Non-mechanic’s guide to appraising an excavator

FOR the purpose of this article, we

pulled from the rack a 1991 Komatsu
PC220-5 with 13,600 operating hours.
The excavator in question was very
clean, tidy and straight.
Hydraulic excavators have been the
most popular earthmoving tool through
the ’80s and ’90s and will lead industry
sales into the new millennium.
In the case of diggers, the engine
powers the hydraulic pump and that
hydraulic power is used by the ma-
chine to perform the various tasks you
may ask of it.
The undercarriage is the system by
which the machine moves. In the case
of a rubber-tyred excavator the upper
is the same and the lower is similar to
appraise as the drive system on a
hydrostatic drive rubber-tyred loader
— for example, hydraulic drive motor
going into a transmission which drives
into differentials and axles.
Since we covered rubber-tyred load-
ers two issues ago and skidsteer load-
ers in the last issue, you can refer there Don Shewring, of used equipment specialist
for assistance regarding the drive sys-
tem for a rubber-tyred excavator.
Consolidated Crane & Tractor, continues his “non-
In this instance, the unit we will mechanic’s” guide to appraising used equipment.
look at is the crawler excavator. This time we’ve got what everyone’s been asking
Let’s “hop in” and look at checking
out an excavator, bearing in mind our
for: hydraulic excavators.
“motto”:
1. We haven’t got all day — allow an radiator and air conditioning radiator. an accident while lifting with a non-
hour. As we go, we are looking for leaks, approved hook or eye, simply go find
2. 50% life remaining is acceptable in dents, cracks in welds. Pay particular a tall building and leap off it — it might
our world. attention to welds in corners. be better than the consequences.
3. We want to know what is service- Around the back we have nothing Check the quick hitch (if fitted).
able, what is not, and the cost to but counterweight. Just make sure it is Most excavators have them today. You
make it right. not too biffed and bingled, which is the are looking for cracks, leaking actuat-
The static inspection sign of a poor or unlucky operator. ing ram, or a worn tongue.
Now we open the left-hand cover to Is the safety pin fitted and opera-
Get the machine on good hard stand inspect the hydraulic pump — the tional? As a matter of fact, if you get the
where you can move it and slew it heart and soul of the modern digger. serial number (the good old serial
without hindrance. Leaving the cabin till a bit later, go number), the manufacturer can tell
I use a prepared check sheet and now to the bucket area and quick you a host of information such as year
start at the serial number, which I can hitch, if fitted. of manufacture, the make and model it
check using the Kwik Reference Serial Is the bucket in good condition? suits, etc.
Number Guide (best $225 I ever spent). How are the bucket floor, adaptors, If your quick hitch has faults, the
The book tells me that this excavator teeth, sidecutters and pin bosses? builder can make it right — but only
was built in 1991 and the hour meter A modern 22 t excavator develops ever take it to the manufacturer. What-
tells me it has done 13,600 operating around 14 t of bucket and 11 t of arm ever you do, don’t get a “backyard job
hours. breakout force, so it is of utmost impor- — there could be an accident and you
Moving across the front, we inspect tance that the bucket be in good nick, would be in trouble.
the boom base pivots, centre hydraulic otherwise it can literally be pulled apart. Coming back along the arm and
coupling (which transmits hydraulic Any lifting eye which may be at- boom, check for cracks or leaking
power from the upper deck through tached to the bucket or quick hitch rams. Pay particular attention to wear
the slew ring to the tracks), boom base, must be of an approved type with a in the pins and bushes of the “tipping
hydraulic hoses and battery box. safe working load stamped on it (this is link”, as they are prone to wear. You
Now down the right-hand side of very important).
the unit, opening the cover over the Should you or your operator have continued page 52

