DarkShadow73

I did try this method, but with some of the axles/u-joints not being attached to anything, its a strange setup coming up from the drivetrain with the criss-crossing axles going to both the bucket and tilting LA's. Needless to say, I get down to the last couple axles and I can't find a way to hold them in place to see if they are the offenders. Sure I could hold the said axle between my fingers except for the last one that is a PITA to even get back onto the first u-joint and axle, but then it wouldn't spin free. Its rather driving me nuts since I paid so much for this model. I do believe it didn't wiggle as much with the stock bucket, but that one is just way out of scale for this model, Jurgen's redesign is so much more realistic. I did try to shore up and add some weight around the bucket assembly by using 5L liftarms, not the thin 5L ones and using 5L axles to hold them in place, but it didn't do a thing, thought it might be the lighter weight with the smaller bucket assy. To answer your 2nd part I did replace all the axles with ones from my spare collection and all were true and rolled straight. I am rather wondering if somebody's elses comment about the u-joint not being able to handle more than a 45 degree angle might be the problem. The only joint that does extend beyond 45 deg, not by a whole lot but some past, is the very last one leading to the LA. Did you find anything to fix the problem? I love this mod of Jurgen's, it is elegant and more true to an excavator and this is about the most elegant looking Technic model to date.

Just a question about motorized models since more and more are coming out motorized or have the option of being motorized, power functions I am hinting to. I find that washing them in the sink with a sprayer was always the best way to get into all the nooks and crannies and those hard to reach places, and with most you can remove the battery box easily enough, but since the motors tend to be attached in ways on the assemblies that you can't easily remove with out tearing down half the model, what are thoughts on this? I have always wondered as well what others did. I live with smokers, not heavy by any means, but dust isn't easily removed in any form because of the nicotine buildup, but the washing every few weeks used to do a fine job and didn't affect anything, UNLESS they had power functions or the older style motors/battery boxes on them. Any good ideas? I can't obviously kick out my roommates...

Took everything apart, switched all the axles, making sure all were straight as suggested and switched out the LA, and still wiggles. I am really just curious, has anybody else experienced this issue?

Splat - Tried Out of Sight's idea of aligning the u-joints parallel and it didn't change the wiggles in the axles or the jitteriness of the bucket. I know it worked for him and can't figure why it didn't in my reconstruction, but it didn't. I am going to try and change all the axles, going to be a pain less disassembling the entire thing and starting over, superstructure not included, but the wavering of the bucket is driving me nuts. Maybe with the intended larger, way out of scale bucket it is heavier and you don't notice this, or possibly Out Of Sight didn't use Jurgen's mod for the bucket. I didn't notice it as much with the heavier bucket and attaching assembly, but the smaller bucket is so much more in scale with this model so hate to go back to the larger one. I'm not good with MOC's, so I don't see any other ideas for making the tilting/attaching assembly for the bucket any more sturdy, it is a little flimsy, but the aesthetics are much nicer with Jurgen's mod. Per another poster here I don't really see any u-joints extending any further than about 45 degrees even at full inward position of the bucket so don't really see that as the problem. I also just can't imagine how the axles could be even slightly out of round as Lego is pretty sound with their quality control, well minus the LA problem that arose when this model came out last summer, but that was unexpected too. That is one thing about Lego as opposed to its less than quality competitors like Megabloks and such, they have always put out quality parts. Every now and then you get like 1 piece of out 1000 that has a bit of flashing left on it from the molds, but I haven't come across a piece like that in ages. If anybody has any other ideas, please let me know either here or PM. Thanks, Eric

Hi Splat- Well interesting thought, per instructions I always put the u-joints in the way directions had them intended. Of course this does indeed mean taking apart the entire boom, but if it solves the wiggle problem, its worth a shot. I didn't have any issues on the dipper arm itself, just the bucket tilt, even with the larger bucket I had originally installed, though that was much heavier than Jurgen's mod, so maybe the wiggles were more noticeable since his assembly is much lighter with the smaller bucket and less 'heavier' liftarms and such. The wiggles drive me nuts as it seems a lot of people in that thread, so since I don't see an easy way to get at all the u-joints for just the bucket assembly, looks like I might as well just rebuild the entire 3 part assembly, if I recall it didn't take too long to build that part anyway, the superstructure is what took most of the build time. Thanks to Out Of Sight for his idea if he reads this particular topic. Eric

