Field repairs!!!!!!!!!

[Nat]

I was digging my basement with my 555B TLB, when the linkage from the dipperstick to the bucket fell off. On inspection I saw the C-clip which holds pin in was gone. I found the spacer/washer in the dirt, but no C-clip. To far to go get another, so looked in truck, closest thing I could find was the lock washer for a 2 5/16 ball. I took a hammer and vicegrips and spread the washer 1/2" or so and forced it into the C-clip groove. Fits so tight I'm going to leave it alone.
"A dumb ole" country boy and a pair of pliers are hard to beat

 

[Taylortractornut]

Nat Ive had to do the same on my brother's 455. One day his lost the c clip and we were stuck on a had to get done job. The dealers were closed but a friend of his that he bought alot of his other equipment from had some 455 and 555's out on the open display lot. We borrowed one till the endof the day then he bought the dealer a new one the next day. They had a laugh over it. I had a starter go out on a 300 Komatsu excavator once. the bad part was I had a 25 foot deep hole dug the width of the machine and I had swung perpendicular to the hole and shut the machine off to tell the laborer to get the slings to set some more pipe. Since I was also the jobsite mechanic I got to fix my starter. I had to pull it out from the topside wiche was a little more difficult and also invented some new swear words when i dropped my socket set off the top of the machine down the 25 foot hole.