Hello, I'm looking to get information and manufactured date/year for a Cat 955k S/N 85J3169. The current owner of this machine last ran it about 4 years ago and said it needs new batteries and a new starter, he said that if I get it running that I can have the machine. I have no knowledge about this type of equipment and I was looking to get some helpful information to possible bring this back to life. If anyone could provide me with the proper list of fluids/lubricants that I need to use: engine, transmission, hydraulic, etc. and correct style of battery and starter. Any other useful information or suggestions you may have will be greatly appreciated, thank you.
Date-wise that S/N is somewhere around 1974/5. I know that 85J4672 (first 955L produced) is listed as 1976 manufacture. Here's a start on fluids........... You can get a Maintenance Manual that covers all the basic maintenance tasks including fluids as a download from Cat for $28.
Could you arrange a pull start? Is there another crawler around with the gumption to give this one a pull? You will have to get the bucket off the ground but that isn't the end of the world to do. Otherwise, slog thru the explanation below about trying to start it the civilized way: A quick look on the 'net shows a new offshore starter at around US$370 (Rareelectrical.com, out of Raleigh, NC. (no connection; just bought a starter from them for my Timberjack once--decent price) A kind soul (like Nige, maybe!) could give you a part number for the exact starter if you chose to buy a new one. Otherwise, if you can find used you probably need to know the engine model because I believe Cat changed the models in around your serial number... Not sure about the batteries you would use-two of 4D or 8D? (for 24V) 8D batteries are about $500 each, new in Illinois. Oooch!! Not sure how small a battery pair you could use for an initial try. You might find used batteries somewhere and even a used starter that could be tested out to at least work. This could be a real shztshow if you spent the money and found the old girl would NOT start. Whaddaya do with the 2 batteries and a new starter? Maybe FIRST see if you can get at the front of the engine to get a wrench on the crankshaft to see if it is at least free-turning and can do at least 2 full turns to see if there aren't any con rods broke or valves dropped or water in the engine. If not the front, maybe the back of the engine--some of the cats had a short driveshaft from the engine to the transmission. If it were me with this "gift" staring me in the face, I would: 0. See what the really smart guys on this forum have to say. 1. do the engine turning test before anything else physical on the machine. 2. pull the starter and get it tested; fix if relatively simple (cheap) fixes over buying a new starter. 3. Find a good used starter if the one off the machine is fried. 4. Buy a new offshore starter if you can't find a decent used one at the price you want. 5. Batteries: Beg, borrow or steal batteries to make up a 24V source with lots of amps. I would get big pickup batteries, especially if you have a pickup, so if the whole issue was crap I would at least have a couple of batteries I could use OR easily resell. Or put the glad hand on a friend who can loan you a couple of decent batteries. 6. Find a little bit of ether. 7. If you made it to this line you have an engine that turns; got a starter you know works; and batteries with enough Oomph to turn over the whole mess; and a little bit of ether helper. Show time! 8. Don't pour the ether to it--little sniffs will do... (ask me how I know!!) Your mileage may vary...and smart guys will probably tell me I have my head up my....backside... Photos and the story or it didn't happen!! Jon.
Thank you for the information you have provided for me, I appreciate the help!
I think getting pictures up front would be a good idea. It would help a guy get a complete view about the wisdom of pushing forward. Maybe not look a gift horse too closely in the mouth, even if you got it for a parts machine you have options. It could be a step to get 2 machines and make one good one. Batteries plus has a $650 8D 1450 CCA and a $220 8D 1425 CCA go figure? Parts on these little toys don't grow on Ford and Chevy trees.
Thank you very much for the help! Unfortunately we don't have anything to pull start it. Now regarding the starter, I found this https://www.rareelectrical.com/i-26...illar-track-loader-941b-951c-955k-4n3181.html on their website. The local CAT dealer in my area provided me with part number 10R-0399 for the starter and said the batteries are 4D. From what I gathered I believe the engine is a D330 and I do have pictures that I took when I first looked at it. The story is, my father-in-laws neighbor has had it sitting in his yard for the last four years and doesn't have any use for it anymore and would like it gone and said if I can get it running and out of his yard I can keep it.
I do have pictures but the images will not upload because they're too large. I will keep trying.
