Let's drag this D2 around and see if we can make it run! Channel Memberships Available - / @squatch253 Click for ad free content, early releases, and bonus behind the scenes videos :-)
In 1977 my father attempted to start his own excavation business prior to retirement as a tool & die mechanic, so he bought an old D2 dozer - nearly identical to this one - a dump truck, trailer and a backhoe. None of us had any experience doing any of that but we put in septic tanks, drain fields and foundation work. I ran that little D2 which didn't have an electric start for the pony motor, so we had to start it with a piece of pull rope from inside the cab. The only problem was, he let my brother run the business and that doomed it from the very beginning. I operated the equipment which only hastened its demise. I eventually went back to college after everything was sold and became a Registered Nurse instead for which I was very much more competent. I did love that little D2, however, so hearing this one start back up again brought back a lot of memories for me. It was a great little machine.
Steering clutches ok, engine great, track ok. I would just fix the rear drive gears and pony motor and have a non-restored d2 to use. With the larger front idlers I would think about putting a blade on it. Just seems too good to me to part out. I would love to have one to clear my logging roads on the side of the mountain I own. To me even with worn rear gears it still might last me the rest of my lifetime. So for me I would just fix the pony motor and find a blade for it.
Awesome! My D2 crack addiction has now had a good day! Something tells me you may not be able to tear this old girl apart for parts. I'd also be surprised if you didn't already have all the parts you need to make her a good member of the Squatch fleet! Thank you for sharing :)
That diesel runs so sweet and so clean, you can just about see how a less knowledgeable former owner who didn't know about the drive sprockets not being pressed on or torqued properly sort of accidentally let the rear mechanisms wear so unfortunately. It was really pleasing to see that engine run so commandingly and so soundly.
If he ever tears this one down on camera, and finds the bulls in decent order, i'm betting this wasn't the owner's fault, rather he took the machine to a shop and a yokel welded the sprocket crowns on and didn't do the install back to spec. So many tractors, cars, tools, machines, what have you, are in mint condition in 70% of the bodies, and then one thing, one thing repaired by Joe Average is so damaged and so torn, it takes two other things down with it.
Squatch, this D2 is looking more and more like a rebuild instead of a parts rig. Too bad about the finals, but this old girl doesn't want to die in a pile of parts. I used to work for Caterpillar (Decatur,IL) and still have a soft spot for the tractor.
It says something about the engineering quality of this machine to sit for 20 years, circulate the oil, pop the clutch, add fuel and hum like that. There isn’t many machines built today that would do this.
If you watched tractor (wheeled type) channels, this kind of starting is pretty normal, and after longer than 20 years too. Diesel engines are amazing.
@@paulwomack5866 yeah it is but modern tractors dosnt start as well like older diesels and often modern engines dosnt run if computer or some electric part dosnt work i like more olders
@@jessezs1491 Me too, I don't bother with newer tractors they are a mess. I have older machines that have been in service for many years and they will still be running and working long after the newer junk is trashed.
Very nice. I was kind of surprised that it started so quickly after you finally gave it a go. Looks like everything in the driveline works too. That engine does run smooth and sounds good.
She may be beat up and bruised, but it was so VERY nice to see she still has a strong and good heart. I'm already in love with the old girl.....it sounds like she is destined for the parts barrel. So Sad.....even in the mechanical world....it's hard getting old.
If you restore this farm Cat to your usual quality I will buy it from you. I’ll drive up to MN to pick it up and pay you cash. Seriously. I don’t have time to restore one but want one for very light use around farm and taking to shows. This Cat is worth saving and I’d be happy to fund it.
Are you still sure you want to turn this into a parts supply?It would be a shame to “destroy “ a machine that now appears to be 75% good,I bet that pony motor would fire right off if you tried it too.She’s got a tear in her eye showing & pleading with you sqautch she’s not dead. I think I’d keep her whole.
Brings back fond memories as my first experience operating and I might add fixing dozers was when I was in college running a couple of D2’s for a home builder I worked for. Love the sound and smell of a Cat diesel. I thought they were old machines then!
Sometimes it's nice when things change. Your parts tractor turned into a prize tractor. Oh sure it has it's problems but what doesn't. Everything has it's problems. I'm sure with your network of enthused tractor rebuilders and your knowledge this would a great project. Sure it would be a ling time down the road but wow what a rebuild this would be. Great video.
72 years old and still runs like a charm, albeit a little noisy in the rear end. Too good to part out I reckon. It looks great with the original patina and deserves the Squatch treatment I say.
About 30 years ago a D2 was brought into the local scrap yard. The price was way down and it cost the yard owner $75. The engine was not stuck. however the clutch would not release. probably rusted to the flywheel? I put it in gear and sat in the seat and released both steering clutches and we pulled it with a large atriculated front loader. and it fired up and ran really good like yours in this video. It had a good undercarrage and was a tight machine. Even had a PTO. I think he sold it for $1500.
Thanks for the d2 assessment and this starting video...I have a early 50’s d2. My grandfather who has now passed last ran it in the late 90’s. I’d love to be able to start it and use it again some day.
C'mon Amp Man, what are you waiting for? You've been given the soldiers 5 on what to check/look for.... Don't wait til you're sitting on the porch eating dirt and chewing grass thinking to yourself, "I should have done that" DO IT!!!! Red 2 out....
Awesome. Drove a Case crawler a bit 40 years ago. Definitely learning more from you than I thought I knew. A few seconds before you mentioned throwing a track that went through my mind. Thank for the lesson Squatch.
