I'm thinking about buying a non-running D7D project. It's complete, said to have been running 5 years ago. Owner thinks it may need injectors or an injection pump, so I suspect it's having fuel issues. He also indicated it would need hydraulic work; hopefully it's just busted hoses. It has a hydraulic blade, ROPS, electric start, Hyster D7D winch. Engine is a 4 cylinder turbo. First question - does this appear to be a D7D?
D7D, 17A
That's a good story, and a fun project. From here, the track pads look good, but bent. The sprockets look a little slick, can't tell the rest of the undercarriage, and that's what matters as much as anything, you can find the measurements easy enough. Are you looking for a project working on a machine, or do you have a dirt moving goal in mind?
Thanks. That's good to know. Sounds like these are great machines.
I'm looking for a project working on a machine. I've been wrenching on muscle cars for many years, and dabble in diesel pickup trucks, too. Now that I'm retired from the Army, I have a bit more time to wrench just for the sake of wrenching...
Bought a brand new one in 1962. Hydraulic pump mounted on lower half of radiator. Engine runs hot because it only had half a radiator. Hydraulic pumps every summer eaten up by the heat. Turbo's never lasted. Im sure glad Cat improved or I'd be broke by now.
Ouch! That does not seem like a great design.
Take a good look at the exhaust manifold. They were bad about rotting out and they are hard to come by. My understanding from friends in the antique cat works is that they’re north of a $1,000 for the manifold IF you can find one. I have done some trading for a 17a myself, a later one like that with bolt on segments, hyd blade, electric start and a turbo. I wish the one I got had a rear winch like that machine. It does have two blades.
Good info on the exhaust manifold Thanks!
A few more pics.
Question - this would have originally had a cable operated blade, right? And this one was converted to hydraulic at some point?
The D7C, released in 1955, was naturally aspirated. The D7D appeared in 1959, and the only major differences between the D7C and D7D was the D7D was now turbocharged - and it came with a new design of full pressure lubricated transmission, so the tractor could work on steep slopes without fear of transmission bearings being starved of oil. The D7C was 128FHP and the D7D was 140FHP. The D7D was only in production for 2 years, before being replaced by the all-new D7E in 1961. The main problem with the D7D was the final drives were basically identical to the D7 3T, released in 1944, which produced 93FHP. So, by 1959 Cat were putting 140HP through final drives that were originally designed for 93HP. As a result, D7D final drives are the main weakness of the tractor. You need to drain a little oil from the final drive cases and check for metal. I see where the tractor is sporting modern bolt-on sprockets, so she's had some $$'s spent on her sometime. However, those track shoes are definitely very thin, and have little strength left to resist bending - despite the grousers being rebuilt and being of adequate height. The RH track adjuster is shot and is going to need repair. The equalizer mainspring is badly sagged and needs resetting. It may even have one or more broken leaves. You've got some work to do on that tractor before it gets back to good operating order. I see nowhere that the tractor has had cable control. Cat hydraulics and hydraulic blades were available from 1947, and they started to become a lot more popular in the 1950's as owners and operators realised hydraulics were lower maintenance than cable control - despite the powerful arguments put up by the cable control lobby (largely led by R.G. le Tourneau).
Thanks for the detailed response, @OzDozer ! That's exactly the information that I was looking for.
That rh recoil spring looks broken
Thanks
I would look for a better one and cut this 1 up for parts, it's a lot more fun to restore a good one that only needs time and care than a $$$$$$$ Pit like this, the undercart looks scrap to me and forget those plates they are done fore, the segments are knacker jobs so the bushings will be the same, you would blow $15' or $20' Large making this beast look half handy, it does have some nice areas but nothing to save it from the Pot.
Could be , but more likely not . Serial number tag has gone by the looks of the first picture in post #10 , there could be a number on the block cast into it somewhere below the generator just above the crankcase . You may need it
Ok, thanks for the input!
Gotcha. Thanks!
looks like a project for sure
Probably more than I'm willing to tackle at this point. Thanks
Well, it's still for sale. Spoke with the owner today; he said his dad bought it about 11 years ago and they had it running but it wasn't running great. Then his dad got sick and it went on the back burner. It still turns over but when someone tried to start it 6 months ago, it wouldn't start.
