Diesel Roller Compactor First Start in 30 years!! Can it be saved?? 

I remember when I could do all of this in the field, but now I'm lucky to get on my wheelchair from the sofa due to being 68 and living with Multiple sclerosis that robbed me of any leg use now for 15 years . Your channel brings a lot of memories & puts a smile on my face of when things were better. Never take walking for granted. I'm a fan, Bob.

The challenge of getting old engines running after they’ve sat for so long is so satisfyingly fun. Not always wallet friendly but worth it when your hard work and persistence pays off.

If anyone deserves a dry, warm/cold workshop with a ceiling hoist, it's you. You work through some tough crap to put out some awesome content.

Im an electrical engineer. My tip is not to tin the tips of your cables as solder is a poor conductor and oxidize very quickly and encourage breaks near your connector when fibrating, it matters at high currents. Usually copper to copper contact is the best. But if you are going to tin thick wires like that its best to use a solder bath, you can use a tin you heat up with solder inside until it is a liquid bath. then put some flux on the cable you want to tin and dip it in the molten solder. But first prize is a proper crimping tool with the correct size lugs and go copper on copper.

The joy you get when starting an old piece of equipment is so heart warming

Hi Matt. Personally, taking into the account the amount of hours this unit might work for the rest of its life, I would keep the bearings as is, just grease them properly,

I was an Heavy Equipment Mechanic/Operator myself for well over 30 yrs. Here something you're going to like, instead of using ether, soca rag and Diesel and put it over your intake it'll be the fastest startup you've ever seen on a diesel engine.

That shaft looks like a job for Curtis at Cutting Edge Engineering!! Nice work Matt! Thank you for sharing!

Hats off to the excavator! It's a multipurpose tool. It's an excavator, a hoist, a puller... it does it all!

Those type of GlowPlugs are wired through a low-value resistor. (less than 1 Ohm) The resistor drops the 12v down to ~ 9.5v. This resistor often takes the form of a "GlowPlug indicator" which is simply a short coil of nichrome wire which gets red-hot so you can see it working. (of-course, the hotter the indicator gets, the lower the voltage to the GPs.... self-regulating)

DAMN man, that was such a cool repair up until the end! I hope they give you a break because I would like to see more videos on this repair.

31:52 Yes, you can series connect two 12V light bulbs on 24V, no problem, but... Your connection of the three glow plugs are in parallel, NOT series so each is seeing full battery voltage. Unless you put a load resistor in line with the glow plugs, you are going to burn them out rather quickly.

Old diesels first starting up never gets old.......good job Matt!

You’re showing many reasons on why that bigger excavator was worth buying, seems like a very handy machine.

I was surprised to see it actually cleaned up after a fair amount of fuel ,runs nice. It will start much easer when the glow plugs are working 😎👍🇦🇺

Super excited, glad you are taking us along for the ride.

Hey Matt! My thinking on the roller bearings is if the cages aren't damaged then the rollers will work fine. The pitting is from sitting not skidding. Put them back in and use a moly grease. They are load bearing and low speed they should be just fine.

Soldering that cable was the wrong thing to do. All that happens is the solder moves down the core making the cable stiff and now prone to the wires cracking under vibration. The solder will also deform over time, the alloy structure will then crumble and the connection will work loose. This is also why you don't 'crimp and solder' either. The best solution would have been to crimp a connector on the end (which gives you a perfect gas tight cold weld joint in theory) and then bolt the eyelet down. The next best (maybe) solution would be to push dielectric grease down into the cable core and then clamp it down, or just get a better battery clamp. Anyone who says different is still listening to what his Grandad did on WWI submarines, or has never worked in industry where we have quality standards and calibration records for miles over every single detail of this cable termination process. But good job on using some kind of crimp tool for the other connectors, that's better than 99.999% of other RU-vidrs. You can actually get solder type battery cables, but they just suck unless you can somehow clamp down the cable

Just a quick tip from myself, an electrical engineer from Austria: NEVER put solder onto stranded wire if you are not going to solder it! 1st, solder is much more malleable than copper, so the whole screw terminal can loosen up over time and cause arc-outs, and 2nd, since now there is 2 metals involved, a lot more corrosion will happen... What you can do tho is firmly pre-crimp the stranded wire to get the strands denser together, so screwing them down should not be that big of a hassle :)

I love your enthusiasm and ingenuity to get 'er goin again! Kudos bro.

