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Stripping a D6H for shipping to remote alaska

weeder57

Active Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2015
Messages
27
Location
alaska
Occupation
A&P
Alright guys and gals, looking to see if anybody has a weight on a fully stripped d6h or similiar dozer. What we got going on is I need a bigger dozer at my place, but the barge can only handle 15-19k lbs, in a 8 foot wide opening on the gate. So I was thinking once the blade, nose, radiators, cab, all covers and pans, fuel tank, batteries, pads, and extra rollers are removed it should be down around 20k lbs. Am I crazy? So essentially it would drive onto the barge on rails alone, and it would only run for a few minutes to load so it doesn't need a radiator hooked up. Then another 2 trips with all the other stuff and re assembly on the other end with a 80 size komatsu we have out there. Another option would be to remove finals and track frames and put it on a dolly, and back onto barge and pull it off the barge with my 450b or a d3. Just wondering what all your educated guesses would be on the weight totally stripped would be.
Reason a d6h or d6r, I need something with push arms, been around those d6m and d6ns with the 6 ways that crack in stump pushing detail. Any other dozers that would work good? I would love a d7h but the weight is a concern with a d6h already. Tracking it out overland in the winter is out of the question, it doesnt freeze that well here for that stuff and permits are a pain to get. We had the 80 sized komatsu excavator hauled out complete and it was no issue, I think it was 18k lbs with some extra stuff making the load 21k?
Any help is much appreciated.
 

John C.

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Jun 11, 2007
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12,865
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Northwest
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Machinery & Equipment Appraiser
Sounds like you are in Southeast? Also sounds like you can't afford to have the proper sized barge haul the machine for you.
 

kshansen

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Mar 11, 2012
Messages
11,129
Location
Central New York, USA
Occupation
Retired Mechanic in Stone Quarry
Not being familiar with the D6H I would be curious to know if there are coolers in that nose that would prevent running without radiator installed. Guess if push comes to shove you could cobble up hoses to by-pass cooler(s) to run for very short time.
 

weeder57

Active Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2015
Messages
27
Location
alaska
Occupation
A&P
Southcentral, There is only 1 barge that runs this river that will handle more than 15k lbs, and he limits out at 19k he prefers. Cost is no issue, if there was a bigger barge this would have been done many years ago. The main problem with walking it in the winter is permits, and making a solid trail over the swamps that barely freeze. Too risky to have to pay the fines involved with sinking a piece of equipment in a swamp. Also the c130/l100 guys refuse to land on a sandbar or even homemade ice strip, tried that route also.
 

Jonas302

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2015
Messages
1,197
Location
mn
I really dont have any helpful advice but I'm sure every body would like pics and progress reports sounds like an interesting project
 

Tones

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2009
Messages
3,062
Location
Ubique
Occupation
Ex land clearing contractor, part-time retired
I wonder what a helicopter would cost?;)
or drop it out of a C17 whole. The military may come on board and call it a training exercise. :D

I remember when I was 17 seeing a D2 that had been stripped down and the bits were flown to a remote location in a 180 Cessna and thrown out. The owners then walked in and reassembled it and cleared an airstrip. And that was in a national park. A lot of liberty has been lost since then.
 
Last edited:

skyking1

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 3, 2020
Messages
7,465
Location
washington
That sounds like where there's a will there's a way. You'll have to just start breaking one down and weighing the pieces. Take your excavator down and meet the barge and pull the pieces off and put it together by the river.
 

John C.

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Jun 11, 2007
Messages
12,865
Location
Northwest
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Machinery & Equipment Appraiser
Now I understand. If you can get a service manual, there is usually a section in there with weights and measures. My performance manual lists a D6H Series II, power shift with PAT blade and tow bar on the back at weighs in between 39,700 and 45,400 pounds complete. You are going to have to drop over 20,000 pounds. I think those weights are for an open ROPS. Try to get the weights on the tracks and frames first, then the ROPS structure. The blade and tow bar come next. I don't remember if the transmission cooler is air to oil or coolant to oil. I wouldn't want to disturb that stuff if I could help it.
 