She's basically a parts tractor unless you've got a whole lot of money to burn up in repairs.
Where would the serial number tag be? The owner sent me several more pics today. I don't know if any of these are helpful.
A few more.
To the left of your electric starter motor on the flat ridge could be 18 inches along it
This one is on a D47U but its in the same area as my D7D and about the same size
Heard from the owner. He said he did see some #'s there. I asked him to send me a pic. Just to confirm - this would be the serial number for the tractor as well as the engine? Similar to a "matching numbers" musclecar from the 1960's? And just so I'm sure, was there supposed to be a tag somewhere on the tractor, too, or is it just on the engine? Thanks
See the area in the darker paint above the solenoid ? there will be 4 rivet stubs there where the tag used to be , there will have been a tag the same as that behind the winch , left hand side two thirds up the housing . If the motor is the one supplied with the rest of the machine the numbers will be all the same , thats two tags and the one in the casting .
Thanks for the info!
Ok, I have more details, but I don't think I have a serial number yet. The engine block is a 1M4844, but the Google searches I'm doing are coming up with that as a D7E block. Does that match what you're seeing with the rest of the tractor or does it appear to have been swapped in? The owner found a winch tag and he thinks they read HY7C01 and A47P3414D7 but the last two digits aren't very legible. Does that sound like a possible serial number? Thanks Scott
The machine is 17a with d7e motor
I'm going to see it the day after tomorrow. Plan is to try to get it running, but I realize this is likely a tall order.
Complete? Wheres the hood? If I could get that for free the only thing I'd want would be the engine. I would not take on that project at all. Nor would I care to spend a dime even moving it.
Under carriage looks wore out injection pump would be several thousand dollars not worth bringing back in my opinion
Good question; I need to ask about the hood.
Yep. I suspect it doesn't make sense financially to rescue it. Better for parts. But I've made plenty of dumb decisions in the past, so we'll see.
Run. Just run away. Actually, run away fast!
Ok, so today was a GREAT day! Got on the road at 6:15. Picked up sidekick at 6:30. Got to dozer at 8:45. Owner was there waiting for us; he's a really good dude, 5th generation on their 550 acre cattle ranch. His dad bought the D7 10 or so years ago from a neighbor who lived a few miles away. They were going to use it to clear some of the land, and when you have a 550 acre ranch, I think you can justify a D7 to clear land. Dozer was easy to get to. Didn't need to break out the chainsaw or weed-whacker. Just like you see in the pics. The owner had 4 big freaking batteries in the back of his truck. I think the smaller ones were 4D's, but they were dead. The larger ones had 11.5 volts each, and look like they've been sitting in a shed for a decade or two. We got unloaded and got the generator fired up (sidekick has a Honda generator) and got two chargers going on the big batteries. Then we checked fluids and such - good on antifreeze, good on fuel, good on engine oil, milkshake in the transmission...gonna have to pretend we didn't see that... Checked for air filter and it had been deleted at some point. Ruh-roh. Mice had made it into the turbo on the cold side, but not a worst case scenario. Just had to clean it out a bit. Then started on fuel system, and that's where we ran into a problem. Injector rack seems to be immobile. But wasn't able to get it moving and the parts between the rack and the fuel filter are throwing me for a loop. Will have to wait for me to download pics and video, but we didn't want to force the issue, so we buttoned it back up for the time being. Fuel filters (3) all had fuel in them; they were all full. And tank is gravity feeding the first fuel filter (small wire screen), so we don't have an obstruction between the tank and the first fuel filter. Fuel filters look almost new; we saw old filters laying in box that must have been changed out the last time someone tried to start it. At that point, we figured we wouldn't be able to start it, but we could at least try to turn it over. Starter was already wired with a pushbutton and we ohm'ed all the wires and everything checked out, including working pushbutton. We then built some quick 2/0 cables to connect the 12v batteries in series for a 24v system. Used the positive wire that