Smooth planks that are coated with something to make them slippery would have helped to load it. Coleman's Surplus used to have parts for that old Army p/u truck. The undercarriage really is worn out. Good Luck, Rick
Mate!!! That loader is such a unique machine you've just got to give it a go at getting it running. Sure the running gear is worn beyond it ever going to work again, but if you are just going to cruise around in it they would be ok. I've walked an old excavator around that was at least as bad. It would be great to see the old girl at shows in that natural patina chugging around.
Toby has restored several of these. His RU-vid site is a gold mine of D2 info. Between Toby and his Dad, they have 3 or 4 D2s in good shape.I don't think that he has a T2. Who knows, he might be interested in the T2 attachment to put on one of his.
Hi Randy, you probably already know this but just in case, there are a couple of reasons the tracks don't roll - the rails are seized: if it's this, you can unseize them by soaking them in plain water for a couple of days then tapping eack link with your 10# hammer to get them to move. Once they do move, wet them again and have your Dad tow it around for a half hour. Another reason could be that the brake linings are stuck to the brake drums. For this, you need to loosen the adjustment off and also the band support screws (one each side) underneath the brake housing, then get it in with assorted levers and pry the band from the drum. Once that's done, again pull it around while pressing on the brakes to clean the rust off. Other reasons can be stuck final drives, etc. but those typically require disassembly to get them freed up
The problem with selling parts is that as soon as you sell the first part ( say, the radiator.), the rest of the machine becomes useless and unrestorible.
Randy, thanks for maybe saving this D-2 from the scrap pile. It has good bones so it may be worth putting some time and $$ into restoring this relic. It is nice to see you started with the shop vac and pressure washer to get rid of some of the years of dirt, grease and oil build up. Blessings to you and your dad for trying to save this beauty.
Awesome job saving a few pieces of history..Matt at Diesel Creek maybe able to help you find parts and information he is always restoring these old iron relics. Amazing you have an interest in these amazing old machines..wish you all the best at whatever you decide to do with them,
I think you know the key to this..... to restore you have to do one piece/ section at a time, invite Diesel Creek over for a weekend so that he can help and or give you pointers l think heat & banging & lube Will be helpful , have a few Beers handy & a roast to sweeten the deal lol, Good luck 🙄🙄😮😮😁😁
I love both Caterpillars, the older one is particularly interesting and a piece of history. I also like your square body, had one identical although not with the cool paint job. Have a great week.
There are a Hundred guys watching this now saying if the engine block isn't cracked they will have it running before winter ,Matt from Diesel Creek would be the first to say that
Try to hook up to it with a backhoe or 2 tractors and try to rock it back and forth and see if the tracks to free up. I was going to say if you park it in a creek some water would seep into the pins and bushings to lube them a bit. No worries with the bushings worn through to the pins the water from the pressure washing may have done that job. Try rocking it when you unload. I am afraid yard art is best idea, maybe yard art with a running engine.
Probably won't have to do it again, but I would use lengths of 2" dia pipe underneath the tracks and it would roll the pipe as it moves along. On your ramps you could put some ply wood down to roll the pipes on. Moved a lot of heavy things that way, winch and snatch block.
If you are able to free the clutch leaver and get it into neutral it may just roll for you...hit it with some RP7 or WD40 a couple of times leave it it for a week or two that may help. All the best 👍
They are both cool tractor’s I’m glad your saving them. The loader one is wore out I think it’s really cool. I have this book the title is Bulldozer written by Stephen W. Meader it is about a D2 the guy puts a Trackson loader on it digs basements. I just looked on Alibris website there are copies on there. I don’t know if this will influence you but it sounds like you think it’s pretty cool by the sound of your voice when you’re talking about it. I’ll be interested in what you do with it. I would love to see it running and the loader working It would be lot of work and money to fix it . Also it would look good in a rock garden like you described. Good luck to you whichever way you decide and thanks for saving them . this is the longest comment I ever wrote.
Just gotta channel your inner Squatch!!! If you can get a couple of hardwood 3 or 4x10 under it it will skid a lot easier. Those are the most worn out tracks I've ever seen!!!
