GuglioLS
Administrator
Jinma354 LE
Posts: 1,276
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Post by GuglioLS on Jul 20, 2012 23:24:47 GMT -5
Hi Guys, A few weeks ago I finally decided to replace the steering clutches and breaks on the Dozer. The Steering and breaking was slowly degrading the last couple of years. I had been collecting parts for about a year to spread the cost out. What had been happening was the breaks would sometimes lock up, or the steering clutches would not disengage causing the engine to bog down and not steer at all. I took a week off from work to get it all done. First was to jack up the entire Dozer front to rear, the tracks had to be completely off the ground so as to be able to rotate the tracks to access all the bolts around the break drum and steering clutch release. After doing that was to remove the floor plate, seat, rear plate, batteries, a few tubes and disconnect all the linkages. Larry
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GuglioLS
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Jinma354 LE
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Post by GuglioLS on Jul 20, 2012 23:57:29 GMT -5
After removing all the linkages, valves and other "Stuff" I finally got to the steering break bands and steering clutches. What a mess, it was amazing it worked at all. After removing the steering clutch plates and friction disks (there are 7 of each, on each side) I discovered they were very rusted and worn. No surprise it was hard to steer and the clutches were frozen together by rust. I never got the machine stuck in a bog or otherwise any way to cause this in my very dry climate so I am thinking the machine was stuck in a mud bog for a very long time and never cleaned out before I purchased it. I realize I should have taken more pictures to show how the clutch and break really work but got lost in taking everything apart, plus I was trashed from head to toe and did not want to touch my camera. Larry
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GuglioLS
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Jinma354 LE
Posts: 1,276
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Post by GuglioLS on Jul 21, 2012 0:15:16 GMT -5
After getting everything cleaned up with allot of sand blasting I painted a few parts and put it all back together. The last picture shows the New Clutch / break drum installed, all new clutch plates and friction disks (inside the drum and cant be seen) and around the outside a new break band. Looks like new. I sure hope it works after putting it all back together. Ive got at least 40 hours into it at this point. After tightening the last bolt I could hardly wait to feel the results of all that work. After taking it for "A spin around the park" I must say it steers as smooth as silk now, it feels like a new machine with power steering. I am soooooo excited and happy I was able to pull this off and get it completely restored. I'm really enjoying my Dozer now! Thanks for checking this out. Larry
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Post by bracabric on Jul 21, 2012 12:50:42 GMT -5
Huge ¨well done¨ Larry and with respect, sooner you than me. I have to admit that if I had that trouble with my brakes I'd call the man and write the Cheque !
Dick
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GuglioLS
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Jinma354 LE
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Post by GuglioLS on Jul 21, 2012 22:41:25 GMT -5
Howdy Dick! Good to hear from you man. Hope all is well "down south" Thanks for checking this out and you're reply. I would have "cut the check to the man" for the repair if the price tag were not more than what I paid for the Dozer. Dozer parts are marked up at least 1000% if not more. Labor is 125 / hour. I think they figure most who own a Dozer are road contractors who have no choice but to pay the ridiculous high prices and then pass it on to the government. For instance a simple break band is 200 bucks each (I needed 2) clutch discs and plates enough to do both sides (28 pieces in all) are over 1500 I got after market ones off e-bay for 550. The break drums are 250 each, I needed two small splined shafts about 3" long and .75" diameter I got the "shaft" on those at a mere 130 each. Plus a few springs, metric bolts, 4 sets of needle bearings, bearing seals. Oh almost forgot they wanted $44 each for those gaskets (last picture on the right), I needed 2 but made $88 dollars worth of gaskets for 5 bucks worth of gasket material from an auto parts store. It was an expensive repair but overall the dozer has paid for itself with just the road it built for me on my land. Plus I plow snow with it allot now in the winter, then there is the "cool factor" of owning your own dozer which at this point appears to be "priceless" All the best to everyone! - Larry
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Post by bracabric on Jul 22, 2012 14:15:56 GMT -5
Ah, yes, take your point, hadn´t realised that the parts were so expensive. If it's not too late I wish to withdraw my grand statement about signing cheques ! Things are fine ¨down south¨, just sold a Eucalyptus wood which should keep me in idleness for a few years more also the second grandaughter is about to come into the world so Sylvia is hovering around her heavily pregnant daughter like a moth around a flame !! Hope you and Ester are fine, I know you are very busy right now but for a young chap like you thats no bad thing in this economic climate !
Dick
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Post by bradblazer on Jan 13, 2013 10:19:37 GMT -5
Larry, I finally checked out this thread. Awesome job rebuilding your dozer controls! Finishing up a big job like that and having it work like a dream must have been as good a feeling as when you first got the machine. I'll bet you had a few sore, dirty evenings that week.
Having that cool dozer AND a place to put it to good use you are living the dream! Look at those mini dozer projects on TBN and you can see how good you have it with the real deal. I think the biggest obstacle for many about owning such a machine is the daunting spectre of expensive repairs. Having the skill and resources to tackle them yourself puts you among the elite. (Dang, it must be performance review season lol)
Brad (50 today)
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Post by Rich Waugh on Jan 14, 2013 21:21:55 GMT -5
Yeah, what Brad said, Larry. Of course, he's still young and easily awed. ;D
Rich- (who turned 64 a couple weeks ago - and is really feeling it.)
