JM --

Biggest tip I can give you - LET SOMEONE ELSE DO THE PINS & BUSHING WORK! Not a job to be done without proper training, all safety precautions and properly operating equipment designed for that purpose with proper tooling and tested relief valves! Not a job for the improvised or unequipped shop. NO OBSERVERS, distance is safety!

The pressures it takes to remove pins and bushings, pull sprockets, etc on "our" Cats and other heavy equipment are measured in TONS!

The press I was operating had seen a lot of use, worn tooling and uneven feed table on uneven floor did not help either. All parts were handled by "armstrong" power, stacked on the floor as taken apart and then returned in same order as removed. Same link, pin/bushing were maintained throughout the process. The bolts were removed on only one side of the plates, so one rail section was always attached to the track plate. If the bolt could not be removed with the 1" drive impact wrench, the head was cut with Victor Wrench and scarfing tip.

I had the misfortune of being behind the controls when a ram failed or should I say EXPLODED!
Very fortunate no one was hurt other than scared and some hot oil thrown on us. 4 fifty-five gallon drums (that were our waste bins for pins, bushings) were flattened and knocked off the pallet alongside the press. They were about 1/4 filled, so not exactly light. (Press ram cylinder wall was about 3/4" thick! Dia approx 6-8 inches from memory) Amazingly, the street-el and hose remained intact on end of the cylinder housing. (I had just finished a set of D8 tracks, retooled to D4 and was half way through the first set of rails when this happened)

A "New" ram was located, ordered and installed - and a few months after I had left the shop, my brother-in-law was operating the press --- same thing happened to same end. Lucky for him, I had built some "guards" from 3/8 thick x 6 inch channel iron - saved him!

Who knows what was wrong, obviously a relief valve had failed or cylinder had a flaw. Either way - it was a catastrophic failure! (no records, no test data, without such, no way of knowing if the relief valve, pressure gauge were actually operating to specifications)

For those thinking this was an independent "fly-by-night" shop --- no - it was a Caterpillar Dealer!

Those pressures to push pins and bushings from the rails can be very extreme, when they do let go, you do not want to be in the way!

As far as breaking bolts holding the plates to the rails with a sledge hammer and cold chisel - in my opinion - that is flatly out of the realm of practical or safe. Many have lost eyes, some killed by flying pieces from the striking object or the struck tool! The "mushroom heads" on struck tools have injured and maimed many - well documented.

Working on or with equipment is inherently hazardous - one must use all precautions and follow proper procedures. Accidents do not happen - there is a cause.

Please think about the consequences before you become as statistic - practice safety and enjoy the hobby and joys of keeping the Cats going.

"keep 'em crawlin'"

CTS

A few years back a local contractor used a torch to cut off the heads of some track bolts on a newer Case crawler, well he was leaning over the track and bolt head and when he heated it up to cut it off it popped off and went through his head, killed him. Sad! Got to be extremely careful with things under tension or pressure.

Hi Team,
all the things CTS has mentioned we experienced also--extreme diligence and care must be exercised at all times with track work, there is no room for drifting off when doing this mind numbing work.

We used to use old recoil spring bolts etc. for punches with a flat end and the blow from the sledge would simply shear the nut end of the bolt off cleanly.
Usual Safety Precautions and PPE like safety glasses and face visors at the same time are mandatory with this stuff as well as the usual precautions of using equipment in safe condition like no mushroomed or split ends on the punches, grind or cut back below the damaged areas or replace if the metal of the punch is unsuitable.
As said above if working alone then a punch holding jig would be essential and then an assistant is not placed in danger from flying metal shards also.

I think one of the Cat Safety Films mentioned a person struck in the neck and killed by a shard from a poorly maintained hammer or punch--have dig shards out of my self a few times over my time but have been lucky so far--take care out there boys this stuff bites.
Always be aware of the consequences of taking short cuts and use your PPE to give yourselves best chance.

You get the picture.

Cheers,
Eddie B.

Hi Mike . Been a long time since i worked in a track shop . But from what i recall the track press guy used a podgie bar . Wedged it between the nut and the link . He used a BIG rattle gun , would have been two inch drive or bigger .

"Rome wrote:

A few years back a local contractor used a torch to cut off the heads of some track bolts on a newer Case crawler, well he was leaning over the track and bolt head and when he heated it up to cut it off it popped off and went through his head, killed him. Sad! Got to be extremely careful with things under tension or pressure.

I am checking if I have the right picture about this. If there was no pressure against the plate .............I am lost. So........ that makes me think any piece of hardware that is tightened/tensioned then has the stored energy to become a projectile???????????????????????But we all have cut many bolt heads off so was this was a 1 in trillion chance or what have I missed?

I don't know! Try it and see what happens! That's all I know and the guy is dead!

Hi Team,
have seen many track plates that worked in rock etc. that were distorted/bent so I could picture say a thick D9 plate bolt head being cut on a traumatized plate letting go its pent up forces and launch a hot worn thin bolt head.
We used to use a gouging tip to gouge the heads off with the track flat on the ground or on the press rack if it was vacant.

The victim must have been standing with his head directly over the piece being cut--we always stood back or stood to one side so as to at least be out of the oxy spark blow back range as far as possible.
Rarely did we cut the nut ends down in the confines of the link.

Your experience may vary.
Cheers,
Eddie B.

It was in the winter, I think they said it was wet and it built up steam around the bolt and the bolt snapped and blew the bolt head off.