Cat 951-C in my sights

[donkey doctor]

Don't know if you are subject to these regs or not but for your own safety it might be worth thinking about. Regards d.d. https://www.osha.gov/dts/hib/hib_data/hib19880520.html

 

[ih100]

Silly question, perhaps, but are the track plates now wider than the bucket?

 

[Nitelite]

To answer donkey doctor, as you can see in the picture of the air tree, any exposed piping is 1/2 galvanized metal pipe. The pvc pipe runs overhead and is cradled inside of C channel for the entire run across the shop. All of the drops are galvanized metal fastened to the walls. osha rules would not apply as this is my private shop for my own use. Thanks for the input, I have never seen the regulation before. I guess that they could cite me for general stupidity and probably would if they watched my work methods for a little while. Who in this forum could pass their scrutiny?

"To answer ih100. As luck would have it, the new track pads now measure 77" outside to outside of the track chains. The bucket measures 78" wide. The cost to sheer both sides of the pad would have been double the price in labor cost. I can use the extra floatation as, come spring, I will drain and clean out my 1 1/2 acre lake. It will be pure mud, but it does have a solid rock bottom underneath all of that muck. I do have a Cat D4E with a winch for plan B if needed.

You also have to consider, those new pads came with the loader when I purchased it and they were delivered to me. That set of pads cost about half of what I paid for the machine. Cat priced the new bolts and nuts at more than $900.00. I paid $237.00 for 312 bolts and the nuts and they are genuine caterpillar parts. As you can tell in the pictures the old pads are worn and they are all breaking on the leading edges.

True,the track chain shows some wear. It measures out at 7" 1/16. The rails are decent and the sprockets show considerable wear, All bottom rollers are good to go and I am replacing 1 carrier roller. Front Idlers are good shape. It is a farm machine and it does not have to earn its keep any more. It is basically retired and so am I. You could go hog wild if you were rich and turn the pins and bushings and at the same time replace the sprockets. I chose to keep her going and run till destruction. You never know what will give trouble next but I would hate to know that I had to sit in that seat and operate it until it destructed before I could quit.

I think that those old cats are grand old machines and I feel honored to own them. I am just as content to work on them as I am to operate them. If they didn't need a lot of work done on them I couldn't afford to own them. They are both 1978 models and I had to wait 35 years for someone to wear them out so I could afford them.

The bright side of the picture is when I get all of those parts replaced imagine how much scrap metal I will have to sell and recover some of the cost.

As someone who has worked hard all of my life, I do feel for the guys who post on this forum with major breakdowns and problems, as their machines do still have to earn their keep and turn a profit. From those noble and knowledgeable people is where I learn to tinker on my own junk.

 

[Nitelite]

Awsome, I was just looking at the pictures above of the right and left tracks that I posted. I haven't noticed it before, but it looks like one of the chains at some time has been installed backwards.

I guess that that cat won't know weather it is coming or going. If you agree that one is backwards, is it worth busting the chain to change?

 

[Nitelite]

I just had to go look at the machine. The track chains are on right. I took one picture from the front and the other from the rear. I could not have turned a chain if one would have been backwards, because of the offset pads. False alarm!

 

[tctractors]

Nitelite, I love your Vigor and effort to keep chipping away at the task, in the U.K. that Shovel would be a gem to own, so well done that man.
tctractors

 

[Nige]

Glad you got to the bottom of the problem in the end - a success story is always good to hear. It's not nice to see someone struggling especially when with a bit of planning it's not necessary.

 

[Nitelite]

The track pad change is finished. Today I started the job of repacking the lift cylinders. I have the bucket supported on some heavy duty jack stands. I am also using the blade of the D4E as back up support for the bucket while I am working on the lift cylinders. As a third safety measure I am using a chain from one lift arm, across the top of the hood, to the other lift arm.

You may can see in the picture that I am using the the blade of the D4E to support the 951C bucket. In the first picture I am trying to pull the rod from the right cylinder with no luck yet. The second picture is the left hand rod, pinned into the 951's draw bar for holding, so I can un screw the large nut from the rod. The third picture shows the cheater pipe, ready to take care of business. Picture #4 shows the nut almost off. At that point it started raining and finishing my day.

I have not managed to pull the rod from the right hand cylinder yet. I applied all of the capable pressure from the come along. I am trying not to remove the empty cylinder. At this point I am planning to repack and install the left cylinder back on the machine and top off the hydraulic fluid. Then I think that I can start the engine and force the rod from the tube using the machine's own hydraulics. I plan on wrapping the rod with cardboard real good so as to protect it from damage when it does come out.

