Cat 257 track frame won't budge

[pajibson]

I got one side off and its sliding on the rear torsion bar on the other side but it won't budge on the front torsion bar. I have heated it up a few times. I've been beating on it, had hydraulics pushing on it, a puller on it for a few days. Soaked with kroil. Tried combinations of all of the above. Anybody have any other ideas?

 

[pajibson]

Heres a pic of it.

 

[lantraxco]

Figure out which piece is the lowest cost to replace and start cutting I think. Is the torsion spindle available as a weld in replacement? Are there bushings in that pivot or?

 

[pajibson]

The bushing is replaceable & the torsion arm assembly appears to be about 650. Didn't enquire about a replacement spindle. I think I'm going to drill the bushing in a few places.
I'm a little concerned that the spindle is bent. Its about 1/4 off from the other side but the rear two are equal.

 

[lantraxco]

wow that's rusty... on second thought if you have access to a twenty or thirty ton porta power cylinder, you could weld some eyes on the sides of that tube or something like that, there's no substitute for brute force on a stuck joint.

 

[pajibson]

We're getting it. Heat, pour water re heat, add grease. Spray with kroil. Repeat.

 

[lantraxco]

That's great. Dunno about the water thing though, cooling hot steel tends to shrink it, would think that would tighten things more than loosen. YMMV, stay on 'er!

 

[pajibson]

I wouldn't have thought it would work either. But she's off now. Heat, cool, heat then it would move. Old tank mechanic told me to try it. I had my doubts too but nothing else was working.

 

[lantraxco]

Right on!

 

[DIYDAVE]

That one looks like it hasn't seen grease, in a long while. I have an RC 30, that froze up the same spindle, I took the fitting out, and installed a pipe coupler, and a cap. Every time I walked by, I would refill the pipe, with Kroil. Took about 6 weeks for it to eat through, and start dripping out the bottom, but it works, good stuff. Another trick to file away for next time is to heat the housing with a rosebud, and while its still hot, melt a beeswax candle, against any joint or seam you can get it into. the wax wicks its way in pretty good, and works well, to lubricate stuck stuff...

 

[pajibson]

Oh yeah bees wax is God's own penetrating oil. I used the rosebud on it last weekend then just let it sit and sprayed it down with kroil once or twice a day. Yesterday I went back to work on it with the torch. I did use some beeswax but sparingly. Its pricey and hard to come by here in the big city. Im hoping that changes now that more and more people are starting to keep bees.
Yeah this whole u/c is a hot mess. Got the rails cleaned up and going to start going through the wheels today. See how many still have good bearings and enough meat on them to reuse.
I do have another question though. The big washer that's behind all the wheels near as I can tell it's there to Rattle around and keep the dirt and mud from building up. But it seems to wear out the inside of the wheel to where it won't hold a snap ring anymore. You guys recommend putting it back in or leaving it out?

 

[DIYDAVE]

You might want to consider new ones. I haven't had any wheels off'n my RC 30, for a while, so I don't remember if it has the same parts as yours. I drilled all my grease caps, and welded a 1/4-28 nut, on the inside, so I could thread all with a grease fitting. I only put about 250-300 hrs on it a year, so I had more of a problem with the old grease, drying out, than any lack of grease. Now, after pitting the fittings on the caps, I just grease it 1X a year, on the hottest day. I listen for the grease to make a poch sound, as it blows out the other side. Since I installed the fittings, I haven't had any more wheel problems...

 

[pajibson]

I like the grease fitting idea. I'm just not sure if I want to leave all those big rattle washers off when I put this back together or put them back on.