September 1998 The Earthmover & Civil Contractor 49

 Appraising an
excavator
continued from page 49
can check the extent of wear in the
work test.
Check the length of the dipper arm
by measuring it. The longer the arm,
the better the reach, but you sacrifice
arm breakout.
Lift rams are prone to leaks as the
hours rise above 5000; have a close
look at them.
Check closely around the boom
pivot point for signs of wear or cracks.
Actual wear will show up during the
in-yard test. Also check all the fittings,
mountings, grease lines, etc, which
mount along the top of the boom and
dipper.
Now it’s time to get up onto the unit.
The first things you will usually see are
the hydraulic rotary coupling and the
slew mechanism. Inspect for leaks, etc,
dip and check the oil level on the slew
box and have a good look at the oil.
You are looking for signs of metal in
the oil.
Check the external cabin panels,
engine covers, etc. You are looking for
rust or dents. Fluid levels can be given
a pre-start check-up at this time.
Do a visual inspection of the engine
now, looking for obvious faults which
show up prior to starting.
The operator’s station
Go over the cabin with a fine-toothed
comb. It’s important that it be as good
and fault-free as it possibly can be.
Check the seat, seat mechanism,
control levers, steering and travel le-
vers and pedals, switches, gauges and
control panel.
Test the air conditioner, if fitted, and
also check the cabin trim.
Operational test
Now it’s time to start operating the
machine.
Engine
If it starts and runs sweetly, it’s gener-
ally okay.
Run the engine up to operational
temperature. Low oil pressure indi-
cates worn main and probably big end
bearings; “slobbering”, excessive
breathing from crankcase filler or
breather, indicates worn rings and pos-
sibly pistons.
continued page 54
52 The Earthmover & Civil Contractor September 1998
Step-by-step appraisal
My kit. Sadly, The Earthmover & Civil
Contractor no longer sells these
“contractor’s briefcases”, as they are
not available any more. At top of shot
is the 1998 Kwik Reference Serial
Number Guide, which is indispensable.
The other bits and pieces are insect
repellent (most important in Oz),
scraper, steel rulers, screwdrivers,
marking pens, vernier calliper,
extending magnet, tachometer, etc etc.
There is even a pocket for my bat
phone. Everything I need to carry out a
quick, efficient appraisal is at hand,
with the exception of a crowbar.
The serial number plate is a must get.
It tells you the year of manufacture, by
referring to a serial number guide. In
addition, the distributor can often tell
you who the machine was sold to, how
it was specified and its mechanical
history. That’s why it is so important
to know it. Take note of the serial
numbers of all major items: pumps,
engine, quick hitch, etc. They will
come in handy.
Adjacent to the serial number plate
are slew ring grease points. Make sure
grease goes in the boom lift ram pivot
pins, boom hoses (note that two have
been recently replaced). The pointer
coming in from left of photo indicates
RH (we always talk left and right as
though we were sitting in the
operator’s seat) boom lift ram and
pivot pin which we will check for wear
during the in-yard test.
While you are between the boom lift
rams, look a little deeper into the
hydraulic swivel joint. This device gets
power down through the slew ring. If
leaking internally, it affects the
operation of the tracks, generally
making the excavator track off to one
side. If leaking externally, it’s messy.
Not too big a deal to fix. Also in this
area (you can see part of it at front
centre of shot) is the ring gear
inspection cover. If you are a serious
buyer, always look here for excessive
wear and chipped or missing teeth.
Moving across the front to the battery
and toolbox, check the batteries and
make sure they are located correctly.
Check the work light in front left of
shot and make sure that the lid closes
properly and can be locked.
Moving down the right-hand side, we
open the cover over the radiator,
hydraulic oil cooler and air
conditioner radiator.
Closer inspection reveals everything to
be in good condition. Note the half
radiator behind air conditioner
radiator — it’s the aftercooler. That is,
it cools the air after turbocharging to
make it denser, for more power. The
hydraulic oil cooler and engine
radiator are behind the aftercooler.
On the left-hand side we uncover the
hydraulic pump. Inspection reveals it
has been worked on, so it is
reasonably safe to assume it’s been
done up. Also the air filter — check for
dirt and leaks. Replace if necessary.
Note the pump drive case dipstick at
rear of shot. Also check the engine
mounts.
Bob Dylan had a great album called
“Blood on the Tracks” and that’s what
we have here. We will go investigating
what caused this “claret” after we look
at the boom arm and bucket. We
already know it’s not the pump, centre
joint or boom hydraulics.
Up to the front we go. Make sure you
are happy with the straightness of the
boom and dipper. If in doubt, run
some stringlines on the ground to
check. You can also check track
alignment with stringlines by laying
lines up the inside or outside of each
track and measuring the distance
between the front and back of each
track; you will then know if the track
frames are toeing in or out. Toe out is
the most usual on excavators which
have developed a fault.
Spend a bit of time on the bucket and
quick hitch. This the “pointy end” of
the excavator. Closely inspect teeth,
adaptors, sidecutters if fitted, pins and
mounting brackets.
“Bad bucket”. This is not the bucket
fitted to the unit being inspected, but
it has been included to show missing
teeth, while the adaptors have been
used to dig. All in all, it’s doubtful if
you could keep teeth on this bucket.
Bottom is worn out.
“Good bucket”. Our digger has a very
good bucket, with teeth, adaptors and
cutting edge in good condition. Also
the “bum” is not worn through.
September 1998
The quick hitch. Once again we go to
the serial number plate (if still
attached). It tells us that this hitch
was manufactured in 10/94 by Atlas
Engineering and that it was originally
made to suit a Hyundai 210 and pick
up Komatsu PC220 buckets. It has
since been modified to fit on a PC220.
Also the safe working load on the
lifting eye is 5 t. It’s in good nick.
This lifting eye is not approved and
therefore not legal. Don’t use it, use
the one on the quick hitch. Note that
the quick hitch safety pins are in the
unlocked position (out rather than
in). Generally, the rule is: sling the
load off the 5 t SWL lifting eye on the
quick hitch, never the bucket which, in
certain circumstances, can come off.
Never use a digger with quick hitch
without safety locks. These spring-
loaded Atlas locks, one left, one right,
are only $1450 per pair with bolts or
you can have a straight through safety
pin for $60 and throw those two away.
The consequences of death or injury
due to safety device negligence can be
personally devastating — remember,
safety first at all times.
Step-by-step appraisal
continues next page
The Earthmover & Civil Contractor 53
Appraising an Step-by-step appraisal
excavator
continued from page 52
Other telltale signs are bubbles or
oil in the radiator, indicating blown
head gasket, porous cylinder liner or
leaking oil cooler. Coolant in engine
oil can be indicative of similar prob-
lems. The boom pivot pin doesn’t usually
Look at the exhaust gas and be give much trouble, providing the
watchful for the following indicators: This area is known as the “tipping grease is kept up in it, much the same
• blue exhaust smoke — excessive oil link” and is more prone to wear than as all the pins in the boom, dipper and
usage other parts of the excavator. The arm rams. Check for cracks around this
• white exhaust smoke — moisture in bottom pin indicated by the pointer is area. We will look for pin wear during
oil subject to the most wear. We will check work testing.
• black exhaust smoke — excessive this area for wear during the work
fuel. test.
Make sure all gauges are “in the
green” during operation.
Transmission
Travel the machine forward and back-
wards to make sure it tracks in a
straight line. Slew to both sides and
make certain it is the same speed and
power each side.
Final drives
Check in the same way as for above, Call this what you will: stick, dipper,
except you can lift each track frame off dipper arm, digging arm or just arm.
the ground and travel the tracks for- Look for dents on the underside where
the bucket curls up against it. Check
ward and reverse several times while
for cracks, inspect the rams for scored
listening to the final drive from quite
rods or leaks. Did you know that
close.
excavator arms are measured from the
Pumps pivot point where they attach to the
boom to the bottom pin in the arm?
These have to supply the power to
This is known as “arm length”. The This shot shows the back of the boom,
perform the above tasks, and the per-
unit in question has a 3.05 m arm (the the centralised greasing point, boom
formance of these tasks should be a
second longest), giving a maximum lift ram mounting points and quick
good indicator of pump efficiency.
digging depth of 6920 mm and a hitch piping on left of boom. Check for
A very good indicator of how the
maximum reach of 10,180 mm. See the cracks. This boom has two cracks which
pumps are performing is to run a cycle
tape in photo measuring the arm. It’s have been repaired. The repairs are
time test — you can get from your
important to know if you have short or quite good and no further problems
friendly distributor specifications for
long arm. are expected.
performing certain functions such as:
• travel speed
• slew rpm
• boom up
• boom down.
Check to see if these functions are
within the specifications. If they are,
the pumps are performing within speci-
fication. Simple, eh?
A word of caution. If you are look-
ing at a machine that you cannot get
operating specifications for, then give At the boom base, check the cabin roof,
it the swerve. This generally means Don’t panic. The marks on the right- hatch windows and aerials. This is
there is no dealer or that the dealer is hand lift ram, left of shot, are dead very tidy and has obviously worked in
of such poor quality that you don’t insects. You are looking for damaged dry conditions (minimal rust).
want to have anything to do with them rods, chrome or seals. We will test for
wear in the pins at either end of these Step-by-step appraisal
rams during the in-yard test.

