Abandoned Hitachi Excavator can we fix it?

[@bernardduffy1841]

No swing brake on those I think yous have bigger problems but best of luck with it Hitachi one of the best machines in the world 😉

[@Frank-bh3cm]

Was looking forward to this and loved it. Good on ya for rescuing the old girl. 👍

[@AbramsExcavating]

Great to hear! It turned out to be a long video, I could have made another 2 hours of it. Poor girl was in rough shape!

[@plumber802]

I gave you a thumbs up for your EDC. Constitutional carry here in Vermont.

[@AbramsExcavating]

Oh yea! I carry everywhere I legally can, its part of our rights why not use them! Thanks for watching!

[@JBFromOZ]

great result! I have been struggling on the JCB 3CX with fuelling issues, will check for some screens somewhere

[@AbramsExcavating]

Yea I’d check for screens or plugged filters. Even check for cracked lines. Air can be a bugger on diesel fuel Systems

[@DirtPerfect]

Dam good machines

[@AbramsExcavating]

that they are! sold this old girl though and upgraded a little. picked up a volvo ec140e

[@patrickjordan7670]

Water in hydraulic oil your pumps won't last a week and it's gone through the hole system it will have to be drained out

[@AbramsExcavating]

Yea I know water is bad for the system. I wanted to make sure the machine was gonna operate before I sunk to much time and money in it

[@donhenigan]

Great info on the EX 120-2. I have the same exact model with similar issues. The conversion kit is in my eBay cart as we speak. Thank you!

[@AbramsExcavating]

Glad it was helpful!

[@donhenigan]

Also, a big thank you for adding the links for the conversion and filters.

[@Papadragon-7]

I have read more bad about the conversions than I have good? How do you like it now that you’ve had it awhile? I’ve a 120-3 with similar issues but mine has black smoke when stalling so doesn’t look to be fuelling issue

[@jrobi47]

Everyone needs a friend that never lets you forget your mistakes :)

[@AbramsExcavating]

That’s for sure!

[@planeanddirtsimple]

Enjoyed the video. I just bought a JD490E and I am having same problems as you had. I just changed angle sensor and that appears to have helped. Going to replace pressure sensor next because PVC showing code for it. I don’t know how to test the pressure sensor do you? I ohm tested it and it read zero. On the hydraulic bypass kit, after it was installed did you have full power or did the kit reduce the power? I am going to try the sensor replacement but if they don’t workout I am going to get the kit. Thanks again for the video!

[@AbramsExcavating]

Hey congrats on the purchase! so my machine was in pretty rough shape overall. i did do some diagnostic work on the computer system side of things and basically determined that the PVC was bad. I was worried about dumping $700 into a PVC just for something to fry it. Decided to do the manual bypass kit and it worked "ok" it does give you full power. but its kinda finicky. Maybe i didnt spend enough time adjusting and fine tuning it as i should have but It did make the machine useable. it would actually give you too much hydraulic flow at some points and you would damn near kill the motor if you hooked onto a stump or big rock. i would try to get the factory system operating correctly if your machine is in good shape. Like I said this one was very rough so i didnt know what other gremlins were lurking. as far as testing the pressure sensor I do not know how. I do have a full service manual somewhere on my computer for this machine if it would be any help Good luck!

[@planeanddirtsimple]

@@AbramsExcavating thanks! I have ordered a pressure sensor. I changed the angle sensor with one from Friday parts. Their sensor ohmed at 125 and factory sensor at 850. Not sure about that but it let the machine work ok. I didn’t want to run it too much without pressure sensor working. If new sensor makes code go away then I guess next thing is engine/idle control motor. I may put a manual throttle on it. I just want to be able to load my truck with it.

[@AbramsExcavating]

@@planeanddirtsimple I would think if you got all the sensors working together you should be back in action! Best of luck

[@Papadragon-7]

What is the update on your 490e? I have 120-3 that stalls , black smoke when stalling so not the fuel system

[@AbramsExcavating]

@@Papadragon-7 sounds like your pump is running at full swash. You likely have an issue with one of the sensors on the pump, angle, pressure sensor. Or it could be a PVC issue. I deleted all these on my machine

[@richb1128]

Can I ask why you didn’t fix the hydraulics the factory way? No diagnostics avail? I’m in NEPA myself just came across your channel.

[@AbramsExcavating]

Well without having the proper diagnostic tools you would just be throwing parts at it. The electrical system was a total mess on this machine. So it was easier and more effective to switch it to the manual controller from a -1 machine Welcome to the channel!