was already in place because it ohm'ed fine and it was in good shape. I was worried about a stuck rack and WOT/runaway engine if it started, but I really didn't think there was much chance of it lighting off immediately. I also had a thick denim shirt sitting right next to the intake; I could have smothered it if it caught. Verified all controls were in neutral and then hit the starter. Almost forgot - no real way that I could see to turn it over manually, at least not at the front of the engine. Anyway, the sumbitch spun over quickly! No funny noises, just nice and smooth! I was turning it over with the compression release in the "start" position, so it wasn't building much compression. No smoke, so it wasn't getting any fuel that I could tell. Second time I turned it over, it spun for a second and then I switched the compression release to "run" position and it definitely has compression; really slowed it down. Seller was there watching and he was certainly happy to see the engine turn over. He did mention that the winch was turning as I was cranking the engine, so that's a problem that we need to address; can't be using battery/starter power to turn the winch. The problem is the two controls for the winch -- one is "bluetooth" (i.e., cable is busted) and the other is frozen in position. Anyone have any ideas on how to disengage a Hyster D7 winch that has MIA and frozen control levers? Anyway, at this point, we called it a day. Seller was leaving to go out of town for work for a few weeks and sidekick had to be back to for parental duties, so we packed up and headed home. Batteries also weren't happy from having to turn the engine and the winch. I have pics and video. I'll post pics here when I get a chance, and I'll work on editing the video to put up on the YouTube channel. Next step - figure out the fuel system, source an air filter, figure out how to disengage the winch, and plan the next trip! Thanks for all the input!!! Scott
Be careful, a runaway can be a very sudden violent event, I have a 1” thick piece of urethane (smooth piece of 2x8 etc would also work) ready & air cleaner cap off….there is very little time to react. A shirt will probably just get sucked in…..
Sounds like love at first sight!
Thanks for that info. I'll be ready next time. Scott
Well, that may be overstating it a bit. I had a lot of fun today, but properly resurrecting this beast would be quite the ordeal. Thanks
And here's the video in case anyone is interested.
It looks like you know what you're in for with this task, I suspect you are looking for channel content as much as a workable dozer so you should be able to accomplish both. I have a soft spot for the old Cats too. I'm going to sub to your channel just because of this video so you've accomplished that, lol. You don't appear to be faint at heart when it comes to a challenge so I suspect you'll move ahead with this project and I don't want to miss any of that. As for the hole beside the shifter on the floor of the dozer, that is indeed the filler hole for the gear box. The winch I can't say what it'll take to get that disengaged but I'm sure others on here will be along to help with that soon.
That looks like the old style oil bath air filter system so there will not be a paper filter in it. I would drain ALL the old diesel fuel and run fresh diesel through the engine system from a clean 5 gallon bucket. That’s just for starters………
Definitely not faint of heart and always up for a challenge, but those traits have gotten me in trouble a few times!!! Thanks for the info on the filler hole; that's what I was worried about. Scott
Thanks for the info on the air filter, and good point on fresh fuel. Scott
I’ve got a bunch of Hyster winch manuals, any chance you noticed a tag on it? I’ll look and see which models I cover.
Excellent! It's a Hyster D7D. Here are some pics of tag. Thanks!
As long as the bung wasn't missing before the machine was parked the water should all be at the bottom of the transmission, loosen the drain plug before you try to start the machine again and you should be able to drain most of the water out of the bottom and not remix it with the oil again. It may save you an added headache down the road. As long as you're prepared to deal with the worn out undercarriage you should be able to make a fairly sound machine out of that platform.
You should be able to take a cover off where the cables go into the winch and take the control cables off and move the levers to disengage the winch
That's what I was thinking, too. Thanks
Gotcha. Thanks for the input.
