Hey all, new to this world. My wife and I just purchased a nice little section of Tennessee and will have a life time of work to do on it. While looking at some equipment I came across this D2 and kind of fell in love with it...

Its electric start, leaks (what to me seems a little much) and I am trying to get familiar with the starting engine and mechanisms of this old geezer so that i can put it to use. Came with what looks to be the original operator manual.

Any guidance on where to turn for information on these machines? Guess in particular i am interested in parts manual and maintenance but will take anything i can get.

I am fairly comfortable with the starting sequence ( i think) but want to get anything i can get my hands on about them.

I have had the starting engine going 2-3 times (wont run for more than 5-10 seconds) and once ran for a good 3-4 minutes but then died on me. Does not seem to have been very appreciated (at least in the last decade or so.

I have seen a few threads that talk about clearing out the fuel system, any thing anyone could help with there?

Anyone in or around Chattanooga, Tn...i would love to pick your brain about it.

You came to the right place . All The answers are here..
Look. At the top Right of the page. “Search”. After you sign in..

There Is so much Info here you can Read for weeks

ebay is a good source for manuals--its best to get a manual that covers your serial number range, on the fuel system start at the tank and make sure you have good flow all the way to the carburator--cleaning lines,sediment bowl, etc

I agree, start with the pony tank. It’s very common for them to be so full of rust that gas can’t even drain out the spigot in the bottom. However even a smaller amount of rust can still contaminate the lines and carburetor passages, so it’s best to start there and follow through to the carburetor. I have cleaned several with hot water, detergent and a double handful of stones and sand with slow tumbling. Or electrolysis can be done successfully since there’s no internal baffles in the tank to prevent “line of sight” activity of the current inside. With any method you may end up with pinholes or worse and might require brazing patches on before coating the inside. Once it’s clean there’s a couple of systems that can be used to line the tank. I’ve used RED KOTE that I ordered from OReilly auto parts. A pint would do a single pony tank easily but I think it may only come in quarts and gallons. You can drain out all the excess (you MUST drain out all the excess!) back into the can and reseal it for use later. A couple days curing and it’s good to go.

My experience has been that a COMPLETE carburetor cleaning is very rewarding unless you just like pounding your head against a wall so to speak!

If yours requires a lot of choke to run, it’s time to drill out the soft plug and ream the main jet passageway across the bottom of the bowl. This can be done by simply removing the bowl off the side of the carburetor. Be cautious tightening the two bolts that hold the bowl onto the cast iron carburetor body. It’s easy to strip the threads in the aluminum bowl if you get a little over ambitious!

If it won’t idle, then you probably need to drive out the idle passage plug where gas is admitted to the cast iron venturi/throttle body and thoroughly clean those passages before replacing it. Obviously the whole carb must be removed to do this.

If you like visual learning, I highly recommend squatch253 YouTube channel. However I don’t think he’s done a pony carb overhaul yet. Lots of other aspects of repairing and operating these little buggers have already been done.

Hi Mark,
welcome to the BB.
as said above, Toby has a range of great tutorial videos on starting these machines.
Also some on overhaul of an earlier model diesel engine and its accessories.
There is a tutorial on the pony clutch mechanisms too.
Click the link and there should be a whole list of them show up on You Tube.
Enjoy your machine and learning about it.

Cheers,
Eddie B.

As others have said, there is a wealth of information about Caterpillars and D2s on the forum. Remember to do your search before asking your question because someone else has probably gone through what you will go through.
If you are reasonably mechanically inclined and not afraid to get your hands dirty then you will have fun with the D2.
From your photo, your tractor appears to have both side plates which is a good sign that the tractor is complete!
Welcome.

5U1976 would have been built in 1948.

Appreciate the reply’s and pointers, should have a full day to mess with it this weekend.