Caterpillar 5080
Maintenance schedule, common problems & OEM parts breakdown
The Caterpillar 5080 is an 84-tonne class hydraulic front shovel built for quarry and mining face-loading work, not a general-purpose excavator. Every unit runs a single Caterpillar 3406C ATAAC diesel: a 14.6 L, turbocharged and air-to-air aftercooled inline six rated at roughly 319 kW (428 hp) gross, managed by Caterpillar's PEEC electronic governor with altitude/engine compensation (AEC). Operating weight sits close to 83,800 kg (184,750 lb), varying with counterweight, track shoe width, and bucket fitted. Caterpillar built the 5080 roughly from 1995 to 2001 under service-manual prefix 8SL, as the mid-size entry in its own-designed 5000-series hydraulic mining shovel line alongside larger 5130-class machines. It was offered only as a front shovel, with bucket and track-shoe options rather than a backhoe/mass-excavator front.
Within that production run Caterpillar revised the 5080 at least once: published bucket capacity and track shoe width both differ between early and later listings for the same base model, so treat either figure as configuration-dependent rather than fixed. Caterpillar retired the 5080 in favor of the 5090B, a heavier-hitting shovel with more gross power, hydraulic flow, swing torque, and drawbar pull built to load larger haul trucks. Caterpillar then wound down its own-designed 5000-series shovel line entirely and stayed out of purpose-built mining shovel design until it acquired Bucyrus, and the O&K-derived RH-series it built, in 2011, the basis for today's unrelated Cat 6000-series shovels. That gap makes the 5080 a closed-book model in Caterpillar's current catalog: no direct factory successor shares its structural or hydraulic hardware, so working units depend on rebuilt components and parts cross-referenced from 3406C engine and swing/final-drive hardware common to other Caterpillar mining-era iron of the same period. That scarcity is exactly why sourcing knowledge and rebuild capability for the 5080 still carry value in today's used mining-shovel market.
Below: full specifications, fluids & capacities, the factory service schedule, common service parts, verified fault codes, what owners discuss, attachment guidance, the complete assembly directory, and a serial-number reference. Complete parts lists with full OEM part numbers, exploded diagrams, quantities, and fitment data are available free in Heavy Parts AI.
Caterpillar 5080 specifications
Engine
| Engine model | Cat 3406C ATAAC (direct-injection, turbocharged, air-to-air aftercooled) |
| Gross power | 319 kW (428 hp) at rated speed |
| Net power | Not published separately in available spec sheets; only the flywheel (gross) rating is documented |
| Displacement | 14.6 L (891 cu in) |
| Cylinders | 6, inline |
| Emissions tier | Built in the pre-Tier/Tier 1 era (production spans 1995-2001); no EPA or EU emissions tier documented for this model |
Weights
| Operating weight | 83,800 kg (184,747 lb), front-shovel configuration |
| Ground pressure | 110 kPa (16 psi) |
| Transport weight | Not documented in available public sources; confirm shipping breakdown with a dealer |
| Bucket capacity note | Sources list bucket capacity anywhere from 5.2 to 10 cu m depending on configuration/serial range; treat as varies by configuration rather than a single spec |
Dimensions
| Height to top of cab | 4.73-4.85 m (15.5-15.9 ft), varies by source |
| Track length on ground | 5.84-5.85 m (19.2 ft) |
| Overall track length | 7.13-7.2 m (23.4 ft) |
| Upper structure ground clearance | 1.62-1.65 m (5.3-5.4 ft) |
| Track shoe width | 610 mm or 800 mm reported across sources — varies by configuration/serial range |
| Transport length | 13.76 m (45.1 ft) |
| Transport width | 3.5 m (11.5 ft) |
| Transport height | 4.73 m (15.5 ft) |
| Tail swing radius | Not documented in available public sources |
| Undercarriage/carbody ground clearance | Not documented; only upper-structure clearance is confirmed |
Performance
| Max dig depth | 2.71 m (8.9 ft) |
| Max reach | 7.0-7.13 m (23.0-23.4 ft) |
| Max cutting height | 11.0 m (36.1 ft) |
| Max dump height | Not documented separately; public spec sheets report only max cutting height for this front-shovel configuration |
| Swing speed | Not documented in available public sources |
| Max travel speed | 4.4-4.5 kph (2.7-2.8 mph) |
| Gradeability | Not documented in available public sources |
| Drawbar pull | Not documented for the 5080 itself in available public sources |
Forces
| Bucket digging force | Not publicly documented for this model |
| Stick/arm digging force | Not publicly documented for this model |
Service capacities (summary)
| Fuel tank | 990 L (261.6 gal) |
| Hydraulic system/tank | Not documented in available public sources |
| Engine oil | Not documented in available public sources |
| Cooling system | Not documented in available public sources |
Values vary by configuration, region, and serial range — confirm against your machine before planning transport or lifts.
