Hey, I have recently inherited my dads old 1960’s 980 Cat. It sort of runs. I no longer want or need it, but have no idea what to do with it. Is it worth anything as parts and if so where should I try sell it and how much should I be looking to get for it? Or should I just scrap metal it? I’m way out of my league dealing with this so thanks in advance for any help!
You could start here.
For a machine of that age maybe you should register on the ACMOC web site and ask there. www.acmoc.org
1960's 980? I'm thinking that has the overhead V-8 engine, can't recall the model designation off the top of my head. So engine parts might be hard to find which could be good or bad depending on if you are selling or buying. Agree that one place to contact would be http://www.acmoc.org/ Along with the "For sale" section of this forum.
"Sort of runs?" I'd settle that if you could. I can't cross the border or I would offer to help you get the fluids, batteries and tires right. If you can do that and it moves and loads itself on a lowboy, the value of it went up considerably. Even as scrap, scrap that drives on a trailer is premium.
V8 engine or 6 cylinder?
One of those exotic 3306 motors. Bob
These old machines are old enough they are not production machines but parts are just as expensive and tires are out of site. Some homeowner will go for a bargain price or some one who has one might want a parts machine. If it runs good enough to load on lowboy advertise it "as is, where is" and price it whatever or best offer . If you scrap it yourself I bet it will cost you money. Bob
I do everything short of putting tires on it to get it mobile for what Bob said above.
Not All had 3306 motors. The early 980 had a V-8 that was just a terrible engine. The 980B had the 3306. That's why Kshansen and I asked. If it has the V-8 it's not worth doing anything to it.
The engine is a 1673 I believe. I ran the wheels off a 42H 980 back in the 80’s. It had a Berry Equipment sticker on the valve cover and a Hiway Equipment sticker on it also. Both Cat dealers gone close to 40 years. Old memories.
The 1673 was a truck D 333. The early 980 had a D-336 or they were a 1676 vehicular engine They also had a starting engine. I have not seen one in 40 years or more. Trying to think back that far I think most of them were repowered with a 3306. The 980C became a more viable loader with a 3406. Bob
Is the machine articulated or have fork lift steer on the rear tires?
It may have been a 1676, not sure now, all 42H I've seen had the V-8 engine, when Cat came out with the B series, it had a 3306. Pony motor start was an option in the manuals, but I've only seen direct electric start with glow plugs.
Call Bidadoo
The company had some of those V-8 980's. timing gears up both ends of the block and balancer gears down near the bottom of the block. Got a kick out of the valve adjustments, no feeler gauges needed, just tighten to slight drag on the swivel feel of the cam followers then count so many clicks as you backed them off. Something like eight on the intakes and thirteen on the exhausts. When turning over by hand or cranking over before starting every time on of the cam lobes would go past top on the lifter rollers the cams would make a snapping sound as the back lash in the gears was taken up.
Yup, sounded like a FM magneto snapping over.
The local Cat service manager bled Cat yellow. So I asked him did Cat ever make a bad machine/engine. I figured he would say nope. His answer was the V8 in a 980 loader.
Took some digging but think I found something I was trying to recall from way back. It was the D340 engine, this is a four cylinder version of the D343 or 1693 overhead cam six engine. This four banger also did the snap, snap, snap as you turned it over slow due to the back-lash in the timing gears and cam lobes arranged at 90º intervals. Only ever saw or worked on one, it was the engine in a 619C self-loading scraper. Believe it was in a 61F, but SIS does not seem to recognize that prefix!