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Personal injury or death can result from machine articulation or movement. Machine frames can move and a person can be crushed. Connect the steering frame lock link between the front and rear frames before working on machine. |
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Sudden movement or accidental starting of the machine can cause personal injury or death to persons on or near the machine. To prevent personal injury or death, perform the following: Park the machine on a smooth, level surface. Lower the work tool to the ground and engage the parking brake. Stop the engine and remove the key. Block the wheels and install the steering frame lock. |
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Care must be taken to ensure that fluids are contained during performance of inspection, maintenance, testing, adjusting and repair of the product. Be prepared to collect the fluid with suitable containers before opening any compartment or disassembling any component containing fluids. Refer to Special Publication, NENG2500, "Caterpillar Tools and Shop Products Guide" for tools and supplies suitable to collect and contain fluids on Caterpillar products. Dispose of all fluids according to local regulations and mandates. |
The hydraulic oil in this system is SAE 10. If the oil becomes contaminated, premature component failure could result. Contaminated oil can also contribute to overheating. Use the following procedure to sample the oil in the steering system.
- Start the engine and run the engine at high idle. Allow the oil temperature to reach the normal operating temperature.
- Actuate all cylinders through a minimum of ten full cycles.
- Lower the bucket and any attachments to the ground.
- Stop the engine.
- Move all control levers and brake pedals through all positions in order to release any pressure in the hydraulic system.
- In order to relieve all of the pressure in the hydraulic oil tank, press and hold down the plunger on the breaker relief valve. The breaker relief valve is located on top of the hydraulic oil tank.
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| Illustration 1 | g00827431 |
Breaker Relief Valve | |
- Insert a probe in the fluid sampling valve near the hydraulic oil tank. Make sure that all of the hydraulic controls are in the HOLD position.
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| Illustration 2 | g00830386 |
Fluid Sampling Valve | |
- Start the engine and allow the engine to run at low idle.
Note: Do not operate the hydraulic controls.
- Draw a 50 mL oil sample through the fluid sampling port. The level of contaminants must be lower than the values in the following table.
| Hydraulic Oil Contamination | ||
| ISO Code | Particle Size (Microns) | Maximum Number of Particles Per 1 mL Sample |
| 18 | 5 | 2500 |
| 15 | 15 | 320 |
Note: The concentration of the particles by size should be monitored over a series of samples. This information can be used in order to spot abnormal wear before a failure occurs. A spectrographic analysis of the samples can be used in order to identify the composition of the particles. The analysis of the oil sample may be used in order to identify the components that are failing.