Procedure to Install Mechanically Attached Sidebar Protectors on Loader Bucket with Straight Sidebars for Certain (972 - 994) Wheel Loaders {6001, 6101, 6102, 6104, 6817} Caterpillar

Wheel Loader

972G (S/N: 7LS1-UP; AAW1-UP; 1EW1-UP; 4WW1-UP; 6AW1-UP; 9GW1-UP)

972G Series II (S/N: AXC1-UP; AXE1-UP; AXN1-UP; AWP1-UP; AXP1-UP; ANY1-UP)

972H (S/N: GTA1-UP; LCC1-UP; A7D1-UP; NPE1-UP; A7G1-UP; A7J1-UP; WXZ1-UP)

972K (S/N: PEM1-UP; Z4W1-UP)

972M (S/N: A8P1-UP; JPR1-UP)

972M Series XE (S/N: M5S1-UP; EDW1-UP)

980F (S/N: 8CJ1-UP; 3HK1-UP)

980F Series II (S/N: 5XJ1-UP; 4RN1-UP; 8JN1-UP)

980G (S/N: 9CM1-UP; 2KR1-UP; 2SR1-UP)

980G Series II (S/N: AXG1-UP; AWH1-UP; AYT1-UP)

980H (S/N: MHG1-UP; A8J1-UP; KZL1-UP; JMS1-UP)

980K (S/N: W7K1-UP; GTZ1-UP)

980M (S/N: MGD1-UP; KRS1-UP; N8T1-UP)

986H (S/N: L8S1-UP)

986K (S/N: MH81-UP; NL81-UP)

988G (S/N: BNH1-UP; 2TW1-UP)

988H (S/N: A7A1-UP; BXY1-UP)

988K (S/N: T8E1-UP; L8X1-UP; LWX1-UP; TWX1-UP)

994D (S/N: 3TZ1-UP)

994F (S/N: 4421-UP)

994H (S/N: DWC1-UP)

994K (S/N: MM91-UP; MRK1-UP)

Introduction

This special instruction contains procedures and information for installation of mechanically attached sidebar protectors on loader buckets having sidebar with straight front.

Do not perform any procedure in this Special Instruction until you have read the information and you understand the information.

Safety Section

Work safely. Most accidents that involve product operation, maintenance, and repair are caused by failure to observe basic safety rules or precautions. An accident can often be avoided by recognizing potentially hazardous situations before an accident occurs. A person must be alert to potential hazards. This person should also have the necessary training, skills, and tools to perform these functions properly.

Safety precautions and warnings are provided in this instruction and on the product. If these hazard warnings are not heeded, bodily injury or death could occur to you or to other persons. Caterpillar cannot anticipate every possible circumstance that might involve a potential hazard. Therefore, the warnings in this publication and the warnings that are on the product are not all inclusive.

Ensure that all personnel are safe when using a tool, procedure, work method, or operating technique not recommended by Caterpillar. Ensure that the product will not be damaged or the product made unsafe by the operation, lubrication, maintenance, or the repair procedures that are used.

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Do not attempt to assemble this machine until you read and you understand the assembly instructions. Improper assembly procedures could result in injury or death.

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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. Secure clevis pin with locking pin. Before operating the machine, fasten the steering frame lock link into the stored position and secure the clevis pin with locking pin. Failure to lock into the stored position before operating can result in loss of steering.

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Personal injury can result from flame cutting or welding on painted areas. The effect of gasses from burned paint is a hazard to the person doing the cutting or welding. Do not flame cut or weld on painted areas.

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Personal injury or death can result from fumes, gases and ultraviolet rays from the weld arc. Welding can cause fumes, burn skin and produce ultraviolet rays. Keep your head out of the fumes. Use ventilation, exhaust at the arc, or both, to keep fumes and gases from your breathing area. Wear eye, ear and body protection before working. Protect yourself and others; read and understand this warning. Fumes and gases can be dangerous to your health. Ultraviolet rays from the weld arc can injure eyes and burn skin. Electric shock can cause death. Read and understand the manufacturer's instructions and your employer's safety practices. Do not touch live electrical parts. See "American National Standard Z49.1, Safety in Welding and Cutting" published by the American Welding Society. American Welding Society 2501 N.W. 7th Street Miami, Florida 33125 See "OSHA Safety and Health Standards, 29 CFR 1910", available from U.S. Department of Labor. U.S. Department of Labor Washington, D.C. 20210

Introduction

Illustration 1	g06113675
Typical wheel loader bucket with straight front on sidebar (1) Sidebar with straight front (2) Mechanically attached sidebar protector

Illustration 2	g06113720
Assembly of parts in protector gp and plug (3) Plug (4) Retainer (5) Base (6) Protector

Mechanically attached protectors are available in three different sizes based on thickness of sidebar, Refer to Table 1. A base welded on to the sidebar and compression retainer are used to mount a protector on the sidebar. A plug is used to protect the compression retainer from dirt and debris.

