How To Change Cab Mounts On A Komatsu 160 Excavator. The Komatsu 160-1 series excavators have a unique feature that allows the operator to move the cab from its standard position directly above the engine and drive train to a lowered position. Not a switch, per say, but two different blocks with two different functions, there for changing between the high and low cab mounts. This can be achieved with only four bolts, requiring very little in the way of specialized tools or equipment.

komatsu 160 excavator-First thing I’d do is loosen cab mounts.

I’ve never done this on a Komatsu but here’s how we used to do it. I’ve only done it on a 160 Deere though.

First thing I’d do is loosen cab mounts.

Then jack the cab up with a bottle jack and put 2×6’s under the cab.

Remove the bolts while the cab is still suspended. Make sure you have a helper or support the cab so it doesn’t fall off when you remove the last bolt.

I would replace both at once by sliding them onto the frame, then lowering the cab down onto them. If they can’t be slid on, then you’ll have to lift one side of a mount at a time, slide it on and then lower it down onto the frame. If your new mounts are rubber instead of metal, you may have to compress them into place.

Have someone inside the machine to shake the cab while you loosen them.

To change the cab mounts you need to remove the cab. To remove the cab you will have to remove pins and bushings from the stick, boom, and dipper to get it off. Then you will have to disconnect your hydraulic lines for your quick couplers and tilt cylinders. Then disconnect your control cables and electrical plugs. Now you can lift the cab off.

Once the cab is off you can unbolt all of the mounts from it, but if you have someone inside shaking the cab while you loosen them they will come out alot easier.

Install new mounts in reverse order that they came out. Hope this helps!

komatsu 160 excavator-There’s a chair that straddles the top of the engine, my guy would sit there and move the cab around while I loosened the mounts.

I’ve done a few of these. You have to have a guy on the inside who knows what he’s doing, and I’d recommend having three guys total.

The way I did it was to jack up the whole cab in one spot, then remove the other mounts. I typically left the center mount on, because it’s a lot of work to get it off with all the other mounts still installed.

There’s a chair that straddles the top of the engine, my guy would sit there and move the cab around while I loosened the mounts.

Once you get them all off you can lower it down and pull out your old and put in your new ones. Then you raise it back up and bolt them back onto the frame.

komatsu 160 excavator-The cab will come down about an inch or two when you free them.

To get the cab off, you need to lower the boom first. The machine will come down about an inch or two when you free them.

Lots of things to watch out for – the rear pins on the roof (ROPS) are in shear and will bend if not properly supported. You must support the machine as well. There are 2 welded tabs on the frame that will keep it from coming back too far.

There is also a pin on each side of the boom support that can be removed to allow it to tilt forward. I believe this gives you a few more inches of clearance when removing the cab.

The cab has 4 bolts holding it to the main frame, just behind the seat. On mine they all had cotter pins and were pretty tight. They have a bracket attached to them and I had to remove those as well since their clearance was between 1/16″ – 1/8″ on mine. The front bolt also controls steering dampeners and you’ll need to drain those when you remove it.

komatsu 160 excavator-It may take two people to lift it from there but I’ve done it dozens of times by myself.

The cab is a little tricky. It may take two people to lift it from there but I’ve done it dozens of times by myself. The cab is a little heavy, but the plastic piece on the right side interior is unique and makes for an easy lifting point for one person.

The cab has three mounting points in all. The front mount is easy, it has two bolts holding it and you can see one of them from the outside of the cab. Remove this bolt, then get inside the cab, look up and see where your head rests on the top of the cab. You will see some wires that are clipped to a bracket above you, disconnect these wires and pull them through the hole into the interior of the cab. Now you can remove that bolt from above you and lift that side of the cab off its mount (the two bolts have rubber bushings that secure it to the frame).

The rear mount has a bolt on each side underneath the cab that are easily accessible from below with a ratchet extension. Remove both bolts and set them aside with their nuts.

komatsu 160 excavator-Just be careful not to drop it because some of those machines don’t have a safety latch on the front hood so it will fall back if it isn’t lifted up out of the way.

Swing the boom to the left and pull up on the clip on the right side of the seat. Remove the connector from under the seat and swing back over to the right hand side. On this particular machine you have to shift it in to neutral and release 2 parking brakes, then raise it up a little bit to disconnect some linkage. Pull out the key, open up the door and it should just slide off.

Just be careful not to drop it because some of those machines don’t have a safety latch on the front hood so it will fall back if it isn’t lifted up out of the way.

komatsu 160 excavator-Best just to use other machine, grab bucket or something like that to prop it up and keep it from falling back.

Best just to use other machine, grab bucket or something like that to prop it up and keep it from falling back.

The machine is balanced so the middle stays down and front goes up.

I always try to put a jack under the final drive before I put a chain around it, just in case anything slips.

And make sure you have a block of wood under the jack. Just ask my dad how much fun it is to try to pull a jack out of mud when it’s stuck.

komatsu 160 excavator-Cab mounts can be changed with out heavy equipment or help from Komatsu

If your cab mounts are not comfortable, changing them is simple enough that you do not need to ask Komatsu for assistance.

All you need is a screwdriver and some elbow grease.

First, open up the cover of the cab mount and take out the screws. Once they are removed, take out the four bolts that hold the mount in place.

Once the bolts are removed, simply replace the old cab mount with a new one, and repeat for all four mounts. Then replace all of the screws and close the covers, and you’re done!