Bulletpruf, you need to bring yourself up to speed on some very basic mechanical repair skills. Attacking a fuel injection pump rack with a pipe wrench is a big no-no. All injection pumps are delicate pieces of engineering, and their operating clearances run as fine as 1/10,000 inch on the likes of the injection pumps. They need to be kept spotlessly clean and dirt free. Taking the primary mesh fuel filter out of its housing and replacing the canister without it, is a huge no-no. The mesh filter is there for a reason, it strains out the big particles of rust and dirt, and with this filter missing, the secondary filter element will block up rapidly. The fuel injection pump rack sticks on most old abandoned tractors. It does this because the operating clearances are tight, and just a little bit of old gummy diesel, and a tiny bit of rust stops it from moving. You don't attack anything in a fuel injection pump with a pipe wrench or even hit any component with a hammer. Maybe some light taps using a very soft drift, such as copper or nylon. The best way to get the rack to move is to soak it over an extended period with some good penetrant. Some mechanics like to use PB Blaster, some swear by a 50/50 mix of ATF and acetone. The ATF has corrosion-attacking chemicals in it. The "wheel" you refer to in your video is a friction device containing two spring-loaded pawls that press against the sides of the housing to ensure the throttle stays in the selected position, and doesn't move under engine vibration. The rack opens enough with no engine oil pressure to provide enough fuel for low idle RPM. The oil pressure switch for the rack stops the rack from going to high idle (maximum RPM) when there's no or very low oil pressure. Once the oil pressure comes up, the rack lockout mechanism then allows the rack to travel to full fuel position. I'd strongly suggest you acquire a service manual for this tractor and read it thoroughly and ensure you understand the operating mechanisms and design principles of this engine. You could cost yourself a lot of money bumbling along with virtually no knowledge of what you're working on, or with what you're doing. They can cost enough to repair even when you're very experienced with them. Oh - and another thing. Re your starter cables - basic electrical coding is Red for Positive and Black for Negative (Ground). Mixing the colours will only lead to electrical disasters and fried electrical components, when the colours are reversed. And as for starting with batteries on the ground - keep the batteries close to the engine when connecting, and use thick, high-amperage cable that's as short as practically possible, so the electrical power losses are minimal. These are big old engines with large cubic capacity, heavy rotating mass, and they take a lot of electrical current to spin them over at high enough cranking speed, that enables them to fire up.
I'm hearing the same thing from the folks at acmoc about the rack and oil pressure. I need to download the manuals. Thanks for the input.
You'd be ahead to pull that pump after aligning the timing marks and send it into a shop that does that work. Far too much precision and balancing involved for a novice without proper tooling but that's just another opinion.
I think you’ll find it’s not that simple. Most likely money will have to change hands before you can download anything.
Yep. I paid $44 for acmoc membership. Thanks
Well worth it considering the cost of manuals.
Yes, the manuals are not cheap. Thanks
Actually, the manuals are cheaper than I expected. I found the operators manual, parts manual, and service manual on eBay. Less than $100 for them all.
Bulletpruf, the major thing to keep in mind here is that this tractor has had a "long and colorful" history, with an engine at least that is not original, and possibly more non-original parts/components. As engineering design changes are frequent with Cats, you will most likely find the manuals you've bought for the D7D may show numerous parts and components that don't match with what you've got. As Hector Gemme has already pointed out, the tractor has been repowered with a D7E engine. Although the D7D and D7E used the same engine (the D339), there were numerous design changes to the D7E engine, not the least of which was an upgrade in engine output from 140HP in the D7D to 160HP in the D7E. So you will quite likely need a parts book for an early D7E as well, if you need to work on the engine. Here is the operating instructions and parts book for the D7D winch ... https://www.tractorparts.com/PDFs/HYSTER_D7D_TOWING_WINCH.pdf
Good point on the manuals; I look for a service manual that covers the D7E. Thanks for the link to the winch manual! That was the next one that I was going to look for. Scott
Would this tractor have a live PTO? My manuals still haven't arrived and I'm trying to figure out why the winch spins when I'm trying to start it. If it's not a live PTO, then the clutch is hanging up, right? Thanks
It could be , when you run the main motor by the pony the gearbox should be in neutral with the main clutch engaged . The PTO shaft will be spinning . If the winch is spinning with the main clutch disengaged try pushing the main clutch leaver hard forward , their is a inertia brake on it . At one point I had 50 grade oil in my main clutch which caused problems till it got warm after about 15 minutes , returned the oil to a lighter grade and that problem of excess inertia was solved . I was told the D7E I had was 180 hp , far different beast to the D7D . I don't think the machine numbers were in the casting on the D7E's like the 17a's which is a pity .
Thanks for the details! Someone else mentioned the clutch brake to me; may have to pull up the floor plates to take a look. Scott
Yes you need to removed some floor plate to see the brake cluch maybe he need adjustement or change the small lining
Someone from the ACMOC site was kind enough to send me to scanned pages above.
Ok, thanks.