5080 fluids & capacities
| System | Capacity | Recommended fluid |
|---|---|---|
| Engine crankcase (with filter) | Not published for the 5080 installation itself. The 3406C engine family this shovel uses typically takes about 42 L (11 US gal) for an oil-and-filter change; a mining-class carrier sump can run larger. Verify against the OMM or a dealer before ordering oil. | Cat DEO or DEO-ULS diesel engine oil. Cat's climate chart for this engine calls for SAE 10W-30 in cooler ambient bands and SAE 15W-40 once temperatures run consistently above freezing; a multigrade DEO covers both bands where seasonal swings are wide. |
| Cooling system | Not published for the 5080 specifically. As a reference point, the base 3406C engine's own water jacket and block hold roughly 68 L (18 US gal); the shovel's full radiator-and-hose circuit runs larger and isn't documented publicly. Verify with the OMM or a dealer. | Cat ELC (Extended Life Coolant), or a conventional glycol antifreeze/coolant carrying the correct supplemental coolant additive treatment if ELC isn't used. Minimum 50/50 water-to-glycol mix; richer glycol percentage only for extreme cold, never past Cat's maximum ratio. |
| Fuel tank | 990 L (261.6 US gal) | Diesel meeting Cat's No. 2-D spec for normal ambient conditions. Switch to winter-blend or No. 1-D fuel in cold climates to keep the fuel's pour/cloud point below expected ambient temperature. |
| Hydraulic system total and hydraulic tank | Not documented for the 5080 in available sources. Capacity figures tied to a larger, later twin-engine Cat mining shovel in this weight class don't carry over to the single-engine 5080 and aren't used here. Verify tank and system total against the OMM or a dealer. | Anti-wear hydraulic oil meeting Cat's hydraulic-oil spec (Cat HYDO Advanced or equivalent). Cat's seasonal guidance calls for a lighter viscosity grade for cold-weather startup and a heavier grade where sustained ambient and duty-cycle heat load run high. |
| Final drive (each) | Not documented for the 5080 in available sources. Verify per-side refill quantity against the OMM or a dealer. | Cat TDTO meeting the Cat TO-4 spec. Climate-based viscosity guidance for final drives of this era runs SAE 10W for cold starts, SAE 30 for temperate ranges, and SAE 50 for sustained hot-climate operation. |
| Swing drive | Not documented for the 5080 in available sources. Verify against the OMM or a dealer. | Cat TDTO (TO-4), same climate-based viscosity selection as the final drives: SAE 10W, 30, or 50 chosen by ambient temperature band. |
| Grease (spec only) | n/a — spec only | Cat multipurpose extreme-application grease (Cat XTLA) or an NLGI-2 lithium-complex chassis grease meeting Cat's multipurpose grease spec, for boom/stick/bucket pins and bushings and the swing-bearing/gear-lube points. |
Capacities are refill values from factory literature — always fill to the dipstick/sight gauge, not the number.
Caterpillar 5080 maintenance schedule
| Service interval | Tasks |
|---|---|
| Every 50 h |
|
| Every 250 h |
|
| Every 500 h |
|
| Every 1,000 h |
|
| Every 2,000 h |
|
| Every 4,000 h |
|
| Every 6,000 h |
|
Servicing the 5080 beyond the schedule
Predictive maintenance & fluid analysis
Track the 3406C, hydraulic tank, swing drives, and final drives with scheduled S·O·S oil sampling rather than fixed-mileage guesses; rising metal counts show pump, swing motor, or final-drive wear long before a failure. Watch main pump output pressure and swing/travel response for a slow downward trend, the earliest sign of internal pump or motor wear on this shovel's dig-swing-dump cycle. Log PEEC fault-code history at every service so a recurring rack, timing, or oil-pressure sensor fault gets caught before it forces a derate.
