Stuck backhoe bucket pin on SEE

You could also try welding a large bolt on, head first, and use it as a puller as well.

Indeed, but I don't think I have a suitably sized bolt. Besides, I'd prefer to weld the end of the pin to the ID of a nut.
Then, when my crappy weld breaks, I can weld on the backside, too.

The FLU farm said:

I hate being a quitter.

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The thought of using rotational force rather than lateral wouldn't go away. Even eyeballed a 2-3/8" wrench when returning the borrowed puller, figuring that moving the wrench with the bucket's hydraulics might work. Nah, not about to risk damaging a borrowed wrench.

Looked around for a smaller nut, remembered that I had a few leftover lug nuts for the Pete. Not everyone has a 2-3/8" socket (although the place where I borrowed the puller does) but everyone has an 1-1/2, so the Peterbilt lug nut was slightly modified and the tapered end of the pin ground down to approximately what it used to look like before being beat up. Then the two were welded together.

Fired up the HMMH (the SEE's front hydraulics are too lame) and got the 1-inch impact. It barely turns. Got the 3/4-inch impact, and prayed that it would have enough beans. It worked! Spun the pin for a while - it sure moved slowly at first - to "lap things in".


Used the puller to push the pin out, revealing that nothing had penetrated into the stuck section. So much for ATF and acetone getting in everywhere. But in all fairness, this is towards the bottom when the backhoe is folded up, so this is where all the moisture gets trapped.



Thank you all for giving advice, and for taking interest in this quest. Tomorrow I'll find out (the other reason) for why they make quick disconnect buckets, when trying to mount the 12-inch bucket.

Done. And no more chance of moisture messing things up again.

CONGRATS!! "Slow and steady win the race!"

Thanks, Tony. I could point out that the nut had to be dressed as it developed some sharp ridges from the impact. And that by dumb luck it sticks out exactly as much as the bucket is wide, which is one reason I left it on there.

Installing the "new" narrow bucket wasn't as bad as I'd thought, especially since I gave the upper pin a "3-angle valve job". Everything is very nice and tight now, but had I skimped on that part (correct washer thicknesses) it would've been a fairly quick procedure. Not that I'd like to switch buckets often, now that I've done it.

Great job describing the project. Makes me start to think about if I really want to replace my ripper claw bucket with a straight one.

Peakbagger, nothing to it. Okay, it did require patience. And advice from SS members. And some luck. And ordering a new pin, just so I wouldn't need it.
But if I were you I would start the process now, by removing the sleeve. One large and one smaller chisel was all it took, once it was turned to have the split facing out, using a pipe wrench. Even if you never do change out the bucket, that sleeve only serves as a spacer. A dirt and moisture collecting spacer, but still. In the short term you could probably run without it, or shove a piece of 2x4 in there between the links.
With the sleeve out of the way you can start cleaning things up, and begin the soaking process. Worst case would be that the pin remains stuck to (most likely) the right side link.
If so, based on my measurements, the pin could be cut in one place (a cut-off wheel would've been my choice) and allow both halves of the pin to come out. Then the offending part could be removed from the link with a press.
Another option would be to find out if your pin is stuck to begin with. The outside tapered part is soft enough to try with a pipe wrench.

I know it's a little late however this works well. Drill a hole through the link. Tap the hole, screw in a grease fitting and pump grease in. This will get lube where it is needed. Or inject penetrating oil with grease fitting cleaning tool. Very effective. Done this many times with stuck shafts, bushings and hinges. Sometimes with heat.

If the Zerk fittings could be inset in the links, they'd have a chance to survive. Not that it would be hard to make that happen, but I think that the factory left any lubrication points out of this area for a reason.
Yes, I added a Zerk to the sleeve I made, but that wasn't to provide grease to the bushings in the links, but rather to keep moisture from collecting in there by filling the void with grease.
Had I not been impatient (and thought of it earlier) I would've made a somewhat skeletonized spacer instead. Using tubing, but with four large "half holes" cut out at the ends would serve the purpose, yet couldn't trap moisture or dirt.
Unless I'm missing something, the only purpose of that spacer is to keep the links apart, and possibly also to protect the pin from being gouged.

I found a Blade that I use with my sawzall . The are made by DIABLO and are available at HOME DEPOT. They have carbide cutters imbeded into the blade and will cut through hardened pins, grade 8 1 inch bolts and even a bastard file.

