I'd like to dig another pond, would be using my 225LC. I dug a couple ponds with it ~10 years ago, machine worked, performed various repairs on it myself. One thing I could not figure out was the slow boom lift when machine got hot (yes floor pedal speed valve was depressed). Bob Ont tried to help me via email, he seemed to think it was valve shimming. He sent over some documentation on how to evaluate the hydraulics, but there was too much specialized diagnostic equipment required for me to take care of it myself. He said if I had contacted him just a year sooner he may have come down form Canada to help me out with it, but when I posted my issues with it here, his health was already failing.

I'm wondering, do people even service these units anymore? Meaning, finding someone who has the equipment, and more importantly the knowledge to troubleshoot and at least give me a reason for the snail paced boom lift? I don't have a local CAT dealer anymore, they moved far enough away that dragging the machine there makes no fiscal sense, plus I don't think they'd even have anyone to work on it.

This thread denotes the last time I worked on the machine:  www.acmoc.org/bb/discussion-d72/17527-ca...odifications?start=0

I think instead of tearing into the machine myself to troubleshoot this issue, It would be great to find someone to contract out for an evaluation before I spend money on this machine to get it ready for a pond dig.

Where are you located? Might help to know where to find mechanic.

kracked1 wrote:

Where are you located? Might help to know where to find mechanic.
 

Western New York, about 20 miles east of Niagara Falls. Real close to Canadian Border.

Yeah, Milton CAT is who I used to deal with, they moved from Niagara Falls to Batavia NY.

Neil wrote:

unless someone magically finds a 225 retired expert looking for something to do.

That's the unicorn I'd be looking for!

I found some information online about troubleshooting the HYD system.

drive.google.com/file/d/1LTBMEcCc5DA36Zt...7XE/view?usp=sharing

In the documents there are tools & kits like 5S5123, 9S2000 etc. Can't seem to find info on those tools to even get a look at them.

I put an email in with Milton CAT Service, but not confident anything they can do would be financially viable on a hobby machine like mine.

Hi Team,
I have tested and adjusted these a long time ago when working for the Dealer.
I guess to be realistic these tests are somewhat complex and can be dangerous as we are dealing with high pressure and flow capability hydraulic oil in the system and you must have your wits about you.

The link below shows the 9S2000 Hyd. Load test meter that from memory only would likely be part of the 5S5123 Hydraulic Test Kit--from memory with this particular meter you need to be ultra careful as I think it was possible to completely block the pump being tested hydraulic oil output flow.

barringtondieselclub.co.za/caterpillar/9...ls-introduction1.pdf

ch-part.com/i.caterpillar/senr77350002/

There could be other data out there by Googling as I did to find these links--maybe you have already found them too.

I know I have not answered your query but from here is about all I can help with for now.

Regards,
Eddie B.

Do you have a local hydraulics service center? They should be able to fault find from the document you linked to. A circuit drawing would also help. They should also have all the diagnostic equipment needed to test the flow rates etc.
If your lucky it may be something simple like the piston seals on the boom lift are bypassing. Does the boom go down on its own?

Regards

Phil

Yes, the boom definitaly falls on its own. I once used the machine to put a dump body on my tandem dump truck and the boom with that crane load fell something like one inch every ~3 seconds or so.

In talking to Bob Ont years ago about the issue via email, he seemed to think there was more going on with the very slow boom lift than just a leaking piston seals, he tried to help me but I just did not have the required testing equipment. I'm good mechanically, but not so great hydraulically in terms of knowledge, and as edb states, this testing is not only complex but can be very dangerous. Now granted, both boom cylinders do need to be re-sealed, one of them is leaking quite badly at the rod seal (which likely means the piston seal leaks too). That rod seal has been leaking since I bought the machine in 2009, but only after the last pond (2012 I think) did it start to leak as bad as it does now. The machine has seen very little use since ~2013.

I know both boom cylinders along with the bucket cylinder need to be resealed, along with both track brakes, various hoses including the pump return to tank giant hoses, on and on etc.

Before I use both my 225 & D6C to dig another pond, they both will need $1,000's to get them in good enough shape to where I feel I can trust them. D6C has a leaking dead axle taper, leaking exhaust manifold, leaking rear main into the trans case, engine oil leak, some UC components are 130%+ worn. 

Before I spend any money on either machine, I'd really like to know if the 225 has a serious issue or not. If I can't reseal the boom cylinders myself, that right there is ~$2000 to have done somewhere. Doesn't make sense to do that if there are worn spool bores on control valves etc.  Machine reads ~6500 hrs, bought it with like ~5800 hrs, but the hour meter is not the original, so no idea how many actual hours are on the valves.

As far as local HYD service centers, I know there are a lot of smaller shops around, none of them that would probably want to touch this 225 however, but I'd have to ask around. I can't even find a place to turn pins & bushings, seems no one does that anymore.