[missouri massey man]

This is a Ford model 703 loader that a buddy adapted to mount on his 4000 three cylinder gas. Not a bad job at all, actually, quite good.

Tag clearly showing model 703

See the cylinder cap on the left dump cylinder and how good its condition is.....??? well, lets go look at the one for the right side next...

Hmmmmm....pretty much out of service, don't you think ??? Now, we have scrounged all the salvage yards with no luck at all, but found a new one for
$385.00 which is just a bit outta bounds I think. Anyone have a suggestion or a local contact I can email a picture to?

I didn't have a dollar in my pocket for size comparison, but the razor knife should do.

Not a bad job at all of figuring out a substantial mounting plate and bracket for the front end.

New hoses and heavy mounting for the control valve, no vibration here at all. He used 3 x 5 x 5/8 angle iron to make the tubing to slide over the existing
rear mounts, nice and heavy.

Overall it sits a tad high but that's no biggie....you can see the bucket is in dire need of some attention. That's in the near future, but for now we are
searching for the cylinder cap. If one cannot be found, before spending $385 on a cap, he is going to be in the market for two replacement cylinders.
Any ideas ??

 

[Sailor John]

Hello, its Wendell?
The loader and frame look fine as you say, but the fact that the crowd rams get so close to the boom is a worry. That could be the cause of the head being split so the other one may have been stressed also. With the bucket as it is it could easily twist or get screwed up allowing the ram on one side to be bent out of shape and a ram will not stand much of that. Rebuilding the bucket could include moving the ram mounting holes in the bucket further from the bucket mounting holes which would reduce bucket travel but would be an improvement overall. The operator needs to be very, very, careful about applying any load when the bucket is in the position shown in your photo, leverage is so great that pushing hard can do major damage. If it were a Cat or some other industrial machine this would not matter.
Wendell I know from your posts that you are a capable and knowledgeable guy and would not presume to teach you anything, think of this as a discussion between two seniors.
Now, this is purely my opinion, but if the ram spear is not bent and the other head is OK, buy the new part. Saves on altering hoses and fittings and hose fittings can be expensive. Modify the stops to limit bucket travel and your buddy is back in business.

John

 

[soundguy]

i think I know a guy that makes those caps..

 

[missouri massey man]

Sailor John, I agree 100% with your assessment of the situation. We've already talked about relocation to minimize the potential for this to happen again. Currently he is deciding whether to look for a different bucket or to repair this one. Either way, when done we will ensure this condition will be eliminated. I saw one literally rip the ends out of the dump cylinders grading with the bucket in this position and hitting a stump...the old boy had a bad day.

Soundguy, I will PM you for information on your buddy.

Thanks guys, for your input.