Corrective & common repairs
Most repeat repairs trace to the PEEC governor's sensor circuits: rack position, oil pressure, boost, and coolant-level sensors, usually wiring or corrosion rather than a bad sensor. Any rack or timing sensor swap needs governor recalibration with factory diagnostic tools or idle hunts and surges return. On the hydraulics, worn main pump internals show up as soft digging force, and worn swing-motor seals or a leaking center swivel joint show up as sluggish swing. Inspect the parallelogram front-linkage pins and master cylinder for wear on high-hour units.
Overhaul & rebuild points
Field history on 3406C-powered 5080s shows a full driveline overhaul, engine, pumps, travel motors, final drives, swing drives, and undercarriage, landing around 16,000-17,000 hours in continuous duty, sometimes followed by a second engine overhaul a few thousand hours later. Caterpillar never carried this shovel's hardware into a direct successor, so rebuilding existing pumps, motors, and final drive planetaries usually beats sourcing new-production parts. Budget an undercarriage rebuild, chain, rollers, idlers, sprockets, measured by pitch rather than visual wear, at that same overhaul point.
Seasonal & environment servicing
Cold-start the 3406C with a working ether or block-heater aid, and switch to the lighter cold-weather viscosity grades Cat specifies for engine oil, hydraulic oil, and drive gear oil once temperatures drop; run heavier hot-climate grades in sustained heat. In hot, dusty quarry sites, shorten air cleaner service intervals and grease boom, stick, and bucket pins more often, since abrasive dust accelerates parallelogram-linkage pin and bushing wear. In wet or muddy conditions, check final drive and swing drive seals and the center swivel joint for water or contamination ingress.
5080 fault codes & troubleshooting
| Code | Meaning | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | 8-volt sensor supply circuit reads voltage high or voltage low | Chafed or shorted harness wiring, a corroded connector, or a failed sensor loading down the shared 8-volt supply circuit | Check battery and charging voltage first, then inspect sensor supply wiring and connectors; isolate sensors one at a time to find the short or open |
| 22 | Fuel rack position sensor signal out of expected range | Damaged or pinched wiring at the fuel-setting (rack position) transducer, or a transducer that has drifted out of calibration | Inspect rack position sensor wiring for chafing or pinch damage, then recalibrate the rack position sensor per the engine service procedure |
| 24 | Engine oil pressure sensor signal reads outside its valid range | An open or shorted sensor circuit or a degraded sensor, more often than an actual oil pressure problem | Verify actual oil pressure with a mechanical gauge, then check sensor wiring and connector before replacing the sensor |
| 25 | Boost (inlet manifold air) pressure sensor fault, or an actual excessive-boost condition | Sensor or wiring fault, or a genuine overboost from a restricted air intake or turbocharger problem | Check the air intake system and turbocharger for restriction or leaks, then check the boost sensor wiring and connector |
| 12 | Coolant level sensor circuit signal is invalid (open, shorted, or out-of-range voltage) | Wiring or connector fault at the coolant level probe, or a genuinely low coolant level | Check actual coolant level first, then inspect the coolant level sensor and its wiring and connector |
| 13 | Fuel temperature sensor circuit reads voltage high or voltage low | Open or shorted sensor wiring, or a failed fuel temperature sensor | Inspect fuel temperature sensor wiring and connector; replace the sensor if the wiring checks out good |
| 32 | Throttle (engine speed-request) position sensor signal is out of calibration or out of range | Throttle linkage or sensor mounting out of adjustment, or a wiring/sensor fault | Inspect throttle linkage and sensor mounting, then recalibrate or replace the throttle position sensor |
Codes and remedies are general guidance for this model family — always confirm with diagnostic tooling and your dealer before major repairs.
