Caterpillar D8H Bulldozer Sitting for 15+ Years! (Will it ever run again?) 

My father in law died a few years back, he worked for Hormel in the factory, but also ran heavy machinery like drag lines and dozers for 45 years. I remember talking to him one time when he said if he had a million dollars, he would buy an old D8 and a pile of dirt, and spend all day moving the pile from one end of the lot to the other. That is why videos like this, Matt, make me smiile.

That was one of the better "will it run" videos I've seen in a while. You could see by the amount of stuff that came out the exhaust, that she's been sitting a while. What an absolute score and a can see a good few videos bringing the old girl back to her former glory.

This brings back memories. I learned to operate an old cat D7 cable rig at age 16. The pony motor didn’t have a electric starter. It was turned over with a long crank that stuck out the front. If you killed the main motor with the blade up you couldn’t get the crank in to start the pony motor. I’ve had to walk off the mountain to get the old Ford tractor to move the Cat enough to get the crank in several times.. I worked all summer clearing trees off of 40 acres. I learned that running a bulldozer wasn’t what I wanted to do for the real of my life.

anyone else notice at 26:50 when matt woo's, the dozer revs and woo's back? awesome moment. as if its alive

All things considered, her age, sitting for 15 years, and water in places it shouldn’t be, that engine sounds absolutely amazing. I didn’t doubt you guys would get it to run but I was expecting a lot more repairs to happen first. Good job on this one Matt.

Old CATS never die! They just wait for Matt to wake them up from a long, long slumber🤘 I doubt if the new machines would survive like this old girl has😊

If you are going to use that cable unit, make sure you install guards on both sides of the operator's station. My grandfather used to grade fields with 2 of those old dozers and had a pan cutting edge catch on a boulder. The tension snapped a brand new wire rope and the cable whipped around and shattered his ankle so it was never even close to right for the rest of his life. They popped cables fairly often until he finally gave in and upfitted both dozers to hydraulics for the pans and the blades.

Congratulations Matt! Glad to see the old girl brought back to life. Great to see everyone helping you out with your mission. Looking forward to part two and seeing this machine in more videos. 👍👍

I just love the look on your face whenever you get a prehistoric diesel engine going, hopefully another project we can follow the progress on your channel. Great stuff guys 👍🛠🔧🚜

Oh WOW, compared to the shipping container shop, the new one is MASSIVE!! Didn’t realize its this much bigger. Nice “new” rig 🎉

Man I got goose bumps when that old girl came alive. I remember my father and uncles running dozers like that on construction jobs when I was a kid. The ground would shake when they went by and I , at about 5 years old, was in awe of that machine...so big, roaring and moving the world with my Dad at the controls, as I watched. Awesome stuff. Hey Matt...on another subject, I really enjoy seeing the seasonal changes in the drone shot during the opening, just FWIW.

Loved the video which brought memories back of my Cat D8H dozer when working on the Thai/Laos border in 1967 with the British army on road construction. Our pony/donkey engines were notoriously unreliable and on many occasion had to resort either hand crank start or to a pull/push start in gear on decompression and then kick the decompressor over. Although 56 years ago the noise of a Cat D8H starting is etched in my memory. Great you saved an old equipment.

What a great old hunk of iron. The first dozer I had anything to do with was an old Cat D8. Early 1970s, and I had been hired to plant trees on a coal strip mines in Virginia. Got “volunteered” to help change out a set of tracks, track adjusters and front idlers on the D8. Put some long hours in with a big sledge hammer… when I graduated from high school soon after this, I ended up working for a bunch of yrs on this same strip mines, first on a coal auger and then as an equipment operator. In the early 80s I ended up in the military… I stayed for the long tour (24 yrs and several combat deployments).. but I can still hear and smell the old equipment… keep up with what you’re doing..you are a hard working young man! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

Strange how we share the same favorites in machines, ANYTHING IH, Cub Cadets, old iron and now D8 cables. This was my first machine I ran by myself. One summer I worked filling in a sand pit. The pony motor was crank start and when I could get it running it scared the crap out of me sounding like it was turning 20,000 rpm’s! I learned to park it on a hill and bump start it. Takes allot of time to make a level cut. I was going up and down for weeks. Thank you Matt for reminding me of good times the summer I was 14.

My grandfather ran a D8H just like this one clearing snow from the railroad tracks here in NY in the 50s. He also ran one in the early 60s with a scraper pan building roads and highways. He loved seeing this and took him back to his glory days. Keep up the good work Matt.

It never ceases to amaze me what you can bring back to life, what previously seemed fit only for a static museum display is brought back from the brink, and you make it look so easy too. An hour or two in the wash bay and she'll be near ready for work. Can't wait to see part two, 2023 is off to an awesome start!

