Elongated holes on backhoe bucket

Mtjohnso · May 20, 2020

Bobcat X320 excavator ( this a 25 hp small excavator)is overdue for repairing the slop in the bucket. Replaced bushings and pins for the boom and linkage. Last thing to do is to repair elongated holes in the bucket.
Purchased grade 8 washers and turned ID to fit pins within 0.01. Plan to put all the linkage in place with washers on pins, align everything then tack washers in place. Pull pins and linkage then weld washers in place. Following this I plan to fill in elongated hole with welder. Welder is a wire feed.
So several questions come up. Will the weld be hard enough to endure the abuse that the bucket goes through?
I have heard that there is Harding rod for stick welders.
Can I just heat the weld cherry red and cool in oil to harden?
Thoughts?

flying belgian · May 20, 2020

There is hard surface wire for your wire feed. Comes in a 10# spool at your local welding shop.

sms · May 20, 2020

Not sure about your machine but on some machines those bushing are made to be cut off and just weld new bushings on.

Butch(OH) · May 20, 2020

I have been around a lot of portable line boring and welding jobs, loader buckets and center pivots, backhoe booms and sticks etc and never seen anything used to weld the bores but 7018 back when they were welded manually and e70 wire when the welding process was automated BUT tbey were also machining the bores round after welding. Hard face rod is not reccomended for multi layer filling due to cracking most is 2 pass maximum. Check with supplier before you fill the hole with hard rod.

Steve@Advance · May 20, 2020

Not sure I follow exactly what the game plan is...

The pin will run against the built up weld inside the hole?

VicS · May 20, 2020

I cut the old holes out about 3 inches. Then drilled holes in new ones. Then welded new ears/washers back on, only they were 3/4" thick. Thought was easier.

Pete in Holland MI · May 20, 2020

Hard surfacing rod is generally there to reduce abrasive wear, not enhance machine part-to-part wear. Some are machinable. Others not. Talk with your welding supplier.

caterpillar guy · May 21, 2020

Once you weld it it will be hard enough to machine without hard surfacing rod or wire. As metal is welded it get harder. If not believed take a piece try a file then weld and try file. It will act different. Try a copper shaft in the hole and weld around it to fill in the hole.

Ellis Kinney · May 21, 2020

Buy another bucket. Line boring is expensive. Ellis

Skyhighballoon(MO) · May 21, 2020

Or a carbon rod though they are not cheap.

Elongated holes on backhoe bucket

Mtjohnso

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flying belgian

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sms

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Butch(OH)

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Steve@Advance

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VicS

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Pete in Holland MI

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caterpillar guy

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Ellis Kinney

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Skyhighballoon(MO)

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