Ask three parts desks for "the travel motor for an SK200" and you can receive three different answers, all quoted in good faith. Kobelco's motor designations are organised by component family and machine class rather than by model name, and a model name spans more than one generation of hardware. Getting this right matters, because a travel motor assembly is one of the largest single items an owner will buy. This is how the families line up and what to send so the number is confirmed rather than guessed. Guangzhou Shenyue Machinery Technology Co., Ltd. works from component plates for exactly this reason.
Two naming systems, not one
Kobelco travel and swing groups carry designations from two traditions. One is the internal family code — GM38VB, GM38VC, GM85VA and similar — which identifies the motor and reduction family itself. The other is the part number stamped or catalogued for the assembly, such as YN15V00037F1. Both matter: the family code tells you what the unit physically is, the part number tells you which build variant of it. Quotes built on the family code alone often return the right family in the wrong variant, and the difference usually sits in the reduction ratio or the brake and relief arrangement rather than in the motor body.
The travel motor families by class
| Machine class | Family and commonly quoted numbers | Note |
|---|---|---|
| SK200-8 / SK210-8 | Nabtesco GM38VB — YN15V00037F1 / YN15V00037F2 / YN15V00037F3 | Internal parts 800D2103-00 / YN15V00037R420C and C800D2016-00 / YN15V00037S116 |
| SK200-10 class | Nabtesco GM38VC — YN15V00083F1 | Different generation; not interchangeable with the GM38VB |
| SK250-8 class | LQ15V00031F5 / LQ15V00020F1 and LQ15V00020R999 | Catalogued for the SK250-8 |
| 30 t and above | GM85VA — LS15V00020F1 | A larger family; confirm by plate before ordering |
The GM38VB and GM38VC pair is the trap. They share a nominal family, they look closely related on the bench, and they are not interchangeable: the later machine's motor has a different internal arrangement. A refresh quotation that says only "SK200 travel motor" will produce a coin toss on this point.
Swing motors and swing reductions
Swing groups split by class in the same way, using the M5X designations:
- 20 tonne class swing motor — M5X130 class, quoted as YN15V00077F1 / YN15V00055F1 / YN15V00035F1 for the SK200-8, with XZ0531E / YN32W01081P1 as an older reference in the same class.
- 30 tonne class swing motor — M5X180 class, quoted as LC15V00022F1, catalogued for the SK330-8.
- 20 tonne class swing reduction — YN32W00025F1 / YN32W00022F2 / YN32W00019F1.
Slewing rings follow class, not family
The ring is a separate story. Rings are sized to mass and are not derived from the motor family at all. Our references run YN40F00042F2 for the SK200-10, LQ40F00014F1 for the SK250-8 and LC40F00027F1 for the SK380-10 — three numbers, three classes, no arithmetic relationship between them. Never order a ring by extrapolating from a smaller machine.
How to send an enquiry that gets the right number
Six items resolve almost every motor question: machine model and serial, the family code from the motor plate, the part number from the same plate, whether the unit is original or already exchanged, the failure symptom, and whether you want the assembly or only the internals. With those six, a quotation can be written as one line for the assembly and separate lines for the repair parts, so an owner who needs only a relief valve is not quoted a complete motor.
Guangzhou Shenyue Machinery Technology Co., Ltd. has specialised in Kobelco parts since 2007, with 4 warehouses over 1000 m² in Guangzhou, 3,000+ part types on the shelf and 100,000+ part numbers available to order through original supply channels. Shenyue is an independent supplier of excavator parts and is not an authorized dealer or distributor of Kobelco Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.; for Kobelco, Hino, Isuzu, Yanmar, Cummins, Kawasaki, Nabtesco, KYB and KPM we supply genuine parts ordered through original supply channels alongside quality replacement alternatives, at prices close to agent level, and the five brands we hold formal authorization for — Mitsubishi, Garrett, TONGMYUNG, Marusan and NIKURA — are named on every quotation. Compare the generations in our SK200-8 versus SK200-10 guide, use the part number search, or send your plate photographs. Hydraulic component reference data is published by Kawasaki Heavy Industries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are the Kobelco GM38VB and GM38VC travel motors interchangeable?
No. The GM38VB belongs to the SK200-8 and SK210-8 generation and is quoted as YN15V00037F1 / YN15V00037F2 / YN15V00037F3; the GM38VC belongs to the SK200-10 class and is quoted as YN15V00083F1. They share a nominal family name and a similar external appearance, but the internal arrangement differs. Guangzhou Shenyue Machinery Technology Co., Ltd. confirms the family from the plate on the motor before quoting.
How can I tell an M5X130 swing motor from an M5X180?
By the designation on the unit and by machine class. The M5X130 group is the 20 tonne class, quoted for the SK200-8 as YN15V00077F1 / YN15V00055F1 / YN15V00035F1. The M5X180 group is the 30 tonne class, quoted as LC15V00022F1 and catalogued for the SK330-8. Read the number off the motor rather than inferring it from the machine model.
Can I replace only the internals of a Kobelco travel motor?
Yes, and on many machines that is the sensible option. We hold the internal lines separately — travel motor relief C2259321450501 / LC22V00006F1, block C2162221251701 / LC15V00023S040, ball guide C2162420488601 / LC15V00023S042 and swash C2162122059801 — alongside the complete assemblies. The decision rests on the housing and swash surfaces, which is why a plate photograph and the failure symptom matter more than the model name.
Do swing reductions use the same numbers as swing motors?
No, they are separate components with separate numbers. For the 20 tonne class the swing motor is the M5X130 group quoted as YN15V00077F1 / YN15V00055F1 / YN15V00035F1, while the swing reduction is YN32W00025F1 / YN32W00022F2 / YN32W00019F1. Because both usually reach the end of their life in the same window they are normally quoted and replaced together.