DON'T DO THIS! Part 1 Removing the welds from a terrible failed track tensioner repair..... (what else will I find?) Support Mtnfortresslabs at Patreon Email: Alan@Sparksmotorsofficial.com Thank you!
Alan, you are truly an inspiration! Your level of determination and self preservation is off of the charts insane!!! Today's young people would benefit so much from your example.... as I fear the next generations will lack the willingness to work so hard and the knowledge to do what you are doing! In a Mad Max sort of world... which is kinda how I see your fortress... there will be very few that would survive, and an Xbox or an iPhone isn't going to do it for them... you sir.. are a shining example of excellence! God bless you, and be safe!
Relax bro,. Alan isn't gonna save the next generation and your comment is just projecting your insecurities just say great video keep it up or simply like the video why's it gotta be about the world's problems
Ashamed to say I'm guilty of this. I currently have a machine with 22 long and 4ft 6 wide tracks with one side welded, seasonal work in a panic, now I have to pay the price, hey u gotta survive!!!
Alan, it takes a real man to expose this kind of ridiculous "repair attempt" by the previous owners without publicly shaming and humiliating them. Your "can do" attitude and positivity are an inspiration. That said, I'd personally be tracking down the culprit and exposing them to the whole world.
The kind of guy that does that type of botch work you are better off just avoiding em completely . Not ever meeting them is a blessing in disguise . Alan on the other hand is an inspiration for all . What an incredibly hard working guy. My back hurts just watching him
I am guessing the last owners simply bodged her up to do one last job for them, maybe thinking she would be off to the scrap yard after that - to meet the cutters torch. Well, she met a torch alright, only it was not the scrap yards torch, it was Alan, bringing new life to the old girl!
Old dogs really can be taught new stuff. You showed me how to remove some old frozen bolts in several of my antique farm tractors. You are The Wizard. Thanks Alan!
@steventaylor681 I have broken bolts and welded a nut on spun it out heat is a man's best friend when it comes to stuck bolts penetrative fluid is good too. Wurth Rostoff is gold in my book I have had quite a bit of success with their product. Hope that helps a bit too you will thank me later for that Wurth stuff.
Not-Built-Right - I've used all the methods you mentioned and had good luck over the years. What I learned from Alan was the pounding on the end of the broken bolt. I can see how that would help knock some to the rust loose.
Looking forward to part 2. I appreciate your ability to think things through & troubleshoot. I do my best to do the same whenever possible. The sad reality is that not enough people do that anymore
No wonder they call you Wizard Alan as you do so much and enjoy your videos and messages m8. Petersen Vice Grips are fantastic and 50 year old tools and any mechanic knows a quality tool. Alway love to see you videos. Thank You M8 as your a pleasure to watch.
Alan the 🧙♂️WIZARD🧙♂️,jack of all trades and master of all👌, 💙 from Ireland 🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪 the knowledge you have is astonishing 😲 you can put ur hands to anything to create something amazing or make something work, your videos are amazing, I've learnt so much watching you, we need to see more of ur content, it's amazing to see ur channel grow so quickly and its well deserved 👏 I'm watching since your very first upload Thank you Alan 💯 💙👍
They had to have thought "I got it tight, just weld it in place and I'll never have to grease it again" haha. A fools dream to stop spending money on grease.
I believe the reason they welded it was either the zerk fitting was leaking causing the cylinder not to hold pressure or there is a leak in the seal making it lose grease when it's being used causing the track to loosen up so they welded it to keep it from moving.
I can’t imagine what the guy was thinking when he welded that solid, crazy repair that only a wizard cold fix. Great job Alan sheer determination is all I can say. Until next video.😀👍❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I am just an old lady that finds this stuff interesting. I don't understand any of the mechanical workings, but enjoy watching. Put a camera up on the top to show the surrounding landscape. It is pretty and would like to see all around. Must be great to be up there with that view!!
These people who bodge the jobs it takes five times longer to bodge it than to do it correctly in the first place . Great job Alan if any one can do it you can . Stay safe
Great work Alan! You really are a lateral thinker and improviser, but most of all, man, you are determined! All the elements required for success. More power to you.
I couldn't figure out why anyone would weld up those track tensioners. Heck I couldn't even figure how those move with just a bit of grease pressed into them. But I watched you work like I have never had to do and marvel at your tenacity.
