I Bought a 1947 FLYING Scraper! (Will it Run after Sitting 10+ Years?? ) 

Heres a link to that truck! facebook.com/marketplace/item/425035143701957/?mibextid=dXMIcH What do you guys think of this neat old scraper!??

This was my grandfather's scraper - that's my dad and brother in the video. My kids never got to see it run - until today. Thank you so much for giving this amazing piece of machinery the work it deserves, and for the privilege of finally seeing it run! Best of luck!

That LeTourneau Scraper was manufactured in Longview, Tx. That company is still in existence and makes some of the largest loaders, dozers, and haulers on this planet. Additionally, LeTourneau University, a private school, is located in the same community and has a phenomenal reputation for educating great engineers.

What the hell it has paint and was stored indoors. I'm so disappointed in you Matt😂😂😂😂

Been waiting for this video. Mr. Dale Hardy, formerly of LeTourneau, whom I hope is still with us, is probably the authority on these machines. I recall he had a list of all known surviving units. If memory serves me, these were originally designed to use a one-ton truck for power (hence the rear tire size) but grew into requiring their own power unit. Dale maintained that no WWII cargo plane was large enough to air drop them in the final configuration. There were other small airdrop items made. Clark built a small crawler, Austin-Western, a grader, and LaPlante-Choate, a pull scraper. After the war, there were many of these units still state side for sale to the civilian market. Many were modified into such as waterpulls. Some received larger engines with altered front sheet metal. LeTourneau built many two drum PCU's and a few four drums. This was the only three drum unit. It is said that R. G. LeTourneau built more construction equipment for WWII than any other manufacturer. dave

Matt, we need to talk. Your content is always great, no complaints there but I've got an incredible set of wrenching blue balls waiting for the "Overhead Crane" episode. The crane is there...the shop's got the right mounts in place and you just need to git er done. I realize it will be a huge project, but I'm guessing most DC fans would love to see a 3-4 part series of that bad boy going up. Please give this project a green light.

My uncle was a SEABEE in WWII and he mentioned these machines, it was really great seeing this one. Thank you for sharing

Anytime scrappy industries appears in a DC video you know it’s going to be a good one!

I like having someone behind the camera and a buddy or two in the shop with you. Adds an element of comradery to the mix and makes the video much more enjoyable to watch. I've been with you since you were clearing this land in your first videos. Matt and the Semi-supervillains have come a long way. Great to see this kind of progress.

Yeah, Matt comes through on Sunday morning. Always a pleasure

In the early 70's (71/72} the Union Apprentice program I attended had many pieces of LeTourneau scrapers, dozers, and compactors. All purchased from military auctions. We (as young 18,19,20 year old's had a blast watching the frustration on our Instructors faces as we, at the flick of a switch, two blocked cables and watched them break. Of course, we had to help fix the broken cables while listening to the profanity of our wonderful and learned teachers. They're all gone now, I'm sure, but God bless those guys. Respect.

My brother has one, it’s still in its green. Still looking for the Clark dozer that pairs with it. Be sure to contact the registry and let them know you have it. Around 2012ish when we got ours, they said ours was the 100th located. Super cool scrapers.

Hey Matt, don’t ever feel silly about anything you do, you are us and we are you. The reason we follow you is because you don’t do anything that we haven’t or wouldn’t and the fact that you don’t disguise that is what keeps us all loyal to you. Thanks again for another great video.

Matt, you find the best stuff! This unit is before my time, I'm 64, but like you I have a passion for old equipment. Being an old farm boy, I had an H and C Farmall, loved your vid with the M and 400! I had some other pieces of antique farm equipment that I had fully functional as well. I'm retired now and don't have the means to do things like you do anymore, THANK YOU for the great videos! You remind me of some of the best times of my life.

When I was a boy in Iowa in the mid 70's, we had a farmer next to us that had an entire woods full of discarded antique farm equipment. I those woods, he had a very early horse drawn combine with a model T size flathead engine that only powered the combine and the whole thing was pulled by a team of Clydesdales. It still had the drawbar!

Matt, I almost spit my coffee out when he asked about the hedge trimmer. Too funny.

