After sitting all winter in the snow and rain, my old big Cat 20 started on the second pull of the crank (w/o any priming). It runs great and I moved it to an area where I plan to make it look almost new again.
The only mechanical problem is "leaking final drives". This is something that has gone on since 1941 when we purchased the tractor used. We got around the problem by adding about a pint of real heavy gear oil before a long day of field work. My (deseased) father used to say the cork seals on the 20 were always a problem.
Dad really knew about Cat 20s. He purchased one new 20 in 1927 and wore it out farming and maintaining roads in Riverside County. He purchased a second one but lost it and the farm during the depression! He used to say the seal problem was solved on the Cat 28 when bellow seals were used instead of cork on the 20.
Recently, I heard there is a way of adjusting the 20tys finals to reduce or eliminate the leakage. Is this possible, and if so, what is the procedure? I'm suprised my dad never mentioned such an adjustment.
Thanks in advance for any help.

Jack up the back of the tractor or park it where there's no weight on the sprocket and take a big bar and pry on the sprocket and make sure it doesn't wobble or move up and down at all. If it's loose, then it could be bearings or sprocket on shaft that's loose. Either way, it would probably make the leak worse.

Please post pictures of your tractor.

drarv-

Which part of the Tehachapi area are you located? I'm in California City and occasionally get to TEH. I have a couple of nonop 22's that were in the TEH area (one in town and one from Sand Canyon). At Tulare this year there was a Teh person wanting Willie to make a haul to TEH- was that you?

Daron

The big Twentys, S and PS Thirtys, and the Sixtys all used the same type of final drive seals. The outer end of the sprocket hud is sealed with a spring loaded cork, and as far as I know is non adjustable. The inner seal is a packing like a water pump packing except with a much heavier cross section, this seal is adjustable. If I can remember when I get home tonight I will get the adjustment instructions for both the sprocket hub bearings and the seal and post them in Thursday morning. I should have ask what the serial number was because there were two or three different types of final drive seals used on the big Twentys. The bellow seals were added at the start of the Twenty Fives.
Thanks
Ken

Daron - I'm out in the Stallion Springs area of Tehachapi (661) 822-8135. I was at Tulare but didn't offer to haul back to Tehachapi.

The S/N on the 20 is PL4085 (1930 Mfg.) I apprecate all the feedback so far and looking forward to Ken's info. As soon as I get them scanned, I'll post pictures of my Cat AND some 1920tys shots of my dad's original Cats maintaining roads, etc.
Arv

arv

As I remember it, a man from the TEH area was asking Willie if he could make a haul to TEH on his way home (Willie is from Northern CA). I thought the man might have wanted the tractor Willie had on his trailer or was considering buying a different one. I just heard part of the conversation. Willie indicated he had hundreds of miles to go and they were in the other direction.

Is the Sheep Trail to Arvin open? Several years ago I noticed the gate closed but unlocked. I have no idea the status of other gates. It was a county road but a number of years ago the Fire Dept and Tejon Ranch got the Supervisors to somewhat declare it closable (again 'as I remember'). I sure wouldn't want to try that way on a trip to/through Bakersfield and find a locked gate.

Maybe that advertised D8 ( www.acmoc.org/ACMOC_BB/showthread.php?t=1105 ) could be used to 'clear the way! The '411' reverse phone lookup mapping service says it's located several miles west of Tehachapi-Willow Springs Rd. (below the Cameron Cyn. junction.

Daron 760 373 4371

"daron" wrote:

arv

As I remember it, a man from the TEH area was asking Willie if he could make a haul to TEH on his way home (Willie is from Northern CA). I thought the man might have wanted the tractor Willie had on his trailer or was considering buying a different one. I just heard part of the conversation. Willie indicated he had hundreds of miles to go and they were in the other direction.

Is the Sheep Trail to Arvin open? Several years ago I noticed the gate closed but unlocked. I have no idea the status of other gates. It was a county road but a number of years ago the Fire Dept and Tejon Ranch got the Supervisors to somewhat declare it closable (again 'as I remember'). I sure wouldn't want to try that way on a trip to/through Bakersfield and find a locked gate.

Maybe that advertised D8 ( www.acmoc.org/ACMOC_BB/showthread.php?t=1105 ) could be used to 'clear the way! The '411' reverse phone lookup mapping service says it's located several miles west of Tehachapi-Willow Springs Rd. (below the Cameron Cyn. junction.

Daron 760 373 4371

Daron
The Sheep Trail is open. I think there are 3 gates that need to be opened and closed behind you. I went over it in a 2 wheel drive SUV last year. It took 45 minutes to go from Arvin to Stallion Springs.
Arv

"ccjersey" wrote:

Jack up the back of the tractor or park it where there's no weight on the sprocket and take a big bar and pry on the sprocket and make sure it doesn't wobble or move up and down at all. If it's loose, then it could be bearings or sprocket on shaft that's loose. Either way, it would probably make the leak worse.

Please post pictures of your tractor.

As mentioned before, my dad purchased the used Cat 20 (I now own) in 1941. We used it in farming, weed abatement, etc.. In the 1960tys we had a company in Riverside California called Leighton Service Company which also included firewood business, demolition, shop and portable welding and backhoe service. The attached pictures were mostly made in 1968. Except for the Cat 20, the D-2, the TD-9 and the Ottowa were all total junkers before we ran them through our shop. We also restored a Cat 22, but I don't have a picture. My dad, was 75 in 1968 and he continued working (including driving, welding, and operating equipment until age 90. He passed at 94.

Here is a picture of my Cat 20 taken today. This is the same Cat 20 as the 1968 picture in my previous post. I've been experimenting with paint removal using a mixture of lye and starch. The gray areas have been stripped. Seems to work but lots of work and quite messy! I have a sand blaster but hesitate to use it due to possibility of getting sand in bearings.

Looks like your dad might have been a Studebaker man! My grandfather would use nothing else on his farm in the 40's and 50's, even though he had to drive 40 miles past the Chevy and Ford dealers to get them worked on.