Cat 943 fan belt/overheating

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member
I just purchased a cat 943 loader and have a few questions
that I need some help with. I was doing some mild brush
clearing today and had the machine show signs of overheating
a few minutes after I started. I quickly made a dash toward my
shop and the machine heated to approx. 220 deg. I quickly
shut down the machine and found the fan belt was off its
pulley and realized this was the problem. I easily reinstalled it
on the pully and started the machine. The machine quickly
cooled to a running temp to 160 deg.and everything appeared
ok. I ran the machine 20 minutes after this and everything
seemed ok. My questions are: does this belt come off easily
with running this machine and is it very susceptible to small
sticks and debris displacing the fan belt. Also, will a brief
overheating of this machine cause any harm to it? I'm a
novice with this machine and any advice would be much
appreciated. Also, is it normal with this cat for the motor to pull
down when picking up a moderately heavy object and stop
lifting?
 
I would replace the fan belt. If it ran off once,it will probably do it again. Keep the belt tight,the fan draws alot of air to keep the engine/hydraulics cool. Checking the belts should be part of the pre start check along with checking the oil,coolant level,hydraulic level and transmission levels.
There should be no way any sticks should be able to get to the belts assuming the stump pans are on the machine and the engine compartment doors are closed. They will draw in some grass/leaves and small debris through small openings especially when clearing,so blowing out the radiator and cleaning off the engine around the manifold/turbo should be a part of regular maintenance.
If it only got to 220 for a short time, and it has antifreeze in it, no damage should have happened.
 
Not knowing the history of the machine I may be speaking out of turn but I think a good service would be the best way to go,with clean filters,oils etc,it would be easier to access the machines performance,if the fuel or air filters are dirty it can reduce the performance of the engine,letting any engine get too hot is not a good idea,why did the belt come off,are all the guards intact,the 943 is sealed up pretty well,find where debris could have got in and prevent it happening again.
Good luck with your investment
AJ
 
No, i wasn't moving while lifting. I'm so new to this kind of equipment that I can't tell that whether this machine has normal strength or it's a little weak. It seems to run just fine and all filters have less than 300 hours on them. Thanks for your info.
 
Thanks for your info. After closer inspection there is a stump plate missing that exposes the radiator hose and the fan belt. This is going to be my first order to install one. The belt appears ok and tension seems fine when I look at it. I'm not sure exactly how to check its tension, but it doesn't seem excessively loose. A relative of mine that runs one of these machines said it would be a good idea to check the fan bearings by checking for fan wobble/play to ensure this wasn't a contributing factor.thanks for your advice.
 
I have been running these machines for the last 30 years. Have a 953-C that I bought new and now has over 10,000 hours on it. You need to make sure the belts stay tight. The radiator will need periodic cleaning. These machines blow a lot of air thru them to keep them cool. I probably pressure wash my radiator twice a year. After washing it out, you will notice a tremendous difference. If one of the belly pans is gone, replace it immediately. No matter how careful you try to be, your gonna run a stick in there and destroy something. Cat parts aren't cheap. Good luck with your machine.
 

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