Komatsu PC60-7: Yet ANOTHER Hydraulic Line Failure Today

[Mark A Weiss]

I asked my neighbor if he knew of anyone (he has several heavy machines) who can do repairs, and I mentioned the guy I was using. My neighbor said that he couldn't reach the guy either, and is having trouble finding service for his machines as well. There's only about 3 guys in our area who do this work and have the equipment. When one goes down, the other two are overloaded.
I may have to go out of state to get help, which means paying over half a grand just for travel time to get them here.

 

[Mark A Weiss]

Latest update.. got someone from out of the area to come and evaluate.
Found no pressure from a valve, but the solenoid clicking when the control is pushed to the right. He thinks is MIGHT be a pinched line. He was here for a little over 2 hours testing, checking and looking at all that he could without pulling cab.
Cost me $649 for the inspection so far. I hope he will come back and pull the cab and fix what the first guy screwed up. Otherwise I'm just paying random mechanics a lot of money for no actual work done!

 

[Welder Dave]

I wonder if a solenoid could click but not actually work?

 

[Mark A Weiss]

I wonder if a solenoid could click but not actually work?

I've seen such a situation a number of times, so yes, it's possible.
The third mechanic thinks it could be a crushed line or the solenoid was crushed, or perhaps a valve.

I'm frankly a bit concerned that he isn't following up with a return date or any sort of commitment. He did say to me that most mechanics won't touch a machine that's had other hands in it. I'm hoping he didn't just take my money for this diagnostic with no plans to come back and repair the machine. That is always lingering in my mind, after the 2nd mechanic went AWOL.

 

[Welder Dave]

He could be busy with other work. I'd give him the benefit of the doubt.

 

[Mark A Weiss]

He could be busy with other work. I'd give him the benefit of the doubt.

Says he needs to find someone with a crane. Told me the crane guy charges $1800 a day.
I spoke with my neighbor, who runs a marina and has all sorts of heavy equipment. He has a couple machines, one a JCB lift, that can probably do the job. So now I'm trying to set it up. Leaving messages and waiting for call back.
Man, what a money pit.

 

[Welder Dave]

$1800 a day sounds like an excuse to try and get out of the job unless it's a lot of money or it's a long ways away.

 

[Pepe]

Surely you must have trucks with hiab cranes on them?? Look for someone who lifts 20ft containers. Here in NZ theyre a dime a dozen & have good reach & lifting power & will do a job for $200 max. We have no qualms if other mechanics have been on the job & never been asked?? thats stupidity?? I try to solve all problems myself & just bought a cheap PC40 used Komatsu without even seeing it to do small tracks etc & runs well with new oil, filters, new tracks already on it. I also have a Komatsu WA30-3 that had leaks in the radiator & all hoses on this girl are original --not one has been replaced. Instead of paying $1100 for a new radiator I used Steel epoxy to seal the leaks & works a treat.Cost me $12? Ive also sealed a frost plug that was hard to get at with Steel epoxy....Back in the 70s I had a McCullouch chainsaw throw a rod & had a hole in the bore. The Chainsaw company used Devcon to seal the hole in the bore then rebored it out & you couldnt see where the epoxy lines were. Devcon was actually banned for some years as someone thought it would take business away from welders? yet one can still buy it today & can save heaps of $$$ for quick fixes.

 

[Mark A Weiss]

Yeah, my mind tends to jump to conclusions that are not positive. It's been all day and the mechanic did not return my call. 'Am I out another $650 for no repair done,' I'm thinking. I'm just bleeding money. Meanwhile, I have to wait for my next SS payment to arrive and start all over. I'll be 81 in a few months. I'd like to get it fixed before I die. A few years ago, that was to be my Japan escape money--sell the excavator, buy a cheap house in rural Japan, and live in peace.
If mechanic #3 decides to bail, then I have to look even further out, even out of state, for a mechanic. It's absurd.
Last ditch effort would be to ask my neighbor to help remove the cab. I just have to figure out what to unbolt, disconnect, etc, and have him lift the cab with his machine. Then I would have to lift the floor of the machine to get to the hydraulic lines and look for anything that might be crushed. But I'm not a mechanic and I don't know what I'm doing, so that might be a bad idea.

 

[mike holcomb]

For 1800$ u could build a A frame and lift it off yourself. Get creative, sure sounds like u shouldn't be wasting money on this money pit if u have no Positive idea what's is wrong. I mean c'mon, I get it, its worth nothing sitting there broken, but on the other hand if u don't t pay your taxes your going to be living in a broken mini excavator lol Cmon

 

[davejo]

On aprill 22 a mechanic said pinched pilot hose. Is the latest guy saying the same thing? Do these guys give a written report and diagnosis?

