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Should I take on this project? 50s Cat D4

oarwhat

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 14, 2009
Messages
826
Location
buffalo,n.y.
:D

My first ever project when I was 14 years old, I talked my dad into letting me buy a clapped out 1947 Willys Jeep. No tools, everything rusted, a complete nightmare. This is easy compared to that piece of junk, and I ended up getting that thing running.

Did the exact same thing with a 1953 Willys CJ3A when I was 16. It sure taught me allot of how to repair things.
 

Lumberjack Matt

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 14, 2021
Messages
96
Location
Oregon
Wire brush the gear and cam. I wouldn't worry too much about pitting on the cam gear unless it is really deep. I would be more concerned about pitting on the cam lobes.

Yeah there is a chance the gear might still be usable. We will see what happens after a week long bath in evaporust. Gotta remember this turns the cam, it's not a transmission gear. Doesn't require much torque to turn the cam, so some minor pitting in the teeth shouldn't cause anything to fail.
 

56wrench

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2016
Messages
2,074
Location
alberta
It depends. Some old engines had an integral crank gear ( non-replaceable) and you don't want to harm it if at all possible by running it with a rough cam gear in my opinion
 

Lumberjack Matt

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 14, 2021
Messages
96
Location
Oregon
Well at least I solved why the engine wasn't fully rotating. All the grit in the gear teeth were binding it up. Took a wire wheel to the teeth just so I could get enough rotation to access the bolts holding the cam in. Now that it's out the rotating assembly spins freely.

PXL_20210719_031223112.jpg
PXL_20210719_031219019.jpg
 

catman13

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 22, 2011
Messages
435
Location
oregon usa
Occupation
refrigeration engineer/excavation contractor
you could try Philips tractor in Gaston Oregon / or general gear out of Idaho ,, they both wreak tractors , might be cheaper than fixing old 1
 

Lumberjack Matt

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 14, 2021
Messages
96
Location
Oregon
you could try Philips tractor in Gaston Oregon / or general gear out of Idaho ,, they both wreak tractors , might be cheaper than fixing old 1

Was going to check out Philips, its only about 5 minutes from where I got this tractor. Apparently the original owner died recently but his son is running it now.
 

Welder Dave

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2014
Messages
12,260
Location
Canada
Is this the same Ed Miller who used to have a fairly large operation in Edmonton? He was shut down for being involved with stolen equipment and selling parts off the stolen equipment.
 

spitzair

Senior Member
Joined
May 4, 2007
Messages
1,009
Location
Squamish BC (Home), Slave Lake, AB (Work)
Is this the same Ed Miller who used to have a fairly large operation in Edmonton? He was shut down for being involved with stolen equipment and selling parts off the stolen equipment.
No, this Ed Miller is a real honest stand-up guy. I've been buying parts from him since 2002 and he's been there for a long time before that too.
 

Welder Dave

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2014
Messages
12,260
Location
Canada
The shop in Edmonton was back in the 90's when it was shut down. They gave R Angus (the Cat dealer at the time) some serious competition. A field full of equipment was discovered and turned out to be stolen. An investigation pointed to parts and such going through Ed Miller. They had a big lawsuit against Caterpillar too.

Miller (Ed) Sales & Rentals Ltd. v. Caterpillar Tractor Co. et al., (1994) 170 A.R. 341 (QB) - Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta (Canada) - Canadian Caselaw - Case Law - VLEX 680809517

www.legalviews.com/handbook/cases2/Caterpillar Tractor Co_ v_ Ed Miller Sales & Rentals (_2) (CA 1998) 216 AR 304_ 61 Alta LR(3d) 256.htm
 

Lumberjack Matt

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 14, 2021
Messages
96
Location
Oregon
Another guy you could try is Ed Miller over by Spokane, Wa. He has literally hundreds of cats and is sure to have a good running engine for you. If you want I’ll private message you his number.

Hey I really appreciate the reply. I might be reaching out soon once I finish tearing down the engine. I'm trying to put together a list of what exactly I'll be needing.
 

Lumberjack Matt

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 14, 2021
Messages
96
Location
Oregon
It's been awhile, but so much has happened on this thing and I figured I'd update you guys on this.

So first off, I've completely stripped down the tractor except for the undercarriage, which in my opinion is in decent shape. I'm replacing steering clutches, brakes, a couple broken gears in the transmission, main clutch, etc etc etc. Basically any wear parts. I've had no real problems sourcing stuff. General Gear in Idaho has basically every part I've needed, and the prices really aren't that bad at all. I've probably spent 2-3K there, but I'll have a brand new drive train (once I put it back together).
PXL_20210906_030702544~2.jpg

The real problem with this tractor was the engine, it was completely toasted. It had ran with no oil, and it had sat and collected water for ??? years. I just today went and visited Phillips Tractor in Gaston Oregon, and unfortunately it is shutting down. The original owner has passed on, and his son is just not making money selling stuff. No one is buying the old tractor stuff anymore. Good news for me though, he sold me a working engine for $500. I took a few pics of his leftover machines and such. Sad that it's going away, but it's a bygone era I suppose. The father son team have probably touched every older machine in this area where I live, and there is a 99% chance that they did the conversion from pony to 12V start on my machine.
PXL_20210915_234100354.MP.jpg PXL_20210915_235342488.jpg

Anyways, I just wanted to say that this has been a fun project and I can't wait to get it moving again so I can tear up some trails on my property. I've met a lot of great people and learned a lot of things. I don't regret buying this machine at all!
 

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emmett518

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 24, 2021
Messages
810
Location
USA
I have a friend who is a therapist.

I was chatting with her over coffee, and mentioned that I bought a backhoe. I further related that I was having second thoughts on the purchase because I wasn't going to be using it every day, and that the cost was considerable.

She immediately responded that I was missing the point.

She asked me if I enjoyed working on the tractor?

I responded affirmatively.

She asked me if I felt as though I was over my head due to the learning curve.

I nodded my head.

She went on to explain that when someone faces a new situation where they face a steep learning curve to gain needed mastery, that process creates new neural pathways in the brain, and stimulates brain activity. She went on to explain that research found that people who continue to throw themselves into brand new, challenging situations maintain good heath, and those novel experiences insure that they will age well as they get older.

People who stop involving themselves in new and previously unknown activities do not age well. In fact, many of them die after a mere six months of retirement.

"You didn't buy a backhoe. You bought a health insurance policy. "

Good for you for tackling this dozer project. When it's complete, it's your job to find the next project, and keep working.

If you stop, you'll die.
 
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