Cat 977L

[DMiller]

As I recall in the late 70s, many of these ended up discarded as broke up on heavy use machines, no one seemed to care as machine lifespans were short on hard contractor use and trade outs. Few of those survived those years here.

 

[Welder Dave]

Pics for @Welder Dave showing the strengthening pieces on the inner side.
Chris

The internal bracing should make them much stronger.

 

[ChrisUK]

Update time !
The two lower engine bay side screens are now bolted in, have started on the top sections too.

Just in a base coat colour for now until we get to painting it one day.

The front bonnet bolts have previously been cut off with a grinder, not sure why. On with drilling them out as didn’t fancy heating the front cowl with the gas as it’s a bit too close to the radiator for my liking.

Cheers Chris.

 

[IceHole]

Is that a CAT cab? My 1977 or 78 977L cab looks nothing like that. It's a CAT cab.

Mine looks like this...

Cat 977L Crawler Loader

**This item sells off site**Cat 977L Crawler Loader with ripper attachment, 200 HP. Runs strong. 1079hrs

www.eugeneequipmentauction.com

I have dozer tracks on mine and forks. Was used for pulling CAT trains and moving materials here in Prudhoe is what I was told.

 

[ChrisUK]

Is that a CAT cab? My 1977 or 78 977L cab looks nothing like that. It's a CAT cab.

Mine looks like this...

Cat 977L Crawler Loader

**This item sells off site**Cat 977L Crawler Loader with ripper attachment, 200 HP. Runs strong. 1079hrs

www.eugeneequipmentauction.com

I have dozer tracks on mine and forks. Was used for pulling CAT trains and moving materials here in Prudhoe is what I was told.

It was made by a company called Westlode for Caterpillar, I’ll get a picture of the data tag next week.
It’s the only 977L I’ve seen with this type of cab.
Cheers Chris.

 

[Nige]

I recall seeing Westlode cabs on UK-built D8K's sold by Leverton back in the day.
Strangely enough I can't remember seeing them on units sold by Bowmaker.

EDIT: I just discovered that Westlode Engineering was a division of H Leverton & Co. That would explain it. On the basis of that I would say that Leverton would be the dealer that orignally sold the 977L that @ChrisUK now owns.

Westlode Engineering

Westlode Engineering Ltd. was an engineering company based in Spalding, Lincolnshire. The company was founded in 1960 and dissolved in 2000. Westlode was a division of H Leverton & Co. for a number of years. They built special agricultural versions of the Caterpillar D4D for the UK market...

tractors.fandom.com

 

[ChrisUK]

I recall seeing Westlode cabs on UK-built D8K's sold by Leverton back in the day.
Strangely enough I can't remember seeing them on units sold by Bowmaker.

EDIT: I just discovered that Westlode Engineering was a division of H Leverton & Co. That would explain it. On the basis of that I would say that Leverton would be the dealer that orignally sold the 977L that @ChrisUK now owns.

Westlode Engineering

Westlode Engineering Ltd. was an engineering company based in Spalding, Lincolnshire. The company was founded in 1960 and dissolved in 2000. Westlode was a division of H Leverton & Co. for a number of years. They built special agricultural versions of the Caterpillar D4D for the UK market...

tractors.fandom.com

Good find @Nige thanks

 

[ChrisUK]

The sun was out so the 977L was out, bit of farm track extension and general tidy up.
A bit overkill for loading the 4 ton trailer behind the Ford 5000 but it’s what we had out
Chris

 

[HarleyHappy]

What a beautiful lady.

 

[Welder Dave]

Are the arms for the bucket tilt bent or are they supposed to be curved?

 

[pittsburgh cat man]

Bent

 

[Welder Dave]

I figured they were bent but haven't seen them bent that much before. I wonder if the 4 in 1 bucket might have contributed to the bending?

 

[AllDodge]

Someone welded some heavy angle iron on those on my 955 so mine are still straight

 

[DMiller]

977 were not 'Fast' machines but had Power, would be all too easy to over pressure the Curl links in a tough Push thru tough materials.

 

[Welder Dave]

I'm thinking they bent because of operator error. Maybe from tilting the bucket down to use the teeth like a root rake in hard material? Another thought is from tilting the bucket down all the way with the loader arms at a low height and then raising the arms higher or the opposite, tilting the bucket all the way down with the arms high and then lowering the arms/bucket to the ground. The manual for my 931B states to not to do this because it can damage/break the tilt rams. Not sure if the curl links would/could be affected by this. A 977 may have bucket linkage that allows the bucket to be fully dumped and move through the full stroke of the lift cylinders.

 

[charles walton]

I'm thinking they bent because of operator error. Maybe from tilting the bucket down to use the teeth like a root rake in hard material? Another thought is from tilting the bucket down all the way with the loader arms at a low height and then raising the arms higher or the opposite, tilting the bucket all the way down with the arms high and then lowering the arms/bucket to the ground. The manual for my 931B states to not to do this because it can damage/break the tilt rams. Not sure if the curl links would/could be affected by this. A 977 may have bucket linkage that allows the bucket to be fully dumped and move through the full stroke of the lift cylinders.

I don't think either of those scenarios would bend them, Most likely bent by tying a chain around them and trying to pull something.

 

[Nige]

I don't think either of those scenarios would bend them, Most likely bent by tying a chain around them and trying to pull something.

With the size of the bucket that is installed on that particular 977 nothing would surprise me. It is big and heavy and the 4-in-1 will make it heavier still.

 

[DMiller]

4/1 or MP as cat denotes is around a full third heavier than a GP materials bucket

Damned thing on my old Allis was near to double, odd machine.

 

[AllDodge]

I think it was a design flaw, and some either preemptively added angle iron or they were straightened and angle added later. This is my 955, and I didn't add the angle iron

 

[Welder Dave]

Regardless how they bent you need to avoid doing things that have the potential to bend them again.