I have a Cat 955K And would like to know if anyone has had any problems with them or things that I should watch out for. Any help would be great
In asking and answering that question one has to remember that these machines are more than 40 years old. Anything made of metal can and will wear out given enough use and abuse. That said, the 955K machines are among the best ever made, IMO. I had two of them for a number of years back in the 1980s and 1990s. They are tough and easy to learn on and to operate. If you don't have manuals yet, find a set of factory manuals. And remember to follow the recommended maintenance schedule for fluid, oil, and filter changes and adjustments. One can wreck a perfectly good machine by being too cheap to change the various oils and filters.
We just picked it up last year from one of our local equipment dealers they had a guy trade it in for a kubota rtv as he was done using it to dig his pond. We got it to demo for about two weeks and in that two weeks my father ran it out of fuel twice and ran over a stump and put a crack in the oil pan ( note to self don't just assume that all the skid plates are on a machine just because there supposed to be there) There wasn't one on it till we fixed the oil pan and I made a heavy duty skid plate. Lesson learned what a PITA. We did a full filter change and fluid change fixed the things that needed fixed and all that. Ordered a set of books for it learned some more about the machine and fixed a couple of the other problems we had with it. The only problem were seeing now is that it heats up really quick and starts to blow water. We finally got all the gauges working again and have been keeping an eye on it. After winters over and spring finally gets here I'm going to flush the radiator again and the whole cooling system and see if that helps.
One of my 955Ks had a scary looking crack in the main casting just beside the right side final drive. I always expected the machine to break in half, but it never did. Since it was cast iron, welding was pretty much out of the question. To help hold it together, I straddled the crack with a heavy metal plate and lots of bolts. To create that crack, someone may have dropped the machine off of a truck or trailer. They were just the right size to fit into the back of a dump truck, and maybe someone dumped it out too hard. Or they had a ripper on it and overdid it. Although they were not as fast as an excavator is today, the 955s were great for digging basements. It was relatively easy to dig a very accurate hole. And one did not need much of a ramp; they could go up and down nearly vertical basement hole sides. They did tend to run hot when the rad became blocked with dirt or other debris. Cleaning the exterior of the rad and reversing the blades, to alternately pull and push air, helped with that. It sounds as if your plan to clean the inside of the rad is a good one.
Ok time for an update....We got the books poured through them and we found out that the oil cooler and trans cooler were about half plugged with dirt and goo. That was definatly limiting the flow but still didn't solve the problem. Did another complete system flush still only about a 15deg temp drop. Installed a new cap because we found out it was leaking that was a 10 deg drop. Then we seen something we didn't notice before that gave us a nice 100 degree drop in temp............. Reversable Fan....... Just needed to flip the fins around after we pulled off the guards. Now she's runnin about 150deg and working great. Thanks for all the tips guys....
I hate to highjack this fourm but I cant start a new one... I have a 955k that I'm trying to sell but I need to know where the hour meter is located. Ive looked all over and cant find it. Did they have one one them of did the engine have a fuel meter? thanks JD
There should be one on the dash and another on the Injector pump
nothing on the dash and the pump has a meter on it but the draft arm is in the way and its not running right not to see the fuel pump meter...I was hoping there was a hiding spot somewhere I could find a acutal hour meter...thanks LP
I'll check my book tomorrow and see if there were any other locations
cat 955k good question!
k the only two that they are listing is one on the dash and then one on what would be the passanger side of the loader around the fuel filter
This might seem like a silly question, how do you change the revisable fan on a 1967 955k. I have tried pushing the blade in and turn and tried pulling out, no luck. The blades are in bad shape, someone did not put the side covers back on.
You push them in and turn them 180 degrees. It's not unusual for them to freeze up with rust and dirt if they're not used a lot.
Really testing the memory here, but I think the only hour meter that would be originally fitted to a K would be the engine driven one on the fuel transfer pump, but it's highly unlikely it would still be working.
55K hr meter I have a 55K since 1969 85J2308, hr meter located on injection pump. If you remove the small screws that hold the thick plastic cover, which is usually so faded you can't see the numbers, you might find that the meter is still reading.
If your 55K is a 61H serial # then your machine was an early one. Those machines were built from around late 66-68. those early machines had a different engine, D330, same motor that was in the old 955H. You can tell which one you have by the spring tensioner for the fan belt. The 85J motor didn't have the spring. As for the fan blades, after you soak the base in liquid wrench, don't be afraid to hit the tops of each blade with a hammer to free it up. I can go on and on lol.
+1 - soak the pivots with Kroil for a day then knock the blade in with a dead blow soft hammer, turn the blade and wiggle it back out. After a few times they will loosen up.
Continued Work I never got the fan blades loose. Pulled the radiator to work on it and work on the water pump. The fan was so far out of balance the bearings in the pump had to be replaced, so the pump is getting rebuilt. Got a new standard fan but the book shows a fan ring in front to bolt it on. Have been unable to find one, is there a way to get dimensions so I can make one? Maybe someone out there has one they would sell?
Your fan is attached to the water pump shaft?
Fan Ring Yes, It had a reversible fan that looked like it had been chopping wood. Got a standard fan but it shows a ring on the outside to sandwich the fan and pulley. Working on a 955K, 1967 vintage. Looks like I'll make a ring for it.
If your 55k is a 67 then your serial # must begin with 61H. If that's the case then you have the D330 engine which didn't last long in the 55K and L series machines. It was replaced by the 3304 which was a much better engine. The later 3304's had the reversible fan from the factory, it held up much better because the fan wasn't attached to the water pump shaft like yours. In the 3304 the water pump was gear driven not pulley driven like yours. The reason the reversible fan wasn't usually found on your type was because the water pump shaft wasn't strong enough to handle the extra weight of the reversible fan. The engine in your machine is the same one found in the older 955H.
I remember having a different fan blade for the 955H for winter use. I would unbolt the regular fan and install fan with reverse blade set up.