[@yehanlaknuka5015]

Is there a problem in hydraulic system?,

[@yehanlaknuka5015]

Have you solved it?,

[@kutterbeavers9941]

i know this is an older video but is limp mode with the rod/ off set facing towards the engine or towards the outside of the machine

[@AbramsExcavating]

It’s been a little while since I worked on one. But I want to say the rod goes towards the engine for limp mode.

[@kutterbeavers9941]

@@AbramsExcavating thanks for the reply i went to look at one to buy and thats where it was at it still seems like it was getting to much fluid wanting to stall and die

[@bo0k]

I own a 120-2there should be one of those plastic filters on the banjo fitting on the pump aswell

[@AbramsExcavating]

Good to know! Thanks!

[@esotericwoodworks]

That little filter in the banjo fitting gets clogged all the time and it shuts my 120 down just like yours be sure to chuck it out.

[@joedoakes8307]

Where are those drips coming from just to the right of the funnel during your oil change ?

[@charlestaylor2480]

Are you buying any bucket or quick coupler for the excavator

[@AbramsExcavating]

So I sold this machine to a friend and he is planning on buying a 36” bucket for it. He wants to use it To clear some property and dig a pond!

[@MrKatt68]

track tension?

[@repairfreak]

Wow, how cool is that! Great job. It was very interesting watching this video from start to finish. How much would this old dinosaur sell for if one was interested? Just curious

[@AbramsExcavating]

Hey thanks for watching! So this machine was in I’d say fair-poor condition. Was t taken care of for the latter part of its life. I listed it for sale for $15,000 and it was sold same day. But I ended up selling it to a friend for 13500. I had plenty of interest at full price though. I’d just rather help out a friend than make a few bucks. These are great old machines. Pretty simple for the most part. The worst part about them is they are some of the first electronic controlled machines. So all the hydraulic issues I dealt with were electrical related.

[@repairfreak]

@@AbramsExcavating You’re a good man for not being greedy and helping out another. Good deeds always come back to a person one way or another. I would love to have the need for an excavator someday and be able to afford one. Always wanted to use one since a small boy. Yes this old machine does indeed seem to be made very well. What a wonderful feeling it must be to bring back to life old workhorses like this. God has blessed you with skills my friend! Thanks again for the awesome video. 😎👍

[@jasondunlap4942]

Nice job!

[@AbramsExcavating]

Thanks!!

[@patrickjordan7670]

Yea I watch the video to the end I knew the banjo bolt was the problem with the fuel problem but you still have a problem with the hydraulics it shouldn't be pulling the engine down like that I'm not a hydraulic expert we owned a couple of them hitachis over the years that's a ex120-3 pretty good machine the engines are bullet proof that's a 1995-1998 machine

[@AbramsExcavating]

Yea I had read about the banjo bolt but didn’t think it would be that clogged! It was bad but an easy fix. I installed an additional clear filter to hopefully help keep things clean. Yes the hydraulics still had an issue. But it was usable. When I first got it run ing you couldn’t hardly use it. The way it is now it can run dig and do everything. I’d imagine you could adjust the shims in the pump and it would sort it out.

[@richardbraybon3245]

great effort guys

[@AbramsExcavating]

Thanks! We saved another!

[@JustinHolloway307]

I love my ex100-2 they are awesome machine

[@AbramsExcavating]

Definitely good old machines!

[@PaulHigginbothamSr]

When ya'll drain the fuel out the outlet is slightly off the bottom of the tank. The water is heavier and is just trying to get in the fuel line. So when ya'll move the machine the water tips in. Drain the fuel out and use a rag to mop the water off the bottom. Pour the same fuel back in then it don't cost ya'll so much.

[@AbramsExcavating]

This machine had been sitting for 5-10 years. I didn’t just waste the fuel I put it in my 5 ton multi fuel truck. Let the fuel sit for a few days and pumped off the top. This isn’t my first rodeo with old equipment!

[@MrChristianbass2170]

OMG Absolute score for ten k. Please tell me you did confuse hydraulic oil with Diesel fuel.

[@AbramsExcavating]

Yea I thought 10k was a good price too haha. Nah the hydro fluid had moisture in it from being so low for so many years. I pulled a bonehead move and probably should have just drained It right from the start but I didn’t know it had that much moisture in it.

[@17aob]

The hydraulikoil is milky? Its supose to be clear?