So….how many fellows does it take to read an operation manual? Hey, we found the bleeder and OSHA violations! Matt your channel is NEVER DULL! You have good friends and helpful at locating oil gauges while troubleshooting!

FYI my dad drove them on Okinawa build runways. they laid down metal fabricated that looked like running boards that locked together. then they used the turn around to spread sand over them to level them. My dad was a sgt in the 185th engineer battalion 1944. love all the things you do.i have a pic of him on Okinawa, i ll try to send it to you. thanks

9:18 The tow bar tells me that might have hooked a land grader on for more leveling in one pass. I love it mate.

That Turn a Pull and I was born in the same year. My father was an operator of a much larger unit and I can remember as a child riding on one while they were building roads for the State of Idaho. The larger units had a push plate in the back and a dozer would give it a push in sloppy soil. Your video has brought back some great memories of my father and myself. Thank You for this video

On the antique stuff, manuals are the measurement of happiness with a project. Without the manuals you need two projects, the first one to learn on and the second one to restore it.

There is an older gentleman north of us that has a bunch of old machines, including 2 massive LeTourneau scrapers, diesel-electric using detroit diesels. They're some cool machines that haven't been ran in a long time.

LeTourneau grad here. There were two scrapers (on steel wheels) on campus in the late 1970's. Cool to see here, glad to see the heritage remembered.

There is machinery you have because you need it for work and there is machinery you have because you love it. This baby monster is for being loved and there's nothing wrong about it.

I remember seeing these contraptions "working" in San Francisco as a kid, doing "trim work" next to their "big cousin"; the Caterpillar DW21 Self Propelled Scraper, midway point (1955) of the construction of the California State Hwy 101 Bypass in South San Francisco. This smaller one could "really fly" leveling/smoothing the ground surface, and the sound of the multiple Caterpillar Diesel motors (I distinctly remember a line of 6 CAT DW21 Scrappers) was etched in my mind forever.

What a neat old piece of machinery! Thank goodness for people like you Matt for giving these old machines from the past a future!

In our "realm" of what we do, when we feel stupid, means we are learning something. Something that will be firmly imprinted into our brains forever. We may never see that again, but if it ever happens, it will be the first thing you think of! haha. Something I love to do is feel stupid. You can't know everything, but you can learn everything.

Those old Continental engines will run forever. My Dad has a 1952 Massey Harris Mustang tractor with the Continental engine. It never has been overhauled and it still runs😁

Somewhere around, there are some 8 mm film footage my grandfather shot of Letourneau's equipment making the superhighway out west. My grandfather talked about earthmovers, and how efficient they were in changing the terrain. I recall seeing them at work, building highways, and the few times, watching an operator move just the forward section on two wheels without the Earth moving attachment, that must've been operator skill I always thought. They were pretty fast to doing their work, no matter how you look at it.

I believe that is the smallest scraper I have ever seen. So cool goes perfectly with your little grader...

I worked for LeTourneau in the machine shop in Longview TX for ten yrs. I never worked on anything this small in my time there. Lots of good memories and great guys worked there making massive machines. Keep up the great work you're doing.

Perfect timing. Enjoying my coffee with a Diesel Creek video. Couldn't get better.

I'm not sure exactly what it is, the machine, the filming method, the guest appearances, the cameraman commentary, and the funny stuff mechanics say, but this may be one of the best videos you've made. I haven't stopped smiling since the begining.

I love the self correcting subtitles. That's always been a Matt trademark. Thanks for showing us something i never knew existed.

The sign says clearance to the 12' line, but the chickens were stacked to 13'9. We took that top row of chickens off slicker than the scum off a lusiana swamp. Love C W MCall's Wolf Creek Pass

LeTourneau made some weird equipment. Like the overland train rig for Alaska freight lines. Nice score Matt.

Hi Matt this has got to be one of the best things you have done. Having Sam and big John helping you is a highlight I think you have outshone yourself. Regards Andy from Australia

I have watched every single video you ever put out all the way back from the very beginning. I will never get over how even today when a motor cranks over how happy you get you’re just like a kid at Christmas time never lose that exciting. I love your videos. Keep up the good work. Tiny ( Len Price ) Houston MS

My father was a Marine during WWII. He was a grunt and he fought in most of the major battles. Guam Guadalcanal, Okinawa, and others. When he was alive, he told me about equipment like this they would drop in and make Airfields and roads. It was normally the Seabees that did it.

