Helping a friend with a brand new but old case mc1150e dozer. First off, let me say I'm a Caterpillar classic guy (typical d6d level) and Case dozers are not my forte. Dozer was bought brand new at government auction with like 30 hours. It now has 250 hours. I've noticed when walking up to the machine after sitting the chain rails are dripping (leaking? down on roller frame area. Random links are doing it. The track links say "Case" brand. Not sure who made them for Case back in 1988? Did ITR exist? Berco? With the machine being new but old....what caused this? I am assuming sitting too long at a Marine base, the little nylon washer seal pressed in between rails and pins degraded? Or the oil fill plugs on end have deteriorated?(I don't see end of pin plugs but maybe there is one on the inside side pin?) Things I ponder are....are these factory tracks higher quality than what I would find now in 2024 aftermarket? Should we try to save these tracks and take them off to a shop with a track press and basically do a "reseal" and pin and bushing turn? What does that typically cost nowadays? Is that worth or should I run it till they go and then replace with low quality aftermarket tracks? Time and labor. I bet this does not have an alligator link like Cat tracks but rather a drive in and out pin. Probably beat the heck out of with sledge hammer or make a track pin press from a bottle jack and scrap metal. Yikes. Where is a good place to get this done? In the vicinity and radius of: Atlanta/Chattanooga/Knoxville/Asheville/Greenville area. I was thinking HeavyQuip in Knoxville? It's a new tight dozer. Or, I could be wrong and this machine is not seal and lubricated tracks (SALT) and there is something in a final drive dripping on to the rail and then leaking down appearing to be from links?) could be idler bearing juice leaning on link and then drilling back down when chain is positioned at top? (Just thinking of other scenarios that would gives false assumption). I've this same drip down at various times when walking up to dozer. It's pretty neat running a new but old Case 1150e with no electronics and being different from "Cat" most Case dozers like this I have operated are totally worn out and are a handful to operate. Any tips, ideas, or though? Thanks
I don't have any experience with an 1150E, but I do have a fairly low hour (2500hrs) Case 450C 1987 vintage, that is still on the original undercarriage. Mine is a wide track with 20" pads and the OEM parts were made by Berco. Best I recall these do have the link that unbolts to break the tracks and mine are SALT. With that said, the rails are in good shape wear wise, but I'm starting to get some dry squeaky joints so I know they won't last too much longer. Same problem with the bottom track rollers, not too much wear, but the seals are starting to go from age. I've replaced one and will replace more when the seal/bearing lets go. As for the rails, I'll probably run these until I can't take the squeaking, then buy a new set. I just buy all my undercarriage stuff from Case. The prices are a little higher than the aftermarket, but I'll gladly pay that for OEM quality. So far they have had everything I've needed.
Run it till the rails are junk and install a new set.
With the age of the machine & low hours - it has been standing still a long time. Track pin seals are likely hard & have not liked being moved. One link should look different to all the others & it will have a joiner to split the track after the grouser is removed - not an easy joiner to deal with either..... they are tapered & only seperate by hitting one side of the link in the correct direction. Like Tyler says above, I would just run them out as they are. Finding someone to do the reseal; if the parts are available; cost involved? Does it really warrant doing the job?
Thanks for the reply. I understand what you and the others are saying. Just to clarify the "thought" about "parts availability"....is this factory Case link/chain design exclusive and unique and the seals would be odd in the year 2024? But if I just wore these out and bought a new set of tracks, they would be an updated universal design different from the original? Or, in other words, the replacement tracks for this 1150e would be a modern universal pin/bushing, link design that would more worthy of spending money on? Thanks so much for the advice y'all
What we're saying is you're over thinking this, it doesn't make sense financially or time wise to rework those 'old' tracks, even with the relatively few hours on them. The 1150e Case is not a large dozer and undercarriage parts are not that expensive vs the cost of labor to rebuild. Run what you have until they are shot, then replace. I prefer the OEM stuff when available, but I'm guessing your not putting thousands of hours a year on this, so any decent aftermarket would be fine.
Thats nothing strange with sealed rails.
I'd also just send it and replace when worn out. Have you ever pressed tracks? Not a fun or quick task. I don't even like doing pad swaps lol.
They all loose their lubrication over time. Some are not lubed to begin with. I would just run it till they won't stay on, which depending on soil type may be 4 or 5 thousand hours more. Only big difference I notice between lubed and non is the lubed are quieter when its bone dry. Also I don't know about resealing the rails, but I do know turning pins and bushings isn't worth the money unless it's a huge machine maybe. You may gain a little time before you are rubbing pin bosses or wearing through bushings. But, they are always "snakey" more so than they were before. That has been my experience anyway. As a matter of fact, here in NC I think only one undercarriage dealer still does it. I would run it, when they get good and dirty you won't even know it. I used to have an 1150, 850, and a 1450B Case. They all will really wear a bottom to nothing before they start trying to throw tracks very bad.The 1450B had 24" pads and external C Frame so it was really hard to throw one all the way off unless a stump picked one off the sprocket. I never paid extra for lubed rails until the last couple sets, and they, and every set I have seen will show lube somewhere when they are fairly new. They all leak over time. You just don't know it when they are in the dirt. I think genuine Caterpillar is the best rails I have ever ran, but they are pricey. Berco is the softest I have, but are the cheapest.
Also, if you can't drive any pin out of the rails just take acetylene torch and blow a hole in the outside center about an inch to an inch and a half deep. Then let it cool a little bit and you can usually knock them out with a 4 pound hammer.
I agree, just run it. The rails will still last a long time.
Maybe I'm just stupid. But I don't see any plug in that pin in the picture? If all those links look like that maybe someone squirted some WD-40 or what ever, on all of them? Do they do SALT now without plugs?
The plug #7 is only on one end of the pin. So maybe it was in the opposite end to the one from which the photo was taken.?
All the plugs are on the same side of the chains , both chains on my tractor the plugs face to the right . Nige's and 'mover's photo seem to match that . These are old chains @ 1988 so will have plugs .
I have never personally seen a set with plugs? But, I don't go around looking for plugs in pins. The stuff I saw Wilson Finley put in bushings is more like a really thick gear oil or grease. They just sort of packed them like a wheel bearing and put them together. But that was excavator rails, maybe different. I have bought a couple sets of lubed rails, no plugs. And bought a new Link Belt with sealed rails, no plugs.
I think excavators might use some kind of lubed pins but they are different than SALT rails. I read somewhere SALT rails aren't used on excavators. Can't remember if was because they don't hold up as well or there's no real benefit on a slow moving excavator. Excavators aren't going back and forth all the time like dozers and loaders.
Yes my 210 has SALT rails. I have had two sets on Dozers as well. My 210 has its second set because I put 24" wide single grosers on it. It tracks all the time because it has a tree cutting head. The other type tracks have pretty much pure grease. What I am talking about has like a 90 weight consistency and they can put iton the bushings then press the pins in without a plug.
I thought I remember all large Cat salt dozer tracks the plug faced to the out side, maybe for easy access?
Put a set on D6D about 2 years ago with no plugs.