Dig-It towable Backhoe partial restoration

[Wa11banger]

Thanks!
I got pins/bushings from power king(Power King Tractor Replacement Parts and Accessories). You have to have part numbers to order. The big pin ran me $50 some bucks, short one $45-ish. Bushings ranged from $4-15/pc. Im picking up a lathe this winter to make my own.

With your wheels. It dosnt have enough power to pull over bigger obstacles? I adjusted the relief valve and it helped but it still dosnt have the power I would like. I know its not the motor as I had to replace one. Had a busted fin thing inside of it. Both have even pulling power

Thanks for the info.. I called them today and they are much cheaper per item than where I had been going for parts.. I will use them for everything now.

Yah I can climb some even small obstacles.. But I have been able to work it some, fiddling with the sticks and it figures it out and gets going again. I was also thinking along the lines of rebuilding the wheel drive motors but it sounds like you don't think it is that. I was thinking the valve block might be part of it.

 

[Krookz]

Thanks for the info.. I called them today and they are much cheaper per item than where I had been going for parts.. I will use them for everything now.

Yah I can climb some even small obstacles.. But I have been able to work it some, fiddling with the sticks and it figures it out and gets going again. I was also thinking along the lines of rebuilding the wheel drive motors but it sounds like you don't think it is that. I was thinking the valve block might be part of it.

Definitely not the motor. I have a brand new motor thats as wimpy as the old one. Do you think the valves are too small? If anyone out there has any ideas we're all ears.

 

[Wa11banger]

Definitely not the motor. I have a brand new motor thats as wimpy as the old one. Do you think the valves are too small? If anyone out there has any ideas we're all ears.

No I think they are failing or cruddy.. my reasoning for that thought is with some fiddling I can get them to comply and operate with what I consider adequate power sometimes..

Alternate thought is this is the lowest point in the whole system.. water entrapment maybe??

Alternate, alternate thought, maybe poor pump performance? But the rest of the unit is operating nominally. So hiw could it be pump related.

 

[Krookz]

No I think they are failing or cruddy.. my reasoning for that thought is with some fiddling I can get them to comply and operate with what I consider adequate power sometimes..

Alternate thought is this is the lowest point in the whole system.. water entrapment maybe??

Alternate, alternate thought, maybe poor pump performance? But the rest of the unit is operating nominally. So hiw could it be pump related.

Ive got all fresh fluids so I doubt its water. Gotta be either too low of flow... either pump too small(my original question) or the hoses/ports arnt allowing the full amount of fluid to the motor. Maybe its by design.

Im making myself a new pressure gauge this week so ill double check my psi

 

[Wa11banger]

Interesting theory on the pump being too small. It is obviously sufficient for the backhoe portion but maybe not big driving.. The biggest customers for these units of that time were utility companies like the phone etc, and landscape companies.. Not a lot of driving required just lots of straight lines. Could be why there was less emphasis on driving force than there is on digging force. For their weight they dig exceptionally well. Although my not so experienced hand gets me in a bit of a fix from time to time.. Just nickname me Teeter lol

 

[Krookz]

Interesting theory on the pump being too small. It is obviously sufficient for the backhoe portion but maybe not big driving.. The biggest customers for these units of that time were utility companies like the phone etc, and landscape companies.. Not a lot of driving required just lots of straight lines. Could be why there was less emphasis on driving force than there is on digging force. For their weight they dig exceptionally well. Although my not so experienced hand gets me in a bit of a fix from time to time.. Just nickname me Teeter lol

Very very possible. I think it was 10* max slope that I read in the manual. Ill see if I can find that bit again.

Made up my new gauge and im running mine at 3700psi. So the pressure is there. Hoses on mine were all changed to 5000psi.

 

[Wa11banger]

Thanks to Krookz's excellent information I was able to finally afford new swivel pin and bushings.. Man what a difference a tight machine makes.. I felt almost like an expert without all that wobbling around while trying to dig. The machine is much easier to manage and a whole lot less herky and jerky now that the big pin is tight. I am going to go ahead and replace all the pins and bushings over the next few months and the machine should be tight as I can get it soon.

Thanks Krookz

Rick

 

[Krookz]

Thanks to Krookz's excellent information I was able to finally afford new swivel pin and bushings.. Man what a difference a tight machine makes.. I felt almost like an expert without all that wobbling around while trying to dig. The machine is much easier to manage and a whole lot less herky and jerky now that the big pin is tight. I am going to go ahead and replace all the pins and bushings over the next few months and the machine should be tight as I can get it soon.

Thanks Krookz

Rick

No problem! I still have to replace the 2 bigger bushings on the big pin down bottom. Nice and wobbley!

 

[tcreeley]

Very nice restoration. These towable backhoes are well worth the money - easier to use and put away than tractor mounted units!

