Hey everyone, new here. My dad and I are looking at a dozer to make a deal on. It is an old cable operated D6C(Model on the decals). I’m trying to find out as much about it as possible before I start working on it. The serial number won’t work on CAT’s website. It is 10K5142 with a place listing Series C. It’s been sitting for 15 years according to the owner, but ran fine when it was parked and just needs batteries. I’d like to know the year, best way to go about getting parts, and any issues to look for. We’re just going to use it to clear my parents 5 acres and to have a project for myself. I’m a forklift and mobile equipment mechanic of 6 years and have no doubt I can get it working.
Cat's website is a bit picky on how serial numbers are entered. Add a zero after the 10k prefix like this: 10K05142. That should pop up parts in SIS. I can see parts but I cannot see your Build As configuration. Maybe someone has deeper access than me. And best of luck getting her to run right for you. Looks like you have a challenge on your hands but the folks here are experts.
Believe that and you must also be a believer in flying pigs. It will if you put it into modern-speak and use 10K05142 as the S/N. However don't expect much in the way of information. Most of it seemed to disappear when the online system was "upgraded" a couple of years ago. If you are serious about this machine you will really need a Parts Manual and a Service Manual because of the aforementioned lack of online information. The Caterpillar Publication references are Parts UE070095 (covering all machines up to S/N 7952) and the Service Manual REG00530. You should find used copies in all the usual internet marketplaces. I think you will also need a Parts Manual covering the Hydraulic Control system, as these were separate from the main Parts Manual back in the day. To identify the correct manual would require the S/No of the Hydraulic Control, the plate for which can be found on the hydraulic tank. EDIT: No you won’t - cable blade
I have never seen any cable operated D6C, let alone a later one. Begs the question why someone would do it.
There are a lot of experts out there selling there perfectly good equipment. Chances of a cylinder or more being seized solid is high after that many years. Antifreeze and moist air like to get into cylinders from open valves or from leaking around a head gasket. Buyer beware. Simon C
That is a very odd machine. Serial number says it's a 1971 but the cable blade and rest of the machine say it's a lot older. Where is that serial number plate and can you post some more pics. of the machine. Something is off. Wonder if it could be an agricultural dozer or special forestry dozer because it's not a typical D6C. It's also odd the serial number plate doesn't say Caterpillar and where it's made or have a zero at the beginning. In a quick search it looks to be a D6 9U series so maybe someone in the past put a newer model serial plate on it. It's not uncommon for people to put newer decals on equipment so it is possible someone being really deceitful put a newer serial tag on it.
Serial number plate looks ok to me but I'm old. If it was me I would look at cable control for a serial number
Cable control blade is a legitimate option for a 10K.
Interesting. I would have guessed a 9U would have been the end of cable controls.
You would be amazed at what is out there we put cable controls on d10 s because a customer loved the old cable pull pans.
I've not had the pleasure of running a cat and can, but I have a ton of hours on DW15s, 20s, and a 619 with cable control. I can appreciate the love for them.
Very odd to see a cable blade on a 1971 D6C or any 1971 dozer for that matter.
I have seen flying pigs, when I ate a funky peanut butter sandwich with some crunchy toppings, but I’ve never interacted with a +50 a**hole that would make a smart comment like that in response to an obviously sarcastic quoted statement.
My comment was in jest. If you don’t possess a sense of humour that’s hardly my problem. Anyway you have all the information you need now to get the tractor running. Keep the forum up to speed on how it goes. Best of luck.
I appreciate all of the info. The deal was already made on the condition that I can get it to at least run(my dad is trading a new gas pack and my labor). I’m going to find the manuals and/or tinker with it since it’s 2 miles from my house, carefully. I’ve been working on post 90s heavy equipment for a while, but the cable attachment and layout of this machine is wild. Definitely gonna be an adventure that I’m going to try to document some of. He’s got a newer dozer that’s sitting near it, but this is the one my dad picked, and I like old stuff
It was an Ag machine, the main data plate is too worn to read. This plate is directly under the dash. From the info I’ve gotten here and my google fu, it seems like a custom order. I know from my forklift ventures, some companies will order weird options to suit their needs, no matter how inefficient they are. The owner said the cable drive was there because hydraulic hoses could be damaged. Very logical, but so can cables, I thought. Until I couldn’t find the cables anywhere but on the spool at the back♂️ maybe old folks did know something. He did say they sucked to replace 20 years ago
All the ag machines I've seen around that age are std transmissions power shifts over heat with steady pull
Post some pics. of it.
Would it be wise for him to find a stamped serial number somewhere? Since he's only a couple miles away, it would be fairly easy to spend time on it. And when taking pics, look for an engine tag or post some clear pics of the engine itself. The folks here are pretty good identifying engines based on layout of injector pumps, coolers, filters, etc.
