I‘m looking at a Dresser TD8G. 80Hp, 7½ tonne machine, early 90s era with 2000hrs. Interestingly, I note in its service history that it had the track chains and sprockets replaced around 1,100 hrs. My many-years-ago experience on IH TD24 dozers in Central Qld, I would have thought that was a fairly short life for a dozer undercarriage. Admittedly, we operated on fairly soft soils - scrub pulling, dam sinking and stick raking. Also the blade cutting edges were replaced 300 hrs earlier and I think (interpreting the service history notes) it wore out a couple sets of ripper tynes. I suspect, in its early life, this machine was operating in a quarry. I’ve just reviewed a couple of u/c life posts on this forum back in 2007 and 2016. This life seems to be towards the low end extreme, but I also appreciate some of the contributor’s responses who quote high hours tend to be subjective without actual measurement of bush and link wear, track stretch, etc. Does that history suggest a hard abusive life, or just the environment it was operated in ?
2000hr on a 30year old machine is 66 hours a year. Look at the condition of the machine. Has the paint worn off the handles and controls? Steps worn? Pins sloppy? Has probably had 2 new hour metres put in by now.
Yeah, Cliffy, reasonable thoughts. I have the service history for the machine. It is with a large reputable family company that has been in the quarry business for 50-60 years. To create that sort of service history … which reads all fairly logical and typical … and be that devious to create the document is highly unlikely. It is showing signs of being out in the weather - the seat vinyl split a bit, but no handle, lever and peddle excessive wear. The current Operation Manager, who I think has been with the company for 4-5 years, says it’s been sitting in the shed, unused ever since he’s been with them. It was dropped of with a much bigger machine, a TD20, I think, to “have a play with it” … “see what you think”. They have several other Dresser machines … loaders, dozers. Apparently it is too small for their type of operation and they only used it to train new operators in its early life. I imagine young lads were let go on it in a fairly abrasive material environment at the quarry with the mentality … it’s only a toy … let them have a bit of fun with it …. and thus it got abused a bit and wore out the track chains and sprocket after 1,100 hrs. That thinking by me is born out a bit by noting there is not much service history before 900 hrs. Could mean either there was not much effort to service the machine properly, early on, OR there service record keeping system change around about then (paper to electronic ?) and just a few brief comments were carried forward rather than all the incidental and routine service history. Making a few assumptions here. Interestingly, the bottom rollers weren’t replaced, so I guess there is two types of wear on undercarriage – chain stretch where the pin and bushes wear along with the sprocket teeth, then there is track-chain rail wear against the front idler and rollers. I’m just trying to think of a scenario where you would get a lot of the former, and not so much of the latter ? cheers, Len
Sounds like you might be onto a good deal. I work on a general rule, with a good operator 5000hrs is when the big maintenance expenses start and trans and engine repairs around 10000hrs. do you have any pictures of the machine and under carriage? I dont have the pin to pin wear measurements but if there is a gap in between the plates the pins and bushes are worn. Sprockets will elongate the tooth and wear to a sharp point. Plates will crack and edges rounded off. These are signs of worn out undercarriage. If its 800hrs old it should almost be like new. Depending on you use even a worn undercarriage will last years if you are gentle.
Thinking about wear. If it spent its life ripping enough to wear out ripper tynes, i guess the load would be on the track chain and sprockets rather then idler and rail wear.
Yeah, Cliffy, your last post makes a lot of sense. The machine has 2000 hrs and has done only 400 hrs since the track chain and sprockets were replaced … and I sense an easier life since. Those components almost look like new when I looked at the machine, a few days ago. The point of the sprocket teeth are still ≈ ¾" wide. I would say near new. The grouser plates overlap and interlock about as much as they can, so I doubt there is any pin / bush / link wear more than a couple of mm per link, if any. I think there was no obvious wear on the chain bushes (where they engage the sprocket teeth) …. forgot to consciously look at that. Because of the roller stone guards, I also overlooked examining the bottom rollers and since noted in the service history, they weren’t replaced when the track chain and sprockets were …. hence my last post. Len
Another question. The steering and final drive arrangement on this model. What is the steering arrangement ? It has 2 levers coming up from under the seat and no separate brake pedals. Is it a similar clutch and brake steering (like old Cats) that is operated internally by hydraulics, OR is it a planetary disc brake arrangement like in the old large IH dozers (TD24, TD 25). Final drive: It did not appear to have a pinion and bull gear final reduction, but I didn’t look close enough. Does it have a planetary reduction in the housing inward from the sprocket, OR just a straight shaft coming out of the rear end, to the sprockets ? Len
They have planetary disc brake arrangement like in the old large IH dozers (TD24, TD 25).
Can anyone point me to where I can get electronic copies of the manuals for the later Dresser TD8G with the Dresser 240T engine - Operators, Service and Parts .
Search - TD8G www.jensales.com
Hello Len, Is the machine you are referring to the machine on Ironplanet? Tks, John
Yes, it was. Len
Did you manage to buy it? Looked like a tidy tractor. As was the D6 that was beside it.
Yes, was winning bidder. Will go to Queanbeyan initially. Will use for some private roadworks renovations, then probably building site levelling.
Dresser TD8G - Can anyone tell me the purpose of the 2 pieces of flat steel, toothed, welded to the fuel tank immediately left of the seat back ?
Might be the seat adjustment. The TD8E has one on the left and right. Pictures usually help, unless your like me and currently doing a backup on my phone..... Edit: Phone is back up so pictures....
I believe there was a separate seat back that clipped into those originally.
Thanks MarcusZ1967, they have nothing to do with the current seat back. Silveroddo‘s advice sounds logical. A feature continued on the production line but never really utilised or not at all in later models ?
Not here either as you can see... No, it's people not replacing cushions on the backer plate. Then tossing said backer plate when it starts to hurt I guess.
Smaller dozers wear out undercarriage faster and in sand an undercarriage will go twice as fast but 1,100 hours?... there must have been a reason for the change besides wear.
New operators using third gear in reverse?