mini excavator bucket pins

[lilscoop]

i have a kx040 mini and i would like to know what i can do to take out the sloppy play in the bucket...
most play is in the main bucket pin, like 40mm in size...

 

[Lil Foot]

If the pin setup is like most (all?) Kubotas, you are left with only one alternative- have a machine shop line bore/line ream the holes, and make oversize pins. (or weld them up & re-machine)
If you are very lucky, and most of the wear is on the pins, just replacing them will improve the play, but not eliminate it.
Most commercial tractors & excavators use replaceable pins & bushings, but Kubotas use a steel-on-steel setup with no replaceable components.

In the near future, I will be re-machining the bucket pins & holes on my Hanix N150-2 mini ex.
I think the bucket on mine swings side-to-side about 4 inches, pretty loose.

 

[lugbolt]

The excavators have bushings.

between the bucket and the stick are two thrust washers. They wear out. You can put more than one washer in there to take up the slack, that's what they are for. When they get loose you can pop the pin out and toss another shim in there to get you by for a while. This also helps keep the pin from wearing, as well as the bushings. They still wear, just not nearly as quickly as they would if the washers are not shimmed pretty tight and the o-rings gone (which is very common). Those o-rings keep the grease in and help reduce the amount of dirt/water/etc that get into the pin/bushing area. Grease the fittings OFTEN and grease the snot out of it.

The bushings are in the stick, normally have to beat them out-takes some force, kinda pressed in.

040's have a bolt holding the pin don't they? I forget...the last few I did were KX080's, which had about a 5/8" dia spring pin, aka "roll pin".....pain in the neck. Anyway the pin goes through the bucket, and is supposed to keep the pin from rotating inside the bucket pin holes, which reduces or eliminates wear in the pin holes on the bucket side, and placing the wear on the stick's bushings (which are replaceable).

Most of the tractor/loaders don't have bushings, just pin on steel. When they wear, you have to machine them for a slightly bigger pin, or remove material or whatever. Excavators are much more friendly, using bushings.

 

[fried1765]

If the pin setup is like most (all?) Kubotas, you are left with only one alternative- have a machine shop line bore/line ream the holes, and make oversize pins. (or weld them up & re-machine)
If you are very lucky, and most of the wear is on the pins, just replacing them will improve the play, but not eliminate it.
Most commercial tractors & excavators use replaceable pins & bushings, but Kubotas use a steel-on-steel setup with no replaceable components.

In the near future, I will be re-machining the bucket pins & holes on my Hanix N150-2 mini ex.
I think the bucket on mine swings side-to-side about 4 inches, pretty loose.

View attachment 75385

That is such a sweet looking little machine!
Ever since your first photos......
I want it !!

 

[Lil Foot]

That is such a sweet looking little machine!
Ever since your first photos......
I want it !!

As soon as I first saw it, it stuck me as unusual, and I knew I wanted it. There is something kinda old school about the design that makes it attractive to me, despite all the grease, dirt & maintenance issues.
Not sure if it is the long but low body, the saucy forward lean ROPs/top, or something else, but it has personality.

 

[fried1765]

As soon as I first saw it, it stuck me as unusual, and I knew I wanted it. There is something kinda old school about the design that makes it attractive to me, despite all the grease, dirt & maintenance issues.
Not sure if it is the long but low body, the saucy forward lean ROPs/top, or something else, but it has personality.

AGREED !!!

 

[Spikeba]

Not sure what Lilfoot is talking about but my Kubota KX71-3 Super (much like your 40) has bucket shims and theyre available in the Kubota parts catalog.
The Bushings are also available.