Tracked Undercarriage, High Drive

[nicky 68a]

Nige,The tractor doesn't stop in the 10.5 hour shift for tea breaks.It stops for refueling,tip changing and **** time.
The 61 hours are clock hours whilst the tip is on the tractor.I'm not actually monitoring tip in the ground time as I'm not there all the time,but it's measured over the job.I suspect actual tip in the ground time will be around 40 hours.
I will get pic of the worn tips in due course chaps.
I'll take a look at my e.mail later Nige.
Thanks.

 

[ih100]

So far most of what I have heard about System 1 is a mixed bag. Komatsu now uses the same track system and they call it Plus. I think a more descriptive name is parallel link, rotating bushing chain. The idlers on the Cat system ride on the bushings now instead of the links which might be a reason the seals show the short life. The Komatsu runs the links on the idlers.

At least Komatsu puts a split link in their chains from the factory.

Cat fit a master link (not a split link) that clamps onto the pins. You undo the bolts and it’s a pry bar or hammer job to knock the outer links off. Not too convinced on the idlers killing the seals. After all, they run on the sprocket which is actively pushing at them. We ran a D6K with shouldered idlers and the bushes still went.

 

[ih100]

TBH I wouldn't consider SystemOne undercarriage on anything larger than a D6 and even then only if it was going to be in really light work. What you're doing ripping sandstone with that 8T cannot by any stretch of the imagination be considered "light work". I think it would tear SystemOne U/C to shreds.

I had a knowledgeable fellow tell me today that he’s seen issues with S1 on wide tracks. Sort of backed up what I was thinking.

 

[StanRUS]

I had a knowledgeable fellow tell me today that he’s seen issues with S1 on wide tracks. Sort of backed up what I was thinking.

I've changed S1 links on D6Rs with standard gauge and pads. Customer keeps 4-6 links in the parts container and all of the (finger pinching) press tools.

 

[John C.]

My source was pretty emphatic about what they call the box sections being packed with debris and then riding over the idlers causing the bushing and seal failures. It also caused a lot of front idler axle shaft failures in the early days. Now most of the machine I've looked at had relief holes cut between the pad bolts. The look like snow pads now days. If you look at the sprocket teeth you will see they have a relief cut at the base in between the teeth to help clear the packed material. I know for a fact that the chains on new machines ordered for the local rental fleet did not have master links installed from the factory. I was told it was an add charge for them. It might have changed in the last year or so and I would suspect most other Cat dealers just ordered them in on new machines as a matter of course. I agree totally on the wide track statement.

 

[nicky 68a]

A close up of the MST Easco tip at 61 hours

 

[ih100]

My source was pretty emphatic about what they call the box sections being packed with debris and then riding over the idlers causing the bushing and seal failures. It also caused a lot of front idler axle shaft failures in the early days. Now most of the machine I've looked at had relief holes cut between the pad bolts. The look like snow pads now days. If you look at the sprocket teeth you will see they have a relief cut at the base in between the teeth to help clear the packed material. I know for a fact that the chains on new machines ordered for the local rental fleet did not have master links installed from the factory. I was told it was an add charge for them. It might have changed in the last year or so and I would suspect most other Cat dealers just ordered them in on new machines as a matter of course. I agree totally on the wide track statement.

I know the master link is an option, should have put “Cat can fit...” be interesting to know what your fellow’s machine was running in. All of the machines i’ve operated with S1, packing with mud hasn’t caused the problems, but running in fine granite sand has started to take bushes out in a matter of weeks. The wide track 6K suffered the most.

 

[Nige]

A close up of the MST Easco tip at 61 hours

What does it look like underneath in the LH photo..?
Just wondering out loud whether or not there was a hole in it..?

 

[nicky 68a]

What does it look like underneath in the LH photo..?
Just wondering out loud whether or not there was a hole in it..?

No hole in it.
Looks the same top and bottom.
So far,I'm 38 hours on the same spec Cat tip.
However,it's wearing in a different way all together than the MST Easco tip.
I'll be off scraping next week,but the pilot is monitoring it and will get photo's when it's dead

 

[Nige]

If you want to get your last pound of flesh out of the tip run it until it gets a hole in it, then turn it over and do the same on the other side. Cheapskate.? Me..? Nah …..
It'll need a fair bit of attention from the pilot if you plan on that course of action though.

 

[John C.]

