Lift arm bushing removal ???

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kl2657

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Dec 12, 2007
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Hello All, I have a 743 Bobcat and I am in the process of replacing the bushings on both the bob-tach and on the lift arms where the bob-tach attaches. Cutting out and replacing the bob-tach bushings wasn't too bad. I've moved on to the lift arms. My local Bobcat rep says that there are bushings that are welded into the lift arms. I have the replacement ones on hand. My question is how do you get the old bushings out of the lift arms? Honestly it doesn't even look like there are bushings in the lift arms. I've tried heat and a big hammer. That did nothing. I've cut and grinded conservatively to see if I could determine a seem, but still haven't found one. (sawzall, torch, die grinder) I'm using the old bushing as a template to keep me from removing too much material. Did Bobcat ever make a 743 that didn't have bushings in the lift arms? And if there are bushings in there, what's the trick to getting them out? Thanks, Jason
 

Tazza

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The lift arms never had bushings. The only way to replace them is to grind the welds off the sides of the arms and remove the entire boss or bushing, whatever you wish to call it. There are no re-newable bushings that you can simply press in or out i'm afraid.If you do it this way you risk mis-alignment of the arms so be careful when you put them back in. When i did mine, i put the new boss with the bushing installed in the arm un-welded, lowered the arms and pushed the pin in. Made sure it all sat rite and tack welded the inside of the arm to secure the boss. Pulled the pins and arms up and out and welded around the boss from the outside for a good secure weld.
When i re-built my 743 i made it so i could pull new bushings in or out that i made my self out of 4140 steel and got nitrided.
This goes for the lift rams too, when they wear you need to machine the eyes out and make bushings to suit. My tilt ram was the same, but newer ones seem to have bushings installed.
I know its not what you wanted to hear, but its how they decided to make 'em.
 

Fishfiles

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The lift arms never had bushings. The only way to replace them is to grind the welds off the sides of the arms and remove the entire boss or bushing, whatever you wish to call it. There are no re-newable bushings that you can simply press in or out i'm afraid.If you do it this way you risk mis-alignment of the arms so be careful when you put them back in. When i did mine, i put the new boss with the bushing installed in the arm un-welded, lowered the arms and pushed the pin in. Made sure it all sat rite and tack welded the inside of the arm to secure the boss. Pulled the pins and arms up and out and welded around the boss from the outside for a good secure weld.
When i re-built my 743 i made it so i could pull new bushings in or out that i made my self out of 4140 steel and got nitrided.
This goes for the lift rams too, when they wear you need to machine the eyes out and make bushings to suit. My tilt ram was the same, but newer ones seem to have bushings installed.
I know its not what you wanted to hear, but its how they decided to make 'em.
For a while back when the local Bobcat dealer here offered a weld in bushing to repair the A-taper in the boom arm , there were in two different stles , the first one was a bushing the width of the boom and would kinda disappear once it was welded in , leaving only a weld to show where it was , then the second generation there was a bushing that had a shoulder on it which I liked better , you can still get them from a comany called Construction Tool Parts in Portland Oregan , if you want a number e mail me , I'd post it but not sure how it would be recieved by web masters , any way for those bushings you drill a hole right thru the old a -taper hole and insert the bushing , everything is lined up and then tack welded in , very clean repair and not very expensive , it helps to have a magnetic drill press as the drilling is rough , what I do is tack weld a plate to the side of the boom to give the mag drill a good flat base to stick to , and hang the drill on a engine hoist or such , then drilling is easy --------I seen the machine shop make the bushings to do the repair but for the cost you can't beat CPT's kit which comes with a bushing , pin , bolt and oversized heavy duty washer and instructions -----fishfiles
 