Absolutely thumbs UP!!👍👍 That Diesel Dozer Engine sounds awesome! Not even any exhaust smoke once she was up and running. I am on stand by for part two! 💯

Absolutely LOVE the "will it start?" videos. I know nothing about equipment, mechanical stuff, or repair work. BUT, really enjoy Matt and am amazed at his skills and knowledge. The older and rustier the better, right? 😄😂😜❓❤👏👍😍

I became an Operating Engineer in 1979 and the first dozer that I operated was a CAT D8 46A with a hydraulic dozer blade with tilt and hydraulic rippers. I operated the 46A dozers until the CAT D8K dozers came out and then I went up to the massive D8L High Track dozers came out. The D8L had a fully enclosed cab with air conditioning and after that I was in a fully enclosed A/C cab for the rest of my career. It was great watching you guys get the old CAT running again.

19:01 The mouse dropping and rust say thank you for releasing us. Nice start up boys, was great seeing it.

This video makes me miss the old times when turning wrenches with friends. You guys seemed to have a great time!

Matt, that was a pretty big smile when the engine fired up! It's great that you are saving these old iron machines. Thanks for the videos, they are very entertaining.

One of the best things in this video is your mates. You collectively got this old girl to run. We all need help sometimes and the quality of your mates then shines through. I also know you do reciprocate. Well done all of you.

They say it takes a village to raise a child, well, we know it does to get an old D8 going, at least! 🙂 Nice job guys. That looked like about a “three cans of ether” endeavor. That main power plant looks like gem and sounded like a 747 once it spun up, seriously. And hardly any smoke…nice!

Love the old dozers, they can sit for years, throw enough compression back in them with fuel, and boom. Love those old cat engines too. Nother good video matt, shooting for 1mill subs.

Matt, So happy to see you smiling ear to 👂 ear to hear that old CAT 🐈 brought back to life a little TLC she'll be running like new. Looking forward to the next video. Thanks for bringing us along 🙂

It is real great to see these “young guys” understand and have the interest in working on older equipment that could have ended up as salvage

I remember that machine sitting in that field along with other equipment years ago. Never knew if it was used for the old city dump or the strip mining company that my grandfather worked for. Great seeing old iron come back to life!👍

Matt, what I was watching here from my lounge chair in Queensland, Australia, was 4 young American men, good buddies, pouring over a piece of American built, iconic machinery, doing what mates should be doing on a weekend, combining their talents and skills, helping each other out with shared information, to bring this gorgeous bit of iron back to life. For one of your entry videos into 2023, well, the smile on your face just about equaled the experience I felt and it was just heartwarming to see…..well done to you all, can’t wait for part 2.

I'm so glad you share your heavy equipment adventures with us. I come from a long line of operating engineers. .y fondest memories of my father were when I was five years old and he had made a deal with somebody to get a old Bucyrus dragline running and pulled to the road and loaded up. I worked with him and sure enough she fired and was able to track the 1/2 mile to the road. I remember it so well cuz it was the first time I drove by myself. Dad put me in the truck, explained what to do and told me to meet him at the gate. This and many more adventures with heavy equipment color my childhood. At the ripe old age of 11 I even went to work for my dad running a international dozer building berms around a landfill. I'll always be grateful for what my dad tells did for me- he taught that being a man meant to work and running heavy equipment was honored.

I didn't know whether to be more impressed with "the team" getting it started or with the homeowner for doing such a good job manicuring the lawn around this beast.

Awesome. Love seeing old iron come to life again. You guys did all the right things.

There’s a little grin that Matt gets right when he realizes the old crusty rig he’s working on is gonna fire that I love to see and keeps me coming back for every video! What a great freakin channel this is.

these old cat machiens are unbelievably tough! I love watching these old machines start back up! Cat made some badass machines!

Wow, phenomenal job guys, a stellar performance by the whole cast!!! A work of art, a real masterpiece. That is one fine machine right there! Man, that thing sounds beautiful. Love that turbo singing. Looking forward to part two of the double feature. Keep up the great work!

Memory Lane! My Grandpa hired a man with a cable lift Cat 7 to do some clearing on the property. He let me ride and manipulate the controls a little. I was 6 and I was Hooked! Ten years later I went to work with one of my uncles when he needed help and it turned into my lifes work, 48 years later I still enjoy the work. Thanks for a Great video!

Matt never disappoints when it comes to starting an old engine. Glad to see the old cat dozer run again.

Matt, you and your friends did a great job bringing that Cat back to life. It will be fun to see what you do with it when you get it home. Blessings to you.

Matt you are like a kid with a new toy. The joy on your face is incredible thanks for sharing Bernie

Always good to see old Caterpillar dozers still running.

