My CAT 426 Project

[56wrench]

Good job. You’ve come a long way!

 

[orangeman]

Certainly great work, and saving good ole American Iron which help build this wonderful country.

Keep up the good work! ~ Orangeman

 

[TCat]

Read through your project thread, love your work. Your doors and grill look great. I have the same issues on my 426B with the rust on the doors and window frames and the broken grill. I'm hoping to at least find a decent set of used window frames some day, but I haven't really looked yet. Don't think I have the patience to go through and try to repair all the rust in the doors myself. Your grill is amazing. Keep up the great work.

 

[edgephoto]

Spent the afternoon yesterday working on the 'hoe. My son was home on leave/liberty for the weekend. We cleaned up a couple wires someone added that went nowhere. We removed the starter, cleaned the contacts and got it cranking at the correct speed with no voltage drops.

Once running we let it run for 5 mins or so then we did an oil and filter change. I had to use a chisel to turn the filter, it was on so tight. Someone must have put the filter on dry.

Since my son was home we deiced to install the seat. It is a heavy piece so having a second person made it easier. Even still it took a while to get it mounted. The base pedestal was rotted so I had to replace the bottom 1/3 and I was off a bit on my bolt holes. So a couple trips into the shop and a little work with the carbide burr and we go it in. Seat works well. I fixed it a while back. My wife made new covers for it. Down the road I will probably replace it with a new assembly but this will do for a while.

View attachment 293876

 

[tompands]

You gonna put a new rubber mat on the floor?

 

[edgephoto]

@tompands I haven't decided. The original is all destroyed so I would have to either buy a replacement from Caterpillar or make one myself. I would expect it to be very costly from Cat.

Any suggestions for material to make one out of?

 

[TCat]

@tompands I haven't decided. The original is all destroyed so I would have to either buy a replacement from Caterpillar or make one myself. I would expect it to be very costly from Cat.

Any suggestions for material to make one out of?

Just a thought, but since a mat will just hold water and mud underneath to start rust on the newly painted floor panels, how about truck bedliner coating. That way the moisture and mud don't start the rusting process over again.

 

[edgephoto]

@TCat , I am worried about rust so I was thinking of not having a mat but I am afraid it may be really noisy.

I did buy some 3M grip tape to put down but I like the Berliner idea. That might be a good solution.

 

[tompands]

You can call Shawn @ conequip in NY. Tell him Tom Miller told you to call. He will find you a good used mat for cheap.

 

[joe--h]

Farm supply, horse mat.

Joe H

 

[edgephoto]

I appreciate the suggestions. This is terrific.

 

[edgephoto]

I have not touched my machine in months. I hope to get to putting the finishing touches on her in the coming months. Life gets in the way of progress.

I bought the machine in late 2019 to clear a building spot for a house and then for a barn on the land I bought earlier in 2019.

Then COVID hit and plans to build were put on hold.
Then my son got engaged and married to a girl in NC so we thought we might relocate there.
Then my Dad died so I spent time helping Mom deal with that and putting things in her name.
Then my Mom passed and now I am dealing with her estate and cleaning out her townhouse. I sold it so need to get this done by 3/31. Seems far away but it will go fast.

We are back to building on our land so we are moving forward with that process. After spending time in NC last fall for my son's wedding and meeting her family we decided we hated them and the area.

So I am hoping to make some time soon to go work on her. I find it relaxing to do the work and I need some stress relief.

 

[orangeman]

Edgephoto - looks to be nice stainless steel fastners on the floorboard! Sorry to hear about the life details creeping in to slow down progress, but somehow life throws us curve balls from time to time. Glad to hear that progress is resuming on the old Cat hoe. Working on this old iron is both addicting and cathartic. Can't wait to see you working the land with it! Respectfully ~ Orangeman

 

[DMiller]

Man that is some bad news. Stick with it as will all correct as can.

I went thru this company for Bunk tool box floors matting in my KW sleeper, is actually Bulk Tractor floor covering.

FLOOR MAT BULK ROLL MATERIAL (57")

Black rubber floor mat for JD, CIH, IH tractor or combine cabs. Multi-layer, heavy duty, 3/8" thick. Pre-cut options available.

www.fehrcab.com

 

[Coaldust]

Thanks for the update. Interesting how life goes bittersweet like that. Wedding, then funerals, on the tail of Covid.

My wife was commenting the other day, just how crazy life was, just a couple years ago. It doesn’t seem real, looking back.

 

[edgephoto]

Thanks guys. I also had to put down my dog Nov of 2022. She was only 5. I am still heartbroken.

 

[edgephoto]

Yes those are stainless bolts and washers. I needed to replace the floor panels and all the hardware. Stainless was not much more money and I won't need to worry about them rusting.

I appreciate the link to that matting. Looks like exactly what I need.

If things go well I probably will retrofit a new seat setup but for now my rebuilt original will be good enough.

 

[orangeman]

DMiller: Thanks for posting the supply source for the floor mat. I have been looking for at rubber truck bed liners as a cheap source for a inside floor liner. I see them alot on facebook from $50-75 just have to find a good tool to cut them down to fit. ~ Orangeman

 

[DMiller]

Are welcome
Ran across it by accident one day, worked great in side tool boxes of bunk and as a noise/heat insulator around bunk HVAC.

 

[DMiller]

This is a cut off piece, been sitting on a pile in the shop but still very resilient,