This 2013 Liebherr L566 wheel loader was bought from us by a regular customer and was going to work in a very demanding place – a waste disposal site. Before handover we prepared it for those conditions. The scope was wide, and one component we had to design ourselves because the manufacturer never foresaw it.
Resealing the cylinders
The lift and steering cylinders were leaking. The wiper (dust) seals were cracked and the inner seals literally crumbled between the fingers. After removing the cylinders (oil drained into a prepared container) we dismantled them in the workshop:
- the piston, secured with thread locker, had to be warmed slightly before it could be undone,
- we fitted genuine seals – in this case PTFE at the bottom and plastic at the top – plus new guide rings, lightly lubricated so they would not roll over during assembly,
- the wiper seal is not driven in but pressed into its groove.
Quick coupler and bucket
The customer wanted a quick coupler. To fit it to this machine we modified the bucket. When installing the coupler we used shims for the pins and seals, and before the first start we greased the points by hand before the central lubrication kicks in. The bucket is attached and secured, and the hydraulic coupler works.
Driveshaft guards – a landfill-specific solution
At a waste site, plastic film, tapes, strings or cables easily wrap around the driveshaft, which can end in a serious failure and downtime. From the factory the machine has no protection against this, so we designed and fitted our own driveshaft guard plates.
Safety and inspection
- Reversing camera in place of the original camera and a monitor below the original screen – the operator has a continuous view, and when reverse is engaged the image switches to reversing mode.
- New windscreen to replace the cracked one.
- New tyres – the old ones were badly worn.
- Replacement of service fluids and engine oil, inspection of the engine and hydraulic system.
After testing, the machine was handed over to the customer.
Takeaways
- Preparing a machine for its specific workplace (e.g. a landfill) helps avoid the failures typical of that environment.
- Cracked wiper seals are the first sign that a cylinder needs resealing.
- A reversing camera genuinely improves site safety.
See our construction machinery service and our construction machinery offer.
Watch the repair video: The Manufacturer Didn't Foresee This! We Modified a Liebherr 566