Pretty cool old piece of history. Unfortunately, some things are just too far gone. If it was inside all those years, probably would have painted a whole different picture. But, at any rate, nice video guys.
Just curious. How come u didn’t hook on the top of the loader frame with tractor and pull it that the back stood up in the air. Back trailer under then push and winch
After you got it clean I'd be tempted to just spray the whole thing down with used motor oil and let it sit watch sasquatch 253 there is a way to unhook trans or something to make it roll
Get Help but don't give up on it Please ,To many like this are resigned to the scrap yard for a few hundred bucks, sell it to someone who will do something with it
RANDY,Try this old trick, fill each Cylinder on the motor with pure Apple Cider VINEGAR AND LET IT SET FOR ABOUT 2 WEEKS,IT SHOULD TURN OVER,CHANGE THE OIL, GOOD LUCK,GENE.
Nice rescue and nice video, Randy. We are looking forward to seeing you get at least one of the two machines fully functional, restored and taking it to shows for the younger generations to see, learn about it, start it up and maybe even ride on it or drive it (and the older generations too). The 1952 is salvageable as a runner and one for the shows obviously, the 1948, maybe not so much, but it WOULD make a really cool old yard decoration (maybe on a just big enough concrete slab). Both machines are cool, nostalgic pieces of antique, old iron Americana history, no matter what. As the saying goes, "They don't make 'em like they used to." And that is what makes them so cool...they are "old school". Looking forward to your repair and restoration video series on one or both of these machines. ;)
Great to see the saves! Thanks for sharing your videos. If you can every get that '48 to roll that will be quite the achievement. I subscribed and look forward to more of your content.
Thick walled pipe, hardwood rollers or round stock might have been a good option to move that anchor on and off the trailer like people moved massive stones way back when. If you aren't already familiar with Squatch253's channel, you should get acquainted if you want to see a complete rebuild of these machines!
I give you credit for your tenacity. I would like to throw out a few ideas. 1, safety first and always if you look at the first video you will understand. 2,if you had chained the blade tower your dad could have stood that thing on its nose and you could of backed under it then with a few round stems she would of rolled right up on the trailer! You would of course stop using the rollers shy of your placement on your trailer. 3, they will jump start in reverse also so every time you went backwards you had another chance of firing her up. All the best with your project and god bless. J
Thanks for the comment. It's too heavy for that tractor to lift up, rollers are not a bad idea though. Everything is seized solid so there was no chance of anything starting on its own.
You need to hit up Evaporust for a sponsorship😂😂 Good luck with it but you’re going to need to want to get it going really badly to make it worth while. The first unit is a better bet I think. Cheers mate, Stuart 🇦🇺
I know the old '48 is destined for parts but it would be so great of it could somehow be restarted, just to see if any part of it is still functional. I love that you are willing to rescue and save these old machines.
Hi Randy, if no-one's mentioned it, soaking the tracks in water (not oil) will free them up easily. Once you get it rolling, then pull it around for a while, including after the pins/bushings have dried out, and it will wear the rust out of them then it'll roll easily
The people who used that Tracko work every last bit of life that it had in totally out it . They got every single penny worth it had , then ran a couple of lifetime past it . A person could spend a long time trying to find something that worn-out that's still in pretty much one piece .
The extent to which the entire track assembly on that neglected, derelict old machine has been thrashed beyond any point at which failure should have reasonably occurred is simply stunning and the chains in particular. How anybody could abuse equipment to such incredible extremes defies comprehension all on it's own. But that the machine could keep functioning adequately long enough to get that bad is an amazing testament to the quality and durability of Caterpillar products, particularly when machines that age were subject to substantial ongoing development anyway so there was still room for improvement. It would be tremendously satisfying to see that old clunker given a new lease on life, but as I understand it many parts are regrettably becoming quite hard to find track gear in particular.
What surprised me the most was that the bushings had never been turned. I would have thought that it would have been worth it as many hours as it appears to have seen.
