Description

Leeboy 8500 Limited Service Manual

I don’t care if you’ve run pavers since before hydraulic controls were standard — you skip the manual on a Leeboy 8500 Limited and you’ll waste half a day chasing a feeder chain tension that’s printed on Leeboy 8500 Limited Service Manual page 27. That page alone saved me three phone calls to the dealer last spring. This isn’t a generic reprint. It’s the exact 117-page factory document that came with the machine out of the crate. Every torque value, every cable adjustment, every burner ignition procedure — it’s listed the way the engineers intended. If you’re running a shop or maintaining your own paver, this is your single point of truth.

Specifications and Required Tool Lists

Page 4 lays out the bare specs — engine power, hopper capacity, paving width. But the real meat is in the tool callouts. You’ll find exactly which wrenches, grease guns, and gauges are required for each adjustment. No guesswork on whether a 1/2-inch drive is enough for the track sprocket bolts. The manual tells you. Pair this with a LeeBoy Legend Electric Screed Operations & Service Manual if you’re running multiple screed setups, because the torque specs for the electric screw extensions are different.

Important Safety Instructions and Pre-Start Inspection

Section starting at page 2 covers the stuff that keeps you alive. Burner ignition, manual lighting procedures (page 11), and the pre-start inspection list on page 5. I’ve seen techs skip the pre-start because they were in a hurry — then they had a feeder jam that cost four hours. The manual walks you through checking hydraulic fluid level, conveyor chain tension, and the auger shear pins before you fire the engine. It also details the stopping safety sequence for the diesel engine on page 8, which is critical after long paving runs.

7 Systems Covered in 117 Pages

The table of contents splits the machine into seven functional systems: controls, engine start/stop, paver driving, truck hitch (optional), burner system, feeder and auger operation, and screed setup. Each system gets its own procedure. The screed endgate adjustment on page 20, for example, gives you a clearance spec that prevents asphalt bleeding. The automatic auger operation section on page 14 explains the new-style tractor with conveyors — something aftermarket manuals always mess up. If you need a wiring diagram for the electric spraydown system, it’s in the control section.

Setting Screed to Pave: Factory Procedure

Page 19 is worn out in my copy. It covers the step sequence for setting the screed angle, crown adjustment, and strike-off plate gap. The manual tells you to warm the screed before starting — something most DIYers skip because they don’t have a torch. But if you’re in San Antonio with 95-degree asphalt, skipping that warm-up causes washboarding. The procedure also references the hydraulic cutoff valves on page 14, which isolate the screed controls during transport. Don’t skip that step or you’ll blow a hose.

Lubrication and Maintenance Adjustments

Page 25 has the lubrication chart: intervals for every grease point, oil type, and capacity. Then page 26 kicks off the heavy stuff — raising and lowering feeders, track adjustment with the manual grease gun (sprocket drive on page 28), and directional control cable corrections on page 30. The torque hub hydraulic section on page 31 is where owners get into trouble; the manual gives the exact pressure for the charge pump. Without it, you over-torque the hub and destroy the seals. I’ve had to explain this to three customers this year alone. For the transmission itself, the Manual Transmission section in the engine chapter details the shift linkage adjustment — a common source of creeping in forward gear.

If your machine has the optional truck hitch, the attachment procedure on page 9 includes a critical safety lockout: never engage the hitch while the engine is running. The manual states it plainly. No fluff. Related documentation for other models includes LeeBoy Tack Tank Operations Service And Parts Manual if you run a tack rig, and LeeBoy 685B Motor Grader Operations, Service and Parts Manual if you’re grading base before paving. Both are factory-issued manuals just like this one.

Does This Manual Cover the Auger and Feeder System?

Yes — pages 12 through 15 cover feeder operation, electric flight screw, auger extensions, hydraulic cutoffs, electric spraydown, and the automatic auger modes. The new-style automatic auger on page 15 includes a pressure relief valve setting that the older tractors don’t have. If you retrofit an older machine with the new conveyor system, you need that spec. Also referenced in the adjustment section is the feeder flight chain tension — page 27 gives the sag measurement in inches, not millimeters, because we work in imperial units in North America. Chain adjustment is a two-person job; the manual tells you to lock the track brakes before you touch the tension bolts. Ignore that and you’ll get a pinch injury.

For the track system, page 27 also covers automatic track adjustment for the rubber-track models, while page 28 deals with the sprocket-drive adjustment using a Manual Transmission style grease gun. The manual specifies the number of strokes — not a pressure value — because the grease volume is what tightens the track. Over-greasing blows the seals. Under-greasing causes track derailment on slopes. This is the sort of detail a cheap aftermarket PDF leaves out.

Does this manual include wiring diagrams for the electrical system?

Yes, the controls section (pages 6-7) includes the electrical schematic for the burner ignition, electric spraydown, and automatic auger circuit. Wire colors are listed by gauge and function.

What is the difference between this OEM manual and the aftermarket versions sold online?

Aftermarket manuals often cobble together screenshots from different model years, omit the safety warnings, and swap torque specs between metric and imperial without warning. This factory manual is printed from the same plates LeeBoy uses for their dealer network. The lubrication chart on page 25, the feeder chain adjustment on page 27, and the torque hub troubleshooting on page 31 are taken directly from LeeBoy engineering. When a customer brings in a unit with a seized auger because they torqued the hub to 150 ft-lbs instead of the specified 85 ft-lbs (page 31), I show them this manual. Aftermarket specs are a gamble. Factory specs are what you need to warranty a repair.

If you’re maintaining an 8500 Limited in your fleet or working on one in the shop, the factory document is the only source I trust. The procedures are written for a technician who has the right tools, not for someone reading a blog. You get the exact torque values, the exact lube intervals, and the exact safety steps. Access the Factory Manual now and keep a copy in the machine’s glove box.

• LeeBoy Legend Electric Screed Operations & Service Manual
• LeeBoy Tack Tank Operations Service And Parts Manual
• LeeBoy 685B Motor Grader Operations, Service and Parts Manual