I've been trying to pick up this D7 for years, and I think this spring I will finally be able to take it home! I know the owner well and he's not one who likes to sell stuff. Every year he gets these running and moves them to another part of the yard. He owns a large paving company and he bought both of these brand new. I tried to make a package deal for both the D6 and the D7, but he said he would hate to let the D6 go because "that's still a good tractor." The undercarriages on both machines are in tough shape.

I was just looking at that fuel pressure gauge mounting ring on mine today and wondering what it was. I have some sort of radiator hose in that area and thought maybe it was supposed to go through there to hold it or something. Obviously my fuel pressure gauge is missing, does anyone know where I might find one?

I bet you could still get one from Cat. They used that style fuel pressure gauge for many years, we just put a new one in our old 950 a couple years ago.

Hey Dieselholic92,

I bought a D6-9u that had a shot under carriage. I could see past that problem and realized it would be around $10,000 to fix it up the way I wanted it. The rest of the tractor was in good shape. My UC self destructed fast as someone mismatched some used tracks with the wrong pitch on them. It was an ugly UC, one of the worst I had seen. I bought the tractor and put an all new D5 under carriage under her. It's one of my favorite tractors now.

Not much life left on that 17-a UC. It would make a fine Cat if your willing to invest $ on it. If not, find one with a better under carriage.
Glen

A good example of 'racing slick' sprockets there, a new undercarriage is obviously required.

"7upuller" wrote:

Hey Dieselholic92,

I bought a D6-9u that had a shot under carriage. I could see past that problem and realized it would be around $10,000 to fix it up the way I wanted it. The rest of the tractor was in good shape. My UC self destructed fast as someone mismatched some used tracks with the wrong pitch on them. It was an ugly UC, one of the worst I had seen. I bought the tractor and put an all new D5 under carriage under her. It's one of my favorite tractors now.

Not much life left on that 17-a UC. It would make a fine Cat if your willing to invest $ on it. If not, find one with a better under carriage.
Glen

So was that a UC for a newer D5 that you put under the D6 9U? I've wanted this D7 for a long, long time, regardless of the undercarriage. I also think it would make for a nice machine with a new undercarriage. I wonder if there is a modern Caterpillar undercarriage that I could retrofit to it.

"catsilver" wrote:

A good example of 'racing slick' sprockets there, a new undercarriage is obviously required.

Sad thing is, that isn't the worst sprocket I've seen. Haha

No such luck on upgrading the 17A tracks, your stuck with 7M,3T,17A 8.00" pitch.
You can upgrade to segmented sprockets with a 4S9005 adapter ring plus two 3S9138 and four 3S9139 segments per side if you can find them.

Some komatsu tracks will also fit the 17a- not sure which model but I have seen some converted which also provides the crocodile link making separation easy. I have some for my 17a which came with the machine and they are the same pitch as the worn ones of the machine.

Thanks for the photos from which I can see that the upper block mount for the cable blade on mine has been raised some 6" or more. Mine was a logging machine and I guess the idea was to get the blade higher for tree pushing.

Interesting blade modification on yours. Never seen that adaptation before.

Yes the pressure gauges are still available from Cat or Fleabay.

The turbocharged 17A is one of my favorite tractors, and one that so far has eluded me. I hope you can get it.

I have two 3T and three 17A chassis. Four of them have pretty good undercarriage, definitely ten times what yours has on it. One 17A chassis I have has brand new everything, new rails, new track pads, new rollers, new carriers, new idlers. I don't think I want to part with the brand new undercarriage, as I'm saving that for when I find my own turbo 17A.

The others, however, are available. Freight from Bakersfield, California would probably be difficult. I know this guy, though, who lives in Moose Lake and makes all kind of crazy trips hauling crazy stuff, so maybe something could be worked out.

I can get measurements and pictures, if you get it and if you like.

Pete.