Help! Does this Bobcat estimate for work sound right?

[april]

Hello everyone. I'm on this site because my husband has a bobcat that needs work. The only place around here is a Bobcat dealer and they want to charge 35 hours of work to do something we were told by another mechanic would only take around 10-16. We would have latter mechanic do the work but the motor has to be hoisted and he doesn't have the means to do that as he is a mobile mechanic. So we reluctantly went to bobcat where we have been overcharged before. We received a quote for $3810.94. Here is the description of the work: "Hydraulic oil leak due to broken bolts on the motor carrier causing the fluid to leak past the gasket. Need to drain and clean the drain case. Remove the axles, chains, sprockets, motors and motor carriers. Then remove broken bolts and reinstall parts." Please advise, Is this reasonable? If not, does anyone know a reputable Skid Steer or Bobcat mechanic in Southern California? I tried looking up "skid steer mechanic" on Google with no results :/ Any advice would be appreciated. I don't claim to know anything about the machinery and I honestly have no idea if this is a decent price or not or where to look to find someone to work on it.

 

[april]

Oh not sure if you need to know this but its an S300 Loader.

 

[ddsprint]

Oh not sure if you need to know this but its an S300 Loader.

go down to the rent a store and rent a cherry picker for the mechanic friend, even with renting a cherry picker will still come ahead, only other option is to read the manual and get down and dirty and go for it, try those thoughts, best of luck,

 

[Tazza]

Oh not sure if you need to know this but its an S300 Loader.

I can't see it taking that long to do. I also don't see that the axles need to be removed to do the job either but i have never worked on an S300. Are they sure the engine needs to be pulled? As i said i have never worked on one, but all the current style machines i have worked on the engine is far enough back to be able to access the chaincase without a problem.
To prevent needing to pull the axles you will need to break the chain and install links. This saves a LOT of extra work for the cost of 2 chain joining links.
I can't see it taking the dealer that long either, if they need to pull the engine they will have an engine lifting jig which makes it so much easier. A few bolts, hoses and wires. The whole thing then slides out.

 

[april]

I can't see it taking that long to do. I also don't see that the axles need to be removed to do the job either but i have never worked on an S300. Are they sure the engine needs to be pulled? As i said i have never worked on one, but all the current style machines i have worked on the engine is far enough back to be able to access the chaincase without a problem.
To prevent needing to pull the axles you will need to break the chain and install links. This saves a LOT of extra work for the cost of 2 chain joining links.
I can't see it taking the dealer that long either, if they need to pull the engine they will have an engine lifting jig which makes it so much easier. A few bolts, hoses and wires. The whole thing then slides out.

Thank you everyone for the responses! We are still trying to figure out what to do. I really appreciate all of your advice and input. I'm searching still on Google for a shop that can do the work reasonably out here. Please keep the comments coming if there's anything to add or if you know a place to take it in Southern California.

 

[thetool]

Thank you everyone for the responses! We are still trying to figure out what to do. I really appreciate all of your advice and input. I'm searching still on Google for a shop that can do the work reasonably out here. Please keep the comments coming if there's anything to add or if you know a place to take it in Southern California.

Hate to sound pessimistic, but seeing this before, and your description, you could be in for some trouble.
The problem is, depending on how long the bolts have been loose, if they egged out the mounting holes, Bobcat's going to come back and tell you you need a new chaincase. That's after they have many hours into it and it's scattered all over the shop floor. If the holes are egged out it will never seal up, because the carrier will move.
Your description mentions both sides? For both sides, at the dealer, if the holes are not egged out, that sounds about right to me, but be prepared for a call to bump it up.
Just joking but serious sorta but just kidding----If you want to bring your machine to Salt Lake City and leave it for a week, I'll do it a lot cheaper than the dealer and if the holes are egged, I'll break it in half and take the chaincase to a machine shop.......=). I don't need no steenking llift to pull motor carriers.
Your mechanic sounds to me like he's too busy.

 

[Fishfiles]

Thank you everyone for the responses! We are still trying to figure out what to do. I really appreciate all of your advice and input. I'm searching still on Google for a shop that can do the work reasonably out here. Please keep the comments coming if there's anything to add or if you know a place to take it in Southern California.

