Anyone ever see this happen?

[Tri-Z_Jim]

This is what happens when you try digging thru 2' feet of frost in 5 degree weather.If this went unnoticed,the arm could have fallen off and landed on me,I work around the bucket when I'm not operating it.Anyone know of any machine salvage yards or parts places?? No one wants to weld it for liability reasons.
ATV parts get brittle in cold temps also,axles,hubs,chains,steering rods/ends.

[Tweeked]

Man, thats a nasty break. I would too recomend buying a new arm because even though most welds are strong---After a while it would get weekend by the amount of force from the arm---SNAP...."oh man, that that hit him hard!"

[smokinwrench]

I have seen that happen. It was on an old 225 Caterpillar. I think the cause of its failure was no grease. The customer bought a used arm from somewhere. We went down and installed it for him. I can ask one of our parts men if they know of any salvage yards out your way. They asked every welder around to weld this one and no one would do it.


SHOULDA BOUGHT A CAT. I CAN SEND A SALESMEN THAT WAY. LMAO
Good luck Josh

[smokinwrench]

That is probably a $20k part its not something u just go and buy. It will take 2-3 months to get a part like that maybe longer. People can't afoard to own equipment if it isn't running.


A good welder could fix it with no problem, it's a liability problem. The weld wouldn't get weekend by the amount of force.


Why?, post a reply about something you don't have a clue about, it makes absolutly no sense to me. I see tons of useless posts that just say 1 word like (cool,sweet). I think it is just away to get more posts and get a higher ranking.


Just my $10.02 worth of info.
GOOD LUCK Josh

[Tweeked]

A weld is rarely as strong as if the two metals were molded together in the first place.

[Billy Golightly]

I think a GOOD welder could maybe do it. But you've gotta realise when I say a good welder, I mean someone who can lay a bead an inch thick around it and not half ass it. The main problem with welding it is you can't get in a good posistion to weld all around it with the arm still together. If you were gonna weld it, it would certainly have to be welded on the inside where the pin is, and all the way around. So that means the arm would probably have to come off and apart. Jim, I see what looks like a bushing in there thats broke out too, is that what it is or is it just a dark spot of light? Reguardless if theres a bushing or not, the surface of where it was welded would have to be re-surfaced so it was flat and even. When my dad comes back over for lunch I'll have him look at it. He's been around Caterpillars, Cases, John Deers, Komatsu's, and just about every other brand as long as they've been around. Thats been his business his entire life (He'll be 70 this weekend). I'm pretty sure he'll think it can be welded, but I'll show him the pictures and see what he says.

[tony_250r]

I don't know of any, but at one time I was a logger and 518 Cat skidder operator. We had a 25" chipper and a Drott excavator with a 25” cutting head and collecting arms. That’s a nice Komatsu. Do a search for used logging equipment and I think you can find something.

Here is a link:
http://www.supplyline.com/Equip/EquipPage.asp?ID=23992
and,
http://www.machinerytrader.com/listings/parts/search.asp?guid=i9muh90u

[Billy Golightly]

Jim, I talked with my dad and showed him the pictures, heres what he thinks.

If you want to go new, He's 99.9% sure that the end of the boom with the eye on it is available from Komatsu. He thinks you can buy that peice with the eye on it, totally cut the old one off and weld in the new one. You'll need to have the model of the machine plus the serial number if you call to ask about it. He's unsure of the price that it would cost.


If you want to repair that, heres what he thinks. It can for sure be welded, and any decent welder should be able to do it. The ''Stick'' would need to come off (The end boom). By looking at it he sees that when the eye broke it also bent the top of it. By heating it up he thinks you should be able to bend it back without breaking. But if you try cold bending it he's pretty sure it'll break worse. If you get it bent back to the posistion it belongs, He said to take a torch and cut some notches in the broken ends that can be filled with weld. It should also be welded on the inside of the eye, and around the edges. He also added to make sure that the area is very clean of all grease and oils so that it will not interfere with the welding. A big grinder would probably be needed to clean and even out the inside of the eye from the welds. And finally he thinks if you take a peice of metal strap, about a 1/2 inch thick and as wide as the eye is thick. Start at the very bottom, well past where the break is and wrap it all the way around it to the top and towards the back some, and weld that also. That will help re-inforce it. He said he would do it on both sides if it were him.

Also, depending on if it has a bushing or not, you may/may not need a new one. He said if no one up there will weld it for you, to load it up on a truck and haul it down here and he'd fix it One last thing, he said he also bets that the eye was already cracked before it totally broke.

[J.D.]

My question here is, why the crap are you trying to dig 2 ft deep in 5 degree weather? Gotta be pretty hard to get those ol diesels(I assume it's diesel, right?) started in 5 degrees.

[ATC crazy]

Most diesels have engine block heaters that you plug in to a socket. Don't know about heavy machinery though. :?

[Howdy]

Hmm, I have a feeling JB Weld wouldn't work here. lol

That doesn't look good.

[Kilborg]

maybe for a quick fix to do up your garden heh...

seriously though, your going to need one badass welder if you think it can be fixed. best bet i would say is get yourself a new arm.

[Tri-Z_Jim]

Thanx for the help guys.The excavator belongs to my boss.Right now we are searching for a boom and debating on whether to weld it or replace it.Also was thinking about welding a plate to the outside of the eye and covering the end of the pin.We have a few good welders around here.One way or the other its getting fixed,my boss might be selling both of his excavators(PC120 and PC150) and buy a new Komatsu PC160.Right now the PC120 isnt worth much broken.Let me know if you find any salvage yards.
thanx

[G-MAN-1]

nothing like bringing your work home with you. tell your boss to worry about it. he has the money to buy a new arm..............

[Tri-Z_Jim]

Does it bother you that I bring my work home with me?