743 with 5000+ hours - Chain worn?

[dschoolman]

I have the chain case cover off. How much play should be in the chain?

 

[dschoolman]

Rear chain has 2.5 inches from pushing down tight to pulling up tight?

 

[Tazza]

Rear chain has 2.5 inches from pushing down tight to pulling up tight?

How close is it to touching the bottom of the chaincase?

 

[dschoolman]

How close is it to touching the bottom of the chaincase?

One of the front chains is about 1/4". Not touching the bottom yet, but close.
If I need or should to replace the chains, Where is a good place to get new ones?
Also, I cleaned off the hour meter, and it is at 8100 hours. A lot more that what I thought.
I keep breaking this thing down more and more, finding things that need attention. I will be a nice machine after I am done.
In this picture I wasn't pushing down on the chain.

This is a picture of the back with everything out and the floor cleaned and painted.

Here is the front with the chain case open.

 

[Tazza]

One of the front chains is about 1/4". Not touching the bottom yet, but close.
If I need or should to replace the chains, Where is a good place to get new ones?
Also, I cleaned off the hour meter, and it is at 8100 hours. A lot more that what I thought.
I keep breaking this thing down more and more, finding things that need attention. I will be a nice machine after I am done.
In this picture I wasn't pushing down on the chain.

This is a picture of the back with everything out and the floor cleaned and painted.

Here is the front with the chain case open.

That is pretty close, far closer than i'd like.
I got mine at a bearing supply shop, even a wire rope place should be able to get it. Get a set of master links too, this way you don't need to remove the sprockets to fit new chains.
If you can take a chain off, take it to a shop and they can match it for you. You will probably have to cut it with a grinder if you don't have a chain breaker.
Looks nice and clean! with the hours, it's possible the key was left on allowing the hours to keep clicking over too. It may not have a genuine 8,000 hours up.

 

[dschoolman]

That is pretty close, far closer than i'd like.
I got mine at a bearing supply shop, even a wire rope place should be able to get it. Get a set of master links too, this way you don't need to remove the sprockets to fit new chains.
If you can take a chain off, take it to a shop and they can match it for you. You will probably have to cut it with a grinder if you don't have a chain breaker.
Looks nice and clean! with the hours, it's possible the key was left on allowing the hours to keep clicking over too. It may not have a genuine 8,000 hours up.

Two 5 gallon buckets of crud and two hours of power washing. It had hydro leaks everywhere. Hydro controller leaked. Power shaft on pump leaked (it was bent from the engine and pump coming loose from each other before I got it.) There was an inch and a half of crud on the oil cooler.

I gave it a good power wash before I started to take anything apart.

 

[Tazza]

Two 5 gallon buckets of crud and two hours of power washing. It had hydro leaks everywhere. Hydro controller leaked. Power shaft on pump leaked (it was bent from the engine and pump coming loose from each other before I got it.) There was an inch and a half of crud on the oil cooler.

I gave it a good power wash before I started to take anything apart.

I have been there too, loads of crug buildup to remove. That oil cooler looks really bad.... Not sure i have seen one that bad before, ensure you check the pump innards out, but i assume you have done that as you mentioned the input shaft was bent.
It will look like a new machine with all that stuff gone.
The control blocks always seem to leak over time. The 743 i have, i need to do the control block too, just need to find the time to attack it.

 

[dschoolman]

I have been there too, loads of crug buildup to remove. That oil cooler looks really bad.... Not sure i have seen one that bad before, ensure you check the pump innards out, but i assume you have done that as you mentioned the input shaft was bent.
It will look like a new machine with all that stuff gone.
The control blocks always seem to leak over time. The 743 i have, i need to do the control block too, just need to find the time to attack it.

rollerchain4less.com
#80H X 10FT Heavy Series Roller Chain (Heavy Duty) for $56.55

 

[Tazza]

rollerchain4less.com
#80H X 10FT Heavy Series Roller Chain (Heavy Duty) for $56.55

You'll need a couple of boxes and some master links too.
Good choice of the heavy duty one.

 

[Tazza]

You'll need a couple of boxes and some master links too.
Good choice of the heavy duty one.

One other thing, be careful with the sprocket teeth. They tend to get very charp edges, i got a few nicks when i last messed with a chain case, thankfully nothing too deep.

 

[HarryN]

One other thing, be careful with the sprocket teeth. They tend to get very charp edges, i got a few nicks when i last messed with a chain case, thankfully nothing too deep.

Tazza, in the picture above showing the chain almost touching the case... if the chain is worn or stretched, what is the actual problem. Is it that it may rub on the case. Or, do other bad things happen?

 

[dschoolman]

Tazza, in the picture above showing the chain almost touching the case... if the chain is worn or stretched, what is the actual problem. Is it that it may rub on the case. Or, do other bad things happen?

Harry
There are two things for me. When I had it running, I had a lot of issues with it hopping, even on gravel. I have past experience in on a skidsteer- construction for 5 years running one. 2.5 inces of slack can be the cause of this a little. When I put it up on jack stands, there was a lot of play when turning the front tire till the back one responded. Since I have it all torn down, I figured I might as well check them out. Most people where saying that if it isn't hitting the case bottom, it should be fine, but it is close enough for me. I don't want to get it together and have to tear it back down for something I could have fixed now. I spent a lot of time searching for a good price. The price I found them at sold me on doing the change for sure.
I am sure Tazza will put in his 2$ woth also. He is definatly worth more than 2 cents.

 

[Tazza]

Harry
There are two things for me. When I had it running, I had a lot of issues with it hopping, even on gravel. I have past experience in on a skidsteer- construction for 5 years running one. 2.5 inces of slack can be the cause of this a little. When I put it up on jack stands, there was a lot of play when turning the front tire till the back one responded. Since I have it all torn down, I figured I might as well check them out. Most people where saying that if it isn't hitting the case bottom, it should be fine, but it is close enough for me. I don't want to get it together and have to tear it back down for something I could have fixed now. I spent a lot of time searching for a good price. The price I found them at sold me on doing the change for sure.
I am sure Tazza will put in his 2$ woth also. He is definatly worth more than 2 cents.

hehe not sure i'm worth more than 2c, just ask the princess what she thinks when she is cranky at me
There is a problem of it tapping the bottom of the chain case, but if it stretches far enough, it will start wearing the tops of the sprocket teeth. I have an auger drive that was run with a very worn chain, it destroyed one of the sprockets.