Pyramid Track modifying? (Komatsu D20P-7)

[kc5gxc]

Komatsu D21

Howdy
New guy here. Just got a used Komatsu D21P-6. Serial # 62196, and don't know the year, but think 1991??
Don't know much about dozers, but am learning. Haven't worked it yet, still trying to clean it up, fix little stuff, etc....
Anyone know a source for the hydraulic oil filters? Part #103-60-23240?
I got the manuals from SSB tractor, and they seem like good ones.
It has the pyramid tracks. Lots of hours....5142. Took the hr meter out to install an oil pressure gauge. Runs at 75 psi.
Will be clearing some brush and stuff in South Miss.
Thanks
Pete

 

[Countryboy]

Welcome to HEF kc5gxc! :drinkup

 

[R Leo]

Anyone know a source for the hydraulic oil filters? Part #103-60-23240?
Pete

Around here (Austin, TX) the Waukesha-Pierce house has Komatsu parts.

Waukesha-Pearce Industries Inc.
16029 I H 35
Pflugerville, TX 78660

(512) 251-0013

There's another supplier in Houston but, I don't have the name or number handy. Will get it this weekend and post then.

 

[surfer-joe]

Try these. I did look for after-market crossovers, seems that I remember using some, but the sites I checked did not come up with this number. I have some other paper work around for PM sheets on D21's, if I stumble across those they may give me a number that will help.

Many of the Japanese machines, not being big sellers in America, never did have much crossover transmission or hydraulic filters available. No money in it for manufacturers.

Good luck!

The Distributors in Mississippi are:

Komatsu - Distributor- 605400

LYLE MACHINERY CO.

City: Richland

Address: P.O Box 23087
Jackson, MS 39225-3087
650 U.S. Highway 49 South
Richland, MS 39218
U.S.A.
Telephone: (1)-800-898-4000
Fax: (1)-601-939-8440
Web: www.lylemachinery.com

Lyle Machinery Co.
Biloxi - 605408
12202 Oaklawn Road
Biloxi, MS 39532
phone - 228-392-7100
fax - 228-392-7324
www.lylemachinery.com

Lyle Machinery Co.
Columbus - 605409
P.O. Box 7888
4715 So. Frontage Rd. Hwy-82
Columbus, MS 39701
phone - 662-243-2152
fax - 662-241-4582
www.lylemachinery.com

Lyle Machinery Co.
Hattiesburg - 605411
7515 US Hwy 49 North
Hattiesburg, MS 39402
phone - 601-296-7556
fax - 601-296-7599
www.lylemachinery.com

 

[R Leo]

I'll give Wix, Donaldson or Baldwin a call tomorrow because my D20P-6 uses the same filters. The Wix Internet database may not have a crossover but a 'warm body' could have the answer...they did on my '78 model, German-built, Deere 2040. I called Wix and got the numbers then went to the local O'Riley's and they had all the filters in Wix...even both the hydraulic filters.

 

[kc5gxc]

Komatsu D21

Thanks for all the info, guys.
I will check out Lyle Equip....I also have been all over locally looking for that hydraulic filter...there ain't no crossover for it. It's only to be had from Komatsu. I can cross the engine oil filter with WIX and also NAPA with no problem. Fuel filter is no problem. Hydraulic is the bad one...and I bet it costs, cuz it's a big filter.
I go up to Hattiesburg every now and then. I'll see if they got 'em and get one from them.
Just got thru changing all the oil in the dozer. It ain't too much fun under it with all the dirt and oil dripping on your face...ha ha ha. Guess I'm gonna go buy a wash down setup and try to get all that fire hazard out of the pans.
They are full of pine straw, dirt and grease/oil...and it's packed all together like cement. Whenever I can do a regular post, I need to ask some questions about other things....
Thanks again for the help.
Pete in South MS

 

[R Leo]

Did an oil analysis on the new (to me D20P-6) and it came back with a clean bill of health. Wear metals well within the average for that engine and no coolant present in the lube oil. Slightly elevated silicon indicated a possible intake air leak that's bypassing the filter so, I'll look closely at that when it comes onto the property this Sunday.

FWIW, the pyramid pads on my machine have had rebar welded to the tips as seen earlier in this thread. The majority of operation will be in sand and soft soil so that should work out fine.

 

[d19allis]

I have ad21p-6 with the front idlier bushing worn out.It has lgp pyrimid track.My problem is finding the master pin.The Komatsu dealer said to look for a pin with a demple.My dozer chain pins are all have dimples the same size.I have had two mechanics try to find it and say they have never seen one like it.Help
John T

 

[oldhousehugger]

My pyramid tracks apparently did not split by removing a pin but instead had a special bolt together link which used 4 of the pad bolts to disassemble it. Clean all your links real well and you will see from the side that one link has a kind of zigzag joint in it. That link connects the 2 ends of the chain together. The guys at the shop which worked on mine said they see very few of these type of chains because they are expensive and they are made for the Japanese domestic market. They were using a 3/4 impact wrench and a 6 foot cheater bar on the socket end to take the pads off the chain.
Hope that helps.