[@AbramsExcavating]

Yea it’s definitely milky. This machine sat in the woods for a long time. To get all the moisture out of that hydraulic system would be very time consuming and costly. I’ve done it before on a skid steer and even after changing out the oil 3 times it was still milky. This machine takes a lot more oil than a skid steer hahah.

[@scottfoster2487]

That is the same machine as a Linkbel LC 2800II. Pretty easy machine to wrok on. Watch the computer on these,they tend to fail.

[@Initial-Machinery]

Amazing!

[@PaulHigginbothamSr]

You will NOT HAVE FUEL pressure at the injectors after the fuel pump. After the engine is started you will get pulses of pressure as each cylinder need fuel.

[@AbramsExcavating]

Yes I understand this, I was most likely referring to the transfer or lift pump as far as pressure. The high pressure pump will only pulse in unison with the firing order.

[@ferguson20diesel49]

Dash 1 and dash 5 were the kings

[@AbramsExcavating]

I do like the -5 machines!

[@ferguson20diesel49]

@@AbramsExcavating famous machine here in Ireland. We had another version here called FH Ex135 fiat version of ex120/5 we had a Ex120E also

[@kalbcorp]

Great video ! Im curious, for these hitachis do you have preferred parts vendors ? We had to really hunt for center joint seals and some other parts for one of our burnt orange machines

[@AbramsExcavating]

Thanks! So I’ve found a few companies that are good with parts, one of them has a lot of stuff hitachi specific I think it was cmp parts. There was a company that was going to do a collaboration with my channel and send some parts out but they backed out at the last minute. But they had a good deal or stuff aswell. I know Friday parts has some good heavy equipment parts too Good luck! I did the center seal on my Deere 490 there’s a video on my channel about it!

[@73DiamondReo]

wish i had seen it first! watched the video and then realized you were fairly local. know of any machines like what's on my channel?

[@AbramsExcavating]

I know of a link belt speeder with a clam, dragline and I think 60ft of boom. But I think my buddy an I are going to try and buy it. I’ve been lookin for a shovel but they are not common here. I just want something cool to play around with haha. But I’m gonna subscribe to your channel, if you ever need help or need me to check something out in my area feel free to reach out!

[@73DiamondReo]

@@AbramsExcavating i know that link belt. there's shovels around. all depends on how much of a project you want. my email is in my video description

[@terrysmall6337]

Love to have that machine

[@AbramsExcavating]

She’s a good old digger!

[@ryanperdue865]

Get Diesel Mechanic In A Bottle. It will cure your water in fuel issues

[@AbramsExcavating]

Believe it or not I do have a bottle Of that on the shelf But never thought to dump it in! Thanks for the tip!

[@ryanperdue865]

@@AbramsExcavating they were a customer of mine. It’s a great product. Load it down and will get the water out and clean injectors

[@AbramsExcavating]

@@ryanperdue865 great to know for future projects!

[@patrickswagger]

not fuel as much as hydraulic value somewhere sounds to me

[@AbramsExcavating]

it was a fuel delivery issue, however there were still some hydraulic gremlins. The pump wasnt setup perfectly so would still overload the motor if you ran it the wrong way

[@gk49822]

1.22.30. That small filter can give you nightmares. Check your fuel tank for algae .

[@AbramsExcavating]

Thanks for the tips!

[@vincentmcdonnell7986]

Ok

[@jacobbuckley8232]

Dang 10k seems like alot for that.

[@AbramsExcavating]

You must not follow equipment prices. I’ve seen worse sell for 15k at auction. Yea it’s rough. But it’s how the market is now

[@bernardduffy1841]

Things must be rough out there if you need to carry a gun or you just going to put the digger down 😂

[@AbramsExcavating]

Hahaha ya never know. I carry everyday there are some shady people around. Haha I think the poor old hitachi would have liked to be put down

[@dannyv2335]

At least it’s oil was changed 19 years ago 😂

[@AbramsExcavating]

Hahahaahaha great record keeping!

[@jayceec3539]

Just set up your camera onto a tripod.

[@AbramsExcavating]

I do that a lot. But on a tripod you often miss a lot. Have to bring the camera to the action

[@DieselRamcharger]

man dude would have taken 500 for it.....

[@AbramsExcavating]

Oh what a mess this was. I know they got paid $400 to get rid of The machine. So anything I gave them Was profit. They had a good payday! However there aren’t many guys around that would have been able to get that machine out of the woods and loaded on a trailer