5080 attachments & work tools
Buckets
The 5080 is an 84 t class front (face) shovel mining excavator, predecessor to the 5090B, not a general construction backhoe. It runs a single dedicated shovel bucket sized to the job rather than a swappable general-duty/heavy-duty catalog range, and reported capacities vary widely by source and configuration — roughly 5.2 m³ (6.8 yd³) on one record up to about 10 m³ (13.1 yd³) on another, so treat capacity as varying by configuration/series and confirm the bucket fitted to a specific unit with the dealer. Buckets on this class pin directly to the stick/arm; there is no general-duty/heavy-duty bolt-on range like on mid-size excavators.
Hydraulic hammers
No hydraulic-hammer/breaker work tool is documented for the 5080. This size class is built as a production loading shovel, not a breaker carrier, and no breaker pairing is listed for it in this era of Cat's mining-shovel lineup. Sites needing boulder breaking alongside a shovel of this class typically run a separate hammer-equipped excavator rather than fit a hammer to the shovel front itself.
Quick couplers
No quick-coupler system is documented for the 5080. Shovels in this weight class carry one bucket pinned straight to the stick for the working life of that tool, so a cab-operated swap coupler is not part of the standard front-shovel configuration.
Thumbs/grapples
No thumb or grapple attachment is documented for the 5080. As a dedicated loading shovel front, it is not configured for the sorting, demolition, or material-handling work that thumbs and grapples support on backhoe-configuration excavators.
Rippers
No ripper attachment is documented for the 5080. Ripping duty at this size is handled by dozers or by backhoe-configuration excavators; the shovel-front 5080 has no stick-mounted ripper tooth option on record.
Hydraulic kit notes
The 5080's hydraulic system is sized for shovel crowd, curl, and hoist functions plus bucket actuation, not for auxiliary work-tool circuits. No medium-pressure or high-flow auxiliary kit for hammers, couplers, thumbs, or rippers is documented for this model, so any such fitment would be a dealer-engineered one-off rather than a factory option.
All 5080 assemblies by section
Every catalogued assembly group for the Caterpillar 5080. Open an assembly to preview the parts inside — full OEM part numbers are available in Heavy Parts AI.
Air Inlet And Exhaust System
4p-7500 Cartridge Gp-Turbocharger
| 4M***13 | Ring,Retaining | 1 |
| 4N***97 | Bearing Assem. | 1 |
| 4P***24 | Wheel-Compressor | 1 |
4p-7499 Turbocharger Gp
| 1W***95 | Plate-Identification; (Turbocharger Cartridge) | 1 |
| 4P***99 | Turbocharger Group | 1 |
| 4P***00 | Cartridge Group-Turbocharger | 1 |
Engine Arrangement
320-0590 Conversion Ar-Engine
| 03***79 | Seal-O-Ring (Id=10.82mm) | 1 |
| 0R***25 | Nozzle As | 6 |
| 0R***80 | Rod As-Connecting | 1 |
Fuel System
7w-2831 Control Gp-Fuel Ratio
| 10***93 | Washer | 1 |
| 11***58 | Washer; (12.7x6.65x0.79-mm Thk) | 1 |
| 2A***46 | Bolt,Machine Governor Linkage Bracket | 2 |
9y-4913 Fastener Gp-Fuel Inj Pump -Governor
| 1B***16 | Bolt; (1/4-20x5-In) | 2 |
| 4F***57 | Screw,Cap,Hexagon H Shock Mount To Bracket | 2 |
| 5P***37 | Washer 5t***54 Plate To 7t***28 Cable As | 2 |
6i-2680 Governor Gp
| 03***15 | Screw; (No. 10-24) | 4 |
| 03***16 | Bolt-Self Locking; (1/4unc X 3/4) | 3 |
| 0S***47 | Bolt; (1/4-20x0.75-In)(Drilled Head) | 2 |
108-6633 Pump Gp-Fuel Injection
| 10***02 | Bonnet-Valve | 1 |
| 10***04 | Plunger & Barrel As | 1 |
| 10***33 | Pump Group-Fuel Injection | 1 |
4p-8138 Pump Gp-Fuel Injection
| 0S***15 | Bolt 19 mm (.75 In.) Long Return Air Console To Enclosed Rops | 14 |
| 10***33 | Pump Group-Fuel Injection | 6 |
| 10***06 | Seal-O-Ring (10.52mm Id) | 1 |
2w-8632 Torque Control Gp
| 1P***52 | Insulator,Bushing Governor | 1 |
| 2P***85 | Spacer (.635 mm Thk); (0.635-mm Thk) | 1 |
| 2W***34 | Bar-Load Stop; (4.0mm Thk) | 1 |
Service Equipment And Supplies
323-6981 Kit-Engine Parts
| 15***25 | Bolt; (7/16-14-2a-Thd) | 6 |
| 24***18 | Kit-Crankshaft Bearing | 0 |
| 25***52 | Plate-Thrust; (Crankshaft) | 2 |
5080 serial number reference
The PIN plate on a 5080 is riveted to the machine frame/carbody, typically low on the front structure near the track frame or cab support, readable from ground level. It reads as three letters followed by five digits: the letters are the serial-number prefix tied to the model and production run, and the digits are the unit's build sequence within that run. On the 5080 the confirmed prefix is 8SL, so a plate will read 8SL followed by a five-digit number.
