Sawmill Maintenance/Repairs

[TimW]

Lynn,
   Some parts and the wiring harness is missing.  I think it is a non starter, as I have learned this about it from Dennis.................

 1.  WM as an OEM can not sell this engine. So that maybe why it was removed from the Used Engine Listing.
  2.  IDK if there is any getting around this as the SN#'s are tracked and if the EPA does an audit and asks where is this engine we have to have documentation of who it was sold to. Now the loop hole is since it was used at some point where was it used and what keeps an individual from selling it as is?
  3.  I will have to get some guidance on if this can be sold as a used engine and what repercussions could WM be responsible for.
I'll report back soon.

So it would be sold as is and may be a legal black hole.

[Magicman]

I am running good and not interested in it.  Matter of fact, I did not pursue it further over a year ago, was just sorta familiar with the engine having read about it on their website.

[TimW]

I was interested in it, until I heard parts are missing.  I wanted to slap it in my mill and keep my old engine for later.  When the new engine wore out, move the harness and all components over to the the old engine and use it.  That was the plan.

[barbender]

If I haven't said it before, I'm less than impressed with either Yanmar, or your Yanmar service center. Either Yanmar made a system that's bordering on unserviceable, or these guys are bordering on incompetent.

What's really sad is something like this would've been a scandal in the industry 25 years ago. For instance, when WM was using the Lombardini diesels, they had injection line issues and many engines were replaced. Now, with tier IV having a machine down for months on end with engine problems is supposed to just be acceptable. That's not a jab at WM, just the state of things due to government imposed regulations.

[Magicman]

This is a followup on my Reply #605 above.  The last few days that I sawed the idle side bandwheel was growling a bit so....It took 19 tons to press the old bearing out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-HH3QkDJHs


This shiny new one looks mighty fine.


And also looks mighty fine mounted up and ready to saw on the 26th.

[SawyerTed]

Definitely a growl!  Did you do an after video?

[Magicman]

No, I thought about it but it is so quiet that folks would have screwed their volume control knobs off trying to hear something. 

I am considering backing off on that 3K hydraulic pressure on the blade tensioner.  I really could not tell any difference with the higher pressure but I do know that it seems to be squishing my B57's more than in the past.  I am now wondering if the higher pressure decreased the life of this bandwheel bearing ??

I'll stop at 27-28 and give er a shot. 

[SawyerTed]

During training on the 50 Wide, the Woodmizer trainer recommended 3-3.5k tension and staying above 3k on the tension.  

The Wide may make a difference but manual says 3k. 

Do you experience a stretch decrease in tension on new blades?  Mine seem to stretch 200-300 pounds worth of tension.  Resharps not so much.  Warming tends to account for a couple hundred pounds of tension drop too.  

[Magicman]

If I remember correctly my manual says 2300.

I actually do not care about the B57's squishing nor the bearing.  I reckon I was thinking out loud just to hear my head rattle. 

[GAB]

No, I thought about it but it is so quiet that folks would have screwed their volume control knobs off trying to hear something. 

I am considering backing off on that 3K hydraulic pressure on the blade tensioner.  I really could not tell any difference with the higher pressure but I do know that it seems to be squishing my B57's more than in the past.  I am now wondering if the higher pressure decreased the life of this bandwheel bearing ??

I'll stop at 27-28 and give er a shot. 

Load is one of the caracteristics used in determining bearing life.
GAB

[Magicman]

Which is why I was wondering, but when a $50 bearing lasts 3 years, there is no issue.  It took more time to find an Allen wrench than it took to remove the bandwheel.

[Old Greenhorn]

Thinking out loud or not, it's an interesting discussion and I have pondered on it a time or two. The label on our LT50 says 3000 pounds max, but every time I talked to a WM tech at a show or an event where they are running a machine, they say '3500 pounds, all day long'. I even caught one tech running at 4000. Because of that, that's where the boss wants me to run it (3500). But we either have an air bubble in our cylinder, low fluid or something else, plus band heat and stretch so for the first half hour of milling I will have to tweak the pressure up every pass or two. Eventually it settles in and holds. But some times I am just happy to leave it at 3000 or a bit less. If the wood is sawing flat I don't see an issue. Today I was sawing hemlock and although I have had major problems with stress in hemlock, this stuff was coming out dead flat and sweet at 2800 pounds, even with a 'not sharp' blade. Clear pretty wood with no knots, man this would make great paneling, but it's gonna be a woodshed floor.
 I never really thought about bearing life frankly until today. Because of the design on these bearings and the fact that is it a centered loading design, I don't see that there is a big issue. But who knows? It's and interesting thought.

[TimW]

I have been scouring the Yanmar service manual and read about what all the MAIN ELECTRONIC CONTROL  Controller does.  

From the description, it does the work of the governor, but does other digital stuff.  I texted the engine shop about the controller last night and this afternoon learned they are trying to get a "test" controller from a vendor.

They would want $10402 for a drop in replacement engine and it could be here in 7-10 days.

One has to remember this is a TIER IV engine with fault code reporting.  But can be very expensive with no fault codes and a problem like mine.  Because after basic troubleshooting the fuel system, it goes to trial and error to change a component and wait for results.  

Changing parts and waiting for it to happen is $$$ in labor.  They could shotgun the parts with replacements, but that is expensive to do anytime.  But the main fault in shotgunning is you don't know what you did to fix it.  The foreman is researching the next step and then gets a technician to go hands on.  Somedays, all the techs are out in the field.  But I can't complain as the shop could easily run up labor on it.  They have already trashed 32 hours of labor off of the last bill.  This shop has done me right.  Another shop could have fleeced me.  So I am not blaming the techs or the shop.  I blame the ERA.
WM Dennis stated it best.........your paying for everyone else to know how to fix it next time.

It is not cost of paying.  It is the lost of no sawmill and all my retirement plans in limbo.

[barbender]

So Yanmar, under legal coercion from the EPA, made a system that is bordering on unserviceable in this case. 

It's not limited to Yanmar, and I completely understand not tossing parts at it- especially when those parts can cost in the thousands individually. 

 

[TimW]

Basically, YES.

Your right.  It isn't just Yanmar.  We have became a throw away society.  Nowadays, what used to cost 59 cents and an hour work by a DIYer has turned into changing the whole assembly costing $$$ or $$$$.........and that assembly is about 4 months away.

[TimW]

Look at Woodmizer.  They have a used engine (might be exactly what I need) with some parts missing and they have to hear from their lawyers before they can sell it.

[Nebraska]

I'd be tempted to find an old diesel skid steer and graft a motor out of that. 

[barbender]

Me too. A Kubota V1505T is the engine that WM used to put on the Supers, the standard hydraulic got the V1505 non turbo.

[TimW]

This is good information to know.  Any more engines that were on past 40s?  Besides Lynn's Lombardi.

[TimW]

They are proud of the Kubotas.  Reman engine with no accessories $4200.  Then design and made a new drivetrain.  Equals lots of time and money.  Any machine with a running engine will be around $10,000, after a quick search.

[barbender]

They ran a Cat/Perkins diesel, for quite a few years after the Kubotas. I don't recall which model it was. Decent engine, but the Kubotas were regarded as more trouble free I think.

[TimW]

Don't want a Perkins and I have heard those small cats like to break crankshafts, or did.

[Dave Shepard]

Kubota may be the easiest to swap in using part numbers from a 20 year old mill. I like the power of my Perkapiller, but I'd rather it was a Kubota. 

[Dave Shepard]

I was told to run 3-3,500 when my mill was delivered in 2008. I know if it drops below 3,000.

[TimW]

Thanks Dave!

My mill is placarded for 2800-3000