My fiancee has a digital camera but I have no other mode of doing a video of it, all I can see is the bucket jitters when extended and retracted. I did try one of the newer style LA's that are lubed and it didn't help. I can visibly see the many axles connecting that subsection to the gearing on the base of the excavator wavering up and down when I activate that function. It doesn't look like an easy way to replace all the axles in the series without major disassembly and I'm not real good at remembering how it all goes back together since it is a complicated model. I could rebuild the entire arm assembly, replacing all the axles with ones parted from other sets, but that would take a lot of time and I want to play with it, the other arm functions as far as raising and lowering and extending and retracting the arm don't 'wobble' at all, just the bucket tilt subassembly, and naturally that one has the longest run of axles and u-joints. The gearing at the base of it seems to look fine when operating, it jerks a little when activating that function but as the gears spin there is no wobble in them, just everything from there on, so no idea if one of the axles are slightly bent or if a u-joint is messed up. I was extremely careful in putting this one together because it is complicated from start to finish, and decided to try that lighter weight and better looking smaller bucket on, it just looks more to scale than the front-end loader size bucket. Guess I was just curious if others had experienced this same problem and what they found to be the issue. Its not a whole lot of fun playing with an RC model that has a function that makes it look cruddy, when every other function is flawless. @DLuders: Couldn't recall his name, but yes Jurgen is where I got the instructions and idea for using the smaller 2951 bucket from one of my parted out 8294's. I actually switched and used a yellow version of the bucket from an old set, the 8453 Front-End Loader from 2003 and just put the black bucket in with that set, thought the yellow one might be cool and it is the exact same size as the 8294 black bucket. But, really my question is has anyone else had this problem and if so, how did they correct it (hopefully easily)? @grindinggears: Well i guess its common then and maybe not the axles, I didn't really think it was the u-joints, but maybe so. I actually get the vibration throughout most of its path in and out, it just looks unnatural. Great idea that Jurgen had though, it is much more realistic looking than the stock version out of the box. Problem is I'm not much good at MOC's, except simpler ones, so I can't see a better idea. I see one more post I haven't looked at with a link, so I am going to check that out too.

Hi all- I have a bit of a problem with my 8043 Excavator. I modified the bucket portion with some instructions that somebody linked to the site some months ago. This would be with the 8294 Excavator size bucket. My problem is when the LA extends or retracts to tilt the bucket in and out it wiggles like crazy. I can visually see some of the many connected axles via the U-joints not turning straight and kind of 'bouncing' up and down. I have tried to isolate a non-true axle and after a lot of trouble replacing all the axles in the series all the way down to the gearing it still wiggles. I even replaced the LA thinking it was the problem. No difference. Anybody else have this problem? I didn't notice it when I had the larger standard issue bucket installed. Thanks for any feedback. Eric

Very impressive indeed. Love the crane attachment and the backhoe is very detailed. I have always been a fan of the elegant looks of JCB backhoe/loaders and this is a great representation of one, not only looks, but functionality as well. Maybe a bit off-topic, but the new(er) 8069 Backhoe/Loader being sold right now is very realistic in terms of looks and functionality, and while unlike a lot of Technic fans, I am more of a fan of the studless beam designs, but this backhoe (the one posted here) is really nice. Instructions, maybe at some point?

After my coveted 8448 white seats were damaged I kept all my Lego out of the sunlight. Had no idea prior to. Yeah I tried just soap and water, no good, didn't think it would remove the yellowing anyway, but I knew that something harsher with an abrasive would take the sheen off too. Learned my lesson the hard way, so my 8448's sets are now considered cream colored, which isn't all bad I guess, cream and red don't go badly together I guess.

Weren't these wheels and tires used in many of the recent past sets? One that comes to mind is the 8258 Crane Truck and also the 8421 Mobile Crane and 8436 Truck. Maybe it is a different variation, but they look very similar.

Only bad thing about white liftarms or any white pieces is don't set them in the direct sun, they yellow over time, not sure why, but my bucket seats in my 8448 Supercar are yellowed from sitting on a table that got a lot of sun in the morning. I tried scrubbing them but it didn't work, apparently the plastic molds get funky in sunlight. The Unimog and the flatbed look great, can't wait until July or August for their release. Hope they don't experience the same issues as the 8043 Excavator did this past summer and fall.

Sort of figured that. I try to feather my loader up and down at the end stops to make sure not to stress the LA. Bad design, they should have put a clutch gear in that model.

Haven't seen this helicopter part since the blue copter from about 1998 or 1999. A bit off topic but I miss the old vehicles like the 8448 Supercar, the 8428/8432 mini-car and the 8439/8459/8464 Front End Loader that actually had workable steering wheels with lots of gears instead of the HOGs nowadays.

Yes I have seen the inner workings of the LA, but I didn't know whether it was caused by the LA or the M-motor. Either way it is a nasty sound and I tried to retrofit a 24-tooth clutch gear to dampen the end travel of the LA, but it didn't help. Is this harmful to the LA in the long run. Problem is you have to 'feather' the switch on the bat box at the end of the travel either way to make sure you don't grind it too much.