In 50 years a new direct to skull mind stream entertainer will buy Matt's farm in an estate sale auction and generate hours of content getting it all running again. The circle of life. 🦁

When I was a kid, in the 50's and 60's much larger versions of this maching was common when the Interstate Hiway system and large dams of the TVA were being constructed. I haven't seen one in operation in decades.

Enjoying watching the video just before my Sunday dinner in UK. 1947 was my year of birth.

This fun video illustrates why we must subscribe and urge our friends to watch Diesel Creek. Matt is a unique collector: he finds antique heavy equipment, survivors, which are worthy of his ability to restore and save them. Not many others doing this. This scraper wasn’t in the usual condition of his discoveries, but it does need his skill and TLC to get into great shape. Another oldie saved! Nice to see Matt’s buddy Smiling Sam from Scrappy Industries pitching in with his experience on vintage equipment. Another good job of editing with new features. The more we support by watching, the more Matt will be able to give us. 👍

I'm so glad that your autocar still exists

A true mechanic, u can see the joy on his face when it fired up! Love these videos.

Finally, a video after two weeks.

That old Sampson truck would be a perfect parade vehicle, versatile, reliable, great for anyone who likes to show off with friends.

My great grandfathers farm was on the road that makes the westward turn in Frankfort Springs back on Kings creek. they sold out in 1950's Leepers were their neighbors The name is Kincaid

This scraper was once U.S. Army engineer property, which is why this has non-directional tires in the rear. These were used during WWII for being transported by air craft in building air fields and roads. The paint color would have the same as all military trucks and vehicles of the time. A small dozer would also have been apart of the airborne engineer equipment. Restore the color scheme back to original and this would be great at military shows.

0:11 don't think we didn't notice the discovery in the background. Lord muck rubbed off on you?

What a neat old machine. Cool addition to the collection, and awesome that you're going to preserve it and maybe use it some.

i remember as a kid seeing huge EUCLID Pan Scrapers building the StLawrence Seaway in 1958

As soon as I saw the NDT tires and milspec budd wheels on the rear, I knew this was a military vehicle. Airborne divisions, then and now, have their own Engineer battalions just like heavy mechanized divisions do so it makes sense they'd need a scraper they could cram into a Waco glider. Super cool machine, Matt - hope to see it in person at the next steam show maybe?

30:17 - So funny. I had been yelling "Move the Scraper" at my computer screen just a bit earlier. Nice project, btw...

No rats nest…No wasps nests…No raccoon poop…what an amazing machine 🤩👍🏻👌🏻😁

When I first saw this beast, my first thought was “I will bet that is a blast on a down grade!” My very first time operating any type of tracked vehicle was on a WW2 surplus M1 Heavy Tractor [IHC TD18]. I was a newly minted farm diesel mechanic, and my first job was as THE mechanic for a farming and logging operation in the mountains of north Idaho. The first assignment other than oil changes was to “recover” the M1 which had thrown a track near the top of Yellowjacket Peak. Given that it was the log skidder it was the only vehicle that could get that high on the mountain other than a Tote-Goat. My boss drove that up there and showed me how to start the thing [start on gas then throw a lever to raise the compression and switch to diesel.] and said good luck. I needed to drag all of my tools and gear about a ¼ mile from the high point I could reach with my 4x4 pickup. Somehow after a lot of reading of the manual, cursing and a fair number of tears of total frustration, I managed to get the track back on it and prepared to drive it down. I had never even stood next to a crawler before this and knew nothing about how to operate one. I assumed that it would have a hand clutch, and the gear shift was obvious. I figured that the two levers in the center of the floor were for steering. It was pointed downhill at an angle to the skid trail. After some experimentation, I found reverse and was able to back it up and turn it so that it was pointed straight down the trail and dropped the blade for a brake. I put it into 1st gear, dropped the clutch and lifted the blade and off we went straight down the very steep trail. All was great for the first 50 feet, and I was thinking “I so got this!” Then I came to a slight right turn and so I pulled on the right clutch lever. Instead of the gentle right turn I expected, the right side shot forward lightning fast and turned a hard 40º and ran into a 40”ø Doug Fir. Have you ever run 20,000 lb machine at high speed into a 40” diameter tree? Well at least it felt like high speed but was probably more like 3-4 mph. After some head scratching, I figured out “clutch = freewheel”, D’oh! I then proceeded to drive without further incident down to the bottom of the mountain when I again drove it into the ditch. I did not correctly anticipate the loss of cross steering when the grade became shallow enough for the thing to no longer roll on its own.

