PRODUCT SUPPORT PROGRAM FOR INSPECTING THE UPPER SUSPENSION LINKS ON CERTAIN 797 OFF-HIGHWAY TRUCKS Caterpillar

PRODUCT SUPPORT PROGRAM FOR INSPECTING THE UPPER SUSPENSION LINKS ON CERTAIN 797 OFF-HIGHWAY TRUCKS

Usage:

REBE3081-01

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14Feb2008

(Revised 07Mar2008)

U-77

A-66

D-61

O-69

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*Before/After*	PRODUCT SUPPORT PROGRAM FOR INSPECTING THE UPPER SUSPENSION LINKS ON CERTAIN 797 OFF-HIGHWAY TRUCKS
7200 7201 7230 7213		PS42617

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NOTE:

This Program must be administered either before or after failure. In either case the decision whether to apply the Program is made by the dealer. When reporting the repair, use "PS42617" as the Part Number and "7755" as the Group Number. If administered before failure, use "56" as the Warranty Claim Description Code and "T" as the SIMS Description code. If administered after failure, use "96" as the Warranty Claim Description Code, and "Z" as the SIMS Description Code.

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NOTE:

The information supplied in this service letter may not be valid after the termination date of this program. Do not perform the work outlined in this Service Letter after the termination date without first contacting your Caterpillar product analyst.

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NOTE:	This Revised Service Letter replaces the Feb 14, 2008 Service Letter. Changes have been made to the Service Caim Allowances annotation.

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TERMINATION DATE

28Feb2010

PROBLEM

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The upper suspension links may crack and fail on certain 797 and 797B Off-Highway Trucks. These suspension links need to be ultrasonically inspected.

AFFECTED PRODUCT

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Model	Identification Number
797	5YW00193-00277
797B	JSM00123-00276

PARTS NEEDED

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Qty	Part Number	Description
2	3068202	LINK GP-UPPER
In Order to allow equitable parts availability to all participating dealers, please limit your initial parts order to not exceed 9% of dealership population. This is an initial order recommendation only, and the ultimate responsibility for ordering the total number of parts needed to satisfy the program lies with the dealer.

ACTION REQUIRED

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The 200-0884 and 184-1516 links need to be ultrasonically inspected for cracks on the bottom side around the lubrication holes, see images 1 and 2. Upper link inspections will be repeated until either the link is found to be cracked and replaced or until the link reaches PCR. At PCR, or if cracked, the link is to be replaced with a new 306-8202 link assembly. When replacing a cracked link the other upper link should be removed and replaced provided it is not an engineering change two 200-0884 (see Image 6) link or a 306-8202 link. The new link(s) will not need to be inspected, thus this service letter will no longer be applicable to trucks that have new links. Failure rate will vary from site to site, therefore inspection start hours and inspection intervals have been identified by LPCE product support, Caterpillar District Rep and the dealer. This plan is documented and must be followed to eliminate failures. If a link is identified as being cracked, remove and replace with new. When filing claim information use PD code 56 for inspection and link replacement. Code 96 is to be used in the event a link fails while the vehicle is in operation. Any damage that occurs as a result of a failure may be covered in the claim.

The links to be inspected shall be made accessible and clean in the areas shown in Image 3. Any material that would interfere with the transmission of sound energy from the transducer into the link shall be removed.

This procedure shall be for use with a Krautkramer 58L or equivalent flaw detector. The instrument shall have a current record for having been calibrated for vertical and horizontal linearity. The metal velocity shall be set using an IIW block (either type I or type II). The search unit shall consist of a mini 45-degree wedge and a 2.25 MHZ transducer with a .375? (10 mm) diameter and a microdot connector. The couplant shall be Sonotech Soundclear 60 or equivalent. The calibration block shall be a known good bar link.

Personnel performing the inspections will be at least ASNT Level II Certified Technicians in the appropriate method, as defined by SNT-TC-1A and will be trained by a Level II or III, until they show sufficient proficiency and understanding of the procedure and rejection criteria. Alternately, a 2-year degree in Non-destructive evaluation from an accredited college or university will fulfill the Level I/II training requirement.

Calibration shall be done using a known good 797 Off-Highway Truck suspension link. The cross-drilled lubrication hole shall be used to peak the indication. Use the top portion of the 17.5 mm cross-drilled hole, the depth should be indicated at approximately 71 mm; the full thickness shall be set at 90 mm. The gain shall be set so the indication when peaked is at 20% Full Screen Height. The gain will be approximately 60 dB for the 45-degree wedge. The range shall be set at 150 mm. The gate shall start at 50 mm and extend to the end of the range. The gate shall be positioned so as to keep it away from the noise in the front portion of the screen. The gate shall be set at 15% Full Screen Height. The search unit shall be moved forward and back keeping it as straight as possible with no side-to-side movement. Image 3 indicates the scan path to be used with the 45-degree wedge.

The search unit shall be directed toward the cross-drilled hole during the inspection. Reject any indication from a corner trap. This indication may go off the screen. The indication of a rejectable link will be higher than a signal from an acceptable link. The signal may also be a twin peak signal from a tip diffraction signal. Image 5 is a screen shot from a sample taken of a known good link. Image 6 is an example of a screen shot from a bad link.

Continue to record the results from these inspections using the same spreadsheet that was used for the first round of inspections.

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Image1

Image2

Image3

Image4

Image5

Image6

SERVICE CLAIM ALLOWANCES

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Product smu/age whichever comes first	Caterpillar		Dealer Suggested		Customer Suggested
Product smu/age whichever comes first	Parts %	Labor Hrs%	Parts %	Labor Hrs%	Parts %	Labor Hrs%
0-20000 hrs, 0-48 mo	100.0%	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
20001-40000 hrs, 49-96 mo	56.0%	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	33.0%	0.0%
40001-60000 hrs, 97-144 mo	11.0%	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	67.0%	0.0%

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NOTE: This is a 3.0-hour job
This is a 3.0-hour job to inspect both of the links. The removal and installation is a 13-hour job per link/side or removal and installation of both upper links is a 26-hour job. Any additional labor should be detailed on the service report and should be claimed against the applicable warranty following the standard guidelines. Removal and installation labor hours are not allowed if links are replaced at PCR. If there has been a previous repair part age will apply. Retain a copy of the previous repair invoice in the dealer's records for audit purposes and specify repair date and machine hours in the "Additional Comments" section of the warranty claim.

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