Something satisfying about standing in a cloud of smoke by a racing engine and spraying starting fluid. Gotta love it! Love your channel. Thanks for sharing.

Good video Matt. IMO you do not need to have that machine fixed for a 30 year lifecycle. At this point it time it only needs to be good enough to get you through the next project or 2. The way that shaft looks broken it seems like it was dropped to have it shear off like that. I would weld the shaft back as concentric as possible, re-grease the bearings and slap it back together and see what happens. It would be a nice piece of equipment even if you only get it running enough to serve your immediate purpose. Good Luck...

It’s nice to see the old stuff coming back into use good luck with the future of your project big respect from the UK

Mat, every alternator need field excitation to work. It can be either internal, nor external. Check your alternator and if you find F or L terminal unhooked, it cannot work. If it has L terminal, that means there is an internal regulator and it just needs an indicator lamp hooked up to 12V. If you find F terminal, you will need external regulator and the lamp.

My deceased brother-in-law was a heavy equipment mechanic. I would have loved to watch your video's with him. God bless you and your family.

One has to take into account the economics of where and how this channel is supported. What finances Matt has to function with, and how much can this machine generate for the business verses lease or rent a replacement. Plus he needs one in less than a week.

Shout out to you Matt! I would have given up that machine for scrap a long time ago but you just keep on going. Keep up the good work!

You are a brave man getting into that kind of repair! Kudos to you, mate.

Hi Matt. I.Rooting for you on this one. I've seen you resurrect a lot of dead and dying machinery and hope this turns out to be another success. I think this video should have had a health warning, I almost passed out while holding my breath among that exhaust smoke. Looking forward to seeing the new shop

Most people would just have given up when they saw the broken shaft. Hope the repair cost will be reasonable. It would be a shame to have put all this time and money into it just to fall on the last hurdle.

Literally I never get so happy to watch somebody else succeed as I do with you Matt. Keep making shit run, and most importantly keep having fun. I’ll always watch.

Greetings from New Zealand,Absolutely love what you are doing,You have great patience,and high tolerance levels.Keep up with the good work 👏👏👍👍

The drum bearings are called Self Aligning bearings Matt.

Are you sure that glow plug voltage range wasn't 9 to 15 volts? It's very strange for them to have the lower voltage listed second.

I love that moment when it fires up for the first time for you. Magical!

You are one of the nicest and most humble guy I have watched on you tube. Thanks for sharing your adventures with us all.

It is a pleasure to watch you solve "simple" problems that do actually have a solution when we are surrounded by some that are so big they are hard to even comprehend. Thanks for letting us tag along on your journey.

That was cool to watch the fast forward as the exhaust stopped smoking. She was cleaning her self as it warmed up.

Great work Matt! Exciting to see you gotter runnin. I was so bummed for you when you discovered the broken shaft. Hoping the shop fixes you up and you can getter working. Best of luck, keep up the good work.

After watching the travails of the first video on this repair I admire your tenacity to keep with this restoration!

Matt I really admire guy's like you that ain't afraid to just jump in and repair something that you've never experienced. 👊🏾😁

I'd recommend putting a fuse in series with the hot lead to the key switch to protect your wiring. Hopefully you can get her back together. Keep up the great work!

Matt, first off well done on getting the motor running. I know the shaft and bearing is a different story so I hope everything falls into place there. I admire your determination and can’t wait for the dream workshop build to begin. Good luck at the machine shop

It's like your Dr. Frankenstein, bringing something long dead back to life

Matt's work ethic is impressive. Never say die...