Ah, finally a Citizen here at the forum... I have a question that has been burning in my mind for some time and I am sure it has been answered many times before. On a lot of the newer models with PF they don't include a 24-tooth white clutch gear to protect the motor, whether it be an M or XL. At the end of the play on either end of the LA, and that dumper raises and lowers super fast there is that awful grinding noise. What exactly is that noise, the motor or the LA? Is it harmful? Sometimes when you raise or lower it you can't exactly tell when the dumper or alternate tilt bed of the same set is at the very end or lowest point of the LA.

@Mortymore - I really didn't mean to totally bash the 8049, but I think I like the B Model better in terms of looks, and it made for an awesome convert to a mid-sized telehandler/man lift. Love your vid on the motorization of the pneumatics on it, I'm not great at MOC's, but would like to motorize my telehandler/man lift version I modded, but I haven't figured a way to do it. I have an always will be a fan of pneumatics over linear actuators, the 8455 Pneumatic Loader is unbelievable, imagine if somebody could motorize all 10 of those cylinders, it would be a the best Technic set ever.

Looks very similar to the 8043 B Model Track Loader. Very nice design indeed (your MOC)...

Thanks to all for the ideas, I will try the eBay stores.

Would love to get my hands on an 8868 Air Tech Claw Rig for a decent price MISB...not possible anymore though...

I am looking to build another MOC and need long lengths of pneumatic tubing. Years ago Lego Education, I'm sure many of you are familiar with that at least in the USA, don't know if they have a division in other countries, sold bulk bundles of the black and gray tubing with a piece of tape around it, similar to what you see when you open an 8455 Backhoe Loader set. Unfortunately now they only sell pneumatic kits with a bunch of stuff I don't need and short lengths of tubing. I see on Bricklink there are a lot of tubing for sale, but none really say if they are bundles or just pre-cut lengths. Anybody got any ideas on this? Thanks, Eric

@davidmull - true on that, pneumatics are a lot of fun, but 8049 was such a ho-hum model and even when motorized you had to move the valves really slowly otherwise or the boom raised up or the jaws opened way too fast. I personally think the 8069 is a lot of fun to play with and was surprised at it being a 1st half model since it has so much going for it and is big. True it has only gear knobs and too bad there isn't pneumatics, but really the pneumatics in the 8049 were pretty simplified and it was a really bland, boring model. I modified the B model of the 8049 which I thought was a lot more fun into a telehandler and my 2nd one into a lift truck, basically a telehandler w/ the forks that I installed a platform that raised up. I keep wanting to get my fiancee to take pics of both of them, but keep forgetting to do so. Also, I replaced the gray wheels with the same size black wheels from the 8053 set since the B model doesn't use them as I modified the harbour crane's 'feet' without the wheels.

Very nice design, but wouldn't attaching it to the 8258 be kind of long, the 8258 itself is a long model even without a trailer and I often wondered why they designed it with a 5th wheel as it had no functional purpose at all in the model out of the box. I have wanted a low-boy to carry my 8043 on and Lego to my knowledge, at least in the past 10 years or so, has never designed one specifically for transporting loaders, dozers or excavators as you see in real-life. I was thinking more of using the B model 8285 Tractor front and attaching a low-boy to that. I modified the B model 8285 trailer and took the crane off the back and made that a sort-of transporter for my 8294 and the 7634(think I have the set# right)City Bulldozer fit on it, but the 8043 and 8265 are WAY too large. The 8455 Backhoe Loader and the 8464/8459/8439 Pneumatic Loader will fit on it but the front buckets have to be raised up on the pneumatic 'box' assembly that attaches to the Tractor itself. In real life most front-end loaders are put on trailers or low-boys with the buckets facing the rear, and this MOC would make that happen.

Of all the sets that have come out in the past few years I have to say this is probably my favorite in terms of looks and playability. I like it even better than my 8043, too bad it really can't be easily RC'ed. @davidmull - Indeed sir, this is a must have set. I do believe it will go in Lego Technic's 'hall of fame' at some point, and I'll bet once retired will MISB's will fetch a tidy sum after a bit of time. It is a lot larger than I thought it would be too, nearly on the scale of its pneumatic cousin, the coveted 8455 Backhoe Loader.

Its not bad, but you have to remove some of the trailer for the battery box. A bit off topic but too bad they couldn't motorize the 8069 Backhoe Loader, I know its been done with pics here, but IMO all those motors detract from the aesthetically awesome looks of the stand-alone 8069, too bad it couldn't be done compactly underneath the model, but like its bigger cousin the 8455 Pneumatic Backhoe there's just no room for any extra components not too mess with the looks. The 8069 really is a much better value than the 8049 was last year.

I personally think the 8053 B Model Harbour Crane is the best B model Lego has ever designed for an alternate in a Technic set. Its not only great to look at, but also very functional. I only made one small modification to mine, I took the wheels off the bottom of the stabilizers so it wouldn't 'roll away'. First time it rolled off the top of a piece of furniture I had it on I looked at redesigning it so it would 'stay put'.