 

[Pepe]

On aprill 22 a mechanic said pinched pilot hose. Is the latest guy saying the same thing? Do these guys give a written report and diagnosis?

Totally agree Dave. Any work done should have a print out on the work carried out before signing off. He should have showed Mark where the fault was also on the job. My Komatsu & CAT agent are always informative giving me free advice on anything that goes wrong & I try to do most repairs myself. Plus I have workshop manuals for all my machines & have even asked on this forum for advise which is great.

 

[Mark A Weiss]

He could only speculate. Said he needs to pull the cab off to actually SEE what is going on. He's noted a relay or solenoid clicking when the swing control is moved to the right. He wrote on receipt that "there were multiple bolts loose/missing, need to backtrack pull cab see what previous person did wrong or crushed. Machine calling for pressure/not getting any."

I've had a chat with my neighbor, who happens to own the largest marina on the east coast, and has a lot of heavy equipment. He's willing to help with a JCB lift. I relayed this to the mechanic last week, but he's stopped returning my calls and has not responded to e-mail. It's always the same pattern. It's like a nightmare.
If I hire someone again, I'm stating up front that I'm not paying for no work done. I want results if I'm going to spend a month's social security on a mechanic. I don't want estimates for the better part of a grand. If a mechanic visits from out of area, I expect him to have the tools and equipment to do the job right then and there.

 

[Acoals]

If I took a call from a guy who "wasn't going to pay without results" and who "wasn't going to pay $1000", and who wanted me to come diag a problem three other guys had been messing with, and fix it on the spot (Finger snap . . . KA ZAM, parts!!) . . .

I for sure would end the conversation as politely as possible and make a mental note not to take any further calls from that number . . .

 

[Welder Dave]

I'm curious just what was said as well. If someone was complaining about other mechanics and/or how much everything costs is a big red flag. There has to be a reason 3 mechanics are no longer responding. You have to pay for the mechanic to come out and diagnose what's wrong. That's not always easy. Suggesting you don't want to pay $1000 and not have it fixed is really putting the mechanic on the spot. They could be worried they won't get paid if the bill is over $1000.

 

[Mark A Weiss]

The problem, from my perspective, is I paid a guy all this money, but he could only guess about the problem because he didn't have a way to lift the cab off the machine and diagnose the problem. So I'm out a bunch of money, for no results. And if the guy never shows up again, he's made a nice chunk of coin without any real effort. Sounds like a profitable racket. That's how it tends to look from my perspective.

I'll remind everyone that the first mechanic royally screwed up the machine, was probably too embarrassed to come back and fix it.

The second mechanic fixed two major problems, but then dropped off the face of the earth. My neighbor can't get a call back from him either, so it's not just me.

This third one is not local. He had to drive across the state to come here. In hindsight, I should have asked up front if he had the machinery to do a proper diagnosis--the ability to lift the cab off the machine. I had assumed he did, since the other two mechanics had the truck with the crane.

Ultimately, if I can't get it serviced this fall, I'm going to need to figure out how to remove the cab myself (with neighbor's help using his machine) and figure a means of lifting the floor of the cab to get at the hydraulic lines. Not something I can do with severe back pain. (I spent a bit of time trying to fix a fuel sender problem on my MEP-803A, and just crouching down for 30 minutes while working on the fuel tank put my back in a world of hurt, leaving me unable to move for the next two days.) I'll push on to do what has to be done, even if it kills me.

 

[HarleyHappy]

It’s very possible, this excavator will be the death of you.

 

[Acoals]

And if the guy never shows up again, he's made a nice chunk of coin without any real effort. Sounds like a profitable racket.

No, he gave you a day of his time, and you paid him for that.

 

[Mark A Weiss]

Yes, I realize that, but if he really had no intention of actually doing the repair work and just making money off "diagnostics", that's a rip-off from my perspective. I would have expected him to complete the repairs within a couple of weeks, but it's been a month and he hasn't contacted me. I've left multiple voice mails and e-mails and he's not responding. Sorry, but I can't help but to feel I've been taken for a ride, financially. At least the first two mechanics actually WORKED on the machine and did some tangible repairs.

 

[ldequip]

I do feel for your situation. you have not been treated fairly i would agree.
many times those of us who fix stuff for a living are working from a fairly full plate... that is we have far more work/opportunities than we can reach too. so if a mechanic gets the sense it is a high risk job... he is likely to forget it and move on to a more secure job. i for one have several larger customers who are pretty much all i do. then as time allows i slip others in alongside their work.
even a good mechanic is now going to need a bit of time to diagnose what is the problem now and it could get expensive till he finds and repairs all the issues.
So i guess i am saying you need them. be as workable as possible and get it fixed. best of wishes!!