Description

Komatsu WA700-1 1996 Workshop Manual

You are pulling a transmission on a WA700-1 and the aftermarket data says to torque the bellhousing bolts to 150 ft-lbs. That number is wrong. I have seen enough stripped threads and cracked housings from guesswork to tell you: get the factory manual. This Komatsu WA700-1 1996 Workshop Manual is the actual OEM document printed for dealer techs. 889 pages, no condensed reprint, no scanned scrap. The kind of book you put on a cart and wipe grease off the pages.

889 Pages of Factory Komatsu Specs

Every section in this manual is original. Structure and Function starts on page 10-1 with the engine speed control servo cylinder and runs through the final drive, center hinge pin, and the full hydraulic circuit for the power train. The manual covers the SA6D170-1 engine, so when you need compression pressure specs or valve clearance adjustment, they are in Section 20. Testing and Adjusting includes a standard value table for engine related parts – page 20-1 is where you find the actual numbers. No aftermarket translation, no third-party rewrite. Komatsu printed this in Japan in 1996, part number SEBM04270104.

I have seen guys buy a generic PDF that tells you to “tighten until snug”. That gets a loader down. This manual gives you the charging pressure for the accumulator, the relief valve setting for the torque converter, and the exact method for bleeding the brake line air. For electrical, the EVMS (Electronic Vehicle Monitoring System) wiring diagram circuit is laid out with connector locations. You get the entire electrical transmission control schematic. Check the full wiring diagram section for sensor pins and ECU grounds.

Structure and Function: Engine Speed Control to Final Drive

The manual breaks down every system in the WA700-1. The torque converter and transmission piping diagrams show where each line goes. The transmission control valve, solenoid valve, and emergency manual spool – all documented. The emergency manual spool is critical if you lose hydraulic pressure and need to shift the transmission manually. The book shows the spool location and the override procedure. Also covers the transfer, drive shaft, center support, axle, differential, and final drive. For the brake system, you get the air piping diagram, brake chamber, slack adjuster, and the spring cylinder for the parking brake. Every valve – relay valve, double check valve, check valve, hydraulic tank pressurizing valve – is in the manual.

If you are rebuilding the torque converter, the oil cooler and regulator valve section gives you the bypass and relief valve specs. The Komatsu WA65-5 WA70-5 WA80-5 2005 Workshop Manual covers smaller loaders, but for the 700-class you need this WA700-1 book.

Testing and Adjusting: Valve Clearance and Torque Specs

Section 20 is the one you will wear out first. It starts with standard value tables for the engine, chassis, and electrical system. Then tools for testing and adjusting – they list the special Komatsu tools by part number. You want to measure compression pressure? Procedure is on that page. Adjust valve clearance? The manual gives the intake and exhaust clearances in inches, plus the tightening sequence for the valve cover. Torque specs for the cylinder head bolts are in the standard value table – you need to know if they are wet or dry. The manual states it. Komatsu WH609-1E0 WH613-1E0 WH713-1E0 WH714H-1E0 WH716-1E0 Workshop Manual covers articulated trucks, but the engine basics are similar.

Measuring stall speed, hydraulic pressure in the torque converter and transmission, brake piston leakage, wheel lock ring clearance – all here. The adjustment for the bucket positioner and boom kick-out uses the same procedure the factory uses. For the steering system, you get the steering demand valve (for joystick steering machines) and the orbit-roll valve. This manual does not skip the joystick option.

Shorter paragraph: That is what you call a proper test procedure. Not a generic “remove bolts and replace”.

Get the Torque Specs from the Standard Value Table

Every fastener on this machine has a torque value in the standard value tables. The transmission solenoids, the main control valve mounting bolts, the PTO housing. If you are replacing the final drive bearings, the preload torque is listed. The manual also includes the standard value for air pressure in the brake system – 100 to 120 psi. You can verify with the air governor and relay valve specs. Komatsu PW95R-2 Workshop Manual – 520 Pages of Factory Specs is a different machine, but if you work on wheeled excavators you might need that one too.

Why OEM Manuals Beat Aftermarket for the WA700-1

Aftermarket manuals for this loader are often scanned from a third-generation copy and missing the revision pages. Komatsu used a revision mark system – circles, diamonds, and numbers in parentheses to indicate page updates. The OEM manual includes the full list of revised pages (page 00-3 through 00-20). If you have a machine built in 1996 with serial number 10001 and up, you need the specs that match that build year. The transmission type, the engine injection timing, even the hydraulic piping changed over the years. This manual is the 1996 version, correct for that serial range. Manual Transmission design differs from the automatic shift in later models – the manual covers the specific transmission control valve and solenoid arrangement.

For the electrical side, you get the engine starting circuit, stop circuit, auto priming system (APS), and the kick-down switch. The electrical parking brake control and the vehicle monitor system troubleshooting section includes connector locations – a common failure point. Manual Transmission references in the transmission section are aligned with the torque converter relief valve settings.

What Does the Manual Cover for the Engine and Transmission?

Engine: SA6D170-1 – compression pressure measurement, blow-by pressure, oil pressure and temperature, fuel injection timing, alternator belt tension. Transmission: torque converter regulator valve, transmission control valve, solenoid valve, emergency manual spool, oil filter, pilot filter, stall speed test, hydraulic pressure test. The manual also covers the transfer, drive shaft, and all axle components. If you need to measure the wheel lock ring clearance, the procedure is in Section 20. For the automatic transmission controls, the electrical transmission control section has the full pinout.

Does this manual include the wiring diagrams for the EVMS system?

Yes. Two full pages of the electrical wiring diagram circuit, including the joystick steering variant. The EVMS (Electronic Vehicle Monitoring System) section covers all sensors, the engine starting circuit, and the transmission control wiring.

How many pages are in the disassembly and assembly section?

Section 30 starts on page 30-1. The entire manual is 889 pages. That includes structure and function, testing and adjusting, disassembly and assembly, and maintenance standard.

If you are rebuilding a WA700-1, you need the data the factory uses. Don’t trust a generic PDF that says “torque to spec”. Access the Factory Manual and get the real numbers.