We had operators running them till there was a hole all the time. We ended up putting noses and quarter shanks on regularly as well. Once the dirt touches that soft shank, the teeth will get stuck and not come off without extraordinary means. I removed part of a tooth with a twenty pound hammer. Most of the metal stayed on the shank. The part that came off was stuck half way in the middle of my right leg between the tibia and the fibula. It took surgery two months later to remove it. It kind of looks like an arrow head and is sharp as a razor.

 

[DMiller]

OWIE!!

 

[nicky 68a]

Nige,I turned the MST Easco tip and got another 8 hours out of it (approx 15/20%).
The driver and I tend to change tip when the tractor starts riding up and out of the ground due to bluntness.When we have to start operating the top rams to alter the pitch too often we tend to know it's ready to change out.
However,I feel the Cat tip may stay sharp until the death.
Nige,I have replied to your e.mail sir.
John,that sounds rather a rather unagreable way to treat your leg mate!!☺

 

[John C.]

The hole in my leg was so clean that the doctor asked if I thought the piece was still in there. It lit up like a search light on the Xray. I'm paying for those types of education now days.

 

[bccat]

The hole in my leg was so clean that the doctor asked if I thought the piece was still in there. It lit up like a search light on the Xray. I'm paying for those types of education now days.

John Same thing happened to me on my left leg ,working on a D9T ripper just missed my artery,no feeling around the incision. Like being shot, arrowhead shaped piece

 

[DMiller]

Have had small pieces of 'Fly' metal come to the surface over the years, turns black comes up like a sore then pimples out and the foreign body slips out. One had been at home in me since 76 or 77 uncertain as to absolute year, came up in 2017 on right calf area.

 

[John C.]

It's kind of funny we had similar experiences. Even down to the shape of the shrapnel. Did you get your removed?

Mine felt like it got hit with a small hammer and I hit the tooth a couple of more times. Noticed some blood on my boot and pulled up the coveralls to check it out. Lost my balance a bit and put weight on that foot and blood shot out about three feet. I clamped the hole with my hand and limped over to the truck. Got the dozer operator to haul me to the office and they had the engineer haul me to the hospital. No searing pain or anything. That came a couple of days later.

 

[bccat]

It's kind of funny we had similar experiences. Even down to the shape of the shrapnel. Did you get your removed?

Mine felt like it got hit with a small hammer and I hit the tooth a couple of more times. Noticed some blood on my boot and pulled up the coveralls to check it out. Lost my balance a bit and put weight on that foot and blood shot out about three feet. I clamped the hole with my hand and limped over to the truck. Got the dozer operator to haul me to the office and they had the engineer haul me to the hospital. No searing pain or anything. That came a couple of days later.

When I read your post, it brought back the memory of the account Wow this happened to someone else. Felt like a pin prick,then

It's kind of funny we had similar experiences. Even down to the shape of the shrapnel. Did you get your removed?

Mine felt like it got hit with a small hammer and I hit the tooth a couple of more times. Noticed some blood on my boot and pulled up the coveralls to check it out. Lost my balance a bit and put weight on that foot and blood shot out about three feet. I clamped the hole with my hand and limped over to the truck. Got the dozer operator to haul me to the office and they had the engineer haul me to the hospital. No searing pain or anything. That came a couple of days later.

John, mine felt like needle prick, then felt something warm running down my leg, finished replacing tip. Took Off my rain gear and coveralls, seen blood ,picked up my tools got in the service truck, drove to the scale shack boss drove me to the hospital. Had surgery next day with the aide of ultrasound . The piece was 3” into the thigh, had the ripper tooth and piece for yrs, threw it in the scrap bin when I moved this spring. Doc was worried about it moving, really lucky

 

[John C.]

I guess that kind of makes us blood brothers. Mine went in just below the middle of my calf.

They left mine in for a few weeks. It was in a bad place to try to retrieve. Doc did time in Vietnam and said he sent lots of guy home with more shrapnel than I was carrying. My foot would be numb in the morning and after falling on the floor two or three times each morning before I got feeling back, my wife got aggravated and told me to get it removed. They did surgery to get mine out also. I still have the piece in an old camera film bottle.

 

[bccat]

I guess that kind of makes us blood brothers. Mine went in just below the middle of my calf.

They left mine in for a few weeks. It was in a bad place to try to retrieve. Doc did time in Vietnam and said he sent lots of guy home with more shrapnel than I was carrying. My foot would be numb in the morning and after falling on the floor two or three times each morning before I got feeling back, my wife got aggravated and told me to get it removed. They did surgery to get mine out also. I still have the piece in an old camera film bottle.