temporary fix for 632 732 742 axle leaks

[732_Guy]

New to the forums, new to Bobcat ownership. I bought a 732 for scrap here in Georgia and rebuilt the Ford 1.6 gas engine hoping that was all it needed. That was $2k. It runs like a champ now and after spending anther $3k on it (complete rewiring, new bucket, tons of parts) it appears to be healthy and running good. I am not sure it was a good idea to bring this machine back from the grave but I needed something to do and had the money. At least the machine probably holds its value as these old bobcats seem to get $5-6k now in good running condition. Of course the number of hours I put into it will never be paid back. These old machines are not a good deal in the end if the previous maintenance has ever been let down. I wish someone had advised me of this but oh well.

Ok the question. Every axle seal on this machine leaks. I did a forum search and learned that it has one- piece axles which on the rear are a total PITA to fix. Apparently some guys here (Tazza) advise dropping the chaincase and more or less rebuilding it. I get a feeling this is a great approach but also takes weeks to do. Worse, it requires having a shop which I do not have. I did all the other work out of an apartment complex. I know, I know.

Another mechanic here (Bobcatdan) says it is a 10 hour job to pull the hydro unit up or out, and replace the axle seals using the aft access port underneath the hydro unit. That job sounds more to my liking, but again it is a huge job for a novice and I am loathe to do it. Having just spent a huge wad of dough on this machine I am pretty tired of working on it and the thought that (don't throw anything at me) maybe I could delay the formal repair of the axle seals with some band aid method. Specifically, I thought if you cut some rubber fuel line hose and wrap it around the axle ends and tie it on with zip ties it might still leak but less and that would be good enough for a few months.

Obviously this would not last more than a few months but it couldn't hurt anything and I wondered has anyone tried it? Ideally you could place a large fat o-ring over the axle end but they do not stretch large enough get over the hub. It would to be some sort of wrap and tie method.

 

[Tazza]

Even though you have put a lot of time into it, think about what you get when it's all done.
You don't technically need a shop to drop the chain case, jack the frame up and use jack stands to support it while you roll it out.
You can pull the drive pump to gain access to the rear inspection cover to do the rear seals.
Which ever way you feel more comfortable, if you have done this much, i'm sure you can handle doing axle seals.

 

[732_Guy]

Even though you have put a lot of time into it, think about what you get when it's all done.
You don't technically need a shop to drop the chain case, jack the frame up and use jack stands to support it while you roll it out.
You can pull the drive pump to gain access to the rear inspection cover to do the rear seals.
Which ever way you feel more comfortable, if you have done this much, i'm sure you can handle doing axle seals.

Yeah I know it's immoral to do a half baked repair. I tied some fuel line wrapped around them for now. I really need to get out and do a few bobcat jobs. I am definitely going to do one of the genuine methods at some point, probably when I get tired of the oil everywhere. The nice thing about the chain case method is you can clean and paint it. Ballpark, how many hours does that take? What do you charge in labor to do one? I think the bearings are ok. I tugged on the axles and they seem tight like maybe a sheet of paper or so is the amount of slop. I suspect dirt erosion has worn down the metal where it contacts the seals though. That will have to be corrected. Bobcatdan said removing the hydro unit to do the job from the top side takes about 10 hours. It sounds harder in general, but faster.

 

[Tazza]

Yeah I know it's immoral to do a half baked repair. I tied some fuel line wrapped around them for now. I really need to get out and do a few bobcat jobs. I am definitely going to do one of the genuine methods at some point, probably when I get tired of the oil everywhere. The nice thing about the chain case method is you can clean and paint it. Ballpark, how many hours does that take? What do you charge in labor to do one? I think the bearings are ok. I tugged on the axles and they seem tight like maybe a sheet of paper or so is the amount of slop. I suspect dirt erosion has worn down the metal where it contacts the seals though. That will have to be corrected. Bobcatdan said removing the hydro unit to do the job from the top side takes about 10 hours. It sounds harder in general, but faster.

I got a 731 years ago and it had twine wrapped around the bearing area, it did help things, but did not stop them from leaking.
As for time, i can't even guess how long. If you have a helper, it makes it faster.
As for the axle play, that's not excessive. If you have a lathe, you can take that wear out. Measure the play with a caliper or dial indicator. When the chain case is open, take the bolts off the end of the axle and take teh washer off, machine the play amount from the inside area of the washer and re-insall it. Like this:
-----____-----
---------------
The dotted lines is the washer the solid line is the part to recess to take up the play as it will set a little deeper on the axle pushing the sprocket on more, taking up the play.
hopefully that makes sense.

 

[732_Guy]

I got a 731 years ago and it had twine wrapped around the bearing area, it did help things, but did not stop them from leaking.
As for time, i can't even guess how long. If you have a helper, it makes it faster.
As for the axle play, that's not excessive. If you have a lathe, you can take that wear out. Measure the play with a caliper or dial indicator. When the chain case is open, take the bolts off the end of the axle and take teh washer off, machine the play amount from the inside area of the washer and re-insall it. Like this:
-----____-----
---------------
The dotted lines is the washer the solid line is the part to recess to take up the play as it will set a little deeper on the axle pushing the sprocket on more, taking up the play.
hopefully that makes sense.

Thanks. I wrapped some leather cord around two axles. That slowed it to a slow rate of loss. I think small diameter rubber fuel line split open with the quick tie around it worked pretty well. I will get tired of the dripping at some point and go for the real repair. I'm more inclined to just have it done by someone who knows the machine and can knock it out in a few days. (You're not in the southeast US are you?) I can make money using this machine and having dropped about $6k on it thus far I need to make some dough. This particular machine was incredibly under-maintained (testimony to how tough they are). Yesterday I spent all day disconnecting hydraulic lines to access the hydraulic control valve area and hook back up the aux hydraulic control lever to the yoke. How it got detached is odd, because it was covered with crap indicating it might have never been properly attached. I seriously doubt Bobcat sold the unit with it detached and the yoke was bolted to prevent aux valve movements. I bought the new flat face couplers for it and it seems to be ready for a grapple.

 

[Tazza]

Thanks. I wrapped some leather cord around two axles. That slowed it to a slow rate of loss. I think small diameter rubber fuel line split open with the quick tie around it worked pretty well. I will get tired of the dripping at some point and go for the real repair. I'm more inclined to just have it done by someone who knows the machine and can knock it out in a few days. (You're not in the southeast US are you?) I can make money using this machine and having dropped about $6k on it thus far I need to make some dough. This particular machine was incredibly under-maintained (testimony to how tough they are). Yesterday I spent all day disconnecting hydraulic lines to access the hydraulic control valve area and hook back up the aux hydraulic control lever to the yoke. How it got detached is odd, because it was covered with crap indicating it might have never been properly attached. I seriously doubt Bobcat sold the unit with it detached and the yoke was bolted to prevent aux valve movements. I bought the new flat face couplers for it and it seems to be ready for a grapple.

I'm a little out of ypur area, all the way over the pond in Australia.
If you get the dealer to do it, as they know what to do, the bill will be stupidly high. It is a big job, but very doable, easier with a second set of hands