Hi, I just bought a Cat D4D dozer to assist my excavator with opening up a few areas around the place for more grazing. The excavator can take out any tree that I want it to do, pretty sandy soil and I have been pushing up the stacks with big heavy root balls with its dozer blade but was not real happy as I felt that it was really designed mainly to backfill trenches, hence the D4D to share the work load. I was hoping that you people here may be able to give me links to specs and manuals for this machine. All the googling I've done have not really produced much results, they seem a bit dodgy and hard to know if they are going to give the right stuff. I don't mind paying to download manuals, I did with the Komatsu excavator and what I got has been real handy and a great reference. Hoping that you can help, Ken
Yair . . . wbvs58 . I'm sure someone on here will be able to help. As an aside . . . I dunno where you are of course but if the blade on your excavator can push up the "big heavy root balls" they can't be all that big and maybe you will find if you build a tree pusher for the D4 you can park up the excavator and do it all with one machine? Cheers.
Hi Ken, and welcome to the D4d owners club There are a few of us on here that have D4D's and can probably tell you most of what you want to know about them, for machine specs I usually go to one of ritchie brothers sites like this one---> http://www.ritchiewiki.com/wiki/index.php/Caterpillar_D4D_Crawler_Tractor I have full sets of manuals for most of my fleet so if you need anything looked up just ask. Oh, btw my D4D is an 83J series, got any pics of yours?
Hopefully the dozer arrives tomorrow so I can get a few more photos of it.It comes with rippers, tree pusher and stick rake. Great to know that there is knowledge on hand here to help us out if needed. I will see if this photo works, it will give you an idea. Ken
Yair . . . wbvs58 . That's a tidy looking well set up machine . . . if it is as good on the inside as it looks on the outside you have done very well I reckon and it will be capable of doing a lot of clearing. All the best with it. Cheers.
Ken, there are many series of D4D's, make sure you get the books that are the right ones for your serial number (particularly the parts book). the service manual is more generic. Looking at your pic I'd go out on a limb and say that yours is probably a 49J or 65J series?
looks tidy; is the later series with D330C or 3304 engine; each ones were 65hp later ones 75hp, depends on the serial number. drain and check her final drive oil first, hopefully is no toothache; this 'should' have the later series bullgears which were coarser and stronger. either way they still need there bearing preloads checked and tightened periodically. but there good little dozers that can still do a lot of work, parts are plentiful and theres no electronic manure to go wrong :notworthy Got a early D4D and a late D4E myself
Thanks for all the comments. The machine arrived fairly late and I had cows to breed so have not had a chance to really explore her yet. The big surprise was that she came with a full set of books, manual, all parts books and workshop manual. I did not get the series number yet, seems to be numbers everywhere, very confusing. I do know that it does have the 3304 engine in it for sure as the original sales brochure is with it and has all the purchase figures with the optional extras written on it and the brochure refers to the 3304,75hp engine. Also the parts book for engine refers to this engine. Apparently the property I bought her from were the original owners and they want to upgrade to something bigger as they have some heavier work lined up now. Ken
Gee, so many numbers stamped on plates around the machine but going from what you guys have referred to as the series, mine must be an 82J series. I just got her sorted out and I think I know what the controls are all about and took her down the back where the action is happening. Because of gates I had to go the long way round where she just fitted through and then had to clear my way along beside a dry creek where there area lot of old tin mining holes and the along the creek bed until I could get up the other side to where I am working at the moment. It takes a bit of getting used to with the clutch being in my left hand, I also find myself going for the left pedal as well but overall was pleased to get where I did as it was a bit tricky but have way through now and will come back to that area down the track as I want to rehabilitate all these old tin mining areas. The machine performed very well and exceeded my expectations. The only thing I did notice and I saw this before I bought it, there is a leak of hydraulic oil from the oil tank and the worst one seems to be coming from where the arm for the control to raise and lower the blade comes out. I see that there is a seal there and I guess it needs replacing, the only thing is it looks like the tank will have to come out to do the job. Would I be right in saying this? For now I'll just keep topping up but will follow up with it and work out a plan and then tackle it. Ken
Yes, the tank does have to come out and be split to do it unfortunately, not difficult, just time consuming.