Matt, you should paint it up like it would have been when air dropped onto a pacific atoll during WWII, that would bring some military nostalgia too.

As a seasoned 627/637 operator, this little gem is awesome.

RG wrote the best book ever. Mover of Men and Mountains!! Awesome, find Matt.

R.G. LeTourneau made about 3/4ths the Earth Moving Equipment for the Allied Forces in World War II. ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._G._LeTourneau ) The Company eventually became Komatsu for the Earth Movers. The Off Shore Drilling Platforms he manufactured went to Marathon Oil Company in the mid 60's and became Marathon LeTorneau Co. From the beginning he only kept 10% of the income and gave the rest to Christian endeavors. He still has the record of manufacturing the longest vehicle in the world for the Army at almost 600 feet long, the TC-497 Overland Train. The VC-12 Tournatrain. And the VC-22 Sno-Freighter. "Using Diesel-Electric Transmission with an electric motor at every wheel that could travel over almost any terrain." ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overland_train ) You found a good one, Matt!

Watching the video on the mini scraper. So glad to see some support staff for a change. I cringe at times watching you work alone. Looking forward to more content on the scraper. Be safe PLEASE.

Janesville, WI. Ended up becoming part of GM and the assembly plant used to produce many Chevy cars and ultimately trucks before it closed.

I don't watch as many videos as I did a while back, but it's nice to see the channel doing well. Take care!

Scrapers are still pretty heavily used today. Modern construction companies use various techniques based on the project and soil conditions. Also Matt if your ever in the NE Iowa area you should visit The Earth Moving Legacy Center in Elkader, IA. If you ask really nicely they might even let you have a go on the CAT 660 Scraper

At 39:19 was that a mouse house that flew out of exhaust? I was waiting for you to hold it up.

That scraper is brand new compared to the equipment you usually rescue...should be a piece of cake to revive😜 Have a great Sunday Matt👍

I think we need a Diesel Creek and Vice Grip Garage collab. Both of you working on an old tractor or vehicle would be awesome.

Perfect way to start a Sunday! ☕️

So happy to see you back mate hope you’re doing well and staying safe and healthy and your family and your friends thank you for sharing this with us

Remember children, even back then, they didnt make some stuff mechanic friendly 😂

1922 Samson, A LOT OF LOVE WENT INTO THAT RESTORE. Thanks for sharing.

00:33 Gee. I wonder how many 'sins' are being covered up by all that shiny yellow paint. My coffee is at the ready - and Matt is full of enthusiasm. Let's hit that *PLAY* button again. (insert Smiley here) - (and here too)

Very cool episode. Great scraper project. The video was over before I knew it. Can’t wait to see it running like it should. Thanks for doing what you do!

Just what my day needed hope all is well matt

Hey Matt, if you use a dollar bill to clean up the points after sanding, you don't have to worry about all the filings in there making them dirty again

You work hard. You deserve an easy win every once in a while. Good for you.

Matt; I just saw on FB Marketplace last night a small Bucyrus Erie machine that comes with a boom for a dragline and a crane with 3 or 4 buckets that's right up your alley. EVELETH, MN. is up on the MN. Iron Range in northern, MN.

Nothing like the Matt and Sam show to start morning.

Robert Letourneau contributed so much to the earth moving industry. I'm glad you got your hands on a piece of Letourneau history. I'm hoping to see this at National Pike next year!

Matt, You should video some of this old equipment in use for digging the basement and finishing the site for your new house.

