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M813A1 Breaking Bell Housings

crownfire

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I have an M813A1 that has broken two bell housings in the past year. Prior to breaking the first one, I plowed snow for many years with no issue. It’s all stock and the fuel pump hasn’t been turned up or otherwise modified. If my sprag isn’t working properly could it cause enough driveline bind to break the bell housing? I also have an M51A2 that I’ve worked the same way without any driveline problem for the past 15 years so I don’t think I’m asking too much of the truck. Any thought are greatly appreciated.
 

doghead

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Tow4

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On my M818, a couple of the bolts between bell housing and engine were not installed. These were at the bottom of the bell housing. I installed grade 8 bolts. Make sure all of the bolts are there.
 

simp5782

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How is it breaking? Just a crack or an explosion of force and it's in pieces? Is the clutch disc staying intact?
 

WillWagner

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Bell housing or flywheel housing? Bell is on the trans and the flywheel is on the engine. If it is failing the flywheel housing starting at the mount bolts and cracking outward, the flywheel hsg is not aligned to the engine. When you replaced the first one that cracked, did you dial it in using a dial indicator? You cannot just put it up on the dowells, especially if the housing you put on was used. It may have been reamed to accept 1/2 or 9/16 dowells like the old one, but it will not be centered to the crank. .010 out will crack even a ductile iron housing.
 

Floridianson

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I do believe the Cat does have clutches. The clutches will disengage if you over speed the transmission and the light will come on telling you that the transmission and engine are no longer connected. When that happens we can no longer use the engine for braking.
Also if I remember the clutches are not engaged around 750 rpm so we pick a gear when starting that does not leave us hanging around the lower rpm scale.https://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?54233-Cat-7155-tranny
 
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simp5782

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I do believe the Cat does have clutches. The clutches will disengage if you over speed the transmission and the light will come on telling you that the transmission and engine are no longer connected. When that happens we can no longer use the engine for braking.
Also if I remember the clutches are not engaged around 750 rpm so we pick a gear when starting that does not leave us hanging around the lower rpm scale.
Has clutch packs like an automatic transmission but not a disc. It does not engage until 800rpms once it receives the oil pressure to engage the front drive. Only good part there is if your transmission leaks or runs out of oil for whatever reason it will simply just go to neutral and not burn anything up trying to pull.
 

Floridianson

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Guess it's how you define the word clutch. The Cat manual if I remember calls them clutches is all I am saying. I am thinking clutch plate single or multiple clutch packs no matter what they look like disengage engine from transmission.
Looked up an old thread so I will split the difference clutches start to in gage 775rpm and 1100 rpm in gaged. That is why we do not let the truck linger long between those rpm ranges.
 
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Mbitterwolf

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Good night everyone.
I am looking into buying an m813a1 with a dump bed. My big question is where do you get parts for the vehicle? I live in the Virgin Islands and mainly want to use it to construction supplies. The vehicle I am looking at has 110k miles on it and was built in 1982. Any good tips would be appreciated.
 

simp5782

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There is a parts sticky in the 5 ton section at the top. It gives you common auto part store numbers.. Being you will probably have to source from off the island. Ebay would be your easiest route.
 

Mbitterwolf

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Not sure what a parts sticky is. All I saw was an add for a truck Machanic.
It would be super helpful to get the common part store numbers.
thanks
 
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