Estimating fab/welding costs (fix or sell??)

[RichardT]

So, my wee CSF/Multione artic yard loader has a hyd oil leak from the belly plate this AM, I remove assuming a worn hose or at worst failed steering ram seal, instead the front anchors of the ram have basically disassembled themselves: the horizontal flange holding lower bearing is nearly adrift from the vertical plate it's welded into, and as a result the upper bearing welded onto the horizontal surface above is being stressed sideways enough to crack its weld, this surface being, judging by the location of the drain plug, the bottom of the hyd tank. Hence leak. Can't begin to think how this happened, maybe post-pub Friday in Modena.

 

It's well beyond my modest welding abilities, and being all-hydraulic I can't drain/ disassemble it prior to it being taken away (can probably drive it in a straightish line onto a wagon/trailer), so the whole job would be at however many gazillion £/hour ag engineers currently charge.

 

Any help on working up ballpark numbers for fabrication work helpful, before I start making calls and have a coronary.

[NI Tree]

pictures would help as think i get what you mean and depending on access and how much it remaking is needed as this is will reflect the cost

[RichardT]

Good point.

 

General view of ram and lower attach't on 'axle' box. Crack right through from rh flange edge to the circular hole the hoses emerge through. Hy tank plug to r.

 

[attach]115954[/attach]

 

Failed lower weld (or plate, hard to tell), see flange/pin angle. Upper weld fail unclear, but see line of hyd oil along upper weld edge.

 

[attach]115953[/attach]

 

Front view for orientation: 'axle' box, red filler cap at top of hyd tank.

 

[attach]115955[/attach]

 

Nasty!

[NI Tree]

they are not visible for some reason Richard

[RichardT]

Arrrggghhhhh!

 

Evidently not my day. Works for me on Safari, on Mac and iPad, not on Chrome and not on the Kindle browser. I'll have another crack at it after a coffee, tab and swear.

[RichardT]

Here goes...

 

General view:

 

 

2 of failed welds:

 

 

 

Orientation front and side:

 

 

[RichardT]

Well, I can see them on Safari, again.....

 

Failing that they're in my profile gallery.

[treequip]

That’s not too difficult but the worst of it is going to be getting it oil free before welding then pressure testing the tank to see if the repair is sealed

 

I would say ot ought to be doable in a day if you get lucky or 2 if you aren’t.

[NI Tree]

you will have to weld a plate on cross member to reenforce the cross member before rewelding the lower bracket on but if posible make the same plate so it aslo renforces the oil tank pivot too. if there is room

[RichardT]

Cheers. It's pretty damned tight under there. Can't even see for sure if the plate the flange sits on has failed or if it was welded into a slot and just the weld has gone...and if I try to manouevre it to the hoist to get a proper look underneath and the tank weld goes completely in the process, it's a big slick and 900kg of dead weight..

 

Any recent experience of ag engineers hourly charging?