Thanks

 

 

These machine are very good but check the undercarriage condition they

are very expensif $$

and height 4.062", bushing 5 3/4" long,master boushing 4 5/8" long,capscrew 5/8",

7" pitch

Antique Cat guys talk of a site called Machine Trader. Mainly used construction equipment but many used parts dealers are connected. They talk of searching for parts numbers there.

This is from a 7G parts manual, 1980 vintage...

Closest I ever came to was 6.906(91) Cat Rails, requires different sprocket segments, rollers are a different width and mounting hole configuration but is easy enough to drop the truck frames and redrill as shown by another on here that has 11Bs

Years ago I used to weld up chains on the wear side and my uncle would fly cut, or grind them to proper dimension on either his milling machine, or surface grinder. I never seen the machines the chains were from as they showed up on a pallet for rebuild. I only did the welding and build up of the worn links. Also welded up the gullets in sprockets, and idlers to be machined back round also.

The rod was expensive but overall the job was much less cost than replacement parts if they were available. I probably welded up over a hundred sets of chains myself to free him up for the machining. Never a problem I heard of.

Does nobody do this type work any longer? Couldn't a chinese outfit via alibaba supply pins and bushings if enough were purchased to be worthwhile? I don't know anybody in the area whom does track work any longer except for the Caterpillar dealer.

Sure wouldn't be too difficult to tool up to do this service if viable. I know a farmer whom will give me his HD21 with a worn out undercarriage if I want to work with it, but that is far too large of tractor for any need I would have.

Italy(Berco) had the metric size replacements for these for Fiat Allis machines, just unable to get them to the US without excessive freight costs so do no longer offer them here.

I can't tell what they did with the pins and bushings as the chains needed to remain assembled for build up to preserve the round bores the bushing pressed in to. Once the rails were back to proper dimension for height, the chains were sent along to the next process but we didn't do any of that.

Years ago I had an IH pin tested for hardness to see what I was working with and it was case hardened to Rockwell 56C on the surface to about .065" deep. The center of the pin was just over 45 hardness on the Rockwell C scale. Don't know about the bushings but always assumed they were through hardened to absorb the wear from the working mechanisms both internal from the pins, and external from being driven.

Other than breaking a track in the field to work on undercarriage, or building them up as mentioned, I never really did any track work at all. That was always sent out for sublet work. Don't think I've ever worked on a SALT track myself but assume the seals would readily melt or the oil would cook off from the heat of welding and I don't remember any of that happening. The chains were always pressure washed clean when I seen them with the shoes removed. Really was a easy process once work flow was figured out.

 

I know you're right but I've not been around tracked machinery in a long time now. I remember when SALT tracks were new but quite costly, (early 1980's) and there was still a lot of track service going on. I remember one guy had a track press setup in the back of a modified "pup" trailer and would do pin and bushing turns "on site". I watched him do a partial set  and he must of had over a hundred different blocks for different track pitches. I want to say the press was a Rogers but could have been something else as it's been so long.

I remember the double bunk cabover Kenworth tractor with a drom box very well as it was kind of an oddity in those days, but he lived out of it.

Last evening I sent off to China via alibaba.com a request for pins and bushings along with a chart listing the dimensions of each. Received a reply today with a quote of $38.00 for a mated set for the main pins and bushings. The reply also stated a minimum order of 250 sets so would require three tractor owners to make it feasible as an 11B series with standard track uses 78 pins and bushings, along with two master pins and bushings. I have requests in to three other vendors on there so maybe one will come back with less minimums. However,  this is only a single parts assembly needed and still leaves all other track parts with wear and the master pins and bushings not addressed. 

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Received a third quote which is the same business operating under a different name than the second??? Same figures but a different contact name.

Oh well, I'm not needing any parts but hope the tidbit of research I've done helps someone out along the way to keep an older machine operational a while longer.

DMiller wrote: Sadly even the track press at Cat and Deere dealership shops sit drawing dust until some old machine owner wants to salvage a few more years of nearly no hours on.  New rails are not much higher than having a P&B turn performed but they want as cheap as possible.

I was talking with my son in law whom works for Martin equipment and he mirrors what you stated on track work. They have a truck press and it is seldom used. The pin presses on the service trucks get regular usage, but all tracks are mostly wholesale replaced with SALT tracks except on very rare occasions. When someone wants to be cheap, or is looking to trade the machine off after tightening up the chains is about the only use the track press sees.