OK, thanks for that Rusted, looking at things I had my suspicions, thanks for confirming it. It will be good to get it done and out of the way. I'll look to getting the parts ordered so have them on hand. Ken
If the tank is leaking where the control rod comes out of it I would guess it's not just the seal that needs replacing. The shaft runs on 2 bushes in that side of the tank and they usually wear which is what eventually causes the seal to leak. Be prepared with 2 new bushes as well as the seal when you go into the job. It would be a bugger to find when you pulled the tank apart that you needed those bushes and didn't have them. IIRC that tank also has a gasket to seal the 2 halves of the tank together. You WILL destroy that gasket getting the tank apart so be prepared with a new one. Also DO NOT under any circumstances use liquid gasket on that joint, there is too much risk of it being squeezed inside the tank and sucked up into a control valve to cause you all sorts of heartache. Get the mating surfaces of the 2 halves of the tank really clean before reassembly, install the gasket (it's designed to swell when it gets soaked in oil), and tighten up the bolts in the correct sequence to the correct torque and the tank won't leak. Also take a good look at the external control linkage all the way from from the blade control handle upstairs right down to the tank and replace any rose joints, rod ends, clevis pins, etc, that you find worn. You'll have to partially disassemble the linkage in any case prior to removing the tank. Tightening up the slop in the linkage can have wonderful effects from an operator's perspective for a very small investment in parts.
Well thanks for that Nige, that is great advice and information and much appreciated and I will certainly go along with what you say. I take it that when the tank is split the hydraulic valve with the rod attached all comes out anchored to the front half of the tank and the rod is pulled through by undoing the bolt clamping it on the split arm. Most of the linkages and rose joints look as though they have been replaced just recently. Overall I think she has been well maintained, just these leaks left for a rainy day which we have not had much of lately I take it would be wise to mark the position of the rod on the clamp to make sure things get returned to how they were. I also have to plan what hoses and pipes to disconnect from the tank or further out where easier access however once out I will replace their seal where they mate to the tank as there are some leaks there as well. Is there a pressure regulating valve that controls the pressure in the tank that might be worth looking at as well? I have yet to find a parts source for Cats in my area of Australia which is Stanthorpe in SE Queensland. I have had a dealing with Tilleys in Toowoomba but was not real impressed so was going to give Hastings Deerings a go, they seem to have a good parts web site but when my part numbers go in they don't know them so was going to give a ring this morning and someone might be able to translate old numbers to new ones. Any advice from people around here would be appreciated. Ken
Also try R D Williams in Brisy. They have a heap of Cat parts.
OK thanks Tones. Ken
Ken, Your Parts Manual should show it. It will be a separate book (I think) marked "XXX Hydraulic Control". If you don't have it go looking on the hydraulic tank for a Serial Number plate of the Hydraulic Control and come back here with the Serial Number. Try looking at this thread to give yourself some ideas about removing and splitting the hydraulic tank. There isn't a pressure regulating valve on the tank AFAIK. The tank gets slightly pressurized as the oil gets hot to assist with pump suction, but it's not controlled by any valve. Be careful if you ever take the tank cap off when the oil is hot though. If you need any help with pricing and availability of parts either post the Part Numbers here or PM me. I can look them up in a couple of minutes.
That was usefull reading thanks Nige. I am pretty sure I have things sorted in my head now. I ordered the parts yesterday and all were in stock, I think the total including postage was $78 so that seemed pretty good to me. I will wait until they arrive and I get a window of opportunity to have a good uninterrupted go at it, it has been very dry and hot here and I have been busy breeding cows. When I get going on it I'll let you blokes know how I get on and hopefully put in some photos. Ken