I think you or your mechanic are confessing motor carrier with engine mounts , engine craddle or something like that , a motor carrier ( which one person could pick up ) is a part which the hydraulic travel motor bolts to on one side , bolts to the side of the chain case on the other ( sounds like thats where the problem is ) and has a shaft with bearings and chain sprockets on the opposite end from the motor , you don't need and engine hoist to do that job , and like Tazza said about the split links for the chains will save hours from not having to remove the axles , I'd give myself 8 hrs for that job , could probally do it in 5 or 6 with a few tricks , if I had to give you an estimate I 'd say $800 labor about $1000 total with basic parts ( as i am figuring the bearings and seals are still good ), unless upon disassembling more damages or worn parts are found and that could very well be possible even on your $3,800 dollar job , cause you don't really know the extent of the damages till you open it up , I could see where this job could go either way , a piece of cake or a whole lot of cake ----------- I'd ask you how long did you run it after it started leaking and does it make any noises when traveling

 

[april]

I think you or your mechanic are confessing motor carrier with engine mounts , engine craddle or something like that , a motor carrier ( which one person could pick up ) is a part which the hydraulic travel motor bolts to on one side , bolts to the side of the chain case on the other ( sounds like thats where the problem is ) and has a shaft with bearings and chain sprockets on the opposite end from the motor , you don't need and engine hoist to do that job , and like Tazza said about the split links for the chains will save hours from not having to remove the axles , I'd give myself 8 hrs for that job , could probally do it in 5 or 6 with a few tricks , if I had to give you an estimate I 'd say $800 labor about $1000 total with basic parts ( as i am figuring the bearings and seals are still good ), unless upon disassembling more damages or worn parts are found and that could very well be possible even on your $3,800 dollar job , cause you don't really know the extent of the damages till you open it up , I could see where this job could go either way , a piece of cake or a whole lot of cake ----------- I'd ask you how long did you run it after it started leaking and does it make any noises when traveling

I stopped running it as soon as we recognized the problem but just in the time we loaded and unloaded the equipment the leak got significantly worse. Kept it filled with hydraulic and did not notice any noise or change in the motor.

 

[Fishfiles]

I stopped running it as soon as we recognized the problem but just in the time we loaded and unloaded the equipment the leak got significantly worse. Kept it filled with hydraulic and did not notice any noise or change in the motor.

Thats good you stopped it soon , running it could have cause more damages , I think thats a pretty rare breakdown -------- S300 -how old is it and how much did you miss the warranty by ,is it under 1000 hours but over the year , if you just missed warranty you could try talking to the dealer and ask him to talk to factory rep , sometimes I have seen where the factory reps will pick up cost or partcile cost of repair on break downs which are not normal and / or just missed warranty , I would think this problem has got to be from either not properly tightened bolts from factory or extreme eractic operation , good luck

 

[Tazza]

Thats good you stopped it soon , running it could have cause more damages , I think thats a pretty rare breakdown -------- S300 -how old is it and how much did you miss the warranty by ,is it under 1000 hours but over the year , if you just missed warranty you could try talking to the dealer and ask him to talk to factory rep , sometimes I have seen where the factory reps will pick up cost or partcile cost of repair on break downs which are not normal and / or just missed warranty , I would think this problem has got to be from either not properly tightened bolts from factory or extreme eractic operation , good luck

I was thinking the same, the bolts are VERY strong and i can't see how they can simply shear off. If they were not torqued correctly and allowed to move yes i can see them loosening up causing a leak but not breaking. The ones on my 751 are HUGE and there is like 8 of them, the only way i can see them snapping is to be hit by something REALLY big. Normal wear and tare i can't see then breaking. I do know the S300 is larger, but still i can't see it having the torque to shear off bolts like that.
The bolt holes are made so the carrier can slide to get equal slack on the chains, so if there is a little wear it won't be a real problem. If there is a LOT of wear, sure there could be an issue or two.

 

[otisdog]

I was thinking the same, the bolts are VERY strong and i can't see how they can simply shear off. If they were not torqued correctly and allowed to move yes i can see them loosening up causing a leak but not breaking. The ones on my 751 are HUGE and there is like 8 of them, the only way i can see them snapping is to be hit by something REALLY big. Normal wear and tare i can't see then breaking. I do know the S300 is larger, but still i can't see it having the torque to shear off bolts like that.
The bolt holes are made so the carrier can slide to get equal slack on the chains, so if there is a little wear it won't be a real problem. If there is a LOT of wear, sure there could be an issue or two.

Just a heads up...all of the Bobcat dealers in Southern California are owned by the same corporation. You are likely to receive the same estimate from any So Cal dealers.

 

[april]

Just a heads up...all of the Bobcat dealers in Southern California are owned by the same corporation. You are likely to receive the same estimate from any So Cal dealers.

Thanks Tazza and everyone for your help and comments. After reading them we wonder if estimate for work was completely honest. I was able to track down a company Spectrum Lift and Loaders in Chino. The people there were also a little doubtful of the quote for 35 hours even IF the description of the work Bobcat gave us was accurate. We will be hauling it there tomorrow. They were nice enough to come down on Sat. despite their shop not being open on weekends to take a look at it. This is a good sign of customer service, unlike the bad treatment we have been receiving over the years at bobcat. I will be sure to share the outcome of what the problem was and how the repairs go. Hopefully it will help others that might have the same thing going on with their machine.