Headed back to turn wrenches on the D7 again tomorrow. Wish me luck!
The clutch is likely to need adjustment as Hector says. This is an oil master clutch, it has a dipstick for the clutch compartment oil level, make sure it has oil in it, and it's up to the correct level.
Yes, I plan to take a look at the clutch brake and check the oil level as well. If it's low, I'll add some 30W transmission oil.
How much do you plan to spend on this D7? To get it running and operating correctly will likely cost a lot more than it's worth. Might be better to abandon this one and look for something a little more promising where at least some things are in working order.
Your missing the bigger picture here! The dozer is worthless, but the YouTube content is priceless!
It could/would be very entertaining to see a series of you tube video's on how much of a money pit an old dozer can be. A few slip ups and scraped knuckles would add to the excitement. As long as it's not my money go for it. It would be right up there with an epic repair thread like the infamous D6C loss of oil pressure thread. Let us know when to start the popcorn. I can't wait!
It's certainly not economically feasible to rescue an old dozer like this and I absolutely would be much better off with something in better condition. Having said that, as @Old Growth mentioned, it's good YouTube content. I'm also learning a lot, having fun, and it's supposed to be sunny and 65 degrees here today, so it's a good excuse to get off the computer, bust a knuckle or two, and get some fresh air. My total expenditures have been about $150, so I'm not heavily invested, either. It's a win-win situation for the owner, too -- the dozer has been for sale for months with no takers. Hopefully we get it running and operating and he can sell it for more than he was asking for it. Thanks
Today was a good freaking day! On the road at 6:30 am. Picked up my buddy Will at 6:45 and we headed south. Arrived at 8:40 am. Got unloaded and got to work. Hit the bolts on the monster winch access cover with some 50/50. They came off with ease. Immediately inside was where the two cables entered the winch housing, one for brake, one for engage/disengage. Will managed to free up the brake lever with some 50/50 and elbow grease. We couldn't get the engage/disengage cable to free up, so we cut the cable at the winch with a death wheel and unthreaded the stub from the actuating lever inside the winch. Once that was done, we freed up the lever with equal applications of 50/50, brute force, and curse words. Once we had the engine turning over later in the day, we figured out which position was neutral and left it there so the winch wouldn't spin when the engine was turning over. We worked on the clutch and clutch brake next. Checked the oil level in the clutch and it was good; oil was clean, too. We also figured out that the clutch brake was not actuating as it should have been when I tried to start the tractor last time, but I managed to get it in place to where it would actuate if the brake itself wasn't junk...more on this later. Next we worked on the fuel system. I removed the cover to the rack and hosed everything down with 50/50. Then, with Will watching the rack, I spun the tractor over using the HF 24v jump pack. Will reported that all the spring loaded plungers were moving up and down except for one, which was stuck in the up position. So I managed to gently persuade it to move back down to where it was in contact with the cam...and then spun the engine over again...and it stuck up again... We went back and forth for about 10 iterations of application of 50/50 and gentle persuasion and finally the plunger moved up and down its own. At that point, we weren't trying to start the engine, and we weren't building oil pressure, but I did see a slight puff of smoke from the exhaust, so then I cracked open the fuel lines at the injectors about 1/2 turn. Spun it over some more and got a fair amount of fuel flowing from each fuel line, so I snugged them down and decided to see if she would crank. Now that it had been spinning over for a while, the jump pack was getting a bit tired, so we went up to the owner's house and picked up the pair of 8D batteries. Wired them up for 24V and gave her the beans. I didn't get much of anything with the decompression lever in the START position, but when I switched it to the RUN position, I started getting some smoke out the exhaust, so I gave her a little whiff of ether. Engine picked up and started to catch like it was going to start. This happened a few times and then she lit for good! It was running fairly rough at first, but that's because I didn't have the decompression lever all the way shut. Once I shut it, she cleaned up and idled nicely! Great oil pressure, too! From there, I tried to get her to move by putting the forward/reverse lever in either forward or reverse, but no such luck; all it would do is grind and I wasn't about to force it. Even with the clutch lever in the disengage position and the clutch brake on, the clutch still seemed to be dragging. I could see the driveshaft spinning, too, so I suspect the clutch is dragging and the clutch brake is smoked. At that point, we were out of time and had to head north back to San Antonio. On the way back I spoke with a guy who owns a D7 of similar vintage (D7E) and he said he has had a similar clutch brake problem with his, and he will just crank the engine over with the tractor in forward and low gear. That will either actually start the dozer in gear or it will break the clutch free so it's no longer dragging. On the way home I also spoke with the D7D owner (he's out of town for work) and he's tickled pink that the old girl is running again. Plan is to head back out there again in the next week or so to drain the water out of the transmission (we didn't have the correct tool to remove the drain plug) and see if we can actually get it to move. FYI - I love to complain about south Texas summers, but days like today do NOT suck - sunny and highs in the low 70's. I was in short sleeves at the end of the day. I'll work on editing the video over the next few days and will post to my YT channel.