Tazza

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For a while back when the local Bobcat dealer here offered a weld in bushing to repair the A-taper in the boom arm , there were in two different stles , the first one was a bushing the width of the boom and would kinda disappear once it was welded in , leaving only a weld to show where it was , then the second generation there was a bushing that had a shoulder on it which I liked better , you can still get them from a comany called Construction Tool Parts in Portland Oregan , if you want a number e mail me , I'd post it but not sure how it would be recieved by web masters , any way for those bushings you drill a hole right thru the old a -taper hole and insert the bushing , everything is lined up and then tack welded in , very clean repair and not very expensive , it helps to have a magnetic drill press as the drilling is rough , what I do is tack weld a plate to the side of the boom to give the mag drill a good flat base to stick to , and hang the drill on a engine hoist or such , then drilling is easy --------I seen the machine shop make the bushings to do the repair but for the cost you can't beat CPT's kit which comes with a bushing , pin , bolt and oversized heavy duty washer and instructions -----fishfiles
I may not have read your question correctly. Are you talking about the taper pin that goes into the bottom of the bobtach? or the top of the arm where it attaches to the machine?
 
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kl2657

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I may not have read your question correctly. Are you talking about the taper pin that goes into the bottom of the bobtach? or the top of the arm where it attaches to the machine?
I am talking about the where the taper pin goes through into the bobtach, but on the lift arm side. You mentioned that if I grind off the welds, I'll be able to push it (bushing/boss) out of the arms. I'm not seeing welds to grind as it is pretty much flush to the arm. Do I have to bore out the hole with a hole saw/drill or is there something that gets removed?
 
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kl2657

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For a while back when the local Bobcat dealer here offered a weld in bushing to repair the A-taper in the boom arm , there were in two different stles , the first one was a bushing the width of the boom and would kinda disappear once it was welded in , leaving only a weld to show where it was , then the second generation there was a bushing that had a shoulder on it which I liked better , you can still get them from a comany called Construction Tool Parts in Portland Oregan , if you want a number e mail me , I'd post it but not sure how it would be recieved by web masters , any way for those bushings you drill a hole right thru the old a -taper hole and insert the bushing , everything is lined up and then tack welded in , very clean repair and not very expensive , it helps to have a magnetic drill press as the drilling is rough , what I do is tack weld a plate to the side of the boom to give the mag drill a good flat base to stick to , and hang the drill on a engine hoist or such , then drilling is easy --------I seen the machine shop make the bushings to do the repair but for the cost you can't beat CPT's kit which comes with a bushing , pin , bolt and oversized heavy duty washer and instructions -----fishfiles
So if my bobcat has never had a replacement bushing installed, is the tapered hole in the arm really just part of the arm? My email is [email protected]. I didn't see your's in your profile. Thanks, Jason
 

Tazza

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So if my bobcat has never had a replacement bushing installed, is the tapered hole in the arm really just part of the arm? My email is [email protected]. I didn't see your's in your profile. Thanks, Jason
It is not renewable, that will be machined into the arm. The previous owner of my 743 in his wisdom drilled the tapered hole out and threw a bolt in! I made a pair of tapered inserts that i welded in. Only do that as an absolute last resort as you need to get everything lined up correctly.
Did the bolt come loose and flog the taper out? if not, there is no reason that the new pin will not seat correctly.
 

Fishfiles

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It is not renewable, that will be machined into the arm. The previous owner of my 743 in his wisdom drilled the tapered hole out and threw a bolt in! I made a pair of tapered inserts that i welded in. Only do that as an absolute last resort as you need to get everything lined up correctly.
Did the bolt come loose and flog the taper out? if not, there is no reason that the new pin will not seat correctly.
http://www.ctpparts.com/liftarmkit.html , here is a link to the repair kit
 

farmboy55

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http://www.ctpparts.com/liftarmkit.html , here is a link to the repair kit
I've only worked on my 853, but the tapered part on the lift arms / hole the the taper pin goes in should not be worn. On my 853 it does not ever move in the lift arm holes, the bob tach moves around the tapered pin. dennis
 

Tazza

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I've only worked on my 853, but the tapered part on the lift arms / hole the the taper pin goes in should not be worn. On my 853 it does not ever move in the lift arm holes, the bob tach moves around the tapered pin. dennis
The only time you will have a problem is if you let the bolt come loose. If its loose it can flog the tapered hole out. My 731 was like that wehn i got it but it can't have been like that long, as i put a bolt in and tightened it up and it was never a problem! I think it takes a fair amount of abuse to damage the taper.
 
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