"Neil" wrote:

Your cogs have pits and Rome's don't, BUT, yours are still serviceable for a given amount of work. If you were to use this once or twice a year to disk some acreage and maybe take it to the show, then you still have life left in those gears. If you wanted to work it all day long, then you'll need new gears after about a week of hard work I'd guess. I would just run it, and check them once in a while. Glue a magnet to the drain plug - metal paste is ok but once you start getting chunks, then it's time to get new gears

Yes that sounds like a good idea. I dont think it will get too much serious work. One neighbor has about 4ac he wants to selectively log so I might skid some for him. Yes monitoring is the key. Are actual new gears still available for these old tractors?

Does this happen from time to time on these machines? Shouldn't be bad to fix I would think. Maybe I can weld in a sleeve to repair? Not planning on repair in place. I want to remove the bands, inspect, repair or replace as necessary. Thanks for the pointers everyone. I do have proper service, operators and parts manuals.

You could cut those old worn pieces off and weld black steel pipe on same diameter to fit pin.

"Mangoman" wrote:

Hello all,

Thought I would start a thread for the general progress of work on my D4 7U. This Cat was allegedly my grandpa's although there is no resemblance to pics. It had one owner between and he told me he swapped undercarriage but he may have swapped more or this could be a different tractor altogether. In any case I am enjoying digging in and plan to put it to reliable working condition and that is it. No plans for paint and cleaning only when necessary. It is a running machine. I plan on opening up the pony and checking the condition of the internals as well as checking the bottom end of the main. The budget is pretty tight and I am working out of my driveway under a tent shelter a friend gave to me. So far I have gotten away without oxy/ acetylene and I have only 100A service to my house and no garage. I have a little MIG so there wont be any proper gouging or welding done here. I have that at work if I can get those parts loaded and taken there on my 8ft utility trailer. Ideally I would like this thing back together by October but I wont become a slave to it. If I'm not enjoying it I will take a time out. I also have a wife and two young ones so my time will be split a few ways.

Looks like the blade lift links are too long, does it raise high enough?

"Rome wrote:

Looks like the blade lift links are too long, does it raise high enough?

Well who I am much to say? It seemed fine to me. When I look it does seem to look a little longer than other tractors. I measured them at roughly 11.5" center to center if anyone would be so kind as to double check. They look like they've been through the wringer a time or two. Might have to weld them up and do some "field machining" or some other repair. I cant afford to go too hog wild at this moment in time.

"Neil" wrote:

I don't think they're worn Rome, judging by a closeup of whether they're split - it looks like they were never welded together and just pulled apart eventually. Odd that that's where the join is. But in any case, hitting them with the wire welder will fix that up really quickly

Yes I am sure I could MIG that in place satisfactorily. I would like to know my steering clutches arent about to breathe their past breath. There must be a measurement? I can look this up in my book when I have a few spare moments. I had thought if I want to look at the clutches, then I want to remove the bevel gear and all. If I do that then I may as well repair the band on the bench at work.

The trans in rebuildable in place correct? Is it a make me hate my life kind of job? Just wondering if I start having the gears take a turn for the worse, how bad is this to do later?

Thanks!

Not directly related to the ol D4 but I was out at a somewhat remote lake yesterday and we stumbled on a bridge that had been recently rebuilt. All the old timbers were there on a pile to be burnt so I heaved as many as I could in the back of the truck before my wife's patience ran out. They dont just give away Douglas Fir 8x10 ya know? Will come in handy to crib up the Cat when the time comes.