epirbalex

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Joined
Aug 5, 2017
Messages
548
Location
Akitio
Occupation
peasant
Southcentral, There is only 1 barge that runs this river that will handle more than 15k lbs, and he limits out at 19k he prefers. Cost is no issue, if there was a bigger barge this would have been done many years ago. The main problem with walking it in the winter is permits, and making a solid trail over the swamps that barely freeze. Too risky to have to pay the fines involved with sinking a piece of equipment in a swamp. Also the c130/l100 guys refuse to land on a sandbar or even homemade ice strip, tried that route also.
Have you considered a smaller dozer . You have a Komatsu digger already so must have sorted the supply line for it . A D41 stripped of its blade , rams , hydraulic tank , diesel tank , batteries may well be able to be walked off the barge . Every item has its weight listed in the relevant workshop or operators manuals for some Komatsus . The performance won't be far behind a D6 . If you ever need a service agent in there it would be better to have two machines from the same manufacturer .
 

Delmer

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Jan 3, 2013
Messages
8,865
Location
WI
I'm thinking Red Green. Several used pontoons, and lots of duct tape. Seriously, though, I'd look into building it's own barge for it to sit lower and made for beaching a dozer. -before I'd take one apart like that.
 

Nige

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Jun 22, 2011
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28,981
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G..G..G..Granville.........!! Fetch your cloth.
Would a good starting point be to remove the blade, push arms, blade lift cylinders & mounts, cab, ripper, etc then get what's left of the tractor over a certified scale while it's still mobile to see what you have left in the way of weight.?
At that point using the Service Manual John C mentioned above you could use the weights of anything else that you considered removing to get down to your target weight. You/re really in uncharted territory with what you want to do.
 

weeder57

Active Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2015
Messages
27
Location
alaska
Occupation
A&P
So did some research, the 24 inch pads weigh 3198 lbs, track bolts and nuts weigh 160 lbs, bottom rollers weight 113 lbs each, so all together I think I can shave 3600 lbs off there and still be a le to drive it on boards no issue. I know it doesn't add up to much yet, but I need to calculate a good approximation before I pull the trigger on this machine im eyeing. I have 640 acres to clear, and the smaller equipment we have just isnt cutting it. Already have 2 smaller dozers and that komatsu, and the local CAT dealer is very helpful. Not many komatsus running around here. Im seeing Cat offers an assembly and disassembly manual, and was wondering if that would be better to purchase over the service manual. I would assume the service manual would have weights, or even the parts manual? Out of all the data for these machines something out there should have weights of the parts. I appreciate the help so far, Thanks.
 

catman13

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 22, 2011
Messages
435
Location
oregon usa
Occupation
refrigeration engineer/excavation contractor
how far is the cat dealer from you, and how do they move their equipment
 

catman13

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Aug 22, 2011
Messages
435
Location
oregon usa
Occupation
refrigeration engineer/excavation contractor
and i would have a cat dealer near the cat do oil samples pressure tests and a complete inspection on the cat before you buy it and move a wore out cat that far and find out it is junk
 

weeder57

Active Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2015
Messages
27
Location
alaska
Occupation
A&P
Nearest dealer is NC about 10 miles away, this dozer is going remote but not to remote. The gist of it is its across 2 major rivers close to town, and walking it in the winter in this exact location would be a whole other ordeal and project involving permits. Been there done that on other jobs, and tearing stuff apart and putting them in planes or snowmachining it out is common practice here and Ive done it a zillion times. If it was the 80s like my old man grew up in, I would just walk it out in the winter, but like I said, now we have ridiculous permits, and winters aren't what they used to be. And yes, I will definately have the machine looked over good, its not my first rodeo. But I have no issue doing major work in the bush, hell I do that for a living sometimes. I already did a undercarriage, engine overhaul, trans replacement on the case 450b, without air tools or another machine. Talk about a chore with a come along and spruce logs, bottle jacks, and cheater bars. Its all in the fun. Another benefit of taking the machine apart is to overhaul what is needed while its apart, to be absolutely sure its it good running order. Ive done engine swaps and wing repairs on aircraft super remote, everything is possible, just takes some more bug dope and a tarp.
Thanks for the advice again.
 

Nige

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Jun 22, 2011
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Location
G..G..G..Granville.........!! Fetch your cloth.
Regarding a comment that you made above. The assembly & disassembly section is just one part of a Service Manual. There are other sections on such things as specifications, systems operation, test & adjust, schematics, etc. Component weights are mentioned in the assembly & disassembly manual.

The Parts Manual will not have weights.
 
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