Importing and modifying a new mini excavator from China

[dfkrug]

So don't leave any play in the tracks? On a Bobcat I had there was supposed to be some play. I know these are different types of machines that have their own quirks though, I'll take your adivice knowing you have experience. I don't want to mess with a track out in the field.
I checked the track links, mine has 37.

Does your HighTop have spring or hydraulic tensioners?

I run my tracks tight. Some minis have a bar that the top of the tracks ride on, helping to keep them from coming off. I don't have that.

Everyone will eventually have their tracks come off. I am very vigilant to keep that from happening. I do "jump-turns" sometimes. I turn incrementally, rather than continuously. I am super-careful when turning on rocks, and try to avoid that. No tracks off in years!

Several vids on Utube showing how to get tracks on.

Too bad about the counterweight. The short minis (37 track links) went to an external cast plate a few years back. I weighed one at 100#. Looks like HT cheaped out and deleted it. There is no clearance to add a plate beneath the house.

 

[jodieadair]

Mine has spring tensioners. I have had to put tracks back on other machines before but I'd like to avoid it.
I think I'll run mine tight too.
Do you think there would be any issue with just making a counterwight to sit on the rounded part of the engine bay floor. there is plenty of room.
I would hesitate to mount anuthing to the back panel.

 

[dfkrug]

Do you think there would be any issue with just making a counterwight to sit on the rounded part of the engine bay floor. there is plenty of room.
I would hesitate to mount anuthing to the back panel.

I would mount to the inside floor, as far as you can to the rear. Even if you have to use steel plates, instead of lead ingots.

As for the house, every one I have seen is made of fairly thick steel. So, a well-mounted weight of 100# or so could be attached to the rear of the housing instead. More work, less than optimum location, IMO.

 

[jodieadair]

I would mount to the inside floor, as far as you can to the rear. Even if you have to use steel plates, instead of lead ingots.

As for the house, every one I have seen is made of fairly thick steel. So, a well-mounted weight of 100# or so could be attached to the rear of the housing instead. More work, less than optimum location, IMO.

Thanks for all of your insight, I'll keep you updated.

 

[jaylast]

For sure I'd put your counterweight right back there. I found lead the best @ 70ct/lb VS scrap iron at 35ct/lb which is much harder to work with and obv less dense. I didn't have much room but easily fit ~ 350lb back there on mine.

I actually have both tracks off mine right now, Spring tensioned bolt setup also. I bent the tails of the frame a few degrees out on each side (where motors mount). All the traveling I been doin and spreading the the 1.5" minus type gravel was pretty darn rough on things hahah.
Tracks stayed on and tight, but really don't like crushing limestone in the cogs very much.
Easily pulled frame/motors back inline with a 8000lb chain binder and chain. Making some gussets now- will add some pics of this and also from messing with the lead.

Lead was super easy to melt in a steel cake pan or paint tray, and could easily trim full depth of blade with a cordless circ saw. Just make sure to add steel dowels/posts/studs etc when its liquid hot- not easy to fasten big ingots after the fact unless you just gonna strap them or something. Drilling in thick lead sucks worse than thick steel.
Btw, @ 2$ per pound market price lead is cost prohibitive imo - gotta find a private sale or a scrap yard that will resell scrap for the best price.

 

[jodieadair]

For sure I'd put your counterweight right back there. I found lead the best @ 70ct/lb VS scrap iron at 35ct/lb which is much harder to work with and obv less dense. I didn't have much room but easily fit ~ 350lb back there on mine.

I actually have both tracks off mine right now, Spring tensioned bolt setup also. I bent the tails of the frame a few degrees out on each side (where motors mount). All the traveling I been doin and spreading the the 1.5" minus type gravel was pretty darn rough on things hahah.
Tracks stayed on and tight, but really don't like crushing limestone in the cogs very much.
Easily pulled frame/motors back inline with a 8000lb chain binder and chain. Making some gussets now- will add some pics of this and also from messing with the lead.

Lead was super easy to melt in a steel cake pan or paint tray, and could easily trim full depth of blade with a cordless circ saw. Just make sure to add steel dowels/posts/studs etc when its liquid hot- not easy to fasten big ingots after the fact unless you just gonna strap them or something. Drilling in thick lead sucks worse than thick steel.
Btw, @ 2$ per pound market price lead is cost prohibitive imo - gotta find a private sale or a scrap yard that will resell scrap for the best price.

That was going to be my next question. How much weight is good? I dont want to over do it but I want as much as possible.

 

[dfkrug]

Lead was super easy to melt in a steel cake pan or paint tray, and could easily trim full depth of blade with a cordless circ saw. Just make sure to add steel dowels/posts/studs etc when its liquid hot- not easy to fasten big ingots after the fact unless you just gonna strap them or something. Drilling in thick lead sucks worse than thick steel.
Btw, @ 2$ per pound market price lead is cost prohibitive imo - gotta find a private sale or a scrap yard that will resell scrap for the best price.

Excellent.

melting and forming your lead into the best shape is a great idea. And adding steel tubing or studs for mounting is also excellent. I can imagine some curved lead plates that match up perfectly with the inner rear floor of
the house.

When I installed some lead ingots on the rear of my CADDigger, I just drilled holes through the oval-shapes and used bolts and washers. Vibration from use tended to distort the holes I drilled. Steel tubing would avoid that.

Lead is nearly 1.5x as dense as steel, so you would need less material to get, say 200#. Let's see your installation.

 

[dfkrug]

I actually have both tracks off mine right now, Spring tensioned bolt setup also. I bent the tails of the frame a few degrees out on each side (where motors mount). All the traveling I been doin and spreading the the 1.5" minus type gravel was pretty darn rough on things hahah.
Tracks stayed on and tight, but really don't like crushing limestone in the cogs very much.
Easily pulled frame/motors back inline with a 8000lb chain binder and chain. Making some gussets now- will add some pics of this...

Wow. Sounds like the rocks getting caught under the drive sprocket pulled so hard, it bent the frame. I did not expect that.

Gonna make some protection for the rear motors?

 

[jodieadair]

On the topic of rear motors, does the oil need to be changed like in other excavators? This info sure isn't readily available.

 

[dfkrug]

On the topic of rear motors, does the oil need to be changed like in other excavators? This info sure isn't readily available.

Brand-name excavators use a planetary gearbox in their final drives. Each has its own gearbox oil. Our Chinese minis use a simple gerotor hyd motor that uses the same oil that the rest of the hyd system uses. No gearbox.

This is one area where money is saved, and that is why wheel brakes are needed, but I have seen them on only one Chinese maker's mini-X.