My dad had a D2 in great condition - my brother still has it. Love this video with the sound of that diesel purring away. Getting that pony motor started was sometimes are real bitch, but once it was going, the diesel motor fired right up. Those little beasts were good workhorses for sure.
Thanks for the tutorial on the pre start inspection. We have a 5U coming to us that has only run a couple of hours in the last 14 years. I am not familiar enough with it to know what all to check before starting it up and ready for use. This will be a big help.
That's one good machine. Worth rebuilding the pony motor, rear and finals. What a champ, and runs so good for over 7,000 hours. That's kind of getting up there. I was told in the forklift business that every 250 hours would be comparable to approximately 3000 miles. (Back in the day, a regular service interval was 250 hours = 3,000 miles.) Anhow, if that's the case, that drive train has been run potentially the equivalent of approximately 194k miles at 7,000 hours.
Hi we have a 1942 D2 in scotland ! Been sitting 27yrs now also my little ransoms mg2 Ha the John Deere and chain is waiting ! Some where is the woods the toolbar for the D2 thats a chain saw job as is been min 40yrs in natures garden ;-))
Ran a d2 in a citrus orchard, seat tank, no electric starter either. Watch out for that spark plug wire when you start it, those mags packed a wallop. We adopted new non tillage methods and seldom used it after that. It had a feeling that is rare today, built to last, engineered with maintainability in mind. It still is running but is mainly a barn resident now.
I would definitely restore this Numbers matching D-2 . I know you can fix any issues this old girl has. As good as that Motor runs and the shape of under carriage. This would be a Great loss using this as a Parts machine..It looks great. And it will last for generations... to see. Just my Suggestion...Great little tractor...
These little crawlers were all the go on early broadacre farms. They largely predate the big 4WD wheel tractors . Which is why most didn`t have blades fitted. I believe you were right on. Popular also were the Cletrac & Fowler brands for paddock work. But those machines failed to adapt to changing competition like Caterpillar . A big turning point in machinery history.
Yeah no need to tempt fate at high speed and throwing a track lol a town dozer did that in our yard when I was a kid of about 14 it took 6 of us to loop and hold the track after taking out the idler adjusting bolt and replacing it with a new one because the old one snapped in half and tossed the track but the old D8 fought every inch of the way but took the fix.
That motor runs great! Alright hear me out, we press the drive sprockets on as correctly as possible and we run it till the rear blows. Small detail guess we fix the starting motor. So we can start it easier
I purchased a 7U D4 in 1967 and the first thing I did was cut the square holes in the track grouser plates. Scrub builds up on the sprockets and stops the sprockets from engaging the track pins. Cat was the only dozer we had that had this problem. Yours is all gòd to go.
Can’t believe you want to part that all original D2 out. As worn as the rear end is, I couldn’t tear it down to be wasted on it being stored away in pieces.
Awesome video it's nice to see that you got the cat running again it sounds amazing running engine it's definitely needs some help in the back end it's very noisy
It does sound really good, and not smoking either. I like the way you drug it around and only opened up for the fuel when the engine was a bit warm, starting instantly. So many engine abuse videos out there.
Looked at the number of your subscribers. Had no idea there were so many of us with bulldozer envy. Wish I had a few acres and a dozer. Cool kids drive Cats.
Am I the only one that can hear the little devil on Squatch's shoulder going, "You know. You could resurrect this thing and make it pristine on RU-vid and double your channel in the process."? Also, you've convinced me I need a D2. Now if I could find one with a blade at a decent price.
would be a crying shame to see such a complete and working machine be used for parts. Let us keep as many of these old machines complete, original and running as possible
Wonderful to see it take off like that! It is so hard to make "the call" on something like that. I always tell myself "But it runs, how can I not fix it up". Experience has shown that although it runs well and may even look good, there can be an awful lot of work hiding in there! Me? I've never made the right call - not enough business sense, I guess.
Man, she runs GREAT! Sounds a little worse than the bearings in the Case SC, but I already knew I was going to have to tear into that at some point.... Going to have to go on hold, now.
lol, after you showed it the other day i told my wife,"he`s not gonna be able to not try it out" you can always tell a mechanic, can`t wait to play with new toys (26 years as cert master mechanic, 20 years in IT)
I agree…..that engine fired right up and sounds like it runs so good. What a nice machine…..especially for it’s age and number of hours on it. That’s amazing 👍🙂
In my opinion I would not make it a part's tractor. With your magic 🎩 and knowledge fix the rear end and pony motor and leave the patina on the hole tractor including the diesel engine. What a great find.
My grandpappy had one of those when I was a kid. He used to forget to remove the soup can on the exhaust and it'd go flying 15 feet in the air. Loud. The thing was loud. He had a 440 acre farm years ago lots of cattle milkers and beef and all sorts of other farm animals chickens pigs and 2 llamas. That was back when farmers made an honest living without government handouts.
Being a matching numbers & they way it runs & drives I reckon it's too good to turn into parts. Fix the pony motor crank bearing & operate it how it is.
Dang. That old girl sounds good, even with it's issues from the previous video. If it were mine, I'd try tossing some cash into that rear end, especially with the matching numbers, it's to close to being good to part out.
That thing runs WAY too good to part out. Good engines, tracks, clutches, steering, matched engine, most of the parts... You need to rebuild the transmission... I would wait at least until you pull the drive gears off and see how bad they are before you decide.
