This was helpful info.
Anyone Know Anything About Vintage Cat D7 Dozers? Trying to Rescue a Non-Running One...
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This was helpful info.
Looks like the next trip out is going to be a week from now, if the weather is decent. We'll have a mentor of sorts show up to supervise - he's a member of the Antique Cat Machinery Owner Club (acmoc.org) that lives about 2 hours from where the dozer is. He owns several vintage Cats, including a D7 and a D6 tractor from the same era.
Anyway, the plan will be to check the fluids as best as we can (it's on an incline, so I'll have to do some guesstimating) start it up to get it warmed up, then kill it and start it up in gear. If it starts in gear, the clutch should eventually free up.
Anyway, the plan will be to check the fluids as best as we can (it's on an incline, so I'll have to do some guesstimating) start it up to get it warmed up, then kill it and start it up in gear. If it starts in gear, the clutch should eventually free up.
So are tou planning to buy this thing, or has it turned into a youtube/experience type of thing? Curious, because you're doing an awful lot of work to something that isn't yours if you're not buying it.
I really don't see buying it. It's more for a change of pace/experience/youtube.
Ok, headed back down tomorrow to see if she'll move. We hope to have some technical expertise on site as well...
Dropped $350 at Napa on various fluids and $58 at the local Cat dealer for the drain plug socket. If I don't end up using all the oil to top off the various reservoirs, I'll have to buy this dozer or another one so it doesn't go to waste...
Dropped $350 at Napa on various fluids and $58 at the local Cat dealer for the drain plug socket. If I don't end up using all the oil to top off the various reservoirs, I'll have to buy this dozer or another one so it doesn't go to waste...
Today was an out-freaking-standing day!
Picked up my buddy Will at about 7 am; 35 or so degrees, which is frigid for south Texas! We were on site at about 9 am, sun was shining and it was warming up nicely! Ended up in the mid-70's by early afternoon; just a gorgeous south Texas "winter" day!
Worked on fluids first -- added another 5 gallons of diesel to the tank, then topped off the oil in the winch; turns out it was only a few quarts low. Next step was to add several quarts of 30W to the steering clutch booster.
At that point, our "tech advisor" Craig, showed up on site, with his lovely wife, Helen; they drove in from 2+ hours away. Craig has been running Cat dozers for 50+ years, so it was a huge help to have someone with his knowledge and experience present as we tried to get the tractor moving.
Next, I managed to get the tractor started, but it wasn't as easy as I had expected. Anyway, once it was running, I let it idle for 5-10 minutes so everything could warm up. After it was warm, I killed the engine, then started it up in Forward, 1st gear. I was half expecting it to jump, but it didn't do anything until I engaged the clutch, and then it moved forward immediately and out of the hole that it had been sitting in for 10+ years. That was a huge relief!
At this point, I didn't have much room to move forward, so I killed the engine and shifted into reverse. I wasn't able to shift while the engine was running because the clutch was still dragging.
Once I started the engine and started moving in reverse, I tried the steering brakes and clutches - both worked and I was able to steer without any problems! From there, I killed it again, put it in forward, 1st gear, and did a lap around the area (a few acres) where the dozer had been sitting. All went well, so I parked it for now, and topped off the engine oil (a few gallons low!) and the final drives (each took a few gallons of 90W).
I suspect I have culminated on this tractor. I did what I set out to do, did right by the old girl by getting her running and operating again, and now there's a decent chance that she'll get sold to someone who will put her back in service.
Will and I thought about making a stop at the Dusty Saddle Saloon on the way home, but I'm not a huge fan of women that chew Red Man, so we headed back to San Antonio!
Thanks again for all the input!
Scott
Picked up my buddy Will at about 7 am; 35 or so degrees, which is frigid for south Texas! We were on site at about 9 am, sun was shining and it was warming up nicely! Ended up in the mid-70's by early afternoon; just a gorgeous south Texas "winter" day!
Worked on fluids first -- added another 5 gallons of diesel to the tank, then topped off the oil in the winch; turns out it was only a few quarts low. Next step was to add several quarts of 30W to the steering clutch booster.
At that point, our "tech advisor" Craig, showed up on site, with his lovely wife, Helen; they drove in from 2+ hours away. Craig has been running Cat dozers for 50+ years, so it was a huge help to have someone with his knowledge and experience present as we tried to get the tractor moving.
Next, I managed to get the tractor started, but it wasn't as easy as I had expected. Anyway, once it was running, I let it idle for 5-10 minutes so everything could warm up. After it was warm, I killed the engine, then started it up in Forward, 1st gear. I was half expecting it to jump, but it didn't do anything until I engaged the clutch, and then it moved forward immediately and out of the hole that it had been sitting in for 10+ years. That was a huge relief!
At this point, I didn't have much room to move forward, so I killed the engine and shifted into reverse. I wasn't able to shift while the engine was running because the clutch was still dragging.
Once I started the engine and started moving in reverse, I tried the steering brakes and clutches - both worked and I was able to steer without any problems! From there, I killed it again, put it in forward, 1st gear, and did a lap around the area (a few acres) where the dozer had been sitting. All went well, so I parked it for now, and topped off the engine oil (a few gallons low!) and the final drives (each took a few gallons of 90W).
I suspect I have culminated on this tractor. I did what I set out to do, did right by the old girl by getting her running and operating again, and now there's a decent chance that she'll get sold to someone who will put her back in service.
Will and I thought about making a stop at the Dusty Saddle Saloon on the way home, but I'm not a huge fan of women that chew Red Man, so we headed back to San Antonio!
Thanks again for all the input!
Scott
Latest video is up in case anyone is interested.
For those of y'all who are familiar with old Cat dozers, since it looks like I'm done with this one, what should I look for if I wanted to buy one to tinker with? I'm thinking another Cat, something old (1960's vintage?) but in decent shape, pony motor would be great, and something that could be moved on an equipment trailer behind an F450 or something similar.
Any ideas?
Any ideas?
Contacted the owner today to let him know that I wouldn't be buying the D7. I suspect he's going to be ok with that, especially since he can now ask more $ for it and let prospective buyers know that it runs and moves.
Well, it's back up for sale, this time for $8k. It was originally listed non-running for $5k, so $8k running/moving/steering doesn't sound unreasonable. https://www.facebook.com/marketplac...place_top_picks&referral_story_type=top_picks
James Sawyer
ArboristSite Operative
Well... depends what else it needs. The biggest is the carriage if it > 60-65% you got big hunk of scrape. Again the carriage is 1/2 the value. If the idler is shot, the drives are bad, then the rolls and rails... all that expensive. You might be able to roll the pins if they haven't already. If you ever run one of those big cats out of the tracks, usually its on ground not the best situation... you'll soon learn that carriage is important. But again a cat of that size really can get some work done... its all about weight.
