PAST PROJECT / MITSUBISHI MM55SR
Bringing the
Mitsubishi back.
From a non-running 1990s digger to a useful machine around the property.
THE STARTING POINT
One non-runner.
A weekend to try.
I found the MM55SR on Facebook, partly dismantled and with wiring damage from a small engine-bay fire.
The previous owners had spent years trying to get it running before deciding to sell. It was a gamble, but I bought it. They delivered it on Saturday and wanted their trailer back; by Sunday afternoon I had the digger running.
THE BIG CHANGE
New controls.
A different approach.
After a couple of years of use, the computer gave up.
I replaced the hydraulic system with a Hitachi ZX50U-3 pilot-control system. Everything arrived in one big crate, and I worked through the installation using a Hitachi service manual to make sense of it.
One piece at a time, the new system came together. The digger now operates well and has become a useful machine around the property, including helping with the tracked crusher project.
THE CONVERSION / PHOTO GALLERY
Under the panels.
Select a photo to enlarge it.
WHERE IT IS NOW
Useful again.
Still testing.
The body panels are still off, and I would like to restore its appearance in time. For now, the machinery work has put it back into use.
See the tracked crusher project →