Here are a few pics. Sorry I took some pics in the vertical position and I cant figure out how to rotate. These should bear testament to how much work this machine has done. The C frame has more welds and gussets than original metal 😁 Remarkably the engine serial number still matches the frame.

BTW Mike I can hardly believe you resurrected your 7J. Rougher than mine for sure. Welded the bell housing? That must have been quite the process. Amazing. No wonder it took 9 years!

"Mangoman" wrote:

BTW Mike I can hardly believe you resurrected your 7J. Rougher than mine for sure. Welded the bell housing? That must have been quite the process. Amazing. No wonder it took 9 years!

I ain't very bright........

Thanks for the schnapps, the same recoil spring "Guides" 4B5455 are used on all the early D4 Cats too, so that makes finding them easy, same goes for the springs.

I made a new recoil spring "bolt" for my D2 4U from a length of allthread, I'm not the first person to do that, my Fitter and Turner neighbor Geoff turned me up some new adjuster "Nuts" when Cat wanted a few hundred dollars each for new ones, they came up good, look just like the originals.

Be very careful with those recoil springs, they are under a lot of pressure and will take your head off when you try to dismantle them, do not trust those old rusty threads and nuts when handling them either, they are like a loaded gun just waiting to fire, try and find a complete one off a wrecking Cat would be safer. I see a D4 in northern California looking for a home, too bad it is so far away, you could use the track chain, bottom rollers, top rollers too, even the front idlers might possibly fit your 7U but you would need to use the whole idler with its shaft, bearings and arms, if money is tight, and you are not looking for a show Cat, it doesn't hurt to think outside the box.

I assume you have the correct Parts Number book for your Cat, you should also get a copy of the correct Service Books for Engine and Transmission, they are brilliant, and essential.

I reckon that 7U should have the 2 piece tranny cover that allows you better access to the main clutch, I'm pretty certain you use a sealant on the join to prevent water entering the main clutch compartment, someone will confirm that.

Your Cat will be a good project for you, being a proper Mechanic.
Mike

"Mike wrote:

I ain't very bright........

Sounds like there are a few "not too bright" people in here then 😁 D2gary's 7J had such haggard undercarriage that he had a horseshoe spacing his stripped tensioner thread. What does say of him? 🤣🤣🤣 I guess we have a soft spot for these ol gals and arent daunted by their often sad state.

"Mike wrote:

Thanks for the schnapps, the same recoil spring "Guides" 4B5455 are used on all the early D4 Cats too, so that makes finding them easy, same goes for the springs.

I made a new recoil spring "bolt" for my D2 4U from a length of allthread, I'm not the first person to do that, my Fitter and Turner neighbor Geoff turned me up some new adjuster "Nuts" when Cat wanted a few hundred dollars each for new ones, they came up good, look just like the originals.

Be very careful with those recoil springs, they are under a lot of pressure and will take your head off when you try to dismantle them, do not trust those old rusty threads and nuts when handling them either, they are like a loaded gun just waiting to fire, try and find a complete one off a wrecking Cat would be safer. I see a D4 in northern California looking for a home, too bad it is so far away, you could use the track chain, bottom rollers, top rollers too, even the front idlers might possibly fit your 7U but you would need to use the whole idler with its shaft, bearings and arms, if money is tight, and you are not looking for a show Cat, it doesn't hurt to think outside the box.

I assume you have the correct Parts Number book for your Cat, you should also get a copy of the correct Service Books for Engine and Transmission, they are brilliant, and essential.

I reckon that 7U should have the 2 piece tranny cover that allows you better access to the main clutch, I'm pretty certain you use a sealant on the join to prevent water entering the main clutch compartment, someone will confirm that.

Your Cat will be a good project for you, being a proper Mechanic.
Mike

Yes I will certainly be cautious with the tensioner springs when I get there thanks for the heads up.

I would ideally like to find a parts machine. I did have a very similar machine lined up then it got cut up: I actually have another find but it is about 2200km away in northern Manitoba and it is the hydraulic track loader version. It is free for the taking but it has been sitting outside for 20 years. Stacks were likely covered but who knows now. Also, the track chains were pulled off because they were worn right out so it is sitting blocked up with no boots. I've poked around and found the reack frames are actually different so I dont know if it is worth going all the way up there it would be a push to haul behind my F350 and I cant afford to have someone load and haul an unknown machine for me.

I'm hopefully not the slowest in th pack with regards to being a "proper mechanic" but I am sure I have much to learn here from people that have firsthand experience with these machines. I've worked in commercial transport, a hospital ship, gantry and mobile cranes, bicycles, graders, loaders but never a dozer. Nowadays I dont even work in a "proper shop". The floggings are irregular at best in the union municipal shop environment 😁🤣.

I had a quick look tonight. The left side steering clutch pack is recessed from the edge of the braking drum by more than 1/8" I would say. I will bring bring my calipers home tomorrow and get a conclusive number. The right side is better I think. Looks like the clutch pack protrudes by just a bit. I would say 1/16" or 1.5mm roughly. Popped the cover off the bevel gear and there is nothing to complain about there. Looks all good!

Also, I do have a spare crown gear/ steering clutch assembly. The gear looks good. Unknown on the clutches.

Well I've been through a couple of machines and I will say when you start on one that moves under it's own power you're way ahead of the curve. I see some wear in your pictures but nothing that can't be fixed. Parts machine is the only way to go. I've bought multiple d2 parts machines and creamed out what I wanted and passed the piece's I didn't require on to others, at what I feel was a very fair price.
I have 2 7u d4 parts tractors currently and know what I need off of them and the rest will be up for grabs. I don't think getting stuff across the border is to big of a deal so keep that in mind.
You have a runner that moves, it takes time but sounds like you're plenty qualified to do the work.
Stay strong, before you know it you'll be the expert helping out someone

Those clutches look almost like new compared to mine in the D4 7J, you have thousands of hours left in them, brake linings look good too, you mentioned some cracks in them, it's not a big job to roll those bands out while the top is off if you wanted to check them.

Sounds like there are some parts available over the border, getting what you need rather than a whole dead D4 carcase will please Mrs Mangoman and the neighbors I suspect, otherwise you might end up with a yard full of heavy Cat crap like tranny housings, rusted tinwork, fuel tanks and flogged out track chains you will never use, much better to save that space for the second Cat project tractor........
Mike

"d2gary" wrote:

Well I've been through a couple of machines and I will say when you start on one that moves under it's own power you're way ahead of the curve. I see some wear in your pictures but nothing that can't be fixed. Parts machine is the only way to go. I've bought multiple d2 parts machines and creamed out what I wanted and passed the piece's I didn't require on to others, at what I feel was a very fair price.
I have 2 7u d4 parts tractors currently and know what I need off of them and the rest will be up for grabs. I don't think getting stuff across the border is to big of a deal so keep that in mind.
You have a runner that moves, it takes time but sounds like you're plenty qualified to do the work.
Stay strong, before you know it you'll be the expert helping out someone

Yes I will certainly come on down hopefully sooner than later. It will be good to meet with someone that has travelled this road before.

I would love to have a parts machine but I can think of one other person that would be less enthused 🤣 Maybe my safer approach is to get this one working reliably and proving it's worth then this "other person" may soften up and not be so opposed to me acquiring a parts machine or maybe a D2...or D8 🤣🤣🤣