Dusty and Dirt

[SkidTracks]

Are any other Bobcat R-series owners having issues with dust and dirt as follows:
1) Under cab, dust and dirt covering most horizontal flat surfaces. Dust and dirt building up to 1-1/2" deep on floor pan; after only a few days of being cleaned and partial day usage.
2) Primary engine air filter requiring cleaning every few hours of use.
3) Exterior cab air filter requiring cleaning at twice a day, sometimes three times.
4) Interior cab air filter requiring cleaning daily or every other day.
5) Air plenum behind interior cab air filter randomly filling up with water. Even though drain flapper is not plugged. Shutting off A/C fan allows water to drain. Water splashing on to filter causing severe air restriction (aka minimal cab cooling).
6) Interior of cab being infiltrated with dust. Needing to be blown out with Leaf-blower.
7) A/C air vents showing dust build-up. Dust accumulating behind digital touch display and overhead panels on either side at front.

Never saw such an extreme level of dust and dirt problems with old Bobcat M-series.

R-series cab is supposed to be independent box (or chamber); unlike old M-series which semi-sealed against chassis (or frame). Which has me puzzled as to how so much dust is getting into cab.
R-series appears to have better sealing where hydraulic hoses for track motors go thru chassis. Leading to puzzle of, how dust and dirt are entering and building up as quickly and abundantly.


Chassis

Primary Engine Air Filter

Can't play basketball, but I can dribble an air filter.

Interior Cab Air Filter

 

[mrbb]

IMO< it sort of comes down to the environment your working in and there condition's,
I know in my area this yr has been extra dry and dusty, and things have gotten covered with dust in short order due to conditions

But if your machine itself, seems extra dusty, I would maybe suggest looking for HOW the dust is getting into places, are there any covers missing, or, gaps, dusts is getting thru, that maybe you could close up
I know I have seen some track model machine where the tracks would throw dirt into places, thus, also blowing dust into them

seen some so bad they damaged parts as dirt build up happened, or in winter time when they shoveled snow into same places and things froze, ice is powerful stuff and can bend metal,
I seen a guy with a CAT brand track machine, he had snow,(which melted) then turned ice built up in a pocket , and before he noticed it ended up bending the lift cylinders , as an example
so again, Id be looking at where the dust seems to travel and see if adding some sort of cover or?? could help you

 

[foton]

I assume that you have heard of newer bobcat loaders having air filter issues,it seems that they have engineered a fan to blow somehow thru a new part to seperate dirt and air before hitting the air intake to the air filter. seems like b s to me ,they put the intake cone in the wrong place and want to fix it on the cheap. to have you buy a kit to take care of thier f u . it seems to me.

 

[foton]

I believe there is a you tube video showing the installation of the kit.

 

[SkidTracks]

Follow-up:

Found what I believe is root cause of all dust and dirt in chassis, cab, engine air-filter, cab internal & external air filters.

T86 engine cooling fan is running opposite direction from normal. Air is being pulled through louvers of rear door, and exhausted out perforated grill located on top of engine area.

Checking another T86, the air is pulled through perforated grill located on top of engine area, and exhausted out rear door louvers.

Result is some of fan's intake (as reversed) air is being pulled from front part of chassis below cab area. With cab sitting on top of front part of chassis, a small amount of air is being pulled in through cab too.

Instead of cab having positive pressure as designed, cab has negative pressure with engine running. Put another way, cab is under a slight vacuum as well as front part of chassis. Resulting in dust and dirt being pulled into chassis and into cab.

Testing: With right cab window slightly open and a trash bag taped around window:
When engine is running - trash bag is partially collapsed and sucked up against right cab window (cab is under a vacuum).
With engine stopped - trash bag is puffed outwards from cab window (cab under pressure, as it should be).

T86 came this way brand new from dealer.

Now to get dealer to take problem seriously. On three previous occasions when I inquired and reported there being a severe dust and dirt problem; I was rebuffed with comments like: Dryer than usual. Usage of T86. R-series accumulate dust and dirt worse than M-series. Or some such. Even with pictures and video, there was rebuff as to problem.

After reading about engine fan operation in manual; I do wonder what long term effects on entire machine are going to be, once problem is fixed.

 

[SkidTracks]

Update to my post above (#5): T86's engine fan is running correct direction. Thus, fan is not connected up backwards or fan blades flipped. My confusion on fan comes from Bobcat having reversed air flow direction with newer models (T86) vs. older models (T870).

Still not sure what went wrong with checking cooling fan air flow of another T86.

Bobcat's new models suck air in through slats of rear door, across engine, and up into engine cooling fan above engine. Engine cooling fan then blows air upward, out through radiator and protective grill. Which is reverse of air flow of older models (T870).

New normal - In rear door and out protective grill.

Regardless, result of new normal air flow is as described above in my post above (#5). Cooling fan is also trying to pull air in through front chassis, upon which cab sits.

 

[SkidTracks]

I assume that you have heard of newer bobcat loaders having air filter issues,it seems that they have engineered a fan to blow somehow thru a new part to seperate dirt and air before hitting the air intake to the air filter. seems like b s to me ,they put the intake cone in the wrong place and want to fix it on the cheap. to have you buy a kit to take care of thier f u . it seems to me.

I agree. Engine air intake is located next to protective grill on top of engine compartment. Where some of dust and dirt entering chassis is blown by engine cooling fan upward through radiator and out protective grill. Engine air intake needs to be further away (isolated) from protective grill.