Cat^® Backhoe Loader Greasing

It’s inevitable. Dirt, dust, sand and other abrasive materials will begin to attack the moving parts of your new Cat backhoe loader as soon as it’s in operation. Fortunately, a little grease goes a long way toward preventing unnecessary downtime and repairs.

Which Types of Grease Should You Use?

You might be thinking, “As long as I’m using some sort of grease, it’s fine, right?” Unfortunately, not. Different greases serve different purposes. And, the type of grease you use depends on your climate. All greases are a mixture of three components: a base oil, a thickener and an additive. Each of these components provides certain qualities that are best for specific applications. Using the wrong grease, at best, reduces performance and component life; at worst, it leads to catastrophic failures.

For greasing your backhoe loader, you should use NLGI 2 rated Cat Prime Application Grease with more than 3% molybdenum for medium-load, medium-speed and moderate-temp applications in low-moisture environments.

Molybdenum is an additive that gives grease excellent resistance to wear and can withstand high-load and high-pressure applications. Lithium, the thickening agent, provides good heat and moisture resistance.

Which Lubricants Should You Avoid?

Most importantly, you should never use oil to lubricate your backhoe loader’s lube points. Oil is meant for high-speed, -friction and -temperature applications. Its lower viscosity makes it ineffective for the unenclosed joints of heavy machinery. Oil is also good at carrying contaminants throughout a system, while grease keeps most contaminants trapped and localized.

You should ensure you don’t mix incompatible greases. If this happens, the mixture will either harden or lose viscosity. In both cases, the grease becomes ineffective, leading to more component corrosion.

Now that you have your Cat Prime Application Grease with 3% moly, it’s time to load it into your grease gun and have at it, correct?

Not necessarily. When it comes to greasing, it’s important to consult your Operation & Maintenance Manual (OMM) or contact your Cat dealer to get to know the lube points and intervals for your Cat backhoe loader model. Over-greasing attracts abrasives, increases operating temperatures and potentially collapses seals, while under-greasing leaves degraded grease with trapped abrasives around pins and bushings. Both over- and under-greasing lead to unnecessary downtime and expensive repairs.

Now that we have that out of the way, let’s get to it. Before you grab your grease gun and grease, you need to make sure you can access all the necessary grease points, lube points or zerks.

Follow these steps:

1. Lower the stabilizers.
2. Extend the boom and stick.
3. Rest the attachment on the ground.
4. Reposition your attachment to provide access to the attachment linkage.

For the Cat^® 420 Backhoe Loader with a multi-purpose bucket attachment, you have a total of 47 grease points:

• 9 grease points on the arm and 8 on the bucket
• 17 grease points on the boom and stick
• 2 grease points on each stabilizer
• 9 grease points on the swing frame

To help you locate each grease point, a plate providing their specific location and intervals is mounted on top of the air filter under your backhoe loader’s hood. It’s important to note that manual and hydraulic quick couplers have additional grease points that need to be serviced according to their specifications.

Once all the necessary grease points are accessible, it’s time to start greasing.

First, you need to wipe the grease point to make sure you aren’t pushing more dirt or dust into the grease cavity. Then, using a manual, cordless or pneumatic grease gun, pump in molybdenum grease until it just begins to come out between the joints. Once you see the grease, it’s time to move on to the next lube point.

While following your OMM’s greasing intervals is key to extending the life of pins, bushings and the overall life of your backhoe loader, it isn’t the only task you should perform on a regular basis.

Along with greasing, checking for signs of visual wear and tear on your machine’s tracks, linkages, hydraulics and tires can help you avoid costly issues. Be sure to check fluid levels and clear debris from filters and radiator fan grills. Also, depending on your jobsite’s substrate, you may need to clean your machine’s undercarriage once a day.

While it may be difficult to stay on top of proper preventative maintenance, it’s the best investment you can make after purchasing a Cat backhoe loader. Many issues can be avoided, keeping your machine performing like new while reducing costs.

All the necessary maintenance steps for your backhoe loader model are in your Operation and Maintenance Manual. For any further questions, reach out to your local Cat dealer.