What's needed to check the oil or grease level in the undercarriage rollers? The older cats had the button head grease fittings and were greased periodically, but the ones on the D6D are capped, and the owners manual doesn't mention a periodical check.
There isn't a periodic check unless you can see a roller leaking, in which case it has to be filled with oil while the roller is off the tractor and in a vertical position with the screwed cap at the top. The alternative to removing the roller is to tip the tractor on its side ........
3/8 drive to take bung out, there is a special tool about 6 inchs long top part threaded with a grease nipple looking thing, screw that into roller. then use a oil/ grease gun with the correct oil
NIge, Maybe you should have put a after that last remark, I know a few guys who might think that was an acceptable method!
Yair . . . kshansen Isn't it? (big grin) Seriously though, if a convenient two foot or three foot stump was around I used to scramble them up on that . . . way better than laying on your back in the dirt or mud. Cheers.
I have my own method while it may not be correct , On a warm day , run the tractor several hours. When you shut it down you can take a laser temp thermometer or just feel by hand the end shafts on the rollers and the center shaft on the idler. If one is warmer than the others its a good chance its going to fail.
Yair . . . As part of our normal operations a crawlthrough inspection was carried out every lunchtime. As well as feeling temps on roller/idler shafts and end caps a visual inspection is needed on roller bolts, rock guard bolts, belly plate plates and so on. When working rock or timber such inspections are vital and can save down time and money by catching problems before they turn into major dramas. Cheers.
But that might mean the operators would get their hands dirty!
Yair . . . kshansen Gotcha mate. I worked in a different world with different ways and work ethics . . . and I am very contented that I did. (big grin) Cheers.
Originally they were all filled horizontally till oil came out of the plug threads, with a roller filling tool. But have a idea this was later changed to filling vertically with a set capacity of oil. don't fill them to the top, they will leak from expansion for me id just fill them horizontally on the machine with a oil can,just to ensure theres some in there. have even pumped grease into badly leaking rollers just to keep them going, a semi stuffed roller that still turns is better than a totally stuffed one from no oil. Yes we were different here too scrub, most operators had to be multi taskers, you had to know more than lever pulling abilitys, your driving the horse, you look after it and do basic repairs and ajustments; just like it says in the 'operators manuel', and was a good help if you could do basic fabricating and welding too. And if you couldn't do that best you have some good farming, fencing , building or other skills, because when that machine stops you,ll be going home with no pay. Yeah would have been exceptions for really 'gun' guys who can road in hill country just by eye and finished job looked like it had been designed by a engineer. And a lot of my work forest roading still is. But we still get 3 months a year of wet winter where someone has to fix the machines. different countrys different things, but certainly never heard of any other countrys following the USAs iuoe or other strict I don't do that job policys .Alot of unionised poms came here with that attitude and soon found themselves changing or going home !! Just stating my observations here, not muck raking. :drinkup
Yair . . . gotcha D6Merv Well said. As I have mentioned on other threads our blokes were required to have a full set of tools up 11/8" and if they hung around a while on the Allis's they soon learned how to use them. (big grin) They were all the better for it of course and over the years a lot of blokes became good useful all rounders after moving through our camps. Some even learned to cook a decent feed, for that was a requirement, the early shift cooked tea . . . and I can tell you for sure and for certain some of the efforts were very average. Had a few smart asses with attitude jack up and reckon they were dozer drivers and not cooks or mechanics . . . it never ended well for almost invariably they also had an inflated opinion of their abilities of how to work a chain. Cheers.
Very true scrub; the cooking bit made me smile; I was young and hopeless like that once upon a time, and ended up in the worst learning ground of all, the western Australian desert, was a very short and sharp learning curve for a 27 year old learning to cook or starve. Mums can be too kind to sons sometimes. :beatsme Being able to multi task makes you a much better person in life though, and you have to have the ability to adapt in life to changing circumstances and work enviroments. And if nothing else should teach you how to THINK. This is a major problem for all the osh bovine excreatment we have today. My health and safety is like my money; nobody looks after either as good as myself :notworthy. Bottom line is you cannot legislate against stupidity. mankind must evolve over his lifetime. When I was 20 I was told; learn from other peoples mistakes boy, you an,t got enough time in your life to make them all yourself ! :drinkup
Well said Scrub & D6 Merv . I've had similar experience over the years maintaining & operating my own equipment . The bottom rollers on my old Allis Chalmers HD 16 used tapered bearings . In the past when a seal would start to leak I installed a grease fitting and give them a few shots of gun grease to help extend the life. This wont work on the bushing type roller as they needed oil on them constantly for proper lube . One trick I did do on the 16 B Fiat few years ago on the front idlers there was no way to check the oil in them . No though hole in the axil shaft so they are filled when assembled on there side . This drove me nuts not knowing the oil level in them so I ended up drilling a hole in the wheel casting from the outside just above the bearing cap into the oil cavity . Went in at about a 45 degree angle and then tapped the hole for 1/8 pipe plug . Now I can check the oil level
Yair . . . td25c . One would have thought the Timken rollers in the Allis HD21 rollers would have been perfect for our application but in fact, the Caterpillar bushing system was superior. With careful monitoring and a couple of grease guns on the tractor a sick Cat roller could be nursed through till a service or at very least the cut out of a block. Failure of a tapered bearing in an Allis roller could be sudden and catastrophic and often resulted in the destruction of shell and shaft . . . this was expensive for in those days rollers and even track chains were rebuilt with weld. We always ran with rock guards and with cable blades and no rippers changing out a roller became a work of art. We became very good at it and with a good run it was possible to change a roller with little loss of time over a lunch/fuel break at midday . . . one of the reasons perhaps why I keep harping in posts about the right length bolts on rollers and rock guards and never seize on threads. Neat move on the idler mods, I seem to remember we had some procedure but can't remember . . . . (big grin) Cheers.
I'm a big believer in the Anti-seize myself, When people ask me why I say I like to make it easy on the next guy, because the next guy will most likely be ME! As I'm getting very close to retiring might back off on it
Yeah Scrub... On the 16B it had a mix of both bearing & bushing type bottom rollers on it . When the bearing went bad they would sometimes lock completely up . At least with the bushing type they would still roll and a feller could limp along till he got a chance to replace it . Back in the summer of 2011 we converted it to Cat D7G bottom rollers . They are the bushing type . I am also a big believer in the proper length bolt & use of anti-seize:yup HeavyEquipmentForums
Thanks for the input guys - now I know what I can do to keep an eye on it.
Nige, is that a touch of sarcasim I detect ? I will get some ghost gum leaves and send to you so you will feel better.
Amen brother anti sieze can make your day just like the lack of can ruin it. This is true for any outside bolt that is not removed regularly, only takes a second to apply. We always called the roller filling tube an enema tube , if we have a leaker we mix STP with 30w @ 50/50 to prolong the agony or get thru a job
While a little OT here one other thing that can ruin your day is people, including factory engineers, who use bolts where there is say 3/8 in or 6-8mm thread sticking through a weld on nut. Especially in a place where access to clean of the threads is nonexistent. You fight fight it trying to work it out and spray penetrating oil on it as best as possible but then either the bolt breaks or the weld on nut breaks loose:Banghead Substituting the next shorter bolt and a little anti-seize and it comes out easy the next time. The place I seem to run into this a lot is the lower steps on front end loaders and haul trucks.
And what's this "latest" practice of not using washers on bolted fasteners..? If there's one thing that boils my **** it's designing a bolted joint half-assed.
I think those are bean counters at the factory going "Hey, we can save $0.005 if we exclude this!", not so much the engineers.