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GuglioLS
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Jinma354 LE
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Post by GuglioLS on Jan 16, 2013 22:38:04 GMT -5
Hi Brad,
Thanks for your generous comments, yea the Dozer is cool. I must admit I still have to hide my smile with a stern look every time I get on just in case the Mrs or the neighbors happen to be looking. Not sure about being "elite" I prefer to remain humble as the machine was a good price affordable by anyone who could afford a Chinese tractor. Your right about costly repairs though, luckily it did not set me back to badly and yes doing everything yourself is a big plus.
I like your reference to performance review season. Our company H/R changed the mandatory annual review process whereby a manager wrote a review and sat down with the employee. That process was changed to a Self appraisal "Leadership and Organizational Review" LOR for short or "wright your own review". Needless to say I have never written my own review (over 5 years now) and not received one from a manager. I think I must be off the radar by now, still getting paid though (for now).
So your 50 young? Happy Belated B-day, Congrats - hopefully your family did not make too much fun of being half a century or the usual make you feel old stuff @ 50. I'm 57
Rich - 64 and feeling it? are you forgetting to take your med's of something? LOL you guys are great it's good to have you around.
Larry
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Post by Rich Waugh on Jan 17, 2013 10:15:51 GMT -5
It's good to be around, Larry. My thanks to you and Rob and whoever else for this site.
Yeah, a couple days ago I was definitely feeling my age. Three weeks ago the surgeon spent four or five hours rooting around in my neck with a pocket knife and a spoon, and I seemed to have been experiencing a day or two of delayed reaction to the anesthetic or something. All over with now and I feel fine, but I did feel right puny for a bit there. Nowhere near as nasty as I felt after the chemo and radiation back in June and July, but bad enough to make me go to the doc for a chest X-ray. (which looked just fine).
Anyway, the docs tell me they've now gotten all the alien shit outta my neck and throat and I'm cleared for takeoff. Glad to have all that crap behind me! Really truly glad that I have good insurance so I don't have to live under a bridge to pay for all that care, too.
Any of you guys who are smokers might want to reconsider. There's no real doubt in my mind that forty-plus years of sucking on Marlboros is what caused my throat cancer. I feel pretty lucky that they managed to clear it all up - I was at Stage 3 when it was diagnosed, but the docs at Duke University Cancer Center are some of the best in the world, apparently.
Life is good. I plan to enjoy it more from here on out, too! :-)
Rich
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GuglioLS
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Jinma354 LE
Posts: 1,276
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Post by GuglioLS on Jan 24, 2013 23:41:47 GMT -5
Rich,
Oh crap I had no idea what you were going through. Hope your on the mend and feeling better now. Yea smoking will kill ya eventually but so will just about anything else done in excess. Glad you got good medical attention in the nick of time I suppose. Be tough and you'll make it.
Made anything for your tractor lately? Or been "working with it" (playing in the sand)? Blacksmith'ing anything?
Larry
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Post by Rich Waugh on Jan 25, 2013 13:27:34 GMT -5
Well, I kept it to myself until it was pretty much all over with Larry. One person going through the anxiety was quite enough. :-)
I haven't had any seat time for a few months now. I need to do some work on the electrics, replacing the undersized battery cables and such. I'd like to make a set of brush forks for it, too. Someday soon, I hope. Too many projects, not enough energy or time. The usual complaints, eh?
An yes, something is gonna get us all, sooner or later. Medical science keeps us alive so much longer these days that about all that's left to kill us off is cancer. I keep trying to quit smoking, but without a lot of success.
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Post by bradblazer on Jan 25, 2013 17:05:07 GMT -5
Thanks Larry. I had a birthday party this past Saturday. Went whole hog roasting a 60lb pig and inviting a bunch from work, local friends, and even some of my old USAF buddies made the trip from Fayetteville. It was 50 and sunny so we partied outside and I showed off the goats, etc. The weather felt great after a week of cold rain and snow.
Rich, Really sorry to hear you were so sick, Hope it's gone for good. If you can lick the habit I'm sure you'll feel better for it.
I haven't done jack to my wiring since I replaced the ground cable. Still running the wire fuses and ORIGINAL BATTERY, Everything still works, I must be doing it wrong.
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PJ
CTW Expert
Posts: 176
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Post by PJ on Feb 4, 2013 9:41:39 GMT -5
Komatsu makes excellant equipment! We had a D-31 Komatu on a highway job once and it would run rings around a Cat of the same size! A D-31 is a well balanced machine which makes it great for holding a grade at higher speeds. I'm assuming yours would have the same characteristics. Good luck with it. Another good thing is, parts are readily available. PJ
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Post by John slaughtered on Sept 2, 2017 10:07:16 GMT -5
Huge ¨well done¨ Larry and with respect, sooner you than me. I have to admit that if I had that trouble with my brakes I'd call the man and write the Cheque ! Dick [br. How much will you charge to come do my d21
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