"EPIC TEAM WORK" Matt! Another venerable piece of vintage (Not exactly ancient) piece of machinery saved. Totally worthy of rescue. After all a classic doesn't become a classic till it's old enough! That Cat definitely had nine lives. 😉.

Oh i miss the will it start videos soooo much !!!!!

Fantastic work getting this old iron running again. What a find! Also, much appreciated not making us wait a week or two for the next part. 😂👌

A Diesel Creek shirt that says: "Ether in one hand, Throttle in the other. Contact!" is surely something I would wear.

Matt, you could make a 4 hour video and I'd watch the whole thing. You're the only you tuber I'd take that much time for. You make them interesting and your excitement when something works always makes me grin. Good fortune to you and God bless you.

Your face said it all Matt when it fired up what an awesome machine great job guys many hands make light work as they say sounds amazing great to see these machines firing up to live on look forward to part 2 again great work guys 👍👌🔧🔧🔧

I went for a job at a scrapyard. They told me if I could get this old crane running, I’d be hired. Then handed me a hand crank and left. Took me a little bit checking the crane out, put the hand crank on the pony motor, a few half turns and it started. I ran it for 4 hours, until one of the swing clutches started failing and then stopped. They hired me anyway and put me on a newer crane with an electric starter! (No heater, but no hand crank either!)

Old hoopty equipment: “ah yes. I’ve finally retired in peace” Matt with a can of summer and a dream: “no”

At 22:22 how many others were yelling "Come on baby , COME ON" along with Matt? LOL

Those old cats or any old equipment are amazing to me. They can sit so long and with a little work fire up and run like they haven't been sitting for 5,10 15 plus years and ready to work too

What a hell of a video Matt!!! You knocked it out of the park with this one. Can’t wait for part 2 and seeing it working. You deserve 1 million subscribers.

I enjoyed watching the young guys diving in and showing interest in these old dinosaurs!

How brilliant, sat still for 15 years, then it's awoken woken like a sleeping Dragon roaring back into life. What a sound! To be honest thought that pony motor was FUBAR, but it also came to life. And with your mates as well, what couldn't be a better day. Looking forward to part 2.

Another cracking vlog Matt. Watching all of you guys work the issues to resolution, is pure viewing pleasure!

An exceptional job in getting this monster back on track ! 😉 Congratulations to the whole team ! 👏 I'm looking forward to the rest of this video... 🤗 Thanks Matt ! 👍

Beautiful teamwork. A pleasure to watch. Always remember the D8, after one reversed at full speed, into the truck I was driving and wrote it off. Great video..

Many years back I was based at the international telex center in New Zealand. We had a WW2 USA Cat generator set on sled with pony motor. Except ours didn’t have a starter motor, had to decompress and hand crank and hope it started, then used it to pre warm the diesel before starting it. So this brings back memories, thanks again for great video

My day is complete. Another Diesel Creek video! I was having withdrawal symptoms.

What an absolute beast! That thing fired up and was ready to go to work. Man those old CAT diesels are something else!

While the overall of this video is absolutely fantastic, the best takeaway is watching all these younger guys all over the D-8 like a cheap suit. While seeing it swarmed over by a bunch of old geezers (of which I are one), I am overjoyed to see these young guys having so much fun restoring this treasure of the past. If there are more of these whippersnappers, I feel better abut the future. My hat is off to all these guys and the rest of the whippersnappers out there who share Mat's passion. My hat's off to all you guys, here and watching this. Really.

This episode was definitely worth taking a break from the video I was working on, upgrades for my Sheldon metal lathe. Matt, I think this machine deserves the "Christine" treatment full restoration. Back to work now, have about half an hour of welding to do before getting going on a paying job.

Great video thank you Matt! I'm in the process of recovering a D6 8U (also a cable blade) and watching you and your mates going through the inspection and resurrection of the pony motor was valuable. I've added a points file to my list of required tools. Also checking the injector pump oil bath - definitely don't want to risk an engine runaway! Looking forward to seeing part two of this adventure.

Great job Matt! My dad worked at Cat in the 50’s. I live a half mile from Caterpillar in East Peoria. I see a lot of the shiny new stuff but the old iron has it’s own shine!!

That whistle from the mighty Cat power plant is something I could listen too all day long, love your channel and how you bring us all along with the activities you have ahead of you, nothing seems to hard and you overcome everything that is ahead of you! Roll on the next episode 👍

Glad to see you get this gem Matt! There’s nothing like operating an older Cat dozer. I used to run 1970’s era Cat D8 and D9 pushing pans, spreading overburden and blading roads for haul trucks. I can’t wait to see what plans you have for the old girl.