Just rereading this and I noticed you mentioned your front idler pins were bad. My front right idler started squeaking at me but I didn't hear it for some time because I'm a little deaf already and therefore I now use earmuffs (instead of 30 years ago like I should have but thats another storey) Anyhow so I went to move her one day and heard the squeaking without the earmuffs. I figured the bushings were dry. I pulled the filler plug out and cross matched it to an odd metric thread and drilled and tapped it to take a zerk. I did this to both sides so now before I use it I squirt some grease into both sides. So far so good. I guess you could do the same thing with all the rollers but it looks like they would get a lot more beat up then the center of the idler wheels.

John

 

[CatManDoes]

Re-guarding traction or dozers,Rebar is very soft ! May not be worth the labor and rod.

What I have done is buy grosser bar it comes in all sizes and 20' sticks and is harden, Works very well in the southwest!

 

[JimInOz]

Pyramid Plates

You really need to consider the whole track system ,before spending time on welding,etc.Those wide pyramid plates are constantly stressing the chains & wear will increase rapidly when using them in conditions they are unfit for.
Those pyramid plates are excellent in snow & swamp areas,but are useless for most other applications.You will spend a lot of time & a bit of money to make a bad traction system only slightly better.
Remember,by fitting normal 12" plates,you will extend the life of the chains by a good degree,as well as get a much better tractive effort & safer operating on slopes.I have used small Mitsubishi dozers ,equipped with good 12' dozer plates,to pull big logs out of flooded creeks.A swampie version would just sit & spin all day....
I think a guy called KTBaugh (on eBay) sells track gear for small Jap dozers.
There are many suppliers in China/Asia too.Komatsu should also be of help.
The small Mitsubishi , Komatsu & Hitachi dozers were often used in rental fleets in Japan.They were used in snow clearing & paddy /farming operations....& often sat in mud/snow for weeks without use....hence the bad track frames & broken bolts.In recent years,dealers like RB offload old Jap machines to places like Australia & USA in great numbers.These machines are great little dozers,if you can buy a tidy one.

 

[millwrightguy]

What purpose were the pyramid type designed for? Newvbie here.

 

[deenky]

How do you find missing dimensions of given total surface area of a rectangular pyramid? also how do you find missing dimension with given volume of the rectangular pyramid? Got a big math project, your help will be greatly appreciated!!! THANKS!!

 

[adam21584]

I have seen rebar welded on track pads on cranes for traction on ice. Welded on late in the fall cut off in the spring with almost no wear. Rebar is accually allot harder than most people think.

 

[littlemick]

hi there new member hear doz anyone know where i can buy a full set track plates for my d21-6 in oz either 300mm or 3400mm

 

[Krackerjack9]

Ok any of the d20s or d21s that have pyramid tracks i would say 85% of them were imported from Japan, those dozers were mainly used in swamp type fields for rice and other soft ground over there,

 

[tctractors]

The pyramid plates in the U.K. are now a scarce thing to see, we called them Apex Pads and were more common to see on Komatsu D50P and D60P Tractors, they used to be made of a Manganese type iron and not the best for welding a magnet would not stick to them, they were made for Swamp Dozers that very often had direct drive not powershift transmissions Komatsu called them a Swamp Shoe.

 

[R.D.G013]

Swamp Tracks

Hi, Machineman.
Those pyramid track shoes - known as swamp tracks DownUnder - don't give quite the flotation of normal LGP grouser plates in soft going. BUT, they are a LOT more effective when the going is REALLY soft because they get far better traction than normal LGP plates when it really counts, where they can sink in the full depth of the pyramid and get their best bite. They don't do too badly for traction in sand either, although they do throw up a bit of sand to contibute to faster wear.

I'd look at Squizzy's rebuilding advice seriously. The best bet would be normal grouser rebuilding bar in the appropriate size, then some sort of 'harder but not too hard because of the brittleness factor' square or round bar.

I have rebuilt standard 2-bar track loader pads with concrete re-bar and it got us the extra 1,200 or so hours that we wanted out of the machine to complete the job. The top 1/3 of the re-bar disappears quite quickly but the wear rate slows down as the exposed section increases. The re-bar also has the advantage of already being sort-of vee-ed out to start with. And it sure gave it some 'toenails' when we first sent it back to work.

Wulf's post about cracking the shoes through welding is valid, which is why Squizzy's post is worth looking at as it gives you a recipe for avoiding this. As Squizzy mentioned, it is not a good idea to let the welded shoes cool out too quickly. If cold is a problem in your part of the world when you do it, try to do it at least indoors in a closed workshop, with adequate ventilation, of course.

I beg to differ on the pyramid plates and floatation, because !! there are 2 sides of a tri angle pushed in the ground, therefore there is more ground contact so therefore the ground pressure must be lower per Sq in. Same reason they make air / oil filters with pleats in the paper element to give greater surface area for better efficiency and more filtering area. I have always found pyramid plates to be better than normal LGP grousers.