| Prefix | Identifies | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 8SL | 5080 Front Shovel (FS) - only documented configuration | Serial numbers 8SL00001 and up cover the documented production run of the 5080 front shovel. This is the only prefix documented for the model; a Caterpillar parts-catalog entry covering the 5080 together with the related 375 and 375L excavators lists a separate prefix for each of the three machines, confirming 8SL is specific to the 5080. Engine is a Caterpillar 3406-family direct-injection diesel. Caterpillar's own product descriptions and most spec sources call it the 3406C with air-to-air aftercooling (ATAAC), rated around 319 kW (428 hp); a Caterpillar service reference tied to this same 8SL prefix range instead names the engine a 3406B. Treat this as either a running engine change within the 8SL production span or a naming inconsistency between Caterpillar documents, and confirm the exact engine build against the unit's own plate or arrangement tag. Cited production years range from the mid-1990s to 2001 depending on the source; treat any single year as approximate. Plant/build region not documented in available sources - confirm with dealer if needed. No other configuration (no backhoe/mass-excavator or long-undercarriage version) turned up in research; the 5080 was sold only as this front shovel. |
Frequently asked questions
What engine does the Caterpillar 5080 use?
A single Caterpillar 3406C ATAAC diesel: direct-injection, turbocharged, air-to-air aftercooled inline six, 14.6 L displacement, rated at roughly 319 kW (428 hp) gross. Fuel delivery and governing run through Caterpillar's PEEC electronic control with altitude/engine compensation (AEC), not a mechanical governor.
What is the Cat 5080's operating weight?
About 83,800 kg (184,750 lb) in standard front-shovel trim, putting it in the 84-tonne weight class. Actual weight shifts somewhat with counterweight, track shoe width, and bucket fitted, so treat that figure as a class reference rather than a fixed number for every configuration.
What replaced the Caterpillar 5080?
The Caterpillar 5090B front shovel superseded it, with more gross engine power, higher hydraulic flow, greater swing torque, and more drawbar pull, built to load larger haul trucks than the 5080 could handle. Caterpillar wound down its own-designed 5000-series shovel line after that and did not re-enter purpose-built mining shovel design until acquiring Bucyrus's O&K-derived range in 2011, so the 5090B, not any later Cat model, is the direct factory successor.
What 5080 owners discuss
What do techs say about the 3406C's electronic governor (PEEC) compared with the mechanical 3406B?
Is there anything specific to know about the hydraulic system on this shovel?
What undercarriage wear pattern should I expect on a machine this size?
What electrical or sensor problems come up most on this engine?
Are there known major-component overhaul milestones to expect?
Does the shovel-versus-backhoe front configuration matter for wear or operation?
What should I check before buying a used Cat 5080?
Compiled from owner and technician discussions across the industry — experiences vary by serial range and machine history.
Need a specific 5080 part?
Search live OEM part data, check fitment, and cross-reference alternatives with Heavy Parts AI.