The Earthmover & Civil Contractor September 1998

Appraising an
excavator
continued from page 54
or their products anyway.
If you’re not sure about or need
comfort regarding the hydraulic pumps,
have pressures and flows tested by the
dealer or a recognised expert.
The similarities between a human
heart and a hydraulic pump are spooky.
You can have heart failure young or
old — it’s the same with pumps.
Heart failure is by far the main cause
of the demise of humans, likewise
pumps in excavators.
No-one is going to have open heart
surgery on the off-chance that they
may have heart problems.
Likewise hydraulic excavators —
although an excellent policy with hy-
draulic pumps would be to re-kit at
6000-8000 hours and rebuild or repair
exchange pump at 12,000-14,000 hours.
Pumps today generally are not the
cloak-and-dagger production they were
a few years ago, where only a warlock
or wizard could work on them and the
costs were a killer.
These days, a proliferation of good
qualified pump repairers and “will fit”
parts have made repair prices very
reasonable, even at the distributor’s
workshop — and they would always
be my first choice, all things being
equal.
Boom, dipper and slewing
By going through a series of pushes,
pulls, lifts and slews, you can check for
wear from the slew ring to the bucket.
Generally, modern slew rings are
very good and last the life of the
machine.
Remember, don’t always operate
your machine one way, for example
digging over the front and slewing 90°
to the right. It will cause wear in that
part of the slew ring. Change your
pattern.
Underside inspection
We suggest that you have a look at this
section of the machine just prior to the
undercarriage inspection so you only
have to get down and dirty once.
Check the mainframe thoroughly
for cracks, whacks, bends, etc. A trained
eye can tell what sort of work it has
been doing — forestry, quarry, sand
and gravel, wetlands, etc — by looking
The Earthmover & Civil Contractor September 1998
Step-by-step appraisal
Again, while standing at the boom
base, look down. You will see the
hydraulic swivel joint from above
(round thing in top of compartment)
and the slew drive. Check for leaks. We
will check for operating defects during
the test procedure. Check the oil level
and inspect the oil. If there are two of
you during testing, have one of you
spend some time listening for undue
noise from this item. This is an
expensive piece of mechanism, so have
a good look and listen.
How’s this for one of those silly things!
A black mark for you, Mr Komatsu
design engineer, this is a daily pre-start
check item (radiator fluid level), yet it
requires a spanner to access it. This
cover should, of course, be lockable, but
more easily accessible. There is too
much temptation to think “I’ll just give
it a miss today”.
We have the radiator inspection cover
open. Very clean. Leave this open for
the moment, so you can check for air
bubbles when the motor is running.
The power unit. The pointer shows the
engine serial number plate. Take note
of this. A very clean and dry engine for
13,600 hours. All the nuts and bolts
indicate this unit has had work done.
Before we start the engine, we see a
fault. The pointer is indicating a leak
from the exhaust side of the
turbocharger. Monitor during testing.
We have been around it, up the front and
back and on top of it. All that remains is
to inspect “the office”, do operational
test, check the radiator and engine while
running, then get down and dirty and
appraise the undercarriage. You should
rate the condition of the operator
station very high on your priorities.
Make sure it’s the very best it can be, or
be confident you can bring it up to very
good condition.
Have a good look at the seat and
mechanism. You or your operator will
spend full working days with your
“bum” on this thing. The mechanism is
good, but the seat needs re-covering.
Panel inside door needs re-covering
and to be properly affixed.
Check the air conditioner behind the
operator’s seat. This unit needs a
service and re-gas.
Controls tell a story about the
previous owner. This guy was neat and
tidy. Mats, footrests, travel levers and
foot pedals are in good buckle.
This shot to the right-hand rear of the
operator’s seat shows the radio. It
works, in keeping with the generally
well-kept condition of this machine.
The hour meter also works. Note the few
O-rings, etc in the little “trinket box”.
Always lift the outer and inner rubbers
on the control. Check for oil leaks
from the control lever. Check that horn
switches, etc, continued in the lever
are connected and working. You
should be well situated now to “start
your engine” and do a bit of testing.
Nice watch, eh! A real “chick magnet”.
Oops, is that also a wedding ring?
Down the right-hand side of the cabin
we have part of the ashtray showing at
the bottom of shot, then the throttle,
ignition switch, light and quick hitch
operating switches, right-hand control
lever and control panel. Check that
these items work.
During the operational test, run the
excavator for at least 15 minutes to
ensure everything is at the correct
operating temperature. If you have a
heap to work, well and good. If not, an
in-yard test will suffice. By lifting
each track off the ground, you can run
the travel motors and final drives, and
better inspect undercarriage
components. Notice how the track falls
away from the rollers, making it
easier to inspect the track components.
Get that arm out there and go through
some rocking motions to check for
slew ring wear. Also, some pulling and
pushing in this position will give you
another aspect of pin and bush wear in
the boom and dipper. If you left the
bucket off the ground and you push it
from side to side, it will indicate
backlash in the slew drive pinion.
September 1998
Put the bucket on the ground and
gently go through the various motions
of lifting, pushing, crowding, slewing.
Wear in the various pins and bushes
will be obvious. Wear is allowed. If
you must have no wear, buy new. Can’t
afford new? Then compromise, drop
some of your unrealistic expectations
and cop fair wear and tear at a
second-hand price.
A cheap man’s dial gauge: get a good
quality measuring tape with an
adjustable brake on it, put it on the “X”
frame with the end of the tape hard up
under the upper body. Rock the unit over
the spot where you have ever so slightly
locked the tape and taken a reading. If
the tape pushes in, then the distance it
moves in is play in the slew ring. Your
distributor can tell you if that is
excessive or within specification.
Frontal worm’s eye view of the “X”
