Hi all I am new to this site and extremely pleased I came across it today as I live in France and do not speak French, getting help at my local dealer would be near impossible for me. I have a old bobcat 543 (Isuzu engine) which I have only had for about 6 weeks and not really used it a lot. It always starts up good and my only criticism with it before my troubles begun would have been that it creeps forward a bit on the left hand side and the hydraulics growled a bit on the left.side. Two days ago I took delivery of some pallet forks for it, I was enjoying moving stuff around my yard when I tried to pick up something that was too heavy, there was no bang crunch or any noise at all , it simply refused to pick the item up so I gave up. It was only when I tried to reverse out from under the pallet that I realised I had lost all drive (forward and backwards) on the left hand side. The front arms still fly up and down as they did before and the forks still dip both ways just no drive on left hand side. I read some earlier posts and have since checked the four chains and they all seem fine. I have also lifted the bobcat of the ground and all wheels have less than one inch rotation either way. When I push the left stick forward there is a growling noise and the engine labours as if it will soon stall, but nothing, no noise or response when the stick is pulled backwards(although I am sure this was the other way round when I checked yesterday, noise and laboured when pulled backwards). I do not know my way around a bobcats hydraulics and have only limited mechanical knowledge,but I am willing to try and resolve this myself as I am sure it will be easier than trying to communicate with my local French speaking dealer. Any help will be really appreciated but do please explain as if you are talking to a child as I really do not know what all the hydraulic components are called,but respond well to commands such as "it's the big square thing with four black hoses connected to it on the right hand side" Thanks in advance Antony
Help Support SkidSteer Forum:
If the engine bogs down when operating one side it sounds like the drive motor is stuck. I would start by opening the chain case inspection covers just to check the chains, as you said the wheels rotate the same amount i don't think it is a chain but never hurts to check.
As it bogs down, something sounds like its stuck, the pump is working but can't move the fluid.
As it bogs down, something sounds like its stuck, the pump is working but can't move the fluid.
Hi Thanks for that I have checked the chains and they seem ok. What next????? thanks
The one good test is to remove the motors and swap them side to side. You will need to swap the elbows on the motors too to make them fit. If the problem changes sides its a motor problem. I just don't know how hard it is to remove the motors from that machine. Others is simply hoses and 4 bolts, it then slides out. Hopegully yours is the same.
Also.... Block the machine, remove the motor and see the wheels will rotate without the motor installed. If it doesn't, it could be a bearing or sprocket in the reduction box. Just a possibility.
Hi Tazza, & all At long last I found the time to remove the drive motor. OMG what a complete pig, turns out it is the old type with a tapered shaft so unfortunately it was not a case of four bolts and slide out! I had to undo the joining link & remove the front chain then undo the four bolts on the motor to provide just enough movement to lift the rear chain from the sprocket. So basically the motor comes out complete with shaft and sprockets. Once out it was obvious that the motor was not right as it would turn by hand either way then just jam up. I removed the four bolts and had a look inside the motor, all seemed alright until I noticed a section from the Gerola star missing. This missing section was the thickness of a finger and nowhere to be seen! I have a photo and would like to be able to post on here but do not know how, I could email it to you if you were interested. Is there any possible way a chunk of metal this big could just vanish? The Valve drive was also a missing a couple of teeth. Are parts available for these motors? if so can anyone point me in the direction of a good supplier, should it have a part number on it somewhere. Thanks to your Index of /tazza_/hydromotor I can identify the names of component, I have never worked on a hydraulic motor before so this is all new to me. Should I replace any other parts whilst its on my bench? Appreciate any help/advice Thanks antony
The parts should still be available, you can send me the pics "taz38sup at yahoo.com.au" at = @ naturally. i can post them for you.
Contact Levi at http://loaderpartssource.com/ he may have an old motor with the parts required. Only takes an email.
It really does look like it was re-assembled with the broken part missing and you got the dud motor. A piece like that doesn't just disappear.
skidsteer.ca
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Wow!
What Tazza said.
I agree there is no way I can think of that that piece made its wayout of there. Even if it was all ground up so would be everthing else inside there.
Hope shipping things to France is easy.
Ken