 

[Wa11banger]

Krookz im sorry man but this a serious no fun job. Mine was rusty to all **** in the middle since I was missing the lower bushing.. here is how I did it to make it easy it took about 2 hours total. Take off locking bar assembly, put the dipper out about 2.5 feet and set it on the ground. Support the boom and dipper joint with something.. I used my loader and a chain from my tractor. Just snug enough to keep it from falling over. Because I had so much slop there was no way to pull the pin sitting there so I started it up and used the boom hydraulics to gently nudge the swivel weldment into a neutral position. The pin slid straight up and out lucky. I then disconnected the pivot cylinder, put some bricks on the hose side of the machine and just pushed the swivel weldment over but not quite all the way off. the hoses have plenty os slack to allow this. Inside bearing puller kit to pull the upper bushing and I didnt have a lower but I would of just beat it out with a drift pinch or pipe. To replace I greased the bushing and the inside of the carrier and tapped the upper in. because they are so low to the ground i used a piece of 3/4" of all thread and some oversized washers. This allows you to feed the tread from the top then nut the bottom and never run out of thread. I greased up the lower bushing as well and sinched it to get it started.. my lower carrier was a little rough because there wasnt a bushing in it before.. there should of been but someone practiced poor maintenance. Because it was pretty chewed up in there it was hard to get going so I would tighten it pretty good and gently tap it left and right.. eventually I got it in about a 1/2 inch in and it went like butter after that. The spacer and grease plate were a little tricky but not bad I put the spacer in then reassembled the unit and jacked it up to put the grease plate in from the side. Used the hydraulics to realign everything and dropped the pin in, greased it up and went to work hope that can be of some help

 

[Krookz]

Sounds like a fun one... hopefully that will help when I decide to cross that bridge. Thanks :thumbsup:

 

[Wa11banger]

Ok, went back and read my bourbon typing and I must apologize I am glad you were able to translate. It really wasn't that bad except for the very slow start on the bottom bushing. Once it got in there and straight it went pretty good. It tightened up the bottom pretty good and made a huge difference in usability. Or maybe a huge difference in control, a lot less bucking around. I was worried before I started about the hoses and having to take them all loose but it worked out just fine this way and no open circuits or leaks to deal with.

BTW Do you know how to identify what year these are?

Take care and thanks again for your help and the beautiful pictures..

 

[Krookz]

Ok, went back and read my bourbon typing and I must apologize I am glad you were able to translate. It really wasn't that bad except for the very slow start on the bottom bushing. Once it got in there and straight it went pretty good. It tightened up the bottom pretty good and made a huge difference in usability. Or maybe a huge difference in control, a lot less bucking around. I was worried before I started about the hoses and having to take them all loose but it worked out just fine this way and no open circuits or leaks to deal with.

BTW Do you know how to identify what year these are?

Take care and thanks again for your help and the beautiful pictures..

If you stand on the side with the oil fill cap, its stamped just below on the vertical surface. Last two digits are the year.




Found another picture of my new control panel decal. Made the boom one as well

 

[Wa11banger]

Ok Man, how much to make another set? Those look great and I am liking the black vs red panel. All of my stickers are shot!

 

[Wa11banger]

LOL.. holy **** I just noticed something.. YOU HAVE SEATBELTS????? When you get a chance can you take a picture of where they mount. I have no seatbelts and although I didn't specifically look for a place I don't recall ever seeing anywhere to mount them. I figured there wasn't any because the seat plate flips up for access to the engine

 

[Krookz]

LOL.. holy **** I just noticed something.. YOU HAVE SEATBELTS????? When you get a chance can you take a picture of where they mount. I have no seatbelts and although I didn't specifically look for a place I don't recall ever seeing anywhere to mount them. I figured there wasn't any because the seat plate flips up for access to the engine

Ill get a pic. The ones on there orginially were rusted solid so I replaced them. If I didn't have the ROP/cage I wouldnt have put belts back on it. Ill pm you about the decals, dual color decals out of die cut material isnt cheap

 

[Krookz]

Here ya go. Ignore the ghetto throttle mount(strap) I knocked it off this weekend

 

[Wa11banger]

Ok yours is officially cool.. I dont have a fancy console. Key and choke are on top of engine kinda ghetto mounted seemingly like it was supposed to be that way. I also have an 18hp kohler gas engine not a diesel. Engine does run like a top though, and after this week I have rebuilt all boom cylinders due to either age or my improper use of it

Mission mfg is loving me I have bought a ton of stuff all pins and bushings are new now.

 

[Krookz]

Ok yours is officially cool.. I dont have a fancy console. Key and choke are on top of engine kinda ghetto mounted seemingly like it was supposed to be that way. I also have an 18hp kohler gas engine not a diesel. Engine does run like a top though, and after this week I have rebuilt all boom cylinders due to either age or my improper use of it

Mission mfg is loving me I have bought a ton of stuff all pins and bushings are new now.

I think the console came from whatever machine the Kubota engine came off of, they just added some bends to make it look like it does. I re-did all the wiring, cables, lights, key. It was all junk and a huge mess of mis-wired, and un-wired crap. Wouldnt be hard to fabricate one if you have the ability. I re-used some old parts for my cables/throttle/kill as you can tell :laughing: They were on the other side, under the seat when I got it. Pita to adjust while sitting on it.


I bet they do! I dug a sump pump out last night... my big vertical pin is worse than I thought. Guess ill be tackling that sooner than later. Poor pump needs a seal too

 

[sparc]

Definitely not the motor. I have a brand new motor thats as wimpy as the old one. Do you think the valves are too small? If anyone out there has any ideas we're all ears.

maybe air in the lines or one or both motors?


"Sparc's 158's hoe looks identical except for those plates."

What 'plates' are those?


I need to replace bushings and pins, anyone have a list of
sizes and their locations on the machine and is Mission the
best place to go for these parts?

I wish I had a manual also. Been watching eBay for one but none
have surfaced so far.