New to me 955K

[FW190D9]

Hello everyone. First post here. Ive been lurking and gaining information and Id like to thank all of you for all the posts. I scored this old 955K at a local auction not too long ago. I plan on using it to clear brush on my hunting ranch. It has been outfitted with a blade from a D5 or D6 but did come with the original bucket which is in good shape. The engine (D330C I believe?) runs well and makes good power. It is rather beat up an definitely needs a bit of maintenance. I started by changing all the fluids and filters and cleaned the screens as well. Dropped the belly pans and cleaned out all the crud(not a fun job when you inadvertently parked it on an antpile). I also made a support bar for the arms so I could work on it without fearing the guillotine over my head. The original safety bar wont work as someone welded a huge patch over the loader frame keeping the bar from engaging the pin. undercarriage is in good shape although the left track is sagging a bit and wont firm up no matter how much grease I pump in. Ill have to address that problem soon as I fear a broken spring or bad tensioner piston. I started to get warm the first time I worked it and had to stop several times to let cool at idle. When I got it back to the shop it was squirting coolant from several pin holes in the radiator core. The core was badly plugged up so I decided to yank the nose off and rebuild the radiator. Upon teardown, I realized that somewhere along the line someone put a radiator from a 955L model (im guessing) as it had a full length hydraulic cooler 5" wide taking up space where the radiator should be. The cooler lines were plugged and it was not in use, just taking up the space. So Im getting a new core the correct size and attempting to use the original top and bottom tanks. I do have one question for all you cat experts out there. The oil filter base under the oil cooler is the old type which uses a plain paper element. Id like to convert to a spin on filter for ease of oil changes. Does anyone know the part number of a filter base which uses a spin on filter and will mount to my existing oil cooler? Thanks in advance.
Evan Q.

 

[FW190D9]

So here's some pics of the radiator removal operation. I was able to put the forks of my Kubota under the blade and chain lift the entire nose and lower it to the ground. I then untied it and went back at an angle between the blade support and tracks and lifted it again from one fork and put it in my pickup to take it to my shop for dissasembly. Also some shots of the plugged oil cooler and plugged up radiator core. Someone has been using way too much stop leak on this poor old girl.

E.

 

[FW190D9]

Nasty!

 

[kshansen]

Nasty!

What? Do you want coolant to flow through that red core or something?

 

[DMiller]

Now that is one odd set of mods as I have seen. Kind of curious as to the cut down dozer shoes and the 6 blade adapted to the loader.

 

[workshoprat92]

Should be a 3304 engine and not the d330. Also u have the d5 undercarriage.

 

[FW190D9]

Workshoprat92, How do you tell the difference between the D330 and the 3304? Ive heard conflicting info as to the K and L models having the 2 different engines.

Dmiller, Yeah she is kinda different. And yes, I believe it does have the D5 undercarriage.

Kshansen, Exactly! Its a wonder it was cooling even at all. The core had about 60% blockage

Anyone know about the oil filter base change?

Evan Q.

 

[workshoprat92]

That series of 955 is to new to have a d330. The older 955k might have had a d330 but it was the model that you had to climb over the dump cylinders to get in it. Plus this machine is basically a 955l only i think the k had a little faster hydraulic system. Long and short is your machine is not right series or age to have a d330

 

[kshansen]

Anyone know about the oil filter base change?

Evan Q.

Any more info on this? Are you looking to change from a cartridge to spin on filter or is it something else?

Any chance for a complete S/N, both machine and engine? Numbers always help!

 

[FW190D9]

Machine Ser# is 85J2159 Looking to change from a cartridge to a spin on. I dont mind changing the filter base as the cartridge one I have is pretty beat up and leaks quite a bit. Where is the engine serial located?

Thanks
Evan Q.

 

[kshansen]

Machine Ser# is 85J2159 Looking to change from a cartridge to a spin on. I dont mind changing the filter base as the cartridge one I have is pretty beat up and leaks quite a bit. Where is the engine serial located?

Thanks
Evan Q.

There 3306 engines I'm more familiar with have a tag, if I recall right, just below the top of the block on the right side toward the back. If tag is missing Cat usually stamped the numbers in to the block but they can be hard to see on some.

 

[FW190D9]

Kshansen, Thanks. I ll check it out next time Im down at the ranch. Tractor is 3 hours from home, thats why I brought the nose back home to work on it. Got better tools at my regular shop. Ive done alot of work on a D7F in the past but its been a long time. I think I converted that one to a spin on filter as well. but it was just a simple matter of using the filter base from a D7G, fit right up. I just dont know if the early and late 3304 engines use the same oil cooler which will dictate what filter base to use.
Thanks in advance.
Evan Q.

 

[FW190D9]

Oh and btw, for all you sharp eyed picture lookers out there. Yes indeed I broke several bolts getting the radiator apart. Got some thread chasing to do on the rebuild.

 

[workshoprat92]

85J should be a 955L. I could be wrong but i do t think any of the Ks had a 85J prefix. Again i could be wrong. Still i think it would be a 3304 engine. I do t think anything 85J had a d330 engine.

 

[workshoprat92]

Well all be I could be wrong. Not sure when they switched to the 3304 engine. Mine is a 85j10889 and it has the 3304 engine. I am not sure how acurate this info is.
http://www.ritchiewiki.com/wiki/index.php/Caterpillar_955K/955L_Crawler_Loader

 

[FW190D9]

Well it could be a 3304 engine given the number of modifications made to this machine. Im pretty sure the nose and radiator came off a later L model. The hour meter actually works after I replaced the view lens. It currently reads only 637. the decals on the fuel tank (I know, not really relevant) do say 955K, not L
Ill have to get the serial off the motor next time down to find out for sure.
Evan Q.

 

[workshoprat92]

Yea its hard to tell just by looking at them. They were so similar really. The 3304 is a bigger engine physically. Yea the only for sure way to tell is by serial number.

 

[FW190D9]

Does Nige know about the oil filter base thing?
Evan Q.

 

[Rusted]

Machine Ser# is 85J2159 Looking to change from a cartridge to a spin on. I dont mind changing the filter base as the cartridge one I have is pretty beat up and leaks quite a bit. Where is the engine serial located?

Thanks
Evan Q.

85J2159 is a K with a D330c engine, they became the L series at 85J4672, when the 3304 was also introduced.

The engine serial tag is on the left rear side of the block just below the head. If it still has the D330c, the engine serial will match that of the machine, individual engine series didn't come in until the 33xx series engines.

 

[FW190D9]

Thanks Rusted. Ill check it out.

Evan Q.