Hey...just a few questions about a Cat D7-3T(1950's?) cable dozer Im looking at. Would use it for Lantana clearing & doing firebreaks Overall would it do the job What should I be looking at cable pulley ,pony motor wise...I have had a bit to do with D7E..but not cable Can I convert to electric start What do you all think its worth...havn't seen running yet Would it be a collectors machine later on or just scrap Any advice or thoughts on machine is appreciated
IMHO the closer you keep to original the better resale value. The Pony motors weren't that hard to start if everything was done correctly. Turn the fuel on, 3 flicks of the crank. If no start then Turn the fuel of PDQ. What winch does it have? The work you have for it is easy going for an old jigger like that. Take it you're in Oz.
It's old technology, and most D7 3T's are beaten to death or suffering from severe corrosion today. But the value of the tractor is in the undercarriage. If the undercarriage is shot, then the tractors not worth a great deal. If it's been looked after (which is rare, most dozer owners haven't a clue), then it will be quite capable of clearing lantana and firebreaks. Cable blade control is simple, doesn't need hoses or much oil, but you have only the weight of the blade for down pressure and cutting into the soil. They ride up over obstructions. Cables need to be replaced every few hundred hours and they need to be coated with lubricant for best life. Never pull out a broken cable without welding a new one to the end of the old one, and then pulling the new one through, as you pull out the old one. Makes life easy, as compared to trying to stuff a new cable around cable sheaves, where it doesn't want to go! The Cable Control unit needs occasional adjustment, not too hard if you acquire an operators book for it. You can convert to electric start, but it's quite costly as the old pony motor ring gear doesn't match up to the standard Delco starter pinion, and you need a special helical pinion for the conversion. See Old Magnets contributions for a huge level of detail and knowledge about the electric start conversions. A D7 3T in average worn (running) condition should bring around $10-$12K - in good condition, one might be worth $20-22K. If it's a non-runner, with poor undercarriage, it's only worth $3-4K. HeavyEquipmentForums https://www.ebay.com/itm/325374438723
Thanks Tones...yep Queensland....no Idea of cable etc...pulleys on the back
Thanks Oz Dozer ...the advice you & others have given is Gold...Just got in from clearing an old track with my 580D Case backhoe....gunna need all of 100hp with the size of Lantana ....mate what do you lube the cable with..grease?? or would sump oil be ok ...Thanks again for the advice
You can purchase wire rope lubricant pretty easily, and it comes in spray cans, and drums with a thick and a semi-fluid consistency. You simply brush some on regularly. https://www.itwpf.com.au/rocol/product-category/wire-rope-lubricants/ Don't handle wire rope without thick, heavy leather gloves. Old wire rope is full of wire spikes, but even new wire rope can get you with stray wires. If you can find a wire rope (cable) cutter, that's an advantage. Buy steel wire rope (SWR) by the reel cheaper, and cut it to length yourself. https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/253897623015 If you can't find a cheap wire rope cutter, you can utilise a thin cutting disc on an angle grinder. But melt the ends of the wires together with the gas axe, as soon as you've cut the wire rope, to prevent the ends from fraying and giving you endless grief.
And one more important tip. Don't do anything with wire ropes with the engine running. This includes adjusting the clutch and breaks on the winch. Back in the day the lucky ones who ignored this only had fingers missing . Photos would be nice to see
Thanks for the tips...your thoughts of an Inter TD18a series182 as an alternative...all hydraulic
Will get some at a later date...its 100km away....are the winch driven by shaft off back of motor
IIRC they are driven through the gearbox and are not live drive The last time I operated was about 72. It had a double drum Le Tourneau CCU.The controls are ,RH lever for blade or bowel,LH lever for the apron/tail door on a scoop. The drums are parallel across the tractor. Cat CCU's are 90 deg different .
The IH TD18A series 182 is not as reliable as the D7 3T, and parts are now getting hard to source for them. Hydraulics do have the advantage of giving you down pressure on the blade for cutting into the dirt, and you can also "jack the tractor up" using the hydraulics, if you want to work on the underside of it.
Thanks mate...the cable cat sounds like the one
Goughy I'm just down the hill if you ever need a hand.
Thanks for the offer...might take you up on that at some point...where you located
Esk .PM me and I'll send you my phone number