid for itself .
It is good training for a Timber faller to learn how t b a gypo logger . When I get my skidder , harvestor and self loader . Alot of this won't b nearly as intimidating . 
With the help of some of u guys advice and pacients like I never had when I was young I think I'll be able to make a good go of it .


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## redprospector (Apr 6, 2012)

I like old iron. Most of it was built to be re-built. I don't know about this newer stuff.
That Terex was likely the only new piece of equipment I'll ever own. My skidder is 39 years young, and running strong.
It's a hard transition from being a faller to being a logger. I used to think I was a pretty good faller untill I started running a skidder. Then I became a pretty good faller.
When I was a faller all I worried about was gettin' em on the ground, worked up, and collecting scale. 
When I started "logging" I had to start worrying about getting them out, on a truck and to the mill. 
Now that I've been de-moted to a thinning contractor, I have to worry about all of that plus I have to clean up my own messes. :msp_sad: There has been a lot of learning in these transitions.

I miss the good old days when I was just a faller.

Andy


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## Slamm (Apr 6, 2012)

redprospector said:


> It's a hard transition from being a faller to being a logger. I used to think I was a pretty good faller untill I started running a skidder. Then I became a pretty good faller.
> When I was a faller all I worried about was gettin' em on the ground, worked up, and collecting scale.
> When I started "logging" I had to start worrying about getting them out, on a truck and to the mill.
> 
> ...



Excellent point that many don't ever quite grasp, I try to point out that while the trees do have to get on the ground first ........ little to no money (per hour) is made until the machines start pulling, and then it starts running into the $100's per hour. Properly dropped trees can really make or break the skidding, and many fallers don't ever full get this ............... or if they do they don't care, because that isn't their job. My best cutters are also guys that might have to skid the logs out themselves ........ then you will see some good quality cutting, maybe not the fastest, but everything flows well and the speed overall or the whole team is higher, not just one faller being selfish and dropping trees to make scale.

Sam


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## Slamm (Apr 6, 2012)

I can afford, and like, machines in the early '90's to early 80's, I think that is a good 10-15 years of machine designs, it seems you can still work on them and they are so ancient that many of the parts can be found in new or salvage condition. Older and its gets hard to find parts and newer and things start getting thin or cheap or too many computers/wires to break in the demanding environment of logging where you have mudd and sticks trying to poke the guts out of everything.

Sam


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