Required Parts

Installation Procedure

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Illustration 3	g06113755
Rear view of protector (A) Strap gap (B) Rest pad (C) Dovetail-shaped projections (D) Rest pad

1. Refer to Table 1 to select the protector gp part number for the bucket.

2. Attach 1.0 mm (0.04 inch) thick shim (maximum size of 24 mm (1.0 inch) x 6 mm (0.2 inch)) on each of two, rest pad (B) and rest pad (D) on the protector using tape or grease. Refer to Illustration 3.
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   Illustration 4	g06113798
   Bottom view of base (E) Surfaces that will contact with sidebar (W1) Groove for fillet welding (W2) J-groove for welding at front of mounting base (F) Retainer mounting area (G) Dovetail grooves (W3) J-groove for welding at rear of mounting base

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   Illustration 5	g06113848
   Assembling protector on base

3. Slide the protector onto the base as shown as in Illustration 5.

   Note: Dovetail-shaped projections (C) of protector seat on the dovetail grooves (G) of the base, refer to Illustration 3 and Illustration 4.

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   Illustration 6	g06113850
   Bottom view of base, protector, and retainer in assembly

4. Insert the retainer into the base as shown in Illustration 6 such that two ends of the retainer rest on retainer mounting surfaces (F) in base. Refer to Illustration 4.

5. Locate the area on sidebar where protector gp will be installed. All mounting surfaces on sidebar and base should be free of dirt, paint, rust, and debris.
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   Illustration 7	g06114268
   Side view of bucket installed with protector gp (H) Side surface of sidebar which contacts base at (E) ( J) Front surface on sidebar which contacts rest pads on protector (1) Sidebar with straight front (6) Protector (K) Flush bottom of protector along this line (L) Adapter (M) Location for weld between sidebar plate and adapter LH/RH

6. Slide the assembly in Step 4 over the sidebar with the base on the outside of the bucket. Sidebar surface (J), as shown in Illustration 7 has hard contact on the shims on protector rest pad (B) and rest pad (D). Contact surfaces (E), as shown in Illustration 4 on base has hard contact with sidebar side surface (H), as shown in Illustration 7. Adjust position of assembly to flush bottom surface of protector with bottom surface of sidebar (above the weld between sidebar and corner LH/RH), as shown in Illustration 7. While adding protector to a used bucket, take account of any adapter top wear to avoid interference when installing a new adapter.
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   Illustration 8	g06114290
   Locations for tack welding base to sidebar (1) Sidebar with straight front

7. Preheat the locations to be tack welded on sidebar and J-groove (W3) on base to a minimum temperature of 150° C (300° F). During welding, interpass temperature should be monitored and kept in the range of 150° C (300° F) to 232° C (450° F).
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   Illustration 9	g06114299
   Location to insert pry bar and direction of push to remove retainer from base

8. Tack weld base on sidebar at two ends in root of J-groove (W3), as shown in Illustration 8. If required, use a spacer / combination of spacers in between protector and corner LH/RH to support protector assembly during tack welding.

   Note: The gap between sidebar and base should be minimized

9. To remove retainer from base, insert a small pry bar between the base and retainer, as shown in Illustration 9. The width of the point of the pry bar should be 8 mm (0.3 inch). The curved portion of the pry bar should face toward the retainer. Push the pry bar away from retainer (note the direction of push shown in Illustration 9). Retainer will compress and go over the center of base such that one end portion of retainer comes out of base. After removing the retainer fully, remove protector from base. Prevent base from getting deformed / deflected from original position during removal of retainer and protector. Remove the shims from protector.

10. Preheat the locations to be welded on sidebar and base to a minimum temperature of 150° C (300° F). During welding, interpass temperature should be monitored and kept in the range of 150° C (300° F) to 232° C (450° F).

11. Complete welding on base at locations (W3), (W2), and (W1) as shown in Illustration 4. The J-groove weld and fillet weld on base (weld size: 15 mm (0.6 inch) for 463-1401 Base and 20 mm (0.8 inch) for 481-1105 ) has to be achieved in 3 passes and 8 passes respectively at each location to ensure that proper weld strength is achieved. Make one pass at a time in each location to avoid excess heat build-up. If required, use C-clamp to hold base to sidebar during welding.

