Well thanks to Hanson and Nitelite I am looking to put some effort in the old Fat Alice I own. Been a long year since I set the shop up and began the house construction but that is almost where we need to be to move in. Will be on vacation two weeks starting day after Memorial day to finish inside the house then to clean out the shop so I can get some real work done. Have some tins coming, a few odd and end pieces to get started lining up to drag my old Allis Buda out for a well needed and deserved overhaul. Will be resealing and re-bearing the torque converter, setting up replacement hydraulic lines to the front pump getting all in the ready to make the old girl as good as I can get it. Probably take the better part of a year piece-mealing but will get there. Have a spare radiator going out for boil out, getting the original trans torn down to try to locate needs there too, rails are in the shed awaiting install and I need to get some weld on grouser bar to fit the old shoes on my machine currently to go on the replacement rails. I manage to get this done, I will build a 'eductor' style exhaust as she once had and fit the stack to the hood then pain the old monster the original AC bright ass yellow to take it to shows. The Ulrich bucket may have to exchange to a GP for a little while as I make it better too. Damned overhaul talk and photos made me do it!!
I know what it was that pushed you to the brink of overhaul Miller, it wasn't the new shinny pistons, the rod or main bearings. It was the paint job wasn't it, you just can't stand it. That cat hi gloss will do it every time. Too bad you are not close enough to smell it too, you would get started on the old Alice right away. That Acetone that I mixed in really gives it a mighty kick. I ordered my overhaul kit about a year ago. She ran so good that I hated to remove the first bolt because I knew a lot of water could run under the bridge before I got a chance to re install that same bolt. I think removing the track frames, replacing the sprocket rims and track chains will be a piece of cake compared to the engine overhaul.
I have a lot of extra components coming off the donor as soon as I can get into the house fully and caught up on other projects. Have a few odds and ends to attend as swapping rails, re-grouser the old shoes, I have to pull the right truck to reseal the sprocket and output shaft will be inspecting all the drive gearing in there while doing so, then the Lanova/Buda 4 cylinder will come out for torque converter work and engine out of frame. Should be doing better HP wise as it actually is where I suspect age and poor previous maintenance has taken its toll. Winter project along with rebuild on the GP then finally the MP buckets and paint the entire machine, will be adding quick disconnects to the bucket feeders so I can swap from MP to GP and back fairly readily. Already have the trans I pulled last year sitting in the shop awaiting tear down for seals/clutches. And yes, pretty is killing me while mine is so lacking on paint and rusting.
I if my memory serves me correctly I think that the Alice is inside. That will allow you plenty of time to get her sorted.
No, old fat Alice is outside for now, actually get to work it between weeks of rain back filling and rough grade around the new house, I do have the donor inside and will attack it during late night excursions to strip the carcass of remaining parts so I can scrap what is left to clear work area. Then the real fun can start! Track frames on the Allis is a little more intense than a CAT, is a large 'squaring' bolt from loader lift arm mounting frame work to the trucks, getting one of those out after a quarter century may be a issue. Once I get there I will show photos too.
Well I guess I'm off the hook on this project, the closest thing to you Alice I ever worked on was a WD45? of the neighbors many years ago. Seems like it was something to do with the brakes!
I am off of the hook too because I would never "attack anything during late night excursions to strip the carcass".