With what I have available to work with, this seems to be the best method. Am I on the right track or is there an easier way?

Next I will rebuild the tilt cylinders and then change the hydraulic fluid and filter.

I am beginning to see a small amount of antifreeze standing on the engine head. I will find the source when I get the chance. at this point I suspect a head gasket change may be in order. Oh well, it looks like I will be busy all winter with this new ride. I am sure that I will need lots of information available on this forum before I get a dependable machine out of this poor neglected cat.

 

[mitch504]

If you have a Porto-Power, you can adapt it's pump to the bottom port on the cylinder. It cuts down on the chance of losing an hour looking for the rod in the neighbor's pasture.

If the coolant is standing on top of the head, that doesn't sound like a head gasket to me, more like an external leak.

Good luck,
Mitch

 

[tctractors]

Nitelite it might be worth a verb on the fact that the piston is back to front on the rod, the fibre ring needs to be at the nut end else damage will result, the coolant on the head is from the chamber seals most probably.
tctractors.

 

[Nige]

Nitelite it might be worth a verb on the fact that the piston is back to front on the rod, the fibre ring needs to be at the nut end else damage will result, the coolant on the head is from the chamber seals most probably.
tctractors.

Good spot Tony. Here's what the assembly should look like.

 

[glenlunberg]

The machine deal included a new set of shoes. I have bought the new hardware. 312 new Cat bolts and nuts. She will look good in the new
shoes.

Good eyes on this machine. It's very nice and sharp!

 

[Nitelite]

Keeping me straight!

Thanks tctractors and Nige! If not for your reply I would have put that piston in backwards. That was how it was when I removed the rod from the cylinder. I took pictures and put everything back exactly as it came apart. I did have the schematic but failed to pay attention to it and concentrated on putting things back in the same location and direction as they were removed. The cylinder had been rebuilt before as there were markings on the nut left by a pipe wrench. The seals were really rotten and came out in little chunks.

I have not really tried to find the source of the antifreeze coolant leak yet. I will have to get these cylinders finished so I can clean the coolant from the head, start the engine, and then trace the source. I am posting a picture where I just stuck the camera up there and snapped a picture in behind the manifold where I really can't see. It would be good not to need to pull the head.

tctractors what exactly are you referring to when you say a "chamber leak"? Are you talking about a seal or gasket of some sort? I was an automobile mechanic for years and I know that some head bolts go through to the water jacket inside the engine block. I have seen those particular bolts leak coolant around their bolt heads when the head gasket was blown adjoining.

 

[tctractors]

Nitelite, follow the injector pipe to the injector, the body the injector fits into is the Pre-combustion Chamber that is sealed at the top with a thick O ring, the usual reason for this style of leak is high C/Head temps caused by blocked oil cooler/s restricting water flow from the W/Pump into the cylinder block, get your rods sorted and start thinking about whipping off the Bonnet.

 

[Nitelite]

I understand what you are saying tctractors, That will be my very next project after I finish rebuilding the hydraulic cylinders and changing the fluid and filter. I will keep you in the loop. Thanks!

 

[tctractors]

Nitelite, after you get your hydraulic plumbing done drop off the front bucket as its easier and safer to work on the motor, remove the top cowl (bit in front of dash) and bonnet then raise the loader frame up to top hight and brace with angle iron or CAT support bolted bellow fuel tank, then you can perform on the motor like a pro, it might be worth making a good job of the support by welding a horse shoe base to some stout angle to seat on the ram gland, I think around 32" total lenght is needed?? you did say that the engine was a bit of a nail so now is a good time to sort the beast.

 

[lowbed driver]

Would like to see a photo(s) of the D4E and 951 side by side. Very nice combo indeed. Good luck with them, hope you have hundreds of hours of enjoyment with each. Cheers LB

 

[Nitelite]

Pictures of the pair of cats

Would like to see a photo(s) of the D4E and 951 side by side. Very nice combo indeed. Good luck with them, hope you have hundreds of hours of enjoyment with each. Cheers LB

As per request, here are the cats together. I have just finished repacking the lift cylinders on the loader.

 

[mitch504]

Boy, I wish my D4e looked like that, well, actually it looks almost exactly like that, except for the paint.

Yours has some.

 

[lowbed driver]

What a sweet looking set of toys you have there. I would love those 2 exact machines. I would want the same blade on the D4. Does it have a tilt cylinder or is the tilt manual.

Again nice set up.

Cheers LB