Yep sitting here cheering you guys on . Expect to see her at the Pikes National Show. Good job Scrappy Industries helping Matt wake up this beautiful piece of old iron.

Loved this series of videos! That old equipment is so cool and it is amazing that it just still runs like that.

Excellent work bringing back this D8 to life! Can't wait for part 2. The earlier versions of the D8, along with the D6 and D7, served during WW2, pushing dirt for airfield construction in Europe and making highways in the Pacific (and dragging heavy towed artillery pieces through thick mud, among other tasks).

Def one of my favorite will it start videos. Everything was so sketchy! Lol 😂

You have some good friends:helpers. That was cool to see you all work together and get that running.

I love seeing these old machines brought back to life. Looking forward to part 2.

"What a beast" indeed! That baby will push just about anything around, I'm thinking. I can't wait for part two to become available! I will be interested to see what you will need to do to get the dozer in working form once more and what your plans are for it, Matt. Thanks for taking us along to show us the newest member of the Diesel Creek stable!

these videos give me satisfaction I can only imagine being in person!😂 well done fellas!

Dad drove dozers and when I was a kid my brother and I used to go with him on weekends and ride the dozer while it was working. I remember back then even a D6 was a fairly big machine but when the D8 came out, WOW, what a HUGE DOZER!! We were in awe of them and some of the floats in use at the time couldn't fit them on to transport them. This old D8 brings back a lot of memories. Thanks for the video.

Looks like you got the dream team on the job with you there. It just sounds so darned sweet. Can't wait to see the next episode.

The Simplicity of these older machines is beautiful. Today's machine you almost need a degree, special certification, and a laptop just to work on them.

I like the way you handled this video. You have lots of help working on this old CAT and you just let the cameras run and allowed us to be part of it all. Congrats on getting that old beast running again!

I enjoyed seeing the old machine coming back to life. I see so many old machines where I live here in Australia, I wish I had the cash to rescue them all

Your assistant using a Milwaukee, impact driver as a hammer, priceless.😅

Great video. Can’t believe the pony motor worked with all of the water. Diesel purred just like a Cat. Can’t wait to see you put it to work.

What a sweet old dozer, they just have that tough old timer aura over them don't they

That thing sounds like a beast. Cant wit to see how good it pushes dirt.

The nice thing about flathead engines is that you basically can't get water in the cylinders. What a beast! Love the gear drive generator.

Fair play Matt I never thought for one minute that this beast would run!!! ✌️❤️

Love your work, Matt, good job. Nothing like a diesel in the morning.

Matt you guys were having so much fun!! Amazing revival!! The engine sounds excellent!! Thanks for sharing

this D8H cat brings back memories in 1959 my dad taught me how to operate this model i was 12years at the time!! thank you for sharing this video. i will look forward to watching what you do with it

Well done Brother(s)! I think that was the most help you've ever had on a "Will it run?" video! Good job, and I can't wait to see you get it loaded and pulled back to your new shop. Enjoy!

Good lord that hand throttle sounds worse than my knees. Looking forward to part two already Matt 👍🏻🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Cheers Matt. That is an exciting episode. So pleased that you realized your dream in getting a D8H. They were a revolutionary dozer when they hit the market. Good for you mate.

That starter for the pony motor is a champ with all that cranking Nice to hear it running sounds pretty decent Matt 19:00 @Diesel Creek

Totally awesome Matt , you know how to bring them back and my hat goes off for your team of gentleman that helped you get this massive piece of equipment moving again. 👍👍👍👍, Mike from AZ

What a beast, Matt. Great purchase! Can't wait for a refurb video

It is nice to see Old Rusty come back to life, and to see Mats face light up with excitement

Quite the team you have there. Just a bunch of fun to watch you guys bring that pony motor back to like. The debris blowing out of the exhaust was hilarious! Cue "Ode to Joy."

Garage is looking mint mate!

I'm finally back operating heavy equipment and I'm so happy to go to work again lol. Although building roads is slow as shit and to slow for me but it'll do for now the company does site work so it's not all road building. Great vid love watching you get the old iron going.

Wow diesel creek after sitting. For 15 years you and your buddys got her runnning she Sounds great for old bulldozer never knew some motors had pony motors to get the bulldozer motor started wow and to see bulldozer move i learn something new every time i wacth your will it start Thank you 👈👍👍

Damn! I like the sound of that diesel engine...and it doesnt even churn out much smoke. I literally got goose bumps to see its hydraulic systems still functioning! Wow!

Can't wait for part 2, Matt...bring it on, please, buddy..👍 Coming from the 'air conditioned comfort ' age, its an absolute education seeing how these older machines were started and operated. Really looking forward to seeing this old lady in action..😊👍