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Looooks good...but tracks and sprockets are shot, and likely the rollers and front idlers are not far behind. The pads don't look toooo bad.... Cat977's suggestion about getting it as a parts machine might be the way to look at it if you want to chase another one for parts or just find a good used set of undercarriage. The wear on the undercarriage might be indicative of similar wear on the boom and bucket pins, but loose pins there won't be a show stopper. The home made ROPS canopy is probably useful as a card table if you take it off and cut all the legs to the right length!! I wouldn't plan on rolling it over with that canopy to protect you. Or even protection from a big tree falling on it. But the base machine looks fine--pedal steer, nice open operator's station, tinwork still pretty straight.... Is there an hour meter on it somewhere? Unless the innards have cancer from being houred out it might be a fine machine to make one out of 2. Compare this machines operators station with the photo of another, older 955(H?) on this forum that was recently posted....the op's station looks like something out of an early space capsule--you can't even cross your legs in that one. If you don't want it, send it to me, freight prepaid....I'll take it in an instant!! The 8,000 mile haul might be a bit costly... Jon.
Hell, we rebuild **** like that all the time here! LOL
Samilleng is quite right about the ROPS it is a "only made for shade model". Look into the cost of undercarriage before touching it. My guess is breaking through the bushings to the pins is not far off. Tin looks good. What do you want to do with it? Do you own land? Changing the undercarriage is fairly hard work and you need another machine or a hoist setup to get it done. Did the man say it was working good before being parked or did it get dragged to that spot. Once you start pouring money into it if your like me its hard to stop until you succeed in getting it running. To drive it out you need to keep the tracks tight or you may have one fall off. Take gentle turns until you get home.
I guess the $64k question is do you have enough work planned to do with it in order that the investment in the necessary parts, etc, to get the undercarriage up to snuff (and anything else that might need it) a realisitic proposition even though you are getting the machine itself for nothing.?
I do own a few acres of land and have some small use for it for now with maybe some potential projects later into the future but nothing seriously major. I figured that if I was able to get it running and got some use out of it would be a great deal. Now I've done little research on undercarriages and have little to no knowledge on any of this, but how much will it roughly cost to rebuild or buy? Are you talking, into the 10's of thousands? The guy told me that it was used last on a job to move some dirt with and after the job was done he parked it and had no further use for it. I was planning on possible getting it running and at least see how well it moves before even agreeing to taking it, I just want to make sure its able to make a short trip to a trailer before it gets hauled off. The other concern I have is the right track adjuster spring is broken in two separate spots and I couldn't tell the condition of the other side. How big of a risk is that when it starts moving?
"I think" its OK to start and run and move dirt but the track tensioner needs to work or you risk running the track off the rollers. To fix you have to break the chain ect. If you don't have the tools hire it done. You may run a good while..... but
Tracks look like mine before I replaced mine some years ago but I would plan on 10K and might get away with 7K Did notice the machine has the locking key on the arms, mine didn't have one
AllDodge "I think" is quoting new Rails/chains and pads? That spring is there to release tension so other things don't break when a problem arises in the undercarriage. If the coils are overlapping each other you take away from that ability.
I don't have a good feel for track pricing except that if you enjoy the working on the machine you probably will not mind sniffing around the various used equipment suppliers looking for bargains. What I'm talking about here is to find some tracks and maybe rollers that the guys who have to run a machine 8 hours a day with will have to toss to avoid downtime that will cost them money. Their perception of "worn out" can be a heck of a lot different from what you or I would consider worn out!! You will need to find how wear is measured on a track chain-- it is pretty straightforward. The other thing to get familiar with is what chain you have in the 955 and what other machines have the same track chain. This gets a little more complicated because some track is made to inch sizes and some is made to metric sizes. Newer track can be nicer to deal with since the master links are bolted rather than having to find the master pin, which is press-fitted (and sometimes welded) in place and pull it out. Your machine may have bolted master links if you are lucky. Rollers and front idlers and the big tension springs are another discussion. I think most people just grit their teeth and buy new parts rather than try to fix. Unless you have a home machine shop and a press. I talked to a guy many years ago about fixing rollers on a TD9 Dozer he had on his farm. He was a decent welder and built up out outsides of the rollers but had an idea he wanted to try with the bearing guts in the roller--he wanted pull everything out of the inside of the roller and simply assembly the shaft into the empty roller and fill the whole thing with babbitt metal (like lead) and use grease lubrication. I never did get to talk to him again to see how that turned out!! Jon.