Timberjack 230D

WhitePineJunky · July 30, 2023, 11:02:01 AM

I was looking at a timberjack with a 3-53 Detroit in it, a couple issues that alarmed me was the guy said even in warm weather he gives it a small spray of ether after cranking to get it going, a sign of end of line for the motor?

also on the flywheel there must be some stripped teeth as every odd time trying to crank it, it doesn’t engage, is the flywheel a difficult job to replace on these rigs?
Other than that it seemed to work fine, didn’t smoke a ton or lack any power
Thanks

GRANITEstateMP · July 30, 2023, 01:03:45 PM

Could also be the starter with the engagement problem. You may need to customize a wrench or two the first time you change it

B.C.C. Lapp · July 30, 2023, 03:18:48 PM

Should not always need ether. I have a 353 in my Timberjack and it only needs a squirt on the coldest days. I'd look at the battery's. May not have the cranking power needed. Also I'd go ahead and have the starter rebuilt. Bet that solves the problem.

Mine was a hard starter when I bought it. Rebuilt the starter and bought some new battery's and now it starts instantly unless its really cold.

Southside · July 30, 2023, 03:26:22 PM

An ever so slight fuel leak so she looses partial prime will cause that too.

WhitePineJunky · July 30, 2023, 08:08:05 PM

Thanks fellas. Some things to look into. The guy said he recently put a new starter and solenoid in possibly wasn't done properly. When it did catch though the 2nd or third crank it fired right up

barbender · July 30, 2023, 09:14:05 PM

So the starter was spinning, but wouldn't always catch and crank? That just sounds like something is sticky in the bendix (I think that's what it is called). If it was missing teeth on the flywheel, I would think the only way you'd get the starter to engage again is turn the engine over a bit by hand. And yes, those old TJ's with a 3-53 suck to get the starter off of.

barbender · July 30, 2023, 09:20:22 PM

Oh, as far as the ether. On a Detroit that's kinda like having a hard working guy on the crew that has to have a smoke in the morning before he gets rolling

My Detroit is pretty tight. It needs a sniff when it's cold, but not in warm temps. I've been around others that needed a sniff no matter what, but other than that they had no issues. If it runs great, has good power, and doesn't burn oil excessively I wouldn't be too concerned.

Southside · July 30, 2023, 09:35:00 PM

Hopefully the starter nose cone wasn't timed wrong when it was assembled assuming it's a rebuild. Been there done that on an IH tractor. There were something like 26 positions it could be in and I got it right on the 26th try. Had I gone the other direction at first I would have had it the first time. Needless to say I became an expert on removing and re-installing that starter.

B.C.C. Lapp · July 30, 2023, 10:07:10 PM

Quote from: barbender on July 30, 2023, 09:14:05 PM
, those old TJ's with a 3-53 suck to get the starter off of.

First two bolts is easy, the last one will be a total female dog. Last time I rebuilt my starter I left the third bolt out. Life is short. Ill risk it.

Southside · July 30, 2023, 10:29:37 PM

Oh and anytime you need to replace one gear reduction starters are your friend. More expensive, but so much easier to install and they spin so fast it isn't funny. That's all I will go with now when I replace a starter.

WhitePineJunky · July 31, 2023, 09:03:23 AM

It does make sense now that mentioned if the flywheel was missing teeth it would probably get "stuck" on that spot, as the next time you hit the starter it catches which indicates there is teeth it's catching, so most likely is the starter "bendix" or timing

WhitePineJunky · July 31, 2023, 09:04:44 AM

I believe it's getting delivered sometime this week, I'm gonna work it for a couple weeks as I got some felled trees to clean up from what I cut that got scorched by the fire, need them gone for the new seedlings, then I'm going to dig into it and see what I oughta find

GRANITEstateMP · July 31, 2023, 07:37:56 PM

I couldn't like Sothsides comment about the hi-torque or B.C.C. Lapp's about not putting that 1 devil bolt in enough times, each are spot on! I think 1 of the bolts holding our 353 starter in the ole 230D is like an oversized header bolt. Its the right size, but has a smaller, 12 point head on it...it helps...a bit...kinda

WhitePineJunky · July 31, 2023, 08:15:32 PM

Quote from: barbender on July 30, 2023, 09:14:05 PM
So the starter was spinning, but wouldn't always catch and crank? That just sounds like something is sticky in the bendix (I think that's what it is called). If it was missing teeth on the flywheel, I would think the only way you'd get the starter to engage again is turn the engine over a bit by hand. And yes, those old TJ's with a 3-53 suck to get the starter off of.

To clarify yes it would spin but also make a sound like when you grind gears shifting a standard car sort of

Corley5 · July 31, 2023, 09:46:39 PM

I remember something about switching my 3-53 12 point starter bolts out to Allen head bolts and then using a ball end Allen socket with a wobble extension. That made life easier as I remember... That was a while ago ;)

Did that on my 132 Franklin and the Dyna Hoe. The engines were mirror images. I thought about swapping the Dyna Hoe's engine into the forwarder but only briefly. ;)

WhitePineJunky · August 01, 2023, 05:39:10 PM

Well it was a crap show when the float driver got the skidder here, he went off into the ditch backing up, I had to back the skidder off with the trailer slanted in the ditch which was sketchy as hell, but something had to be done as he was stuck and the truck blocking the road with a line up of cars. Once I backed off the trailer with a 10/10 pucker factor, I had to help push him out with the front blade.
But it's here now I guess

OH logger · August 01, 2023, 08:52:01 PM

Well that's good at least now you know it can push a truck!!!

Andries · August 01, 2023, 08:56:18 PM

. . . and you now know that the 10/10 pucker factor was real, but you hadn't reached the "tipped it over point".
You jumped into the deep end of the pool ten minutes after delivery and got a high pressure education in the deal.
👍

nativewolf · August 01, 2023, 09:28:23 PM

Bravo! You got it off, you pushed him out. That's a good start to skidder ownership.

barbender · August 01, 2023, 10:33:58 PM

That's a nice looking machine, it looks well cared for 👍

WhitePineJunky · August 02, 2023, 06:09:56 AM

Quote from: barbender on August 01, 2023, 10:33:58 PM
That's a nice looking machine, it looks well cared for 👍

It's been used that's for sure. Will need some work but it does run decent

tacks Y · August 02, 2023, 08:11:52 AM

Looks nice and Eaton axles.

WhitePineJunky · August 02, 2023, 08:32:49 AM

Quote from: tacks Y on August 02, 2023, 08:11:52 AM
Looks nice and Eaton axles.

Eating axles and Hercules winch

WhitePineJunky · August 02, 2023, 10:54:05 AM

Ran it for a few hours this morning, getting the hang of it. Things I want to get fixed:
Fix the loose linkages in the range selector, and gear selector
-the front diff slowly seeps gear oil from the bottom of the case cover
-engine oil leak from which area I’m not entirely sure but a oil pain gasket came with it so that’ll be my first area of interest
-here have been some repair welds on the skid plates and in areas the repair welds have cracked.
-it leaks tranny fluid slightly but I’m not sure from where exactly I just seen it on the skid pan
It started up at 10c this morning bo ether, 2-3 cranks. Everything’s operational but the listed above does annoy me as I don’t like fluids going into my ground