Some of us prefer a cable blade. I would be Leary of a power shift transmission. I am old school I guess.
I bet you carry a 3/4" wrench and a fair sized crescent in the tool box to keep them timed and adjusted!
Here’s some Info
Some more
I’m going to swing by in the morning on my way to work. Unfortunately, both batteries the owner gave us were completely flatlined and won’t take a charge. I’m going to look into having them refurbished, and maybe a 24v jump box. We made the deal contingent on hearing it run.
Awesome, thanks
After sitting for so long, I would bar the engine over by hand a few rotations to ensure it's free before you give it the juice. Even the slightest bit of fluid (antifreeze, oil, water, etc.) in the cylinders may scrap your machine in the first revolution of the starter with two new batts. I understand it may be a challenge to figure out how to bar it over by hand but I think a little effort here will go a long way for you.
As promised
Some more…
This is another dozer the guys got sitting. He said he might scrap it, as he’s too old to work on it. If I can get the D6 running and hauled off, I told him I’d work on it pro bono as long as he buys the parts
Awesome project . Personally, I would have gone with the second one. Looking at the buckets and stuff, looks like it was parked with some care. Good luck and have a blast learning and wrenching. Even better if you do it as a project with your father.
It's a loader. Not sure which one...931, 941, 955, etc. Someone here will be able to tell which one.
Hard to tell exactly from pictures but I'd say either a 955 60a serial number or a 20a 977.
From what we can see in the pics, that D6 looks like a pretty straight, "honest" machine. Worth preserving for the rarity of a cable blade.
The Shovel looks to be a 977H? the D6C I would hardly think it was ever Agg spec' as a powershift would be lacking the speed range needed for Farm cultivation and is not built for this work, anyhow the 10K Series D6 was built from 1967 to 1976 as a 140 bhp Tractor, the engine would be a 333C changing to the 3306 in mid 1972, your engine rebuild plate has 3306 on it but I did see 1971 put up as a build date for this Tractor, (I have not checked myself) the CCU is an early type with the cast script covers that would put it as a CAT 25 low drive unit, it was common to see CCU's taken off earlier Tractors and fitted to the new mount, a picture of the left side of the engine would help I.D. the engine series, it's a fun project you have ahead so no doubt you will learn a lot. good luck
I would guess a 977H as well but it looks like the rails are pretty worn out. Would be interesting to know why the hood is off/missing. I don't know if it's possible someone may have stamped the rebuild sheet wrong and it's not a 3306? Wouldn't think so but stranger things have been done.
There should be a serial# tag on the lefthand side of the block with a serial# that would match the one you found on the machine, it would tell you if the engine is original..and lend a little credence to the tag you found elsewhere on the machine. At least my D6C 76A series did. I'm not sure the 10K series was the same though.
I didn't realize that would be a 977...much bigger than the D6C. Depending on what you want to do with a machine, the 977 might be a better choice (depending on mechanical condition obviously). What are your plans for a piece of old yeller iron?
I don't believe that tractor is turboed either, at least I don't see one.
All the badges plates etc can all be bluffed, you cannot beat pictures to make a correct I.D. of an engine, the 333C looks near identical to the 3306, but the difference is there to be seen if you know what you are looking at, this is common to see on Forums where people scream out it's a 3306 because the Dip stick is on the left or some other sure fire way they know it to be true, it says OXO on the side of a London Bus but it's still a Bus
I’m planning on doing some work on the d6c tomorrow. A friend told me to pull the injectors and pour some marvel mystery oil or some other lube into the cylinders, and let it soak before turning it over by hand(I’m betting it’ll take a big pipe wrench and a long cheater bar) to avoid damaging rings. I’m going to clean the weeds and vines first. I’ve had poison ivy/oak/sumac the past two weeks so bad I started spraying brake cleaner on it just to dry it out lol
//Note: This post is more for the board to generate input for you on how to bar over your engine so don't take this as my expert advice as I don't know your engine. Hopefully someone will chime in and give some real life experience on your engine and make it easier for you.// Instead of messing with the injectors which might be a bigger headache than you think, I wonder if pulling the glowplugs will be a better way forward. And you'll get to test them to boot so you know you're getting good heat when you do want to "put the juice to her". Yeah, MMO or whatever your favorite witch's lubrication brew should work. Just make sure you bar the motor multiple times with everything back together ensure you're getting out all residual puddles and it's a free system. As far as where to grab with a pipe wrench or such, I have no idea. Maybe behind the fan pulley? My D7F with a newer 3306 has holes in the standoff adapter that attaches the fan to the pulley. If you have something similar, you might be able to put a socket extension through it and use a cheater bar to bar the engine...assuming the belts are tight enough on the crank pulley. For fuel when you do want to get her started, one trick I've used multiple times to get an old diesel up and running is by using a cheap garden pump sprayer as my fuel source. I cut the hand nozzle off the end and use a barb fitting (1/8" is usually the right size) that screws in where your fuel inlet goes into your lift pump or directly into your injector pump. With only a few pumps, you can build up 10-20psi of CLEAN diesel pressure bypassing all the junked-up lines and ensuring fuel source is not the issue. Again, feel free to add your own witches brew of injector cleaner, Seafoam, B12, etc. that may help clean out your system after sitting a long time. Last bit of advice that worked for me as a kid growing up and always getting into poison oak and ivy at the farm. Grandma would make a 1:3 solution of bleach to water and dab on the area. Not a soaking but just enough where it was wet and we'd blow on it until it was dry. I can't tell how many times within the next day it was pretty much gone. I never tried brake cleaner but if I'm ever out of bleach, I just may have to try it.