Those adjusters are just a hydraulic cylinder. You just pump in grease instead of hydraulic fluid. For those that don't know how a hydraulic cylinder works, the cylinder is a tube with a piston inside. When you pump fluid into one end of the cylinder it pushes the piston. Some are single acting cylinders where fluid extends the cylinder and the weight of the load retracts the cylinder. Some are double acting cylinders. On these you pump fluid in one end of the cylinder to extend it, pump fluid in the other end to retract it. The adjusters on the tracks are single acting cylinders. You pump grease in to extend the cylinder. To retract you pul out the plug where you pump in the grease to release the grease. You have to then push on to track to push the adjuster wheel back. Such as when replacing worn or broken parts like tracks, drive sprockets or idlers wheels.
❤ This is a very good start to figure out why someone thought they had do a fix this way. Enjoyed watching this episode Alan. Keep em coming love your content.
You're a true artist - mechanic. Seeking the understanding, and constantly improving your interest, knowledge and understanding of things. While never giving up, at least not easily, lol. And just engage and see what it leads to. Is true science and seeking knowledge. I like it. The Cat will go and better than it did. Great work!
knowing when to apply the hammer helps. I use a pipe wrench and a cheater after warming things up. your right about it working better after you clean it, great job ,sir. Waiting to see more. the wind may stop, the sun goes down, gravity never sleeps. your on a mountain top.
Thats just plain bloody rough welding that up. They must have done it for a reason because most people don't do crap repairs like that unless there no other way to economically repair it or they don't have time to repair it. Good luck Alan.
ive worked on many 955 977 and 983 old track loaders. those front idlers geometry is ridiculous. between wear bars going bad and springs/shims and finding the correct spacing to get it the idler running straight in the rail, it can be a real chore. props to you for undertaking the challenge!!!! quick tip if your track adjuster seals ever failing you dont have to pull the idler out. take the 6 bolts from the rod off to the piston then either porta power or bar the assembly forward and dont split the track in half. saves a ton of time. then put air pressure in the grease fitting to shove the piston out only 2 inches and you can reseal it right there! good luck!
Congratulations on getting that far. I had a feeling this would be a difficult fix. For now there's no telling what the original issue was. Good luck wizard!
Why don't you have a light tower out there? It would help you tremendously with winter coming on. You could probably buy one at auction (a fixer upper) and with your skills have it going in no time.
Alan im sure other would agree but id love to see a walk around video showin your collection of miltary vehicles and other equipment, you could show what runs and what does not and what they need.just something to think about,stay safe and god bless.
You and I are very similar in the way we approach things. Glad you are getting it back to right. You will be happy with the machine once you get it working reliably.
You're a wizard of a human Alan! Nothing seems to ever come close to stopping you! Always love when the wizard posts and will always give you a view for sure 100% through!
I got a D7E and the previous owner had cut pipe and had it clamped around the cylinder shaft because the seals was bad and wouldn’t hold grease, it worked to keep the tracks tight but I got them rebuilt and fixed right !
Take the grease caps off and drill the old grease nipple out then tap a thread for the new grease nipple. That way you will be able to replace them in future
Hey Allen love all your projects, very kool!!!! are you aware of C&CEquipment channel???? those guys tear down the stuff you are working on all the time I'm sure they would have the parts you need. Bad thing is they are in Indiana, but thats why everyone can ship stuff anywhere. Keep on going man, I'd love to be out there with you but I'm pushing 70 now, you go man!!! Gary
On the bad grease zerks, pull the plug the zerk is in. Grind the zerk off flush with the plug. Drill out the hole the grease flows through and tap for the new zerk.
I saw a small air belt sander at Harbor Freight; only about a half inch tall, with a 5" or so reach. Be perfect for that small partly enclosed area that needs to be smooth. The hell of it is, all the proper repair parts are readily available from Cat; there was literally zero reason for the previous owner to weld the adjusters together.
Those blocks are springs to keep the front idler from wearing the bushings on the side to side motion of the track . They welded them because there is an issue with the grease tensioner ram seals are out or something.
That's just crazy to weld them down. the grease jack on the joy miner's that we use at the mine take shims to keep them out and tight the grease jack just isn't strong enough to hold the pressure
When around some people and they say, don't worry, I worry! If I were around you or someone like you with that being said or not said, I wouldn't worry! Lol😂
