Bobcat 543 very hard to start

[Simonjorgensen]

Hallo. I have just bought a used bobcot 543. Suddently while i was driving, it startet to loose hydraulic power and the engine stopped. I noticed it got very hot, the gauge was at 100 degrees. Now it is very hard to start, i have to set the throttle to half speed to start it, when i take the the thottle to slow, it shuts off. If i keep the throttle at half speed i can drive the bobcat, but the hydraulics are acting strange. The up/down pedal works okay, but is reacting slow when i press up. The tilt pedal wont tip up at all, only down. The engine gets very hot Quick if i let it run on half throttle. And finaly there is Brown water leaking somewere, i cant find the leak, but it is lying on the buttom of the engine room in the left side , is there water on a bobcat 453? Anyone has any idea to what can be wrong? Sorry for the bad english

 

[flyerdan]

Yes, the 543 has a liquid cooled diesel, which sounds like it has a severely blown head gasket, which is allowing it to ingest as well as externally leak coolant. That would explain the pooling, unable to keep it running and overheating.
The hydraulic issue could just be from lack of power from the compromised engine, but chances are it's just the tip of the iceberg for a money pit that someone unloaded on you.
I hope you've got a friend with a big shop and lots of tools, because it sounds like it needs an extensive inspection and engine overhaul at the least, providing that you don't keep running it until it seizes up.

 

[Bswwood]

Make sure you did not turn on the auxiliary hydraulics by accident. The right drive stick will activate aux by either pulling toward your leg or pushing away.

 

[Simonjorgensen]

Make sure you did not turn on the auxiliary hydraulics by accident. The right drive stick will activate aux by either pulling toward your leg or pushing away.

Thank you for the answers. How do you turn off the aux? I thought the drivesticks where for forward and back driving and turning, it is very posible that i have turned it on by accident

 

[Simonjorgensen]

Thank you for the answers. How do you turn off the aux? I thought the drivesticks where for forward and back driving and turning, it is very posible that i have turned it on by accident

Its working again. The aux was activated, i pulles the stick to the ledt side to deactivate it, and it startet right up. Thank you very much. I have located the leak now. It is leaking water from the radiator cap, can i fix this somehow? It is also leaking from the tube that comes out of the cooling liquid tank. I dont understand why it leaks Brown water from the radiator cap, the cooling liquid is blue?

 

[foton]

Its working again. The aux was activated, i pulles the stick to the ledt side to deactivate it, and it startet right up. Thank you very much. I have located the leak now. It is leaking water from the radiator cap, can i fix this somehow? It is also leaking from the tube that comes out of the cooling liquid tank. I dont understand why it leaks Brown water from the radiator cap, the cooling liquid is blue?

when they changed the coolant they did not flush the whole system , and as best as I know blue coolant is a nissan coolant color, but that does not mean much. replace the rad cap with like psi rating and hopefully that is it and no radiator replacement will be necessary and the overflow tube replace that too. should be good to go. until the next time.

 

[Simonjorgensen]

when they changed the coolant they did not flush the whole system , and as best as I know blue coolant is a nissan coolant color, but that does not mean much. replace the rad cap with like psi rating and hopefully that is it and no radiator replacement will be necessary and the overflow tube replace that too. should be good to go. until the next time.

Thank you, i will buy a new cap and tube. I can see that the radiator and fan has been changed at some point. Can/should i flush the radiator?

 

[Simonjorgensen]

when they changed the coolant they did not flush the whole system , and as best as I know blue coolant is a nissan coolant color, but that does not mean much. replace the rad cap with like psi rating and hopefully that is it and no radiator replacement will be necessary and the overflow tube replace that too. should be good to go. until the next time.

I just looked down in the radiator, the liquid inside looks like brown/rusty water. The colling liquid in the container is blue, shouldnt it be the same colour as the liquid in the radiator? Does this mean that its not cirkulating at all?

 

[foton]

I just looked down in the radiator, the liquid inside looks like brown/rusty water. The colling liquid in the container is blue, shouldnt it be the same colour as the liquid in the radiator? Does this mean that its not cirkulating at all?

just for your own knowledge I would start a service record so you can keep track on what has been changed and when and this could be the first entry changed and flushed cooling system. so yes change it and if your skid steer runs at the suggested temps I would think the rotten coolant is flowing. They just topped of the recovery tank with fresh coolant.

 

[Simonjorgensen]

just for your own knowledge I would start a service record so you can keep track on what has been changed and when and this could be the first entry changed and flushed cooling system. so yes change it and if your skid steer runs at the suggested temps I would think the rotten coolant is flowing. They just topped of the recovery tank with fresh coolant.

Thank you. I startet to empty the radiator this morning, and now i figured out why it doesn't take coolant from the container. The hose from the cooling container is not attatched to anything, it gods up to the radiator cap and was tucked away, perhaps to hide that it was broken. Does anyone know where this hose is suposed to be attatched?

 

[Simonjorgensen]

Thank you. I startet to empty the radiator this morning, and now i figured out why it doesn't take coolant from the container. The hose from the cooling container is not attatched to anything, it gods up to the radiator cap and was tucked away, perhaps to hide that it was broken. Does anyone know where this hose is suposed to be attatched?

I can see that there is a hole in right under the radiator cap for the hose, but I dont see anyway to connect the hose to the hole?

 

[Simonjorgensen]

I can see that there is a hole in right under the radiator cap for the hose, but I dont see anyway to connect the hose to the hole?

I cant insert a picture, but here is a link to what the hole look lige https://ibb.co/BgfPJ96 Even if i could glue or weld the hose to the hole, it Will break off when i put the cap back on again because the cap would hit the hose when i turn it?

 

[foton]

I cant insert a picture, but here is a link to what the hole look lige https://ibb.co/BgfPJ96 Even if i could glue or weld the hose to the hole, it Will break off when i put the cap back on again because the cap would hit the hose when i turn it?

there is supposed to be a metal tube that extends from the neck of the radiator that the coolant recovery bottle hose connects to .. Clean off that area to see if it is brass, if so be careful and solder in a new tube, make it as long as needed to clear radiator cap where clamp will fit. If you do not have the means to do so a radiator shop or a replacement radiator one is needed.