fame and undercarriage. At the end of
the day, you have to get down and
dirty if you want to know what’s going
on. Suffice to say that this main lower
frame is very straight and has seen
very little “rock work”.
Step-by-step appraisal
continued next page
The Earthmover & Civil Contractor
Appraising an
excavator
at this area.
Have a good look at track frames
inside and out. Make sure they are
tracking straight.
Get in under the centre joint and
look for leaks, damaged hoses, bent or
missing track guides.
How are the undercovers? Do you
have to straighten steps, etc?
At this time, you can check for leaks
from the engine and major hydraulic
components.
The undercarriage
Since this is the second most expensive
item on an excavator (after pumps),
we will cover it item by item.
Track frames
These accommodate all the rest of the
components and must be straight with
no cracks, no toe in or out.
If it looks suspicious, check with a
stringline. If bent, in most cases it can
be quite successfully straightened.
Track adjuster and recoil
spring
When the tracks are up in the air, have
a look at the track adjuster. You are
looking for grease leaking out, indicat-
ing that it won’t hold adjustment.
Also make sure that it hasn’t been
built up to compensate for worn track
pins and bushes.
It’s a real bugger when you renew
the track pins and bushes and can’t get
the tracks on because they are too
short.
Anyone who removes a track plate
from excessively worn chains or builds
up track adjusters, or knowingly sells a
unit with broken track adjuster springs
is, to my way of thinking, committing
fraud. If you end up with this type of
machine, you will think so too.
One of the real unknown extra costs
in the track adjuster area is “broken
recoil spring”. So make the effort, it’s
worth it!
Track chains
The quick method to check for track
pin and bush wear (internal) is to see
where the idler bearing support block
sits in relation to the end of the track
frame. New is about 12.5 cm back and
The Earthmover & Civil Contractor September 1998
Step-by-step appraisal
Get right up under the guts of the
machine. There could be all sorts of
things going on under here that you
need to know about. Many bodgie
repairs can be hidden in out-of-the-
way places. This area is where the
previously mentioned hydraulic swivel
joint brings power down to the tracks.
Look for leaks from the swivel joint,
damaged hoses or frame cracks. Many
diggers used in muddy conditions have
a bolt-on “belly plate” over this area
to stop build-up of mud.
Here we are under the rear of the unit,
looking up at the slew gearbox. When
we get directly under this opening you
can view the underside of the
hydraulic valve bank. Check for
damage to under covers. Look for leaks
and generally anything untoward
which requires further investigation.
Remember the “blood on the tracks” —
well, here’s where it’s coming from. We
are under the machine looking up at
the valve bank. It could just be that
the packets of “O” rings in the trinket
box in the cab are there to rectify this
problem, but the previous owner had
not yet got around to fitting them. This
is not too difficult to fix, but in the
meantime it looks messy and detracts
from the value of the excavator.
While still under the machine, inspect
the lower frame, track frames, track
guides, etc from the inside. You will be
surprised at what you will find. Notice
how clean and straight everything is
under here. This piece of gear has
never seen a rock in its life. Note,
track guides are most important, as
they stop excavators from “throwing a
track”, particularly when pins and
bushes are worn or track adjustment
is slack, or on slope work. Note, never
do slope work with the same track on
the down side, always alternate them
for even wear.
Last but not least, we make an
assessment of the undercarriage,
which consists of track frames, track
chains, grouser plates, top and bottom
rollers, track guides, sprockets, front
idlers and yolks and the track adjuster
and recoil spring. Note that you can
generally inspect the track adjuster
and recoil spring from underneath
when you have the tracks up in the air,
and it pays to do so. You can’t see a
broken recoil spring through the steel
of the track frame and track adjusters
are often built up to compensate for
excessive chain stretch. As a general
rule, we don’t like to assess
undercarriages which are full of mud.
It covers a multitude of sins, worn out
or flat rollers, faulty track adjusters,
broken recoil springs, etc, to name a
few.
Step-by-step appraisal
Appraising an
excavator
worn out is with that block starting to
protrude.
Make sure the chains are on the
right way and that the number of links
in the chain are correct.
You can easily measure chains for
internal and external pin and bush
wear and rail wear (link height). They
are not as complicated as you might
imagine.
Sprockets
Teeth should be nice and chunky. If
they are thin, clipped or cracked, they
need replacing.
Generally, an internal measurement
tooth to tooth can be converted into a
life-remaining figure.
Top rollers
Inspect that they haven’t seized or
have flat spots; measure for life re-
maining.
Bottom rollers
Inspect for leaks. As these wear in the
centre, the “sealed for life” lubricant
leaks out. You will find many rollers on
excavators with the centres completely
missing.
Stick a crowbar under each roller
after lifting them just off the chain (with
the boom and dipper). Any wear will
become apparent when you put weight
on the bar. Measure for life remaining.
Grouser plates
Most excavators have triple grouser
plates and they wear very well, lasting
the life of the machine except under
extreme conditions: such as rock, demo-
lition, scrap handling, etc.
Make sure the plates are tight, not
belted, beaten, cracked or the like.
Measure grouser height to get life left.
Idler
Get your crowbar and put it in against
the idler to check for centre bearing
wear.
Have a look inside the inner and
outer track frame. It flogs out in there
and may need building up with wear
plate.
You measure the height of the shoul-
der on the idler for wear remaining.
The idler is really the only thing on
The Earthmover & Civil Contractor
Step-by-step appraisal
Have you sprung it yet? The track
chains and grouser plates are on
backwards and this accelerates pin and
bush wear by 50%. The telltale signs are
that the slight “vee” at the front of the
track link and the curl down on the
front of the grouser must face in a
forward direction. You can check the
final drives by operating them during
testing and listening to them while
running. Now you can decide to pull
