I have beed doing some general maintenance to the Thomas and it has been going ok. I thought that it would be easier to find filters for it but everyone has to cross reference a bunch of suppliers to find anything and then its a few day wait for them.
I greased the machine and all the pins took grease. I have play in the bottom of the quick attach pins and the tilt cylinder pins, more on the Q/A end. When replacing pins, would line boring be required or should the pins have taken all the damage? Also I noticed in the repair manual that the boom to Q/A pins also show a bushing. Is there an aftermarket supplier for pins and bushings or should I just call Thomas or go to a machine shop?
Thanks, Evan.
Usually the tilt cylinder pins at the qa wear the most and should be greased the most because of how much they rotate. The lower qa to arm pins also seem to wear faster then the others.
Not familair with Thomas, but good to hear they have a bushing there, hopefully that and a new pin and your back to new. Sometimes the tilt cylinders are bushed at the qa end too. If not a new pin will remove 1/2 the play usually.
Tympkin of bearing fame makes bushings with standard o.d. and i.d. and pins can be made from cylinder ram shafting if they are simple pins.
But if they have a taper or a theaded bore like Bobcat, you will likely be able to buy them cheaper. At least check the price first before going the custom machine route.
Also measure your pins, I was going to freshen one loader up but was surprized to see my pins wear only worn .080", however a stack up of tolerances in the cylinder rod end, and the pin and where the pin past through the quick attach made changing the pin solve only a portion of the problem.
Here is a old thead on doing this to a bobcat but much of the theory applys.
http://www.skidsteerforum.com/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=54&frmView=ShowPost&PostID=3182
Ken