First 6c I operated was an early build 73A, it was a cable machine.
I use the spray bleach on poison ivy but the red cap brake cleaner works good too. Like the idea of taking off the glow plugs for putting MM oil in the cylinders. Sometimes the glow plugs have enough carbon on them they don’t want to come out though. Good luck turning it over, if you get it to initially turn, you can just use a battery and the starter to get some oil pressure up.
I found the tag, it’s a 977, I’ll have to dig the weeds off and clean the tags up to get the serial#
My parents want to clear the remaining 4 acres of their property and can’t seem to get anyone to give them a straightforward estimate or show up when scheduled. Plus for the price(trading and new gas pack and the labor to install it) I’ve always wanted to wrench on and run heavy equipment, I’ve been an industrial mechanic for years, but the dealer I worked for dropped the heavy equipment segment from our branch before I could get too far into working on anything bigger than forklifts 7 and 8 series Toyotas, some Doosans, Hyster, a couple old IC cranes that looked like tanks, and a couple of Shuttlewagons. Here are the engine tags
I know I’m super curious about this attachment that is included with the D6. It is stamped Florida Land Clearing Equipment company
The glow plugs seem to run through the injectors, I seem to have lost the picture of that part. I hosed them down with pb blaster this morning to let soak until tomorrow morning. I’m going to try pulling the glow plugs and maybe the injectors to squirt some lube down the cylinders. After staring at the engine for about an hour, I think I should be able to get my pipe wrench on behind the fan without damaging anything. In addition to the bolts on the injectors, I soaked the fuel primer and the control lever bases. Everything seems to move pretty freely, but a little lube couldn’t hurt. The brake cleaner on poison whatever it is, worked wonderfully for drying it out. I’ll be prepared with sleeves and gloves as well as some gardening tools in the future.
That's a brush/root rake. Very handy for clearing brush without taking too much dirt. A 977 is a hose but parts are expensive.
9Y1979 is the part number for a 3306 exhaust manifold gasket. 977 3306 engine horsepower is should be 190hp, 133hp looks like a transplant.
Isn't 10K5142 the Serial Number of the D6C he's working with.? Apart from that shouldn't 10K5142 have a D333C engine in it.? The 3306 wasn't introduced in the 10K machine until 10K7953 IIRC.
I'm getting confused between jumping back and forth between the D6C and the 977
Correct, sorry I kind of mixed in the 977. I haven’t made it to the engine on that one yet. The first engine tags I’ve posted pics of are from the D6C. It’s becoming quite the adventure learning about these machines.
Meant to say a 977 is a hoss. Darn auto correct changed it.
Good news, the engine turns free, and to my surprise, I used a 16” ratchet, 15mm socket and a slight grunt. The fuel system seems to work, I was able to use the primer pump and get clean even fuel out of the pump and lines. It could use some new o rings on the fittings to the injectors. Bad news, I think the glow plugs are all janked up. I got one to come out, 4 threaded to the end and just spun, one is so deep in I’ll need a socket or some ingenuity to back it out. I cleaned a bunch of the foliage off of it, squirted some grease in most of the fittings to get some of the water out and make sure the fittings were good. I’m going to get some power to it in the next couple days and see if it will turn over, and maybe crank. View attachment IMG_0846.jpeg
One trick I have done on the screw in glow plugs is to put a deep well socket over them in a drill and while reversing it, I pry up on the glow plug with a small crows foot and eventually it wears the carbon off and unscrews. Good job so far and good luck. Make sure your having fun and use Poison Ivy Round up and spray the crap out of everything.
I think I’m going to try them as is before I replace them. The seals/o-rings are smoked on the fuel lines going into the injectors, and it looks like non existent coming out of the fuel pump(the parts diagram doesn’t show any here). I have an o-ring kit with the correct size(found it on cats site) so I’ll probably try those first
You could use a heat gun or even a blowdryer in the intake if the glow plugs aren't working. If you use a heat gun make sure there's no rubber hoses to burn. Right at the intake manifold would be best. If you're sure there's fuel and the GP's aren't used you could try a small shot of ether too when trying to start it.