Anyone Know Anything About Vintage Cat D7 Dozers? Trying to Rescue a Non-Running One...

[SimonHS]

Not super interested in a newer machine; I'm just looking for something to tinker with. No real need for it. And it's very unlikely that I'll end up owning this D7. Just too far gone. But pretty good chance that I'll end up with a smaller dozer from that era that's in much better condition - a well-cared for D3 from the 1950's would be right up my alley.

Thanks

Maybe a vintage military one? Then you could take it to shows.

https://classicdozers.wordpress.com/military-dozers/

 

[Bill G]

I grew up running a 1949 IH TD-9 man I miss that dozer...........

 

[bulletpruf]

Maybe a vintage military one? Then you could take it to shows.

https://classicdozers.wordpress.com/military-dozers/

That's pretty cool. When I started my Army career 38 years ago (just retired this summer) I was enlisted in an engineer company. We had a few enormous olive drab dozers; they were likely D7 or maybe D8. Very low hours, well maintained. Very good condition.

 

[Sidecarflip]

Wish I could help you but I have a JD flotation track dozer. Good luck and you'll need a large wallet too. I get my undercarriage parts from an outfit on the east side of Cleveland, Ohio, they usually have everything I need.

 

[Lightning Performance]

Thanks for the info. I do need to see if the clutch is free. I also suspect you're right on the injectors.

You're in Joisey? If so, too far. I'm in San Antonio, Tx.

Scott

Yup Joisey

 

[Sidecarflip]

Yup Joisey

The Garbage State... lol My wife is from Cherry Hill and she has no desire to go back there. She told me people there are rude drive like morons and are generally idiots.

 

[Lightning Performance]

The Garbage State... lol My wife is from Cherry Hill and she has no desire to go back there. She told me people there are rude drive like morons and are generally idiots.

Oh, good, you've meet most of my neighbors from Cherry Hill. That said after twenty years living along the tracks I'd like my quiet spots back. I'm from Wharton State forest on the far side of Tabernacle. Explaining that to people from the megaopolises near me isn't easy if you've never been out in the woods. Night and day best sums it up. F around out there and you will find out.

 

[lwmibc]

If it helps...

 

[Billhook]

The hole you were asking about is the oil filler which would explain the colour of your gear oil!

 

[Billhook]

Meanwhile here are a couple of videos of my 1956 D7. I thoroughly recommend a donkey/ pony starting engine. It builds the oil pressure up nicely, warms the block and is even strong enough to load the D7 onto a low loader if the main engine goes wrong
I see that you gave the ability to adjust the angle of the blade which I use when grading our farm roads. It is easy to adjust the blade by hand on your own as it is perfectly balanced on the central pin
The winch video is spooling a new cable in using a Telehandler as a counterweight
Had a lot of fun with mine over the years!

 

[bulletpruf]

If it helps...

Thanks!!!

 

[bulletpruf]

The hole you were asking about is the oil filler which would explain the colour of your gear oil!

Ouch. I was worried about that.

 

[bulletpruf]

Meanwhile here are a couple of videos of my 1956 D7. I thoroughly recommend a donkey/ pony starting engine. It builds the oil pressure up nicely, warms the block and is even strong enough to load the D7 onto a low loader if the main engine goes wrong
I see that you gave the ability to adjust the angle of the blade which I use when grading our farm roads. It is easy to adjust the blade by hand on your own as it is perfectly balanced on the central pin
The winch video is spooling a new cable in using a Telehandler as a counterweight
Had a lot of fun with mine over the years!

Excellent! I'll definitely check out your videos! Thanks!!!

 

[J&J]

That's a sweet D6! Is it a 9U? My great uncle and his son ran a pair of D6's starting in the 1950s. Great uncle was still running one a few days before he died at age 90.

Thanks. it is a 9U. I really enjoy running this machine for some reason. We leave it up on the logging jobs when we leave for extended periods of time as no matter what we can always get it started. So even if nothing else will run and we need to plow the road open or something. this being the main reason we haven't retrofitted a electric start.

 

[sean donato]

The first filter is just a debris screen, not going to kill anything if it's missing so long as the secondary filter is still in place. No, the rack isn't going to move o
If the govenor doesn't want it to move. All the throttle does is adjust the spring tension of the governor. You should have been able to reach in and grab the fly weights and move them in and out to make the rack move, but it's not one of those things that freezes up readily. Usually once it starts spinning over with the starter they work just fine. Need to worry more about the plungers sticking in a barrel then the givenor not working. They see all the crappy fuel and can get stuck from rust and varnish. You'll know that if you get it to fire off real quick weather somethings gonna stick or not. Best of luck with it.

 

[bulletpruf]

Thanks. it is a 9U. I really enjoy running this machine for some reason. We leave it up on the logging jobs when we leave for extended periods of time as no matter what we can always get it started. So even if nothing else will run and we need to plow the road open or something. this being the main reason we haven't retrofitted a electric start.

That's pretty d@mn cool!

 

[bulletpruf]

The first filter is just a debris screen, not going to kill anything if it's missing so long as the secondary filter is still in place. No, the rack isn't going to move o
If the govenor doesn't want it to move. All the throttle does is adjust the spring tension of the governor. You should have been able to reach in and grab the fly weights and move them in and out to make the rack move, but it's not one of those things that freezes up readily. Usually once it starts spinning over with the starter they work just fine. Need to worry more about the plungers sticking in a barrel then the givenor not working. They see all the crappy fuel and can get stuck from rust and varnish. You'll know that if you get it to fire off real quick weather somethings gonna stick or not. Best of luck with it.

Thanks for the details! Are the plungers the four pieces that I see by the rack control rod? If so, how are those freed up? Gentle prying?

 

[sean donato]

Thanks for the details! Are the plungers the four pieces that I see by the rack control rod? If so, how are those freed up? Gentle prying?

View attachment 1137684

The plungers are what go into the little c peices attached to the lifters and up into the barrels. The barrels attach to the injection lines. They should move up and down pretty freely, but are spring loaded down to keep in contact with the cam. So some effort will be needed. You should be able to reach into the govenor and find the fly weights and get the rack to move, all 4 plungers should rotate.

 

[sonny580]

My uncle had a 1950 D-7 3t pony start dozer and back in mid 50's he always let me push out hedge with it when I was 10 years old. Nowdays both of us would have been in jail for doing that! LOL! Good 25 ton cable dozer at the time. He rebuilt the motor himself and put new undercarriage on it a couple times he owned it so when it sold it was top shape. If yours is that bad,--- JUNK it! Cost a fortune to fix that puppy!

 

[Bill G]

My uncle had a 1950 D-7 3t pony start dozer and back in mid 50's he always let me push out hedge with it when I was 10 years old. Nowdays both of us would have been in jail for doing that! LOL! Good 25 ton cable dozer at the time. He rebuilt the motor himself and put new undercarriage on it a couple times he owned it so when it sold it was top shape. If yours is that bad,--- JUNK it! Cost a fortune to fix that puppy!

Did you have to crank start the pony?