This article initially appeared in PS 759 (Feb 16), p. 26.
Old cruddy grease that’s mixed with dirt and sand will chew up the teeth on your hydraulic excavator’s swing bearing ring gear. And by the time you hear the sound of gears grinding while traversing, it’s just plain too late! The ring gear’s teeth are worn, repairs are needed and costs are high!
So remove the swing bearing’s access cover to eyeball the ring gear. Look at the ring to see how much grease and grit have built up. If you see a heavy coating with a lot of crud, wipe it off with a clean rag.
Access cover to swing gear
Add new grease until it reaches 1 /2- to 1-inch deep from the bottom of the ring gear. Too much grease can damage the swing gearbox seal. So remove any grease that’s over the top of the swing drive pinion.
You’ll find this info on Page 15-2 of TM 5-3805-280-10 (Feb 00).