Sounds like fun, did the blade function? I see it's chained up, or is that a separate problem?
I tried to lift the blade but nothing happened, so that's a separate problem.
New video is up in case anyone is interested.
Looks like the next trip out is going to be a week from now, if the weather is decent. The plan will be to check the fluids as best as we can (it's on an incline, so I'll have to do some guesstimating) start it up to get it warmed up, then kill it and start it up in gear. If it starts in gear, the clutch should eventually free up.
I learned to try to avoid those years ago . . .
The worst is when you're reefing hard on a stuck bolt and it breaks sending your knuckles into the frame rail or something else solid at 100 miles per hour.
Well, it's back up for sale, this time for $8k. It was originally listed non-running for $5k, so $8k running/moving/steering doesn't sound unreasonable. https://www.facebook.com/marketplac...place_top_picks&referral_story_type=top_picks
That same old pile pictured at the very beginning of this thread? Thats high priced scrap.
It didn't sell for 5k . . .
YIKES!!!!
At $5k, it hadn't moved or run in 12 years. Now it starts and moves.
Will the owner give you a big commission for getting it running? It's worth more running but it depends on the rest of it if it's actually worth buying. If someone needed an engine could bring a bring a couple thousand $$$. If the undercarriage has some life left could bring some money too.
No. I spent about $500 getting it running and 3 days of work, but I didn't ask for or expect to be reimbursed. I enjoyed it and the 3 videos have been doing well on my YouTube channel. Undercarriage is junk and blade isn't moving, but engine runs well and winch works fine. Thanks
There could possibly be money for the winch.
It's not going to bring $8K with junk undercarriage, because any buyer who wants an old tractor, wants one with some use left in the undercarriage. It was left to rot originally because it was deemed scrap back then - getting the engine running doesn't add a great deal to the value of the tractor. It's only a parts tractor with junk undercarriage.
Putting a sticker on it that says 5k doesn't make it worth 5k. It didn't sell for that price, which indicates it wasn't worth that. If the undercarriage is junk and the hydraulics don't work it probably needs 20k in parts just to move it toward being a working machine.
It's worth $ to someone who needs it.
It was left to rot because the guy who bought it was diagnosed with cancer soon after he got it. He passed away maybe 10 years ago. I bought it from his son. Meant a lot to his son to see it running again.
I figured it would need about $30k to get it to where it was capable of doing work again. That's why I walked away. It's really best suited as a parts machine, but would be cool (but perhaps not real smart) to see someone do a mechanical restoration.
Looks like the scrap price might not even pay for the trucking and torch fuel unless your real close to a scrap buyer. That’s a $1000 dozer to some unknowing new homeowner that wants to clear his field and the park it to continue to rot. Or just parts.
This is confusing. What did you buy it for? You were asking $8K with it running?
I could sell that dozer NZ$10,000 in this market , maybe more in a couple of weeks , at most . Its a runner with some minor issues . Collectors would chase it . I've just sold 1 dozer , 1 977 loader and two Priestman drag line things in a few hours . All under threat of the scrap metal man . Plenty of nay sayers on that job to . US$ 8,000 bit steep in the US market considering what can be bought , where its marketed will determine if it meets the sellers expectations .
Minor issues?
If the final drives , transmission or motor were smashed it would be a major issue . The hydraulics would more than likely have worked last time it was running . Worn out tracks don't make for a wrecked tractor .
