M62 Wrecker Owners: Water Damage Warning!!

[M543A2]

I am repairing an M62 that has the swing mechanism damaged. The cause was water getting down into the gears, destroying the Timken bearings on the swing idler gear and the swing cam driven pinion gear. The result of the destroyed bearings was some of the bearing rollers from the idler gear became trapped in the gear teeth of the pedestal gear. When the idler gear came to them, it jammed the mechanism resulting in the cam pinion gear driven by the two hydraulic cylinders being lifted out of its bore because the Timken on its lower side was also destroyed, bending the rods in both swing cylinders and the cylinder attaching points on the hoist main frame. I am here to say repairing this damage is a major task, expensive, and not easy if you do not have the backing of good mechanical knowledge and a shop full of good tool sets. The cause of the problem is the seal around the crane pedestal base. It is a felt seal that is not good at its best. So far I have not found a source to get a new one. When this seal ages, water runs down off the pedestal into the large pedestal gear cavity and on into the idler gear and cam pinion gear locations, destroying the bearings.
If you own an M62, take off the semi-circular covers at the base of the pedestal and check for water damage. There is also an inspection/removal/replacement cover at the side of the idler gear you can remove to check it. By the way, it also has one of the less than effective felt seals at its bottom edge. You can also take off a round cover under the cam pinion gear on the underside of the main frame to check the bottom bearing on this gear. You need to do all of this and if there is water found, check the bearings. These trucks are best kept inside or covered with a tarp over the turntable area because of the poor weather sealing.
If I have saved any of your trucks from this problem, this was worth it!! I am not yet sure if I will get this working right, The damaged cylinder mountings allow play in the cylinders that might give me fits trying to get them timed right. It just about destroyed the machine! I may end up welding a large roller chain sprocket to the cam gear and driving it with a hydraulic motor and throw away the problematic timed cylinder idea to save the machine.
Regards Martin Sacks

 

[gimpyrobb]

Martin, I would love to see some pics of what you are working on. I will have to get over and check mine sometime, thanks for the heads up.

 

[73m819]

Thank you, this WARNING ALSO applies to the 246/819 owners because the crane on these trucks is Austen Westen, with the turntable and ect. being the same as the m62, the only difference is the swing drive, but the large turntable gear is the same.

 

[joeM62]

Do you have any pics of it cause I'm looking at getting another M62

 

[RAYZER]

Here in Fl we get a lot of rain, but up north where snow and ice pile up on equipment for months at a time may cause more water intrusion than rain.

 

[M543A2]

I did not take pictures of the mess before I took it apart, but here are some of it on the way back together and the damage to the rods along with an example of how the Timken cages were destroyed, letting the rollers out into the mechanism.
Regards Martin Sacks

 

[gimpyrobb]

YEOW!

Thanks for the pics.

 

[M543A2]

I got the single eye cylinder new from Sam Winer Motors and the double eye cylinder new from White Owl, Memphis Equipment has them for sale in pairs but they were cheaper by the separate piece.
Bearing numbers (Timken) are:
Cam gear top: 27690 cone 27620 cup
Cam gear bottom: 385-A cone 382 cup
Idler gear, top and bottom: 385-A cones 382 cups
Regards Martin Sacks

 

[joeM62]

Wow never seen one that bad thanks for the info