Every time I watch one of your videos I find myself wanting to be there helping you. It is so interesting learning how the different machines function. I love your work ethic and your approach to problems.

Wow! After 30 years. So Awesome to see old stuff work again.

Great video your endurance and enthusiasm is wonderful. Thx

The glow plugs are in parallel, not series. You could measure resistance on each one if you take the wires off. If you get new plugs, you should put something in series to control the current.

I DEFINITELY want to see the next video on this roller; Hope it's worth while repairing ! Great video Wes !

Every video I watch of yours... I am impressed with your talents and patience. I always worked alone just like you do....you are outstanding and impressive.

Mat, I really respect you and your knowledge as well as drive. I too am a man who has had to pretty much work alone all my life and teach myself.

good to hear the old engine up and running. I was cheering when it finally caught and kept going If costs get too high on the repair it may still be useful as a static roller. seal up the end flanges and fill it with water for weight. And you will have a massive pair of steel balls for the next project that requires them. or some amusing shop art or vehicle decoration lol. Would love to see the old roller going again but with all the repair and parts needed at today's prices I'm wondering if it will be prohibitively expensive.

It is very common to have a 9.5v glow plug on a 12v system for a faster glow and a bit less draw on a battery when you need it to start

Your patience is amazing! Watching from Istanbul.

I always wondered how those vibrating compactors worked. It much simpler that I imagined. Thanks for the post.

The two end balls create the vibration just have to make sure there installed the right way from each other.🤔👍

I wouldn’t worry to much about the bearings Matt - for the work your gonna do a clean and repack should be fine - my heart sank when I saw that shaft and I saw your mood change as well- fingers crossed the fix isn’t to expensive - as for the glow plugs- alternator ect they can wait it’ll run just fine to get your pad packed down even if you do have to charge the batteries every now and then- all that aside that motor sure sounded sweet when she fired up 👍all the best mate from Tasmania

when you almost started the engine, I was so happy and lots of smiles in my face. you do good work.

I love your passion for old equipment ❤

Hi Matt!! Your joy at getting this started is contagious! Had me grinning from ear to ear, and SO happy for you!! I truly hope that you can get this machine repaired as cheaply and as quickly as possible. If it's outside of your budget, and probably will be, just rent a roller to get your shop started. I'm pretty sure that is much more important to you than fixing this roller. I will be sol thrilled when you have a nice warm shop to do your magic in, and not have to be out in the cold, wind, rain and snow anymore. Wishing you the best.

Great video Matt, we use to repair old machines like that. Drill and tap the shaft, screw in a threaded stud to reinforce it. V it out real good for deep penatration, and weld it together with 7018 rod. Good luck !

I can't help it but shake hands with danger is playing in the back of my head during a lot of the tear down at the end.

Just let all your collection of compactors run free on the pad. I’m sure it would be compacted in no time. Great video watched it twice. Be a handy machine if not going to cost to much to fix

Watching these videos, reminds me of my father in law. He was a logger and was always working on his skidder, maintaining or improving. You are a lot like him, could fix anything and I used to love help him doing it. Thank you.

When you have a box, add some extra cable or a service loop so if you have to cut and replace stuff in the future you have a little bit of extra cable to work with... Should also consider running wires in plastic or metal conduit for protection.

It has been a while and a chore it feels at times to try and watch. I feel so behind on everyone I watch, but my favorites for certain. Glad to see this old beaut is running again. My lack of knowledge is what keeps me from doing projects like this but I can say watching your videos has made want to try a few times. Love your videos.

You have so much good will out there Matt. I know it's not a route you want to go down but I'd happily donate money just to see that roller fixed. It would be one less piece of equipment in the scrapyard. I can't be the only one who thinks that. I'd love to see it functioning. Cheers

Absolutely loved the video. There is no other way I would have been able to see the workings of such a machine. Thanks 👍

Matt you are nuts ,that is why I love watching your channel. Getting that engine running was classic and your enthusiasm is over the top. Exactly how I feel when I get something to work that re@lly shouldn’t. I’m looking forward to your next episode on this roller please don’t make us wait too long.

