New to the group but love all the information I read here. Just bought a CAT D6C, the engine is seized. I do not know the year but the the serial number is 76A3340. I can't seem to find anything as far as the #'s 3340. It is a turbocharged engine, fuel injection. From what ive read I believe the engine to be the 333. Im looking to buy a service manual but without knowing the year I'm concerned. Any information would be greatly appreciated.
It is a 1965 model, however, everything about heavy equipment is serial number. You need to know serial number for manuals, parts and about everything else. Welcome to the forum, a lot of knowledge here! There is a serial number for the engine too. A lot of older Cats had engine number same as the machine. FWD
Fuze - The prefix 76A tells us your tractor is a D6C with 74" track gauge, is fitted with a powershift transmission, and it was built in the U.S. The 3340 number is the sequential build number (serial numbers started at 76A0001 for the 1st tractor off the assembly line), and S/N books tell us 76A3340 was built in 1965 (76A2107 to 76A3593 were built that year). The engine is indeed known as the D333, it is primarily identified by its bore diameter, which is 4.5". Your tractor and its engine share the same serial number. With later model Cats after about 1971, the engines got a separate serial number. You buy the D6C Service Manual that has on the front cover, "For 74A and 76A models". 74A is the Direct Drive transmission version, and both types of transmissions are covered in the manual. IPD can provide a good quality aftermarket engine overhaul kit for your engine. When overhauling this engine, one of the primary areas where you need to exercise great care, is in cylinder head installation. There are brass ferrules that are fitted with a rubber compression seal around a centre projecting flange of the ferrule, between cylinder head and block. These ferrules contain coolant directors that must be oriented correctly upon installation. There is an arrow stamped in the top of the block to guide you, and the manual describes the ferrule orientation procedure. In addition, when replacing the cylinder head onto the block, great care must be exercised when lowering the head, that the head is perfectly aligned and lowered evenly onto the ferrules, to avoid crushing them via misalignment - which can happen if the head is lowered too rapidly and unevenly. Accordingly, a mechanical lowering method that can be carefully controlled, is a far better system to replace the cylinder head, as compared to simply lowering the head on by hand. Having said this, I have replaced numbers of D333 cylinder heads by hand with success - but had at least one that I recall, that ended up with an accidentally-crushed ferrule - which caused a leak, which necessitated head removal again!
Thank you i really appreciate your response and the great information you provided
Continuing on from what @OzDozer posted IMHO you really need to get manuals for this tractor. The online systems are pretty sketchy regarding parts & service information for a tractor the age of yours. If you can go looking by Part Number it makes it much easier for everyone. A Parts Manual is Cat Publication reference UE035000. This is applicable to all 76A machines from first built up to 6061. A Service Manual is out of print with Cat but you can get one HERE . I don't know how good their manuals are, maybe someone else can comment.
For years, Jensales manuals have regularly been described as poor quality reproductions, by purchasers. I don't know if they've improved their reproduction quality in recent times.
What about this one.? The only other thing I can suggest is to contact these guys . They do not list anything but it might be worth an ask.
The Finney one appears to be quite a satisfactory reproduction, if their photos are anywhere near accurate.
The engine fitted is the D333B, the B bit is the important detail as there is 3 types of 333 engine build, the last one the 333C has the thin head and 4 3/4" bore and nothing like the B series, they are a lovely engine and built to a high CAT tradition.
I've got some stuff from Finney and they were good to deal with except the 2nd item went through FedEx and had extra charges the 1st item didn't have. Fedex was more the problem though. Through the post office is best, then UPS.
Could a crushed ferrule cause coolant to leak into the oil? My 74a had been overhauled and had low hours when water in the oil caused a failure.
How do you determine what series? I recently picked up a d6c and just trying to get some info . Serial number 76A3460. This info came from the plate on the side of the motor. It has a winch so I can't access the plate on the back of the machine and not sure where else to look.
Post a photo of the engine Serial Number plate. My first guess is that you have a D333C engine. What info exactly are you looking for.?
Any useful info really. I know the machine has a bad track adjuster and the cat dealer hasn't been very helpful. I just recently got this serial number due to it being covered with paint and I had the machine out of state. I've read some of the older machines had the same serial number as the motors and I'm hoping this is one of them.
