Looking at a Cat 977L. Mans says it is very good mechanically. What's the general opinion of these. Anything to look out for besides the usual leaks, squeaks and rattles?
Great Machine! Be nice if the seller was the user and will let you work it for a morning. That's the best way to evaluate it. Anyway run it around and make sure it ill steer good at low throttle when the oil is warm. That will tell you the bevel gear bearings are good. Hold the brakes, put trans in 3rd and open the throttle up watch the torque temp raise. Kick the lever into neutral and see what the gauge does. If it drops down things are normal if the gauge goes up for a time and then falls there is an oil flow problem. Maybe not serious but it's related to torque over heating. Then check the final drives for oil level and put a crowbar behind the sprocket and look for movement side to side. Later Bob
There was one up for sale here for cheap on CL but has since gone. It's a large machine, larger means parts cost more then my 955
mucho dinero. this is big bucks know matter how you look at it. even transporting it costs bunches as it a permitted load.... i think you,d be alot better off with a 955l
46,000 pounds on a light day, some roads require special permitting. I looked at one, had sat some years and price was good for condition but did not run, when told owner would bring batteries and fuel he said price would go up as it started so never went back. Just an A--hole. Nice BIIGGG tractor and yes rails, rollers, segments all BIIGGG $$$ but should last a personal user forever. Finals were weak spot as I have been told, are a "Clumsy" machine in tight quarters and rut to beat the band in soft soil.
I am now the owner of a 977L. Yes I bought it from the owner, and got to drive it and push a little dirt with it. Everything checked out. For the price if I get 80 hours out of it without major problems I will be money ahead. I can see where it might be called clumsy. Don't think I'd want to dig a basement with it but for my uses, clearing a few trees, an old building site and fixing some terraces I think I should be okay. Question, don't have an OM yet, what hydraulic oil should I use? Would Deere Hy-Gard be suitable?
You can use hydraulic or diesel engine oil in the hyd tank but need TDTO or TO4 in the trans. Later Bob
CAT would say use HYDO but I use 10W mineral oil
Take pictures of your new find and post them for all of us.
Yes, but not necessary, Hygard is made for wet clutch/brakes transmissions. Hydraulic oil doesn't need those additives.
Here she is. Put about three hours on her yesterday and everything ran great. Still getting used to the controls a bit, pulling the lever back to dump is counterintuitive to me, at least opposite of what I'm used to on loader tractors I've had.
Great Machine. And there is nothing like CAT controls.
As you can see it has the 4 in 1 bucket (or whatever you want to call it), but someone welded it shut. It was that way when the previous owner got it and he reckoned that that pins were bad so rather than replace them they welded it up. The cylinders and everything else are still there ready to operate. Anyone use one of these buckets? Is it worth exploring having someone fix it right in the off season?
4/1 or Multipurpose has some use, in your case now a overweight bucket but for those still functional the clam can be used to dump a load rather than tilting the full bucket, the back side of the bucket has a cutting edge that can be angled by bucket tilt cylinders to grade as with a full dozer and as you stop at end of cut the clam side closed to load the spoil, Also useful in grabbing large objects as tree or large rock to move rather than cradle out in the bucket. As with mine tend to have reduced capacity due to weight of apparatus, a little shallower and harder to 'feel' when using, requires considerable counterweighting for continual use.
The controls get me also every time I use mine. They are designed to do optimum pickup and dump. Push forward and it picks up. When your over ready to dump, you need to raise the arms as the bucket is dumping, hence both being pulled back at the same time. Mine has an auto leveler so the bucket returns to horizontal when the arms are being lowered, helps quite a bit
Can someone tell me where to find the serial number on this beast? I'm trying to order a service manual and there seems to be a few different ones.
If you don't have counter weights on the back look at the upper left area of the back surface for a plate. If it's gone here should be two rivet holes about an inch and a quarter apart, the # is stamped under the plate as well as on it. There should also be a plate on the tower behind the loader connection point, it will be stamped under the plate if missing also. Later Bob
As you can see the decal on the side of this crawler says 977L, but in looking at the serial number tag, it says 11K 6895. Is this really a K? I bought an operator's manual for a 977L and notice a few things are different like the brakes pedals from the top down, unlike mine which has them from the floor up.
It is in the K model range but this could also be like my 955L. This was when CAT changed over from the K to the L model and didn't change the prefix. My L does have the break pedals coming up from the floor and the manual does have some issues.
isnt top down supposed to be newer and better ?
The steering pedals you describe are the 977L 14X series
Please see the attached link for the 977L 14X controls. http://www.machinerytrader.com/listingsdetail/detail.aspx?OHID=10389773
I can see on the 14x a few things are different besides the pedals. The gear shift has a separate black plate on the top, the seat is a little different and the hydraulic oil filler on the right side is moved. It also has an access door on the right side of the operator's platform.
I BET THE 14X IS THE BEST of the 977l,s
I've got 2 14x 977's in prime condition. Might be looking at selling one of them.
Do you have pictures?
They are all great machines. Fix them right with good parts and they stay fixed. Later Bob
I can take some Are you interested in it? It doesn't have a ROPS on it right now, I just took the cab off of it to put it on mine and will be putting my open ROPS on it.
Could you post some photo's? I have a 1982 977L 14X 2022 w/EROPS, use it daily.
Wow, that 977 is immaculate. Here are some pictures of my newest 977L I'm thinking about selling I took the cab off of. I had Fabick Cat come run oil samples on everything. Everything came back in great shape. Like I said I'm planning on putting my open ROPS on it and selling it.
Make sure to get 5 gallon paint job on yours before you sell it and you to can have an amazing looking 977
What's your point?
My point is this one has been cleaned and everything painted, only thing not painted is the chrome cylinders. So if the OP took his and did the same his would also look just as good.
Thank you. Something that never fails to amaze me is the cosmetic condition of some equipment. Yes I know, "paint don't make it work better", but would you treat the finish on a $90,000 car the same? You equipment and trucks represent you and your company "face" to world, what "face" do you want it to be? Look at Kiewit and Michels...
I'm interested in painting my 977 like this one....Did you paint the inside of the cab black too? What percentage is the tinted glass? You done anything else to this cat that I should consider doing to mine?
THATS the nicest 977l i,ve ever seen
I'm from Madison WI and looking for a parts machine with good undercarriage, mines a 1973 8" pitch 41 link rails. The 4 in 1 bucket needs repair to the bottom teeth are ok. The dozer blade looks good. If you are going to be moving heavy stuff and its on firm soil or rock seems like a good machine to me. Shawn
The cab is painted "Brewster Green" the color I paint my trucks, think the Dark Green from Bucyrus Erie. The interior is the Caterpillar sand color. None of the glass is tinted, I can't as it is. The machine was painted by out local Caterpillar dealer, Foley Machinery Co., very good people. the paint code is:************ U-Tech 2.8 HSP****** ****** Brewster Green (SIM 190)
Thank you.