one of the bungs and look for metal in
the oil or pieces of metal in the final
drive case (which is generally the most
popular method), or take oil samples.
Sprockets should have nice chunky teeth
that are not too thin. These sprockets
have about 40% life remaining.
To check for internal pin and bush
wear, put something substantial in the
sprocket and reverse the track to pull
the chain tight.
You now measure the distance over
four links (five pins centre to centre).
This measurement can then be
converted into internal wear by your
friendly distributor or track shop to a
percentage of life remaining. Special
note: At this time, count the track
links by counting the grousers to make
sure a link has not been removed. This
practice is often done by people
wanting to get rid of a machine, but
not go the expense of new track pins
and bushes or new track chains.
September 1998
Here our pointer indicates measuring
for external bush wear; generally
speaking excavators (unless doing a lot
of walking) wear their pins and bushes
out from the inside. Dozers and tracked
loaders are the opposite. Like the track
link wear, this measurement equates to
life remaining. Our machine has both
internal and external pin and bush wear
and is coming up for replacement. Never
run old sprockets on new pins and
bushes or vice versa. The old part causes
excessive wear on the new. Turning pins
and bushes, quite acceptable on dozers
and tracked loaders, is of little
advantage on excavators, because most
wear is internal.
Measuring link rail wear (link height) is
generally not quite as important on
excavators, which mostly “sit to work”
than on dozers and tracked loaders
which “travel to work”. This is the
reason for the different characteristics
of internal track pin and bush wear
between different types of machines.
Measuring the carrier (top) rollers, the
measurement equates to life
remaining. These are good, 60% or
better. Always keep mud from packing
around rollers, as it can stop them
turning, then the track chain tries to
saw them in half, which causes
excessive wear. Most track shops worth
their salt will carry out a free
assessment of your tracks in the
expectation of getting your business.
Step-by-step appraisal
Appraising an Step-by-step appraisal
excavator
an excavator “track group” which is
worthwhile having built up; most eve-
rything else destructs from the inside
out because of the unique operating
characteristics of hydraulic excavators.
General Measure the idler for wear. By
measuring shoulder height, life
It’s just another bit of equipment, en- Measuring bottom rollers, ascertain remaining can be confirmed at the
gine powers pump, pump powers ... life remaining as per other track distributor or with your track man.
etc, etc. Be diligent, use the step-by- items. You are also on the lookout for Inspect inside the track frames to
step approach and you can’t go too far leaking bottom rollers. These critters make sure the idler bearing block is
wrong. are filled with oil and “sealed for life” sitting straight and that it doesn’t
The main thing is, don’t be afraid of — when the oil starts to come out it is need any wear plate put in there. You
hydraulics — they are becoming more a fair indication that lifetime is should put your crowbar in against the
and more part of our life. coming to a close. Make sure that there idler and check for bearing movement.
are no broken or missing bolts and The quickest way to do a visual check
that the flanges are okay. Unlike for internal pin and bush wear or link
So what’s it dozers, excavators don’t run any stretch is to see how far the idler block
double flange rollers — only single. is pushed out on adjustment. The only
worth? The roller closest to the sprocket wears time this method is not accurate is
MOSTLY a 1991 excavator would the fastest. The best way to check when a link and grouser has been
have 8000-10,000 operating hours bottom roller wear is to lift them just removed from the chain.
and sell for around $45,000. off the chain with the boom and put a
We are going to “fine” this unit crowbar under each one and test for
because of its hours (13,600). movement. There should be none.
Retail sell price $45,000
Less repairs
Track pins and bushes $3000
Valve block oil leak $500
Re-cover seat $200
Our pointer is indicating a piece of
Detail cabin $200
wear material which has broken loose
Filters $100
and moved in the track frame. This can
Engine repairs $6000
be reaffixed when we change the
Total repair cost $10,000
chains and plates around to the right
As is price, ex site $35,000
way. Spend a bit of time thoroughly
Measuring the grouser height: the
checking the undercarriage, either
measurement of 22 mm equates to 60%
visually or taking specific
life remaining. Look for bent, broken
measurements. You know, to renew
or cracked grousers, missing bolts and
Special offer nuts. Use the narrowest grouser you
this whole “box and dice” costs around
$20,000. In this instance, we have a
Would you like: can. Unless you need wide plates for
track group with 50% or better life
• a reprint of this article and the flotation, don’t use them — they cause
remaining and needing new pins and
pictorial appraisal? accelerated track pin and bush and
bushes in 1000 hours. Remember we
• a copy of the appraisal form final drive wear. If you have wide
don’t recommend turning the pins and
used by Don Shewring? plates and want narrow, get them oxy
bushes on excavators because of the
• a copy of an ownership declara- cut. Your track shop can assist in
internal wear characteristics.
tion form? getting this done.
• a copy of an authority to release Free valuation
payout information? If you would like a free valuation of
Don Shewring will be pleased to DON SHEWRING is managing director of your excavator, contact Don Shewring
send you the information free of Brisbane-based used on ph 018 788 856, fax (07) 3256 3300.
charge. To obtain copies, fax or equipment specialist Con- This service is not available over the
write to Don Shewring at Consoli- solidated Crane & Trac- phone. An information sheet request-
dated Crane & Tractor Pty Ltd, PO tor. He has been involved ing details about your machine will be
Box 632, Albion, Queensland 4010. in buying, selling and faxed or posted to you. Return the
Fax (07) 3256 3300. State your name, evaluating used equip- completed information sheet with pho-
company name, phone and fax ment for more than 20 years. You can contact tos (if possible), and a “current market
number. him on phone 018 788 856. valuation” will be faxed or posted to
you at no charge.