You are correct, and the engine is a D333C model, as proven by the "C" stamped below the Serial Number. Go back to Post #5 regarding the Parts Manual. Cat Publication UE035000 covers all 76A-prefix machines up to S/N 6061 which includes yours. It is still available for download from Cat if you can't find a used paper version for sale. One thing to bear in mind is that the tractor Parts Manual will NOT cover the hydraulic system or the blade. In that era each of those had a separate manual. You will find the Serial Number of the Hydraulic Control on a plate fixed to the hydraulic tank. The plate on the blade probably disappeared years ago. Photos may assist in identifying what you have. Based on the Serial Number 76A3640 was built very early in 1966. (1965 production was 2107-3593) See Post #3 above by @OzDozer for more information. There are also links to Service Manuals in various posts above. Here is one for sale on eBay
That's because their online system contains little or no information for a machine from that era. Certainly if you want parts you're going to have to be able to give Part Numbers for whatever you need.
Yes and without the serial number they said there were 25 different options. I would assume the parts manual will have the parts numbers i will need.
Seeing as it covers all 76A machines up to 6061 you would be correct. You have a 39G-prefix 2-valve 163 Hydraulic Control. The Parts Manual for it is UE070087. I'm afraid the blade Serial Number doesn't make any sense. Maybe someone can identify it from the photo. *** were they on about.? 76A3460 (or 76A03460 in today's numbering system) IS the Serial Number. They probably don't realise that back in the 1960s both the tractor and engine carried the same Serial Number. The problem for the dealer parts guys is that although their system does recognize 76A as a valid S/N prefix little or no parts information actually appears. For example there is no information at all regarding the entire power train or the undercarriage.
The other plate was on the winch not the blade.
I'm thinking they just didn't want to be bothered. Their first question to me was " what I planned to do with the machine" and "why would I buy it".
I'm thinking you may well be right........... Offroad Equipment might well be a good source of both OEM & aftermarket parts for your tractor. www.offroadeq.com/ Having said that you will need Part Numbers in your hand in order to be able to deal with them effectively.
Thanks I'll have to check them out
Seems to be some confusion. The whole 76A1-76A6061 series uses the D333 4-1/2" bore engine with the belt drive water pump. Yes it's considered a "C" model tractor.
My bad. I should have picked that up. The C Series on the engine plate refers to the tractor not the engine which is a D333B model 4-1/2" bore as @Old Magnet states.
Actually I believe that is a D333a engine and the D333b is the industrial version.
Thanks for all of the information.
What model D333 was in the d6b?
Used the D333A engine
The D333A came out in 1959 fitted in the D6 Series B with no Turbo, the engine changed to the B series I thought around 1963/4? in the D6C it ran a Turbo with the power set at 120 BHP at 1800 rpm, I had a lot less trouble out of the 4 cylinder 330B than the 6 cylinder motors, this engine period is a bit cloudy in the U.K. as we seemed to get a slower change over at the Glasgow Factory due to Shipping, we also had the 951 Tracked loader built here that was not built in the U.S.A. that I know of? that used the 330B until the change in 1967/8 to the D333C fitted in the 951A 63K Series I know we are talking about a 6 cylinder engine and I have been talking about a 4 cylinder but it's the same family that came in 4 and 6 pot type, I would tend to think that the engine in the D6 76A would be as I already stated a D333B power unit.
Hi, tc Where are you getting this "B"designation info from? According to the Caterpillar Serial/Product Identification Identification Number Index (1998) The only "B" series 6-cylinders are 79Bxxxx Industrial and 80Bxxxx Marine engines. These are unique as they have gear drive water pumps to allow auxiliary attachments such as air compressors, auxiliary pumps etc Every thing else were versions of the "A" engine up until the "C" versions. If you have literature that shows otherwise, please share.
Could the engine from a d6b be retrofitted with the turbo from my 74a and be the same or is their other differences?
Main difference is the need for piston oil cooling jets when adding a turbo.
Not really put any effort in but the D333,B,C starts in 1959 as 81B1, 85B1,4B, to 1962 8B1,79B1,66D1 just to list a few, when I get chance I know there is a Bulletin Sheet listing all progressive changes between the engines.
Hi Tony, Yes I know there are lots of "B" designations in engine serial numbers but I have yet to see a Caterpillar Engine Specification Sheet for a "series B" engine. I have a pretty extensive library on various engines but I find it odd that those "B" serial numbers are actually versions of the 4-1/2" bore Series "A" as per attached spec sheet.
Are the jets something on the piston? I don't understand.
No, the jets are fixed to an oil gallery in the cylinder block and spray oil upwards on to the bottom of side of the piston to cool the crown. As a general rule turbocharged engines need them, naturally aspirated engines do not.