Recent content by Felipe Rances

Check for a scored rod or cylinder before replacing the seals. New seals won't last long if the surface they're riding on is already damaged.

I'm starting to replace a few of my old tools and would rather buy used if I can find decent quality. I've checked Marketplace a few times, but it's been pretty hit or miss. A lot of the listings look good until you see the tools in person. I recently stumbled across Ritchie Bros. while looking...

I installed a hydraulic thumb, but I can't get the settings right. If I set it one way, the thumb is too weak to be useful. If I change the settings, the thumb becomes so strong that it overpowers the bucket. I'm trying to set it so the bucket can overpower the thumb to prevent damage.

My Case 688 suddenly lost almost all hydraulic power while unloading from a trailer. Any hydraulic function loads the engine heavily, but the tracks barely move and the machine will hardly turn. I replaced the turbo because the old one was in bad shape, but the problem is exactly the same. The...

If the solenoid is working but wire 110 has no power, I'd definitely start chasing the electrical side before digging into the hydraulics. A bad relay, limit switch, corroded connector, or even a broken wire somewhere in the boom harness could be the culprit.. sometimes it's the simplest...

If it's only happening under heavy load, I'd be leaning toward a fuel delivery or injector issue before the turbo. White smoke combined with a power loss can sometimes mean the engine isn't burning fuel completely, so checking injector performance and making sure the fuel system is maintaining...

hey, I'm considering a career in the heavy equipment industry and I'm torn between becoming a heavy equipment mechanic or an equipment operator. Both seem to offer solid opportunities, but they require different skills and day-to-day responsibilities. For those who have experience in either...

For used equipment, I usually try to put enough down to keep the payments comfortable and avoid stretching the loan too long.

I'm working on a 1961 Allis-Chalmers D grader and need to remove the crankshaft pulley. Does the pulley come off separately, or is there a specific procedure to remove it?

Reliability matters more than age.

Absolutely worthwhile.

I'm working on a 1997 Case 580K backhoe and the swing function is acting strange. The boom will swing all the way to the right, but only about halfway to the left before it stops. Everything else seems to be working normally. I'm trying to figure out if this is a hydraulic issue, a mechanical...

I'm dealing with alternator wiring issues after replacing the voltage regulator and brushes, and the wiring no longer matches.

Shipping a Caterpillar 797 is extremely expensive because the truck is far too large to move assembled.

I've been thinking about repowering my TS14 scraper after running it on a pond project last year. The machine actually loaded pretty well overall, but it still feels a little short on power when working hard.