September 1998 The Earthmover & Civil Contractor

Kato makes a come-back
KATO is back in the excavator busi-
ness. Not so many years ago, the name
was a synonym for excavator, when
more than 1000 machines were out on
sites around Australia.
A number of other manufacturers
have since taken up the running, but
Kato is fighting back.
According to Bert Bajema, Banbury’s
manager for Kato, the machines devel-
oped a reputation for final drive failure
several years ago, and that knocked
sales.
“We’re not shy in admitting that the
final drive wasn’t the strongest, but we
The Earthmover & Civil Contractor September 1998
had such a huge share of the
excavator market that the number
of failures blew the problem right
out of proportion,” Bajema said.
“That problem has been ad-
dressed, the new final drive is
pretty well indestructible and we
haven’t had a failure in more than
three years.”
Kato’s 30 t 1430 model is the
flagship these days and the Kato
name is making a comeback, with
more than 80 of the new series out on
sites today.
John Burke, a contractor in Bathurst,
recently bought two Kato 1430s.
He bought the first one a year ago
and it has notched up 2500 hours
already, tackling everything from coun-
cil work on sewers, drains and road
construction, to work in the under-
ground gold mines at Browns Creek,
outside Bathurst. He employs more
than 40 workers and runs a substantial
fleet of machines.
Burke has had quite a few excava-
tors previously, but reckons the 1430 is
the best yet.
“Visibility from the cab is great and
it’s really comfy. That’s a big factor
when you’re working long days. Main-
tenance is easier too,” he said.
Another new owner is Terry Cohen,
from Comdain Construction in Mel-
bourne, who has had a Kato 1430 since
April this year and has worked it sol-
idly since then.
Much of that work has been in water
main and sewer work in the rugged
basalt of Melbourne’s western sub-
urbs.
“We’ve put sewers and water mains
down 2 m in solid rock with the Kato,
using an Indeco 400 hammer and a
variety of buckets,” he said.
“Previously we’ve had Hitachis,
Komatsus and Sumitomos.
“The 1430 has been a good ma-
chine. It has heaps of power, it gives
good fuel economy and the operator is
very happy with it.
“Banbury’s back-up service has been
excellent too,” Cohen said.
Brief specs for the Kato 1430 model
are: operating weight, 30.2 t; engine
power, 173 kW; dig depth, 7.4 m;
reach, 10.99 m; bucket breakout, 21,400
kgf, arm breakout, 15,500 kgf.
Katos are distributed nationally
through Banbury Engineering, the only
Australian-owned national distributor
of earthmoving equipment.
Further information: Banbury Engi-
neering, ph (03) 9359 0511, fax (03)
9357 2516.
Advanced Kobelco excavators from Melroad
KOBELCO excavators and zero-swing include auto transmission and hydrau- capable of underwater operation.
mini excavators, available from Melroad lic ride control. Melroad has set up its own sales,
Equipment, are said to be among the More recently, Melroad has been service and parts facilities in Queens-
most technologically advanced in the appointed Australian distributor for the land, NSW and Western Australia, and
world. Japanese-built Teisaku hydraulic ham- has appointed dealers in South Aus-
Kobelco’s principal, Kobe Steel, was mer range. tralia and Tasmania.
founded in 1905 and is one of the 25 This range consists of 13 different Further information: Melroad Equip-
largest manufacturers in Japan. It is models, with operating weights from ment Pty Ltd, ph (03) 9782 3085, fax
known as one of the world’s leading 85 kg to 5550 kg and with dual blow (03) 9782 3089, website www.melroad.
producers of excavators and wheel speed. A number of these models are com.au, e-mail sales@melroad.com.au.
loaders.
The Kobelco range has become rec-
ognised for its outstanding performance,
COVER STORY
features, reliability and overall value.
Features of the excavator and mini
excavator range include:
• “human engineering” design
• state-of-the-art technology
• multi-diagnostic display monitors
• electronically activated control sys-
tems, allowing the operator to “feel”
the load
• world’s fastest travel speeds
• power boost system
• swing warning flashing lights for
improved site safety
• most environmentally friendly op-
erator’s cab design.
Kobelco excavators range in size
from 6.5 t to 140 t, while its zero-swing
minis range from 1.5 t to 4.5 t. Soon to
be released in Australia will be two
new zero-swing models in the 7 t and
13.5 t classes.
Also available from Melroad are
Kobelco wheel loaders, with bucket
capacities ranging from 0.4 m3 to 5.6
m3. Standard features on many models

Yanmar upgrades mini range

YANMAR’S Australian distributor, Tutts-
Tat Hong, has recently released a new
mini excavator range, consisting of 10
units covering both conventional ma-
chines and zero-swing machines.
Features include a high degree of
operator comfort, ergonomic design,
fuel efficiency and high levels of parts
commonality and interchangeability
among different models.
Yanmar’s ViO zero-swing range
covers the ViO15 (1.5 t), ViO30-1 (2.97
t), ViO40-1 (4.02 t), ViO50 (4.52 t) and
ViO70 (7.35 t).
Its B-2B conventional excavator
range covers the B17 (1.27 t), B22-2B
(2.3 t), B27-2B (2.85 t), B37-2B (3.07 t)
and the B50-2B (4.23 t).
Improvements over earlier models
include increased stability, increased • factory air on ViO50-1 and ViO70.
engine power, better operator com- • 12-month warranty as standard.
fort, increased safety and higher arm Further information: Tutts-Tat Hong,
digging forces. ph 1300 65 8888, fax (02) 9780 7293.
Standard features include:
• three-pump hydraulic
system
• rear-sloping engine bon-
net for greatly improved
all-round visibility
• “walk-through” opera-
tor’s compartment for
easy access from both
sides on canopy models
• rigid rear side bonnet
protectors
• third valve as standard
with piping to run hy-
draulic accessories