12. Allow all finished welds to slow cool.

13. Mount protector on base as in Step 3.

14. Install one end of the retainer under the resting surface in retainer mounting area (F) (as shown in Illustration 4) on base.

15. Insert the pry bar in between base and retainer with curved portion facing toward the retainer. Push the pry bar toward the retainer. After the retainer compresses and the loaded end of retainer goes over center, the retainer will expand and fully snap into position.

16. Assemble the plug on the retainer as shown in Illustration 2.

    Note: Shims are used in between protector and sidebar before tack welding of base to ensure repeatability of assembly of protector and retainer on base.

    Note: 138-0006 Retainer and 138-0007 Retainer cannot be reused if it is out of flatness by more than 2 mm (0.1 inch) or if there is any plastic deformation.

    Note: 138-0006 Retainer cannot be reused if the retainer measures less than 87 mm (3.4 inch).

    Note: 138-0007 Retainer cannot be reused if the retainer measures less than 97 mm (3.8 inch).

    Note: Do not weld on sides of base as any welds in these locations would interfere with the protector during assembly.

Weld Information

1. Read and understand the instructions from the supplier and the safety practices of your employer. Provide fresh air circulation to the welding helmet to avoid any illnesses that can be caused by long-term exposure to the welding fumes. The fresh air circulation will also remove any exhaled carbon dioxide that may be trapped by the welding helmet. Use proper eye protection, ear protection, and body protection while preparing the surfaces and while you are welding on the surfaces. Do not touch live electrical parts. Use a welding helmet with a filter plate that is at least Shade-11. Auto-darkening helmets are recommended as these helmets eliminate neck-strain from "helmet flipping" while greatly increasing the accuracy of electrode placement.

2. All welders must be qualified for fillet welding that is outlined in the current ANSI/AWS D14.3. The process of qualification for the Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) should be done in the vertical position. Prior to welding, the process must have been used during the last six months. Welding qualifications must be documented and current. The alternate process for this could be Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW).

3. Cleanliness: Areas that will be subject to welding must be free of paint, rust, grease, oil, scale, and slag. Contamination by these components can cause weld cracking, weld porosity and lower weld strength. Remove the slag and impurities after every pass.

4. Low hydrogen weld consumables: Use low hydrogen weld consumables with a diffusible hydrogen rating of no more than 5 mL (0.2 oz) / 100 gram (3.5 ounce) of weld deposit to prevent cracking due to hydrogen embrittlement. (Hydrogen embrittlement is a failure mode of steels caused by the introduction of hydrogen gasses into the steel at high temperatures, such as when welding. Hydrogen can be introduced due to the presence of moisture, high humidity, or incorrect weld consumables. The hydrogen infiltrates the steel, creating internal stresses, which lowers the strength and ductility of the steel) Recommended stick electrode for SMAW is E7018 (ANSI/AWS A5.1) and recommended wire electrode for FCAW is E71T-1 or E70T-5 (ANSI/AWS A5.20).

5. Preheat temperature: Apply proper amount of preheat before welding to ensure a good weld. Preheat helps to prevent distortion of the part due to uneven heating and helps welding by requiring less heat input from the welder. Preheating is critical on larger parts, where the large mass can rapidly remove heat from the welding area. A more uniform heat application can be obtained if the preheating is applied on the side opposite of the side to be welded. On large plates, preheat should extend 50 to 70 mm (2.0 to 2.8 inch) beyond the weld.

6. Interpass temperature: Maintain an even temperature distribution while welding to help prevent distortion and improve weld quality. Inter-pass temperatures should be monitored and kept in the same temperature range as preheating. Care should be taken with large parts which could take longer to get up to temperature during preheat and may hold more heat once the parts are hot.

7. Slow cooling after welding: After welding is completed, the parts should be allowed to slow cool to prevent distortion and cracking. Slow cooling helps prevent distortion by eliminating uneven temperature distributions and allows internal stresses developed by weld shrinkage to dissipate. Additionally, slow cooling the parts gives a greater amount of time for hydrogen to escape from the steel, which helps to prevent hydrogen embrittlement. All welded components should be kept out of cool ambient air and drafts caused by fans, which can increase the cooling rate. Thermal blankets can also be used to ensure slow cooling.

8. The welds shall be free from cracks, porosity, undercut, and incomplete fusion. All weld quality should conform to ANSI/AWS D14.3.