Cat 943 questions

[quote="Steve A"]https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/345436156094540/

I originally posted this in the for sale section, thought I would continue here. It is about 2 hours from my place.

I went and looked at it. Now I am justifying to my self why I need it. For 1 I think the 4 in 1 bucket is cool.

The current owner used it for 4 years on small jobs on his own property, 3 years ago when he parked it it was running fine. He left it at the back of a field out of sight. Jump forward to 2019 he put in fresh batteries and tried to start it without success. it would spin over but no go. He then hired a guy to get it going and the hired guy pointed out it had no oil and there was a hole in the oil pan. I looked at it Tuesday, the hole in the oil pan behind the starter is huge, about 10 inches square. the piece of cast iron that broke out is laying in the belly pan in one neat piece without a scratch visible, I got a decent pic into the oil pan all all I see it the oil pick up tube in good shape with no signs of damage. My guess is some how water got into the pan, then froze and broke out the side.

If this engine has a oil pressure shut down that would explain it not starting. I am considering making a offer contingent that I can drive it out. I would go out better prepared with a mirror or bore scope and tools to remove the belly pan, after a satisfactory inspection of the bottom of the engine I would move forward to temporary patch or replace the oil pan, then try to start it.

Does any one have a owners / maintenance manual they would sell

Am I crazy ?[/quote]

Curious how the pan got that much water in it. What damage was done getting it there. Still, might be a cool machine.

I'd be looking for a broken connecting rod,it will still run on 3 cyl.

Answers to questions:
- yes of course you should get it (we shouldn't even be having this conversation ; )
- Cat will have a manual if no-one has one used
- Are you crazy? Of course but every one is so you're in good company!

I would have thought that 3204s weren't very hard to find used? Maybe they're getting a bit rarer now. Still, if there's no rotating damage, that's one plus. If you can get the lowest rod cap off and it looks good, then that's even better.
Of course, there's always the possibility that actually that damage was known and maybe the engine was shutdown in time and maybe it wasn't....A big piece broken like that, particularly if it's still in the pan suggests to me that it was knocked in, not frozen out. If it was freeze, it would seem unlikely to be nicely sitting inside the pan like that. Still you never know...

Answers to questions:
- yes of course you should get it (we shouldn't even be having this conversation ; )
- Cat will have a manual if no-one has one used
- Are you crazy? Of course but every one is so you're in good company!

I would have thought that 3204s weren't very hard to find used? Maybe they're getting a bit rarer now. Still, if there's no rotating damage, that's one plus. If you can get the lowest rod cap off and it looks good, then that's even better.
Of course, there's always the possibility that actually that damage was known and maybe the engine was shutdown in time and maybe it wasn't....A big piece broken like that, particularly if it's still in the pan suggests to me that it was knocked in, not frozen out. If it was freeze, it would seem unlikely to be nicely sitting inside the pan like that. Still you never know...

I believe it was said that the broken out piece was in good shape and laying in the belly pan---and from the pictures it appears to be from the side of the oil pan back near the starter---that supports the theory that it was from horizontal ice thrust perhaps.

I once looked at a 3T that had a split oil pan. The owner said that it was perfect when parked but the can over the exhaust blew off and the oil pan filled with water and froze

Ah yes you're right Dan. I mis-remembered that it was lying in the belly pan, not the crankcase pan. That's more consistent with being pushed out vs. in. Still, we'll probably never know.
What needs to happen now is to determine if there is any other damage. If not, then a temp repair like Jan suggests would enable it to be moved to a more convenient location for full repairs.

Glad to see depndzic has seen a burst pan before, I have never seen one myself that I was suspect was freezing until now. I have seen a few that looked like exit wounds from a rod looking for a new home and this is nothing like that.

How the water might have got there is a mystery, the radiator is full.

How does the oil pressure shut down work ? I know my 311 gen set has a mechanical system that has to be manually reset.

Is there a simple way to prepare this machine for towing if needed ?

You would need to pull the shafts from the centre of the planetary hubs to tow the machine

shovel man

Hi, Folks.
The belly guards on the 943 and 953 Cat loaders are flush with the bottom of the main frame with the bottom of the engine being completely up inside the main frame. They are a 2-piece arrangement, more or less flat plates pivoted across the middle of the machine and, when unbolted, open down from the front or from the rear, or both at once, leaving them still suspended in the middle - - - - assuming that the hinges, which are a little weak, are not broken. I have had to repair a few of them, always much stronger than factory

Once swung down, they can be removed completely by unhooking them from the pivot points.

One thing's for sure - with a hole that size, if it was water freezing in the oil pan that 'dunnitt', the 'culprit' would be long gone by now. But also with a hole that size, and maybe triple-jointed arms, you might be able to remove a couple of con rod end caps to check the bearings and journals. You may need to do a bit of excavation under there to make some room for that task - or completely remove the rear belly guard plate.

Just my 0.02.