September 1998 The Earthmover & Civil Contractor

Case/Sumitomo launch excavator alliance
CASE Corporation and Sumitomo Con-
struction Machinery Co Ltd have com-
pleted details of a global alliance to
manufacture and market hydraulic
excavators under the Case name.
According to the announcement,
the alliance, covering both new and
current technology, will enable the
two companies to increase their pen-
etration of the global excavator market
and to expand their participation in a
number of regions around the world. In Australia, Case
In Australia, Case-branded excava- will begin with
tors designed by Sumitomo will be distribution of
sold exclusively through Case con- 12-30 t machines,
struction equipment dealers; Sumitomo- with expansion
branded excavators will continued to planned for later.
be sold through the existing Sumitomo
distributor, Tutts-Tat Hong. to provide our customers with innova- Sumitomo Construction Machinery’s
“This long-term alliance with tive new excavators as part of an president, Case and Sumitomo Con-
Sumitomo Construction Machinery will outstanding package of equipment and struction Machinery were highly com-
allow us to provide customers around after-sales service. patible partners in the construction
the world with technologically advanced “This alliance creates significant op- equipment business.
excavators, both now and in the future,” portunity for sales growth by establish- “We share a commitment to bring
said Jean-Pierre Rosso, Case chairman ing an excavator joint venture in North our customers innovative new prod-
and chief executive officer. America and expanding and strength- ucts that increase their productivity.
“Sumitomo has earned an excellent ening Case’s excavator line throughout Through our combined strengths, we
reputation for its engineering and de- our European region, and in Latin will capture a greater share of the
sign capability, and this long-term part- America and Australia,” said Rosso. global excavator market,” he said.
nership ensures that we will continue According to Toshimasa Makino, The two companies formed the foun-

The Earthmover & Civil Contractor September 1998

dation for the current alliance in 1992,
when Case began selling excavators
supplied by Sumitomo Construction
Machinery in North America.
Today, Case sells seven excavator
models in North America designed by
Sumitomo Construction Machinery,
ranging in size from 12 to 50 t.
Through this global alliance,
Sumitomo Construction Machinery will
provide technological improvements
and new crawler excavator models
solely to the distribution channels of
Case, Sumitomo Construction Machin-
ery and their joint ventures.
In Australia, a launch event is
planned for November. Initially, mod-
els from the 12-30 t range will be
offered, with range expansion planned
at a later date.
Case-branded Sumitomo excavators
will be fitted with Case family CDC
engines, supplied by Cummins under a
joint venture with Case.
These are the same engines fitted to
the entire Case construction equip-
ment range — including its backhoe/
loaders, wheel loaders, XT skidsteers,
crawler dozers and trenchers.
Case’s Australian construction equip-
ment dealer network is already expe-
rienced in supporting this engine.
“We are pleased to offer this excel-
lent excavator to our customers and
the market.
“With the addition of an excavator,
our Australian construction equipment
dealers now offer a full range of Case
construction equipment,” said Alan
Day, director of the company’s Austral-
ian and New Zealand operations.
Case Australia is based in St Marys,
Sydney and operates as Case Corpora-
tion’s headquarters for the Asia-Pacific rewarding those organisations which
region. achieve innovation and best practice in
Case Corporation and its Australian the field of environmental manage-
construction equipment dealers are ment of earthmoving and civil con-
also the sponsors of the Case Earth struction projects.
Awards, an initiative of the Civil Con- Further information: Case Corpora-
tractors Federation and The Earthmover tion, ph (02) 9673 7777, fax (02) 9833
& Civil Contractor, recognising and 1441.
Sumitomo stays with Tutts-Tat Hong
FOLLOWING the release of details of there is another excavator competitor
the Case/Sumitomo excavator joint in the marketplace.
venture, it has become clear that the “We believed the most positive re-
Sumitomo name will remain a separate sult out of this development is that the
product in its own right. Sumitomo excavator is increasingly
As the announcement makes clear, being recognised as a quality product,
while Sumitomo will supply excava- to the point now where Case is pre-
tors to Case (to be sold under the Case pared to buy it, paint it a different
name), the existing Sumitomo distribu- colour and put its own name on it,”
tion arrangements will remain in place. said Peebles.
In other words, Tutts-Tat Hong will “This should provide even greater
continue distributing Sumitomo exca- confidence to those potential owners
vators throughout Australia. who are considering moving over to
According to Tutts-Tat Hong gen- the Sumitomo excavator,” he said.
eral manager Allan Peebles, the latest
announcement confirmed what his
company had been telling the market
all along.
“Ever since the original announce-
ment by Case and Sumitomo, we had
been telling the industry that Tutts-Tat
Hong would remain the Sumitomo
distributor and that there would be no
change to our distribution arrange-
ments,” he told The Earthmover & Civil
Contractor.
“We’re in it for the long term, and we
have long-term contracts and strong
bonds with Sumitomo.
“As far as we’re concerned, all this
latest announcement means is that
September 1998 The Earthmover & Civil Contractor
Good sales for new Cat 44 tonners
CATERPILLAR’S new 44 t 345B excava-
tors are notching up good sales since
their release in Australia earlier this
year.
The first machine into Australia was
delivered early in July, and another
three in recent weeks. On top of that,
another two firm orders have been
placed.
J K Williams in NSW took delivery of
its first 345B early in September and J K Williams’
immediately threw it into work at the new Cat 345B
John Morony Gaol in Windsor, north excavator
west of Sydney. working on the
According to J K Williams’ manag- site for the
ing director, Leigh Hartog, the 345B is John Morony
ideal for the job. Gaol in
“We have to move more than 100,000 Windsor, west
m3 of material from the site,” Hartog said. of Sydney.
“Much of it is soft, wet, silty material and
it’s not suitable for scrapers. “The 345B fits the bill nicely. “The new controls are a bit differ-
“We decided to use 40 t dump trucks “It is currently fitted with a 2.4 m ent, but the operator is getting used to
to shift it, so needed a big excavator,” bucket and just six loads fill one truck, them. And he reckons the cabin fea-
he said. so it’s working pretty efficiently. tures are brilliant,” Hartog said.
“We’ve currently got five excavators
on the site, including a 65 t Liebherr —
Marubeni wins contract for 30 units which is on hire — and the 345B isn’t far
MARUBENI has secured an order from Metalcorp Recyclers to supply 30 behind the Liebherr in performance.
Hitachi 30 t excavators for the company’s national metal recycling operations. “Transportability is really important
Metalcorp’s recent purchase of several recycling firms has brought its around Sydney and, despite its size,
annual purchase of scrap steel to more than 600,000 t, representing around the 345B doesn’t need a special permit
33% of the domestic metal recycling market. and can be shifted at normal times.
Metalcorp’s Sydney operation is taking 14 units, with the other 16 heading That’s a huge benefit,” Hartog said.
for Brisbane. Brief specifications for the 345B are:
Some machines have been ordered with 15 m fronts and 15 units are being operating weight, 44 t; bucket capac-
fitted with shears. Other attachments in the order include magnets and fingers. ity, 1.1 to 3.0 m3; reach, 12.34 m; bucket
The Hitachis are expected to arrive in Australia early in November for digging force, 17,800 kgf; stick digging
delivery mid-December. force, 23,200 kgf.
Further information: Marubeni Construction & Mining Equipment, ph (02) Further information: Caterpillar of
9780 6800, fax (02) 9780 6899. Australia Ltd, ph (03) 9339 9333, fax
(03) 9335 3366.