Hi Matt I think your a true hero getting the used equipment and making a go of it you remind me of myself I just wish I had the land space available like you have been here in UK it’s very expensive so can’t wait for your next videos every weekend good luck to you and your partner I was a machine operator for many years hence why I love to watch what you drag home for cheap and then make a good living from it so don’t stop my boy your format is perfect so all the best from us here in Uk England xx Royboy

i enjoy how far you have made it and all the hard work you do and i know life is not easy and not always fast but you doing a lot and it shows and keep it up and cant wait to see what you have next in plan hope to see more old iron running or moving again keep it up

Hi Matt! As an alternative to heat and acid core solder on battery leads: use one of your large copper ring lug, crimp and cut off ring. It makes a quality ferrule.

Excellent results on the engine. I hope the shaft can be repaired or replaced. Just like you, I hate to see vintage equipment trashed if it can be brought back to life.

Keep up the good work, you never fail!

You ROCK Matt! I hope you can get it back together as long as it doesn’t break the bank!

The problems just keep coming... My heart goes out to you Matt. Bet getting that engine started seems like a year ago now. Chin up and keep on fighting. 🍀🍀🍀

Thanks Matt, love repair/refurbish videos. Have a great Saturday all.

I always learn something from watching you teardown these big machines. At the very least I learn that I would never do what you do. On the flip side, I am glad there are folks like you willing to do this heavy lifting.

Hi Matt, It was a nice trick to use solder on the thick battery clamp connections, I'm going to use that on my old 6 volt Porsche, which has some periodic starting issues. Good work as always! 👍😎 As a Porsche/VW nut, I of course love those old Deutz engines!

Matt we love seeing this kind of work! The whole hour flew by! Thank you for the content!

Love your enthusiasm Matt. Also love the way you use your equipment to aid your work. Really looking forward to the new shop and that autocar getting in the and getting started!!!

Persistence may be one of your greatest attributes and as we've seen in other videos it has paid off many times. It would be interesting to hear the total cost to repair this vs what you typically see these units go for in usable condition.

Grew up working on farms. Was always amazed at the ability to repair just about anything with common sense and a willingness to do the work. for me its always easy to take it apart but then it sits for a year and i forget how to put it back together.

this is my favorite thing to watch on a Saturday morning, thank you Matt for the hour content!

Matt gets a like b4 the intro is over

I’ll tell you what I am starting to get just as excited when you get one of those old engines going as you now good job

Your Excitement is an awesome sight to see. Congratulations man.

These two "ball bearings" at either side of the vibrator shaft were interesting to see! I hope you have a good machine shop that welds the shaft at a reasonable price as concentric as they can get it.

I feel knackered just watching the work that`s gone into that video!I really hope you can get it up and running without getting a phone call from the bank manager!Plus i love your Impact and cordless grinder!Keep up the good work Matt.

Great video! You never know what your getting into until its apart. Keep up the good work my dude!

Well it's not the first project that went south on you i.e. the road grader but it's still a joy to watch you do what you do so keep it up and we'll keep watching.

Keep up the good work man! Enjoy your weekend!!!

you got the engine to run👍after sitting all years, good job ! to bad about the axel

Whoa! What a job. Good luck with this one. Great video!

Hey Matt I started in heavy commercial vehicles the guy teaching me always said if we we’re stuck in the desert how could we overcome it has served me well though life still to this day ! Love your channel sir💯👍🏻🇬🇧

Love to watch you working on machines repair 🤟Your face turned exciting within engine cranking up runs great 😀

What a lovely sound when it starts up. I love it when starter is barely spinning the engine and it just pops to life barely keeping rpm to stay running

Hello, you remind me of days gone by when I use to service Fords back in the 60,s and 70,s also use to service johnson and Evinrude outboard motors I now am 80 years young and love working with my hands so do miss those days.

You're really a nice down-to-earth guy you always are that's what makes watching your nice