Anyone swap out a heat exchanger on a 15?

[Frosted Flakes]

Just destroyed my heat exchanger today! Sucked something big and hard up into the tunnel and destroyed my heat exchanger. How hard of a job is it to replace and did you have to wait months for a new one?

Dealers is saying next available one isnt till April 27! That really sucks!

 

[JasonAK]

Have not done one yet. I would weld it up for the rest of the season then do the swap in the summer. Post a picture of the damage.

 

[Frosted Flakes]

Its pretty caved in!!! I am a pretty good hand, but this might be a little to far gone to be patched. Looks like a boulder rolled threw there!!!

 

[2010Catman]

It is a fairly good sized job. You will need to remove the oil reservoir, gears and chain. Remove primary and secondary then remove the torque control link. You will have to drop the skid frame frame and remove the track and track shaft then will remove the c clip that holds brake disk then the 3 bolts on the inside of the tunnel holding the caliper . You do not need to drain the brake system. then two aluminum spars covering fuel tank. disconnect fuel fitting from tank and the but connection. There is about 20 rivets and various 10 bolts holding the cooler and the chain case plug various components. With the track and drive shaft out, once you have drill out the rivets and removed the bolts you can drop the cooler out the bottom inside of the tunnel. If you want more detailed info let me know

 

[Frosted Flakes]

I was figuring on dropping the skid, cracking the chain case, dropping the track shaft, etc… I didin't realize the torque link had to come out. Why does that have to come out?

I am really happy to hear you can drop it out of the bottom! The dealer was telling me the motor had to come out. I had to strip the sled down to put the silly tether on, what a job that turned out to be!!!!

I'm probably going in after it in the next couple days, I will PM 2010Catman if I run into anything crazy.

Any specials tools needed to take anything out or remove anything?

 

[minet]

its a big job, sled will be torn down to bare bones. will need a rivet tool for those ones cat uses or a 1/4 inch jobber

 

[Frosted Flakes]

Dam it……I bought the wrong rivet gun!!!! Bought the one that goes up to 3/16".

Back to Harbor Freight for the bigger one!

 

[Frosted Flakes]

Is the 2014 Service Manual the exact same as the 2015's? Looking to buy one and I could only find a CD version of the 2015, but can find a book for the 14's. Same price, I just would rather have a printed version instead of dragging my laptop out in the shop to wrench.

 

[richardderkevorkian]

Is the 2014 Service Manual the exact same as the 2015's? Looking to buy one and I could only find a CD version of the 2015, but can find a book for the 14's. Same price, I just would rather have a printed version instead of dragging my laptop out in the shop to wrench.

Jackshaft removal will be a little different on the 14 from the 15 but I can't think of anything else they changed

 

[Frosted Flakes]

Well got all the parts…thinking if I should do a video or pictures for the tear down and put back together.

What would be more useful you guys think? Figuring a 10 hour job so whats another hour or two for doing a how to and how to not.

 

[gjp]

Here is the 2012 Service Manual. May be all you need. HCR had the shorter cooler in 2012, and the jackshaft will be slightly different.

Dropbox download:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/24213569/2012 cat race manual.pdf

 

[Frosted Flakes]

GJP…….that is the bomb!!!! Thank you!

 

[Frosted Flakes]

Getting this mother f...cking drive shaft is a kick in the balls!!!! Any tips on how to get this thing out? I have the brake off, the chain case is broke down, the e clips are all off. I just can't get the f..cking drivers out of the holes!

 

[Frosted Flakes]

OM flipping God!!!! What a job!!!! Holy Chit!!!!! The only thing left in the sled was the motor, everything else had to come out or off. Got her put back together, just need a new bolt for the one I broke, but other than that, she ready to tear up some mud! Literally…..thats all we're going to have after this week.

 

[mmsports]

6-10 hour job

You can believe how many bolts rivets hold it in.
Its not that bad just complete tear down. Better than an M if that helps.

Have fun.

 

[izzni]

Hah, I have pretty much the same picture when I had to do mine a couple years ago. I would say closer to 10 hours than 6 btw

 

[madmax]

10+ if you have never done it before and closer to 6 if you have. My guess is you didn't have insurance on your sled? Have done three insurance jobs this year for cats that sucked rocks and **** through and destroyed the cooler.

 

[Frosted Flakes]

Shoot...I needed to take the chain case out too! My heat exchanger was shoe horned in there...she was pretty tight! I was up at 10+ hours on mine, the dam drive shaft was giving me a fit on getting it out! Just had to have the track in the exact location to pop that bastard out! That freaking track is heavy when holding it with one arm and one leg in some uncomfortable as hell yoga postion to get it out. I have insurance and the dealer quoted me in the $1600-1800 range to fix it. Thats when I was like no way, my rates will fly thru the roof, so I took the job on myself. I had to build a sled lift first, then went to work on the beast.

Total cost was $380 for the heat exchanger and rivets, another $10 for antifreeze, and about another $100 in "tools I had to buy for the job" wink wink!

I'm actually glad I did it myself, now I have a pretty good understanding on how all this chit works, now the motor on the other hand, thats whole another bucket of chit I wouldn't know I would want to try.

 

[korey]

So I broke my heat exchanger and I’m in the process of putting the new one in. I was a little rough getting the old one out so trying to find out how this should go back in.
I can’t get it in straight because of the gear case bearing sticking in out and bolt on the bottom.
Do I twist it to get it in? Or do I have to remove that bearing holder piece and go in straight.

I’ve attached pics if that helps.
Thanks everybody.
Korey