Cat 955k Track Adjuster Question

[Tom955k]

Update:

i decided to check/clean the screen for the bevel gear case and found the screen dirty and containing parts of a bearing. I have pulled the bevel gear shaft and steering clutches and found the bearing that is bad. I'll take it to a local shop and have the clutch hubs pulled as I don't have the proper puller to handle the job.
After removing the shaft and clutches, I found that one of the final drive pinion bearings to be bad. I plan to replace the pinion seals on both sides while the bevel gear shaft is out. Will update with more pics as work progresses.

 

[Tom955k]

After talking to a local shop that wanted me to leave the bevel gear shaft and clutches with them, I decided to just order the OTC push puller required to do the work myself. To get the 2-5/8 socket onto the nut, I had to remove the springs. I found the clutch spring compressor plate at steeringclutch.com for $65 That was a way better deal than the guy on eBay that wanted $339 for a NOS Caterpillar tool.






This shows the bearing that was going bad.



With the clutch and bevel gear shaft removed, I found vertical play in the final drive pinion shaft flange on one side. Upon removal, I found that the bearing was bad and the pinion teeth were badly chipped. I was going to pull the pinion flanges any way to replace the dual oil seals. They were extremely brittle and crumbled when I picked at them.

Now I intend to go into the final drive to replace the chipped gears and while I'm in there replace bearings/races

 

[DMiller]

Always pays to be safe side inspecting. Could have been leftovers from a previous exploit but not ignoring saves the chances as this.

 

[Tom955k]

Progress is slow.

I have torn into the final drive and the intermediate gear that is driven by the pinion is chipped badly as is the pinion. The bull gear is looks good and I'll be replacing all of the bearings and races as there is visible pitting on some of them. Any opinions on the use of aftermarket parts versus genuine Cat parts? This is a farm use machine.

 

[Welder Dave]

Cat Classic parts might be a good option if they're available.

 

[workshoprat92]

I found one on find it parts and it was a oem cat old stock someone wanted to get rid of. Just gotta really do your homework.

 

[workshoprat92]

Have you had any luck finding parts? It looks like that idler gear is chipped only on the outer edge. I dont know that id give up on it and consider it non serviceable as it very well may live a long time in farm use! I would clean it up and blend off the rough edges with a grinder. The key word is blend! The idea being to get rid the sharp jaged edges and make it smooth and radiused eliminating stress risers where a new crack could propigate from. If 95% of the tooth face is fine it might be worth a try. In my area the Amish would weld it up and file it down and put the machine on the lot for sale!!! Whats the small pinion gear look like?

 

[Tom955k]

Workshop,

The intermediate gear is bad on both edges on some teeth. The pinion is really chipped and flaked on multiple teeth. The bull gear and intermediate gear were aftermarket and the pinion is Oem Caterpillar. I feel that the last person to work on it didn't want to go into the bevel gear case and left the bad pinion and bearing to screw up the new parts! The pinion had so much vertical play due to the bad bearing that I think led to the chipping of the new intermediate gear. I have ordered new CTP brand gears and NTN bearings and races. Gonna "fix it right" so I won't have that uneasy feeling when I work it hard in the future.






I have also cut the broken spring and have a new pair waiting to be installed.




I now need to get the sprocket pulled off the final drive at Thompson Caterpillar and get the bearings and races installed so that I can put it back together. I saw the YouTube video where you used the homemade setup to pull the sprocket and wish i had access to something like that! Cat gets $119/hr around here.

 

[Qualityprop]

What’s the best way to disassemble and then reassemble with a new spring on a 955k track assembly?
Also should I replace the adjuster cylinder it’s pretty corroded but functions

 

[Nige]

What’s the best way to disassemble and then reassemble with a new spring on a 955k track assembly?

Search through the posts by @workshoprat92. IIRC he fabbed up a home made spring compressor to install the new spring. Removing the old one is relatively easy. If I can find the thread I’ll post a link to it. The only thing to always bear in mind is that these springs are not referred to as Death Springs for nothing.

 

[Nige]

Here's the thread in question ............
https://www.heavyequipmentforums.co...955l-track-tensioner-spring-compressor.53035/

 

[workshoprat92]

Here's the thread in question ............
https://www.heavyequipmentforums.co...955l-track-tensioner-spring-compressor.53035/

If you have any questions on my home made compressor feel free to ask

 

[oldtom]

I think the 955k is very similar to the 955L. Not only are the bolts sheared off and the bracket completly gone but there are two pins that are sheared also. you can fix all of this but what you really need to look at is how worn your front idler guides are worn. if it is way worn and your front idler is able to flop around then it will just re break all that you have fixed.

Here is where I would start before you split the track. you need some way to compress the spring and engage the lock nut to capture it at a length it can be reinstalled. two ways to do this. #1 if your tension is in good shape and tracks arent to loose you can pump it up with grease till tracks over tighten and it compresses spring. #2 and is way esier is to put a 4x4 block between track and sprocket and back up squeezing block of wood between sprocket and track causing track to go way over tight and compress spring. Have someone watch and measure when you are at compressed length of spring for installation. Lock park break. remove rear guards exposing large nut on end of rod that goes through the spring assembly. At this point I would remove the lock and then remove the nut. May take the use of a torch and heat to get the nut to move. after nut is off clean all the threads via sandblasting or whatever means you have. clean nut threads. Apply grease to nut and run on all the way till tight. Spring is now captured and is now safe to remove block of wood and split track. I would go ahead and remove spring assembly and use mag base drill to remove broken bolts. if the broken pins wont drive through to the hollow of the track frame you will need to drill into them and tap them. make a puller that can go on a slide hammer and pull them out. If you pull out the spring assembly you can rebuild the guide ears on the pilot like I did on my post about tensioner spring compressing.

Is that clear as mud?
all in all you have a large project ahead of you.

you just crush that wood use a pin a old cylinder pin or or the like to fit in drive sprocket teeth and back up it pull track up tight just dont put head or body near that recoil spring

 

[DMiller]

I vote the Proved method, Gas Axe rings until NO tension and remove the bad one(s). Reinstall NEW parts as set up by a Shop with the right tooling, and always rebuild tensioner while apart.

 

[DMiller]

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