I operated a 627f and a 627g Caterpillar scraper for a few years and they often didnt have brakes. In Colorado theres obviously big "hills" we had to work on lol. What you do when youre loaded is keep your cutting edges close to the ground. What you call a bowl Matt we called a "can". If youre going too fast just lower your can and the cutting edges will slow you down. If emergency drop your can until you stop. Just some advice if needed. :). Thanks for the videos bud.

Your work you put into this is so clear!

I nearly spat out my coffee when Matt inquired about the hedge trimmer. Too absurd.

During a live newscast Friday, KTVU Channel 2 reported the names of the flight crew as: “Sum Ting Wong,” “Wi Tu Lo,” “Ho Lee Fuk,” and “Bang Ding Ow.”

Great video. Machine has lots of potential and I think you are just the guy to bring it around! Thanks for being real.

One of my LeTourneau books talks about those Tournapulls. They also made a D2-sized Tournapull...super cute looking. Evidently they would make snap turns if you weren't easy on the steering clutches. It's awesome...but be careful.

Congratulations Matt, I know you've been looking for the the Honus Wagner baseball card, of scrapers for quite a while, to find one already semi restored is amazing. Also thanks again for the plow parts , they've helped to keep my project moving. Lee

Great video Matt. I think you need to consider building a storage barn for all of your restored equipment. Anxious about the Autocar and the overhead crane. Stay safe,

Just love the sound of that engine. Cant wait to hear it under load. 😍😍

Was waiting on this video , seen it in the background of a few videos . Super cool

I overheard a couple of old timers that served with the SeaBees refer to these machines as “Widowmakers”. I think a lot of the machines from this era produced a few widows.

Le Tourneau. That is a name I haven't heard in a long long time. Cat Partsman 73-09

Your content is so good Matt. I really enjoy your channel and you do a great job with the old machinery. It's wonderful that you keep it going for future generations.

This is a cool piece of machinery

"It's more than I planned." Remember that, kids. That will always be the case. Professionals expect it, and plan for it.

Now THAT is a unique piece of equipment! Hey Matt, do you ever fish in the creek behind the shop?

• That's a pretty snazzy scraper, Matt. Well done and congratulations on the acquisition. • That Samson truck is interesting, with its manually-oiled valve system. • Yeah, it makes sense that those baby scrapers would be glider-borne back in WWII. I don't think they had any aircraft at that point with tailgate deployment capability, so everything had to go out the side doors, particularly on the C-47 aircraft. But gliders would open up across the circumference of the fuselage and give full access to the cargo space. But boy I wouldn't want to ride in a glider. Think "WWI fighter construction, scaled up to a cargo aircraft with tubes and fabric skins", and you'll be on the right track. • The fellow who did the restoration 10 years ago did a great job protecting the steel on that scraper. That's wonderful to see (mostly because I know YOU won't paint it. 😜 • Hi Sam! Great to see you. • Heh. Jeopardy theme as Matt reads the manual. 😆 • Oh, and Big John. Hey buddy. • LOL! A 10,000 lb. hedge trimmer! • Thank you, Hanson (cable shovel?) for the oil pressure gauge donation. And thank you for being there, Sam. Sometimes Matt benefits from a little adult supervision. 🥲 • Hey, was someone just singing the "OSHA Violations" tune? 😃 • Mmmmm. Borescope/endoscope. An invaluable tool for examination and troubleshooting. • Go, go PIG Mat! • Hey Matt, does Eva know that you continue to "repurpose" her emery boards to clean the points on old gasoline engines? 🙂 • WooHoo! It...is...alive! Mostly. • Those wheel clutches for steering turned out to be quite a challenge. Here's hoping you can get them addressed on the next video for this beauty. • Hi Roscoe. Thanks for posting this, Matt. Great fun. 🙂

It found a good new home with you Matt.

Pretty cool looking widow maker

Thanks for rolling the dice on this little LeTourneau. I can only imagine how much it cost. I think lots of us viewers enjoy the fact that you FIND it, FIX it, and then WORK it. Too many pieces of equipment just sit in a museum or private collection and never get worked or showcased. Your right about their not being a lot of content on LeTourneau equipment. Thanks again and look forward to the next episode. Screaming metal death trap lol.