Cat D6D--a decent farm cat?

[oldirt]

ripper for a rake and to Will..

There is no room to carry anything in front of the ripper teeth, so that might not be real productive..

to Will Musser.. I wonder if there is a way to move the dozer cylinders forward on the hardnose like on the E models to eliminate that darn pivot shaft going through the motor compartment. My only gripe on this thing, these are a great all around tractor and are nicer to haul around weight wise. They must have built a zillion of them.

 

[Will Musser]

An E hardnose will fit, but in all the time I've run them and worked on them, that hasn't been too much of a problem. I think the work you'de have to do and the cost would be prohibitive I'd personally put that money toward getting myself as straight tilt blade, and building myself a pushrack on it or a root rake, although, I personally don't like a root rake on a dozer.

 

[sawmilleng]

D'oh

Oldirt, regarding the ripper and pulling roots, you're right. We got a little too enthusiastic in our discussions around the coffee pot!! :tong

Early in this thread, you had mentioned several things to look over and repair when getting a machine. (All real good common sense, too--Thanks!!) One detail was the turbo.

Can a guy tell when the turbo is getting sick, other than when it starts to rub the impeller on the housing? I guess you don't need bits of turbo getting into the engine. Whats a rough idea on the cost of a replacement?

Jon.

 

[John Canfield]

I believe one of the symptoms of a bad turbo is a loss of power - if the dozer has a boost pressure gauge, be sure the pressure is nominal with a good load on the engine.

 

[oldirt]

turbo's will push about the same amount of air even when the bearings are getting loose so you have to pull the intake off, and try to feel how much play the shaft has. I have one I just took off mine, it doesn't feel real bad but cat wouldn't take it for a core, I nicked the hot housing around the bolt holes a little with the torch and this cost me I think several hundred bucks. Lots of times the motor will push oil through the turbo and you will think it is just normal.

all the little things I mentioned to watch for are very common to every tractor with a bunch of hours on it. Mine had plenty, and apparently nobody was much interested in keeping it up, just running till destruct. I still think it is a great tractor. though.

Look closely at the final drive sprockets, look for segment bolts that have been allowed to get loose, these will wobble the holes out in the drive disc. Don't despair if yours has this, you can strip the shields, pull the segments off one at a time, and with a wire welder build up the hole, then use a carbide tipped die grinder to fit the bolts to the hole for a tight fit (use new bolts, too). Both sides of mine was like this and I didn't feel like spending 3000 for two new discs. I had the tracks off anyhow to r&r the rails/segments so this was really easy to do.

Hope this helps, I have really enjoyed working on this tractor.

 

[D6c10K]

I replace the turbo on my D6c...bought it through a local shop instead of Cat.
If I remember, it was about $750-$800 exchange. They didn't seem too pickey about the condition of the core.

 

[oldirt]

turbo core

I tried cat first, ended up going through a diesel pump jobber. He wouldn't take the core either and it ended up costing just under a grand. This was last august.

 

[D6 Merv]

D6d

Gidday
I,ve got a 1985 D6D; japanese built; but still the same horse, has been a good tractor for me, but Im real fussy maintence wise with it, and yes everything the others have said about them is true and after 10 000hrs you will have to fix a few things on them, so try and find out whats been fixed on it and check things out fairly well on it.
They are probably the best and easiest dozer to find parts for.
Pic of mine hopefully.
Merv

 

[sawmilleng]

1985 d6d

D6 Merv,

Nice lookin iron! It looks like you keep two blades for it? The middle photo looks like the same machine with an angledozer?

Jon.

 

[D6 Merv]

Hi Jon
Yes I 2 blades for it and a hyd cat 70 scraper too and will swap them to suit jobs.
Bullblade is better for stumps and hard going but an agle blade is better for hillside cuts as it has much more high reach on batters and is better when roading uphill. Angleblade is actually of a TD15B but only needed the lift trunnions changing to fit, is set up with a single tilt ram.
Will try another pic.
Cheers Merv

 

[RDG]

Here's a coupe of pics of a D6D I was part owner of back in late 80s, the scoop was a cut down DW 15 bowl cant remember what the model No was but was about the same size as a cat 70. We used to drop the rippers off and put on the PCU & drawbar when we had scoop work to do. That D6 was originally bought new by Stan Walker in Te Kawhata and we bought it from him, had around 10,000 hrs when we got it, was a good machine. Think it was eventually traded in to Eagles/Porters after I came over here.When I saw the pics of Mervs machine I thought it was the same machine but dont think it is as ours had front sweeps from the rops down to the radiator. Cheers RDG

 

[D6 Merv]

D6d

Hi RDG
I started work with Goughs in Hamilton as a apprentice mechanic in 1978 and that was the same year stan walker bought that D6D, it was the first one in the waikato.
Whats your opinion of a D6D vs a TD15C; seeing as how youve had both ? Most people I know who had inters spoke very highly of them.
International Harvester had a much better design of bullblade in their semi U design that cat did in my opinion. I have seen 2 or 3 D6s that their owners did fit TD15 blades to, but never spoke to them about how much it improved their performance, so Id be interested in your thoughts.
A DW15 bowl is the same as a cat 70, as I have a 70 and my main opposition here has a DW15 bowl converted to hyd, and both scrapers are the same.
Few more pics of mine, other dozer in pic is a long track frame D4E.

