I'm working on a D3B for a guy. The machine was working fine then it sit for about 2 months. When it was started again the right track is not receiving any power. The track rolls freely and the brake works. The dozer moves forwards and backwards on level ground, when you barely step on the left pedal, the dozer stops. I have checked the freeplay in the linkages for both pedals and have taken the clutch control valve for the right track apart. There were no problems found in it. Any help with this problem would be greatly appreciated.
you didnt by chance try to run it withe the control valve out of the picture did you. like most clutches these are spring applied and pressure released, could be possible that the throw out cylinder is stuck holding the clutch in the released position. i'm thinking that this is one of those "so simple its stupid" fixes
No, I did not run it with the valve unhooked. Since then I have thought about doing that, or switching the valves from side to side. I figured the clutches were applied by springs and released by hydraulic pressure but i wasn't sure, so thats good to know. I just could not think of what could have happened since it was operating correctly when it was shut down last time, of course that is just the story I got. I am not around this dozer except to work on it and I can remember that it took more effort to turn right than left.
It's been awhile so I thought I would update this thread for anyone else who might run across this problem. Turns out the stop on the release bearing arm was out of adjustment. The clutch could never fully disengage, thats why it was always hard to steer to the right, it had to slip the clutch to steer. In time it started breaking the teeth of the outside of the fiber discs. Eventually all the teeth were gone resulting in no power to the right side track. New fibers and steels and some adjusting and it works the way it supposed to.