Just acquired an FMC

[Leebox525]

Bought an old 1976 FMC track skidder. Havent had it delivered yet but just seeing if anyone knows of alternative suppliers for undercarriage parts specifically tracks. I know these are higher maintence machines but I also hear there is nothing that go the places they go and pull the wood they pull. I'm gonna get some pics up when I get it to the house. Thanks

 

[Former Wrench]

I'd check with these folks. One of their advertisers might be your ticket.
Loggers World LLC
PO Box 1631
Chehalis WA 98532-8425

(360) 262-3376

kevin@loggersworld.com

 

[lg junior]

I was never able to find any thing that would replace the Fmc tracks. Some people used the military tracks, but they were getting hard to come by. At 19 thousand for the left track and 21 thousand for the right track you need a lot of work for one to justify the expense.
Even a good parts machine is hard to find. I was looking for torsion bars and found one being parted out. By the time I got to it they had hauled the frame off. They never took out the bars before it was scrapped. Thought the owner was going to cry when I told him there were ten bars at a thousand dollars a piece.
If your tracks are still in good shape and will hold bushings that's an option.
Good luck on your search. They are an impressive machine in the right place,been many times I wished I had mine back.

 

[Leebox525]

I was never able to find any thing that would replace the Fmc tracks. Some people used the military tracks, but they were getting hard to come by. At 19 thousand for the left track and 21 thousand for the right track you need a lot of work for one to justify the expense.
Even a good parts machine is hard to find. I was looking for torsion bars and found one being parted out. By the time I got to it they had hauled the frame off. They never took out the bars before it was scrapped. Thought the owner was going to cry when I told him there were ten bars at a thousand dollars a piece.
If your tracks are still in good shape and will hold bushings that's an option.
Good luck on your search. They are an impressive machine in the right place,been many times I wished I had mine back.

We have some links that are broken in spots. I'm gonna keep digging for parts. Thanks for the input.

 

[Plebeian]

The machine was also labelled a KMC.
http://www.kmc-kootrac.com/

If the dollars were not the constraint, the Tigercat 615 bogie axle with a set of Clark or Eco-track - steel band tracks might have been the go. and a winch set up for TC skidder traction assist on the steep terrain.
or 517/ 527 on winch for traction and another winch for log pulling.

Have a look at some of the World War Two tank reconstructions on YouTube and what the tank enthusiasts do to get the tank tracks working. again.
Did the KMC/ FMC have any parts in common with the Sno-Cats?
The tracks in this video look in good condition

 

[Hallback]

Fire up the torch & welder. You can get those links to work as long as you are careful about operating it & keep it outta high gear.

 

[old1]

FMC/M113

I've seen post on here before about the FMC and how hard it is to find parts; I don't remember anyone looking at the vehicle as a M113, or M11 variant.

In another life I was a Track Vehicle Mechanic, in the 1970's and 1980's; for Uncle Sam. Many of us grew up around M113's
http://www.army-technology.com/projects/m113-armoured-personnel-carrier/

I posted a link to the link between the FMC and M113 family of tracked vehicles; good reading if you were never in the Military, or around the M113 family.

The FMC in the ops first pic has full metal tracks; most of the M113 family had rubber cushion that bolted to each track pad; to enable the vehicle to run on paved roads. And believe me the M113 was a fast vehicle, for it's size, on highways.

FMC had the contract to build the M113 family. So Uncle Sam paid for the design work and testing. So why not make a few vehicles for special civilian purpose.

MAINTENANCE: Oh Yes, they do need a lot of maintenance; probably prohibitive in the civilian world. In the Military; it was just figured in.

I am not around them now; but they made LOTS of them, and spare parts. So maybe through Military surplus channels, there had to be parts around.
From what I gather, the bodies would be different, but the drive-line for the most part would be the same.

The M113 Personnel Carrier was phased out by the Bradley and later by the Striker., which was wheeled.

Honestly we had most work ; on the electrical, hydraulic, track, and armament systems. The Detroit V-6 was bullet proof, as was the transmission. Oh sure we put on a lot of filters, turbo's, and track parts. I don't know if in a commercial setting, you could make money with one, with maintenance costs.

In my sleep I can still hear the M113 screaming down a trail.

old1

 

[lg junior]

I was never able to find any M113 surplus tracks, that would be a good possibility. What I did find was that there were differences in a lot of the components that made them not interchangeable. Don't know if the tracks were a direct replacement, without changing sprockets.
The military torsion bars had a different number of splines and were not compatible with the anchors or road arms on the FMC.
The M113 also used an Allison transmission that allowed it to run at much higher road speeds than the Clark trans.
Mine had several pads that were welded, didn't seem to make any difference.
The rubber track bushings were my biggest problem. If enough go bad you aren't able to keep the tracks tight. Then the tracks jump on the sprockets and then the final drive gears fail. And if you run long enough without bushings the pads won't hold new bushings.
I got quiet an education on them, bought mine on the recommendation of my brother the mechanic who worked on a lot of them. It was only money, and I would do it again.
Good luck!

 

[Plebeian]

Even Caterpillar is doing 3-d metal printing of parts at their micro-foundry (Mapleton , Illinois), so they do do have a bunch of parts waiting on a shelf for years. Might have to consider 3d metal printing on some of the fmc parts if they are not available or need to do a cost comparison between new and using recycled parts.

 

[John C.]

Printing new parts might be the only way to keep older machines running in the future. I'm seeing manufacturers not supplying parts for older machines now.