Product Improvement Program For Inspecting The Final Drive Planet Gear Shaft On Certain Challenger 35, 45, And 55 Tractors Caterpillar

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.

NOTE: This Program must be administered as soon as possible. When reporting the repair, use "PI3041" as the Part Number, "7751" as the Group Number, "56" as the Warranty Claim Description Code and "T" as the SIMS Description Code. Exception: If the repair is done after failure, use "PI3041" as the Part Number, "7751" as the Group Number, "96" as the Warranty Claim Description Code, and "Z" as the SIMS Description Code.

NOTE: Refer to your Warranty Bulletin for detailed information with regard to Product Improvement Programs.

Completion Date

Termination Date

Problem

Final drive planet shafts from certain supplier lots may not be heat treated properly leading to powertrain debris contamination. This program supports an inspection process requested of dealers to identify tractors showing high debris generation and to more exactly define the size of the affected field population.

Affected Product
Model & Identification Number

35 (8DN568-613)

45 (1DR1264-1372)

55 (7DM479-605)

Parts Needed

2 - 1G8878 Filter

1 - 1081153 Element

Action Required

See the attached procedure.

Owner Notification

U.S. and Canadian owners will receive the attached Owner Notification.

Service Claim Allowances

NOTE: This is a 0.5-hour job.

Parts Disposition

Handle the parts in accordance with your Warranty Bulletin on warranty parts handling.

NOTE: MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO COMPLETE THIS PROGRAM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

Attach.

(1-Owner Notification)

(2-Rework Procedure)

Copy Of Owner Notification For U.s. And Canadian Owners

Rework Procedure

The following test procedures can be performed to identify any tractors that are generating debris due to "soft" final drive planet shafts:

1. Record the current service meter reading from the lower section of the center display area of the Electronic Monitoring Center.Enter Service Mode 2 as described in the Electronic Systems Testing & Adjusting for C35/45/55 Ag Tractors (Form Number SENR5378-01 contained in Service Manual SENR8300) and record all logged fault codes including number of occurrences and service meter reading of last logged fault. Fault codes F392 (transmission and/or implement filter bypass) and/or F394 (steering filter bypass) will likely be active faults if planet gear shafts are soft and generating debris.

2. Take a live oil sample from the transmission/implement/ steering sump and get a particle count analysis if at all possible. The particle count can be a good indicator of debris generation (wear element analysis alone may not be a very good indicator of wear due to the size of the particles).

3. Remove and replace the transmission/implement/steering filter elements, cut open the elements and determine subjectively whether the elements contain an unusually high amount of magnetic filings. If this is the first oil change since shipment, some cleanout debris is to be expected. If a large quantity of magnetic filings is present and/or filter bypass fault codes are active, it is likely that one or more of the planet shafts are soft and the tractor should be removed from service as soon as possible so that the final drive planet shafts can be inspected, tested, and replaced, if necessary.

4. If filter bypass fault codes are not active but the amount of magnetic filings in the filter elements is judged to be high, another indicator of "soft" planet shafts is a large amount of magnetic filings present in the bottom of the oil sump on the cover under the pto gears in the rear of the differential center housing and in the area of the suction screen (because 35 to 40 gallons of oil in the sump must be drained, perform this test when magnetic filings are judged to be high and filter bypass fault codes are not active).

Email or fax (815) 754-6727 the results of the oil sample analysis and filter elementmp inspection. Include a contact name at dealership, dealer, product identification number, service meter reading, logged fault codes (fault code number, number of occurrences, and service meter reading of last occurrence), particle counts from the oil sample, and description of debris present in filter element/oil sump (if applicable).

Because the number of lots of "soft" planet gear shafts has not yet been confirmed, the Affected Product range may be smaller than the range listed above. However, please recognize the importance of completing the tests for "soft " final drive planet shafts. Continued operation of tractors that contain "soft" planet shafts may contaminate steering, implement, transmission, and differential systems and result in extensive repairs.

If it is determined that the planet shafts need to be replaced, record the planet shaft lot id numbers stamped in the end of the shaft (should be alpha-numeric, for example "62003P") for both the "good" and "bad" planet shafts as well as replacement shafts and fax or email the lot id numbers to Caterpillar Ag Products at (815) 754-6727.

NOTE: Do not order replacement shafts (1128760) unless "bad" final drive planet shafts have been positively identified. The parts are under a service engineering freeze and will be released only on verification of "bad" shafts.