The Earthmover & Civil Contractor September 1998

Modified Komatsu stars in tunnel work
THE Transfield-Obayashi Joint Ven-
ture City Link project in Melbourne has
included some major tunnelling opera-
tions underneath parts of Melbourne
and the River Yarra.
Finding the right equipment to carry
out elements of this tunnelling work
has been a considerable challenge —
one that was accepted by Ken Fenucan
and Michael Rogers, directors of Mel-
bourne-based Shantfell Pty Ltd, with
machinery modified to their needs by
NS Komatsu.
City Link, which has been hailed as
Australia’s largest peace-time construc-
tion venture since the Snowy Moun-
tains water scheme, included
requirements to excavate a ventilation
shaft only 9.5 m in diameter — which
meant a normal boom would be too road headers were used to bore the on schedule.
large for the limited space. road tunnel, which will allow three NS Komatsu’s involvement included
A Komatsu PC200 was modified to lanes of traffic to flow in either direc- providing all scheduled servicing down
use a shortened boom with hammer tion. in the shaft by its Melbourne branch
attachment, to enable it to dig the Shantfell has a fleet of seven exca- service staff.
ventilation shaft for the tunnel beneath vators continually working on City According to Fenucan, in two years
the suburb of Richmond. Link. of operation, the modified PC200
It was a challenging project for Following the success and added “clocked up 10,000 hours without any
Shantfell, not only working in a con- versatility of its first Komatsu excavator mechanical problems”.
fined space, but also coping with 20 m with shortened boom, another two As a result of Shantfell’s success on
of running sand and water which had have been modified for the same pur- the City Link project and the expertise
to be kept continually frozen with pose. gained as specialists in tunnel con-
nitrogen throughout the operation. An additional feature of the short- struction, it has now commissioned the
Beyond this, there was a further 45 boom Komatsu excavators has been PC200 short boom to Leighton Con-
m of rock to break through before the their ability to work in one half of the tractors’ Eastern Distributor project in
pouring of cement sides to form a tunnel, allowing access for trucks and Sydney.
coffer dam and finish off the ventila- other vehicular traffic access on the The unit is reportedly performing to
tion shaft. Spoil was removed with 15 other side. expectations and meeting deadlines.
t kibble cable cranes. This has allowed free and uninter- Further information: NS Komatsu
The ventilation shaft took three and rupted construction of the forward Pty Ltd, ph (02) 9795 8222, fax (02)
a half months to complete, after which tunnel, ensuring the project has kept 9795 8244.

uce Pennells
September 1998 The Earthmover & Civil Contractor

The Earthmover & Civil Contractor
Tenkate Hitachi on secondary
breaking contract
TENKATE’S recently ac-
quired Hitachi EX350H-
5 was purchased specifi-
cally to undertake a sec-
ondary rock breaking
contract.
The 32.6 t machine is
one of 19 excavators in
Tenkate’s fleet, which in-
cludes machines rang-
ing from 20 t to 45 t.
The EX350H-5 is
powered by an Isuzu B-
6SD1T diesel rated at
177 kW, has a dig depth
of 7.38 m, an arm
breakout of 15.4 t and a bucket
breakout of 19.3 t.
Attachments used with the compa-
ny’s excavators include rock hammers,
heavy duty rock grabs, compactor wheels,
four-in-one GP buckets, tilting mud buck-
ets, ripper tyres, vegetation groomers
and vertical extraction tree grabs.
Generally the machines are used in
hourly hire or on contract load/haul
projects in concert with Tenkate’s range
Operator protection for excavators
QUEENSLAND-based QMW Industries
has been working on the challenge of
providing an operator protective struc-
ture for excavators over the past few
years.
Recently, the prototype for its new
Cabin Operator Protective Structure
(COPS) has successfully undergone
destructive testing under the newest
edition of ROPS/FOPS standard AS2294-
1997.
This section allows a manufacturer
to use the standard to provide guid-
ance for fitting protection to a type of
machine to which the standard does
not apply.
While an excavator chassis is not
designed to have a COPS attached,
QMW achieves structural support by
adding additional structural members
to the existing chassis to provide solid
anchor points.
At the front, a steel shelf is welded
the width of the front of the operator
cabin. Reinforcing plates are then po-
sitioned under the cabin, to pick-up
points on the chassis. Using this method,
a strong anchoring point is created for
September 1998
of about 50 six wheel drive articulated
dump trucks, which are available up to
35 t payload.
The units are hired out from branches
in south Queensland and Townsville
branches, and readily available for
remote location projects.
Further information: Tenkate Plant
Hire, ph (07) 5491 4222, fax (07) 5491
1895 (Caloundra), or ph 0419 754 141
(Townsville).
the front legs.
The rear leg mounting points differ,
depending on the excavator model.
With some models, a bump rail-style
shelf is added down the cabin side of
the machine, and reinforcing plates
sent in under the machine.
Alternatively, if the excavator de-
sign permits, the area behind the cabin
can be reinforced, and both rear legs
anchored there.
Although Standards Australia has
not included excavators in standards to
ensure operator safety in the case of
rollovers, QMW Industries believes it
has filled a gap in safety for excavator
operation.
For the past 15 years, QMW has
been producing equipment for the
Australian mining, quarrying and
earthmoving industries, and recently
has been developing safety solutions
for specialist equipment such as un-
derground mining equipment, people
carriers, drilling machines and road
trucks.
Further information: QMW Industries,
ph (07) 3275 2544, fax (07) 3275 2524.