Cheers Merv :drinkup

 

[RDG]

The semi U blade was an excellent blade much better than Cats straight dozer, the shape kept the material in front and less spillage round the sides specially when tidying up. Was a bit frustrating when first on the D6 and was nearly going to modify it or fit an IH blade. I think IH were way ahead of Cat in the early days as they had hands only steering, single lever 4 way blade control and planetry final drives way back in about 64/65 with the 15B 20B models. We did have a few engine problems in the 15Cs in that they would run a big end bearing sometimes in as little as 1300/1500 hrs, one that I was on thru a rod out the side 70hrs after IH did work on the motor, turned out their fitter had used the old big end bolts and not put in new ones. The early model 466 engine in the 15C also had a few problems with the rotary fuel pump, later ones had the 466B /467 engine which had an inline pump, Bevel gear, steerng system and final drives wre pretty much problem free. They were much better in soft going than a D6 as they had nearly 6'' more ground clearance no diagonal braces under neath and a flat smooth bottom to them, all in all a very manourverable well balanced and productive dozer. We used to tow Onions 8/11 scoops but also had a 6/8 Onions with hungry sides which when the going got tough was a better deal than an 8/11, didn, get stuck as much, quicker loading faster up the hills and at the end of the day just about moved as much. I remember when Kaipara Excavators were doing the Apata section of the Kaimai tunnel rail line they hired one of our 8/11s and put it behind a D8H to work some wet material, I guess today it would be a 6x6 ATDs and excavator but back they wernt yet born. Cheers RDG

 

[D6 Merv]

Hi RDG
Thanks for that. Confirms what I had suspected about the blades.
I welded some cutting edges on the side of my blade and made up my own corner toes to improve its side cutting abilitys and is better when cleaning up, but will have to keep my eyes open for a IH blade.
Cheers mate. Merv :drinkup

 

[Brainzie]

Here's a coupe of pics of a D6D I was part owner of back in late 80s, the scoop was a cut down DW 15 bowl cant remember what the model No was but was about the same size as a cat 70. We used to drop the rippers off and put on the PCU & drawbar when we had scoop work to do. That D6 was originally bought new by Stan Walker in Te Kawhata and we bought it from him, had around 10,000 hrs when we got it, was a good machine. Think it was eventually traded in to Eagles/Porters after I came over here.When I saw the pics of Mervs machine I thought it was the same machine but dont think it is as ours had front sweeps from the rops down to the radiator. Cheers RDG

Hi Rdg

Would that be the same d6 with the front sweeps on that Dave Mallion ( I thinks how his last name is spelt ) used to drive for Renners ?

Brainzie

 

[RDG]

Yep that would be right, I worked with Dave for many yrs at Renners , think he is with Phil Rouse now. Cheers RDG

 

[sawmilleng]

My new toys...

I finally made the jump and picked up a '78 D6D. It is fully bare: No blade, nothing on the back end. I'm working on obtaining a proper angledozer and a brush blade. (Read: trade!) I'm not sure I'm going to need anything on the back end except for a drawbar for the immediate future but I'm going to keep my ear to the ground for a winch. It is set up for a ripper.

The undercarriage doesn't look to bad but the grousers aren't far from needing some attention with grouser bar. The track chain still has the yellow paint from being changed out not too many hours ago.

It had a small fire in the area of the starter and only the starter was fixed. It needs the rest of the wiring in the area redone before the alternator can do its thing.

Thats one of my boys in the photo, itchin to take it for a spin. His chance will come: we got quite a few acres of land to clear in the back 40.

The other toy that got managed to get on the same lowbed is a 1956 LeRoi compressor tractor. Its an interesting bit of history--the engine is a 4 cylinder but the block is cast with 6 holes, the rear two quite a bit bigger bore than the 4 engine cylinders. It makes a 2 cylinder, 125 CFM compressor.

Jon.


Jon.

 

[RDG]

Thats a nice tidy looking dozer and should do you well. For me I would be inclined to hang some rippers on the back unless you have situations where a winch would be used more often than rippers, other wise its gonna be nose heavy which is not a problem unless you are working on steep country where the weight on the back helps when backing out of steep places. The D6D we had was much better balanced with the rippers on than with the PCU and drawbar and we only put the PCU on to do scoop work then took it off and put on the rippers. Just my 2 cents worth. Cheers RDG.

 

[D6c10K]

I think you got taken...that's definitely not a D6D

 

[sawmilleng]

Shoulda never believed the salesman! He had white shoes...

Frap! The guy told me it was one of those Eastern Uropean Cats. He said they build them solid and add the rust to keep the mafia guys from taking too much tax on the way outta town! Them rubber tires are really how Cats are made--Bubba told me that them farmers on the praires just cut the sides out of a great huge tracter tire and stretch them between the front n'back of the tracter. I'm still wonnering how to stretch them little donuts on the back 'f that D6D....

Aloysius.