I have cut everything I can find to cut. Goes right through it.

cost is around $10 for 2 and I have not warn the first one out yet. I saw this video and said what the ****, give it a try: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3m7B_JNInqI

You will be impressed!

ernie
Socom Mfg
800-648-7687

Use the Diablo blade and then use a torch to blow out the ends. Run the blades are a slow speed to keep them cool. You could use some cutting oil.

The zerk fitting was not for future lubrication. It is only a way to get lube into the stuck part to free it up.

The FLU farm said:

If the Zerk fittings could be inset in the links, they'd have a chance to survive. Not that it would be hard to make that happen, but I think that the factory left any lubrication points out of this area for a reason.
Yes, I added a Zerk to the sleeve I made, but that wasn't to provide grease to the bushings in the links, but rather to keep moisture from collecting in there by filling the void with grease.
Had I not been impatient (and thought of it earlier) I would've made a somewhat skeletonized spacer instead. Using tubing, but with four large "half holes" cut out at the ends would serve the purpose, yet couldn't trap moisture or dirt.
Unless I'm missing something, the only purpose of that spacer is to keep the links apart, and possibly also to protect the pin from being gouged.

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Keep the links aligned is the main purpose of the spacer , if the links get out of alignment it binds the pin and tears up the brass/bronze bushings which can make the bushings spin in the link making it basicly scrap. I forget the model number for that backhoe , but it replaced the model 33 used on the 580ck and 580B . It was about the poorest design backhoe case ever built and the only one to use twin cylinders on the hoist .

It's supposedly a model 35C, or when installed on a SEE, an M35C. From what I've found, it's basically a 580B or 580C.
Forgot to ask what model it was when looking at a 580-something that had basic flat stock links (and no spacer) instead of the cast ones.

88FLU419 said:

The zerk fitting was not for future lubrication. It is only a way to get lube into the stuck part to free it up.

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I think it would've taken a 4-foot cheater pipe on the grease gun to get anything into the (non-existent) space between the pin and bushing in this case.
But there are three Zerks on the parts SEE's backhoe that won't take grease. Guess I should practice on them.

88FLU419 said:

The zerk fitting was not for future lubrication. It is only a way to get lube into the stuck part to free it up.

Click to expand...

This pin challenge reminded me of the ONE EYED mechanic that worked on my Deuce with me. He was using heat to try and get a pin out of the front of a loader waaaay back in the old days. The grease inside the pin must have reached a flash point and the heat softened the grease nipple. The grease nipple exploded out of the pin, blew through his shield and took out an eye.

A little late to mention it now however maybe someone will catch this down the road and remove a grease nipple before pulling out the old Rosebud! Good luck on the project!

Wow! Talk about bad luck. I must admit that while I thought about the penetrant catching fire if subjected to heat, I would've never guessed that the pressure buildup could spit out a Zerk fitting. Makes sense, though.
I'm bad about using eye protection, despite numerous visits to the doctor for having metal shavings removed (magnetic eyes?) but your story proves that even with protection, things can go very wrong.
Thanks for the sobering advice, plowboy.

Bringing the thread back to life. I bought a "Zerk Zapper" to try to get grease back to the right side bucket pin. The grease fitting was smashed despite being recessed into the pin quite a bit. After clearing out some very chunky grease from the bore and installing a new grease fitting, I followed the directions and despite trying several iterations, it didn't work. I understand the concept that it injects penetrant into the fitting and seals it in with a check valve. Unfortunately after building up pressure, a steady stream of penetrant leaked back out.

The good news is I have the optional Hein Werner ripper bucket which came with replaceable bearings on the bucket pins. There is even a maintenance procedure in the manuals for changing the bearings. I tapped on the end of the pin with a sledge hammer (not the first time it appears to have been done as the pin has some pretty good dents on the end) and the pin seem to move back and forth so hopefully I can sit the bucket on the ground, remove a C clip and tap the pin in far enough that the other end sticks out so I can drill out the cross drilled grease hole.

Maybe a new bucket is in the cards but before then I got some hard core rock work to do on my wood lot.

peakbagger said:

I followed the directions and despite trying several iterations, it didn't work.
...remove a C clip and tap the pin in far enough that the other end sticks out so I can drill out the cross drilled grease hole.

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You have no idea how tempting it is to say "I could've told you that.". And maybe I did tell you, in a roundabout way, that it wouldn't.
Anyway, if you're driving the pin out far enough to clear the blockage, why not pull it all the way out, clean everything up, lube things, and slap it back together?
That way you won't have old petrified grease, and now also penetrant, floating around in there.