Those are all unknowns except that the undercarriage is shot. Most people aren't going to gamble the drive train and hyd's. are in working condition on a machine that has been sitting over a decade. Worn out tracks make the machine unusable as a working dozer. I don't think a D7D is a particularly rare or desirable model so as a whole it is a wrecked tractor. The engine and winch working have some value IF someone was needing them. It wouldn't be worth it in time or money to put new undercarriage on an antique dozer to make it a working dozer.
The guy was asking $5k, not running. Had been sitting in the same spot for 12 years. I thought about buying it and decided to get it running in the meantime. I got it running and driving with a bit of work and decided not to buy it because I figured it would take $30k to replace the undercarriage and get it in operating condition again. When I told the owner I didn't want it, he put the ad back up and upped the price to $8k I enjoyed wrenching on it, made a few new friends, and filmed 3 videos for my YouTube channel, so I didn't lose sleep over the time I spent wrenching on it and the $ I spent on fuel, oil, etc.
YouTube content to keep the ignorant masses entertained for an hour is about all that worn out tractor is good for . . .
Even scrap is way over priced these days. That dozer should be given away to some young ambitious kid, like me back in the day. The work and time required to revive that is just not worth it. Collectors only would be interested.
Sentimental value doesn't make it worth more. Running makes it maybe a $1500-$2000 parts machine for the engine and maybe the winch. Not running was worth scrap.
That Dozer is unfortunately worth what it weighs. A D7D isn't a particularly rare nor desirable machine for someone to restore. IMO the most important thing on a crawler is the U/C and there isn't much left there. No way that machine is worth 8k.
Who cares what it's worth or what the seller can get? Bulletpruf wisely decided not to buy it but he still helped the guy out and had $500 worth of fun getting it running. That's a cheap vacation in my book. It'll sell for whatever someone is willing to give with enough time and it's none of ours problem. Or maybe it's a plot to get the owner to lower his price so one of you can get it cheaper? Ha!
Theses are some of the comments about a D7 I just sold . There are many more , mostly positive . The laugh is on the first guy as it sold for the 10k. Bulletpruf's project is a runner . There are plenty of late model dozers where the risk is unknown in the final drives , motor and transmission that appear among these threads , this one is no different . 100 hours work would have the dozer paid for . {{{{ No way he's getting 10 k for scrap dozer though. I get it, but also - if you really want it gone and are ready to accept scrap price, then 10k is a bit of a laugh }}}} {{{{ How about instead of trying to sell off history you donate to a museum....ohhh that's right.... you just want money.... shame on you }}}} {{{ In a friendly way - less talk and more action to save this machine and spares. Scrap prices are low and are even lower for large items that need to be picked up with a transporter and gas-cut up back at the yard for "processing". Someone needs to show up with a transporter and $2,000 in folding. Job done. Good luck. }}} {{{ Give you 3 grand for that bulldozer . Scrappy wont be paying much more than that.. whats a reasonable price then. 10k is far to steep }
100 hours of work you say? Those old junkers are not like a nice power shift, and a normal blade control lever, nor is the steering system boosted on most of them. I know I could not produce on one of them, I feel for those old timers that did. My right arm would be in a sling after the first 4 hours, I know I ran a D6C (and a D8H bubble nose) with the same lever as the bubble nose D8's use for blade control, it was horrible and I was a youngin then.
Plenty of old guys would pounce on that to operate it for a few hours a day . This one may suit the younger set to with the direct electric start rather spoilt . I never felt operating old dozers in the arms , as for the knees on my D4's , thats a different story .
On those long levers mounted horizontal, you have to use your shoulder to do most of the work, as well as hanging your whole arm in the air. Its just better ergonomics to have your arm down like all the newer stuff has. The D8's with the side mounted hydraulics are what I like, and some of the newer stuff is okay as long as its not a wrist twist deal, handy yes but bad on my wrist. I like pony motors have no issue with them, and best part there is always a compression release with them, great for a runaway.
The old horizontal levers can be improved with some creative bending downward
$500 worth of fun is right on point. I really did enjoy getting the old girl running again.
Hi there everyone I'm looking at a d7d 17a, I have read about the half radiator and the weak finals. Does anyone know if anyone has upgraded either? The machine runs good, it has a clutch that needs to be replaced, asking 6500 usd