763 cleaning out the bilges

[finner]

I'm having problems cleaning out the area under the chaincase of my new (to me) 763. It's about 6 inches deep of gravel, parts of trees, money, tools, broken glass and lots of hydraulic fluid. I wouldn't bring this up if I hadn't done any research first but seems like everyone finds gallons of the same gunk but how to get it out? There is no drain that I can find and the only way I'm making progress is to park sideways on a slope, remove the drive motor covers and spray tons of water down there from above. Then I have to reach in and grab as much gunk and gravel that I can, then do it again. So far I'm on my third day doing this. Is this my welcome to Bobcatting or is there a better way? finner

 

[OldMachinist]

The only other way is to remove the engine/pumps assembly.

 

[finner]

The only other way is to remove the engine/pumps assembly.

Then get in there with a chisel and a coal shovel? That's what I was afraid of. Seems like Bobcat never thought about this area getting messy. Hopefully, once I get it cleaned out I'll be able to keep it reasonably decent. Thanks for the info

 

[OldMachinist]

Then get in there with a chisel and a coal shovel? That's what I was afraid of. Seems like Bobcat never thought about this area getting messy. Hopefully, once I get it cleaned out I'll be able to keep it reasonably decent. Thanks for the info

After you've had to clean all the crap thats been left in there by previous owners I'll bet you never let it get that bad again. I know I cleaned a 5 gal. bucket of stuff out of mine when I first got it. Now I park it on a slight uphill grade at least once a month or anytime I'm done playing in mud, lift the cab and flush all the junk out the rear door.

 

[Tazza]

After you've had to clean all the crap thats been left in there by previous owners I'll bet you never let it get that bad again. I know I cleaned a 5 gal. bucket of stuff out of mine when I first got it. Now I park it on a slight uphill grade at least once a month or anytime I'm done playing in mud, lift the cab and flush all the junk out the rear door.

I too have done this multiple times on different machines. People just let it get so bad, a simple clean every few months will prevent it from getting so bad.
There is a limit of how much you can remove with a pressure washer, you need to get in there with a scraper and bucket.

 

[finner]

After you've had to clean all the crap thats been left in there by previous owners I'll bet you never let it get that bad again. I know I cleaned a 5 gal. bucket of stuff out of mine when I first got it. Now I park it on a slight uphill grade at least once a month or anytime I'm done playing in mud, lift the cab and flush all the junk out the rear door.

OM, what does that mean, "flush all the junk out the rear door"? That's just the engine compartment isn't it? Is there a connection between the engine compartment and the chaincase compartment (the bilge)? It could be that there is so much crud in there that the connection in mine is blocked and I just haven't dug down far enough. When I say I'm using a chisel, I'm not joking

 

[OldMachinist]

OM, what does that mean, "flush all the junk out the rear door"? That's just the engine compartment isn't it? Is there a connection between the engine compartment and the chaincase compartment (the bilge)? It could be that there is so much crud in there that the connection in mine is blocked and I just haven't dug down far enough. When I say I'm using a chisel, I'm not joking

This picture is the best I could find of how the chaincase and the main frame look.

As you can see the area on both sides of the chaincase is open to the engine compartment.

 

[finner]

This picture is the best I could find of how the chaincase and the main frame look.

As you can see the area on both sides of the chaincase is open to the engine compartment.

Unbelieveable! Looks like I'm back in there again with the chisel or dynamite if I can get some. Right now, if I hose down the chaincase compartment, it just fills up with water till it's deep enough to overflow through the drive motor covers, originally about 6 inches deep when I started.

 

[mrfixitpaul]

Unbelieveable! Looks like I'm back in there again with the chisel or dynamite if I can get some. Right now, if I hose down the chaincase compartment, it just fills up with water till it's deep enough to overflow through the drive motor covers, originally about 6 inches deep when I started.

There are oval shaped drain holes, maybe 2" x 3" just behind the rear axles, where the angle meets the flat part of the chaincase. I used to start there with a pressure washer and blast up into the holes to work things loose, then blast in from the drive motor area and flush things out the hoel. Word of caution...the fuel tank and chaincase drain plugs are located behind the 3 bolt cover #18 in the diagram above, and the fuel tank is plastic, so use caution when cleaning in that area.

 

[finner]

There are oval shaped drain holes, maybe 2" x 3" just behind the rear axles, where the angle meets the flat part of the chaincase. I used to start there with a pressure washer and blast up into the holes to work things loose, then blast in from the drive motor area and flush things out the hoel. Word of caution...the fuel tank and chaincase drain plugs are located behind the 3 bolt cover #18 in the diagram above, and the fuel tank is plastic, so use caution when cleaning in that area.

mfp, there is no water whatsoever coming out these holes even though I blasted the heck out of them several times with the hose from underneath. I'll keep working on it. Our regular tap water pressure is quite substantial coming from the mountains all around here on the west coast. First place in my life that I've lived where a pressure reducer is mandatory in every house. However maybe a pressure washer is next. One thing I have corrected is re-routing battery cables and other wiring and diesel lines from under the engine that were blocking water and grunge flow out through that compartment. Raining and miserable today, back at it when the sun comes out.

 

[mrfixitpaul]

mfp, there is no water whatsoever coming out these holes even though I blasted the heck out of them several times with the hose from underneath. I'll keep working on it. Our regular tap water pressure is quite substantial coming from the mountains all around here on the west coast. First place in my life that I've lived where a pressure reducer is mandatory in every house. However maybe a pressure washer is next. One thing I have corrected is re-routing battery cables and other wiring and diesel lines from under the engine that were blocking water and grunge flow out through that compartment. Raining and miserable today, back at it when the sun comes out.

Even with a 3000 psi pressure washer it sometimes takes a while to get things flowing. Once you make a hole through the debris, working it from the top/drive motor area seems to be less messy for the worker.