We’ll cover how to service the engine of a CAT 314E mini excavator. Although focused on a particular make and model, we’ll discuss similarities with other brands, so the articles can also help guide you in servicing other equipment.

On the Tekamo HD YouTube channel, you can watch Keith, an expert technician, perform the service.

Drain the Engine Oil

Before removing the bolts, inspect their holes. Like the CAT 314E, machines from John Deere, Hitachi, and Volvo feature slotted holes (located further in, toward the cab), making your job much easier.

Just loosen the bolts from the slotted holes and remove the others. Then, you can slide the belly pan out to remove it and follow the same steps for installation, instead of holding the pan while trying to put the bolts back in.

Next, grab an empty bucket or pan to catch the oil. Depending on the make and model, you may need more than one drain pan.

Another thing to consider is the type of drain. The CAT 314E has a needle valve with an attached hose piece. Other machines, like the Komatsu PC200LC, have a ball valve or a simple plug, as in the case of the John Deere 85G. Be careful when removing the drain plug. As soon as it comes out, oil will pour out.

Wait for the oil to drain completely, then close the valve and reattach the belly pan.

(Note: Looking closely at the pictures, you will see Keith wearing gloves. Other mechanics prefer PR88 cream for dexterity or if working in tight areas where sharp edges can tear rubber gloves.

Change the Oil Filter

Because some machines will require more than one drain pan, we suggest not draining the engine oil and changing the filter at the same time. Finish with the engine oil and then work on the filter.

The engine oil filter is in the right-side compartment.

The filter’s canister has a hex-shaped piece to use a wrench or a ratchet. Using the tool of your preference, turn the canister clockwise to loosen it.

Place a catch pan under the filter and finish removing it by hand. The filter’s housing will continue to drip oil, so leave the catch pan there.

Keith, the expert HD mechanic who serviced the machine, shared a helpful tip from his over 25 years of experience.

Whenever he does fluid filters, he brings an extra bucket and a piece of metal screen that he places on top of the bucket. Then the filters go upside down on that piece of metal to drain safely into the bucket, so you don’t have to throw away filters full of oil anywhere.

Fortis HD has the tools to efficiently service any type of heavy equipment. Our mechanics rigorously test every product in the field.

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Sometimes, you’ll buy the inner filter (made of cellulose fiber) and reuse the canister. In this case, we got a factory OEM filter that included the canister, so we replaced the whole filter.

Lube the filter’s rubber gasket so it doesn’t bind and rip as you screw tight the filter. You can use oil from the top part of the filter’s housing.

Install the filter hand-tight. Although we usually recommend not using tools to tighten spin-on filters, we used a wrench to give ours a slight snug until the filter stopped. Don’t go any further. Otherwise, you’ll strip the threads and be forced to replace the whole housing.

What about pre-filling the filter? We didn’t. The decision to prime engine oil filters varies among mechanics and several operator manuals, even from the same manufacturer. Our article “1,000 Hour Service Interval Guide for a Komatsu PC200LC Excavator – Part 1” further discusses the topic.

Refill the Engine Oil

Now, open the machine’s top hood, remove the fill cap, and set your funnel in place.

If you’re using an oil bucket (we used a 5-gallon bucket of 15W40 Tekamo Oil), open the bucket’s vent to pour the oil in a steady stream, rather than having a glugging effect and making a mess.

Also, don’t pour the oil too fast. Depending on the engine bay’s design, this could cause more than a mess. Keith told us that pouring oil too fast on machines such as the Hitachi 75 can accidentally dump oil into the intake system, causing a serious problem when starting the machine.

Don’t take the first read on the dipstick. It could have some old engine oil on it. Remove the dipstick, wipe it clean, take a reading, and add more oil if necessary. Repeat the process as needed to prevent the engine from overfilling. The CAT 314E engine oil capacity, including the filter, is 3.6 gallons.

Put the oil tank cap back on, start the machine for about 10 seconds to fill the oil filter, and get the definitive (and accurate) reading.

It’s normal if you hear a buzzer. It indicates that the engine oil pressure is low (that’s why some people pre-fill the engine oil filter). The buzzer stays on until the oil fills the filter and creates pressure.

Finish by taking one last read from the dipstick and topping up as necessary. The oil level might have dropped below the high mark because the new filter is now full of oil.

Conclusion

Check out the Fortis HD blog section, where you can find more step-by-step guides to service the engine, hydraulic system, and filters on other heavy equipment besides CAT brands, such as:

If you don’t have the time to perform the service yourself or want to enroll in a preventative maintenance program for your heavy equipment, contact Tekamo HD to schedule a heavy-duty mechanic.