Kelowna BC May 2021 recording. WWII 1944 US War Department International Harvester Company TD-9 TracTracTor gas start, switchover diesel demonstration with artist Barb Dawson and custodian Axle Hildebrand.
What a great beast. Have been researching these TD crawlers and its great to see one in great shape and running well. Axle Hildebrand demonstrates the correct procedure to shift from gas to diesel operation. Nicely done! Let me know when you offer drives to the public (ha!).
Ran one of these about 16 years ago, went through the exact starting procedure these were made to run all day till the job was done. The diesel engine will foul the spark plugs after several hrs of operation so they gotta be cleaned often. The engine oil dipstick has 2 marks, a high mark for engine stopped and a low mark for engine idling and you top off the oil without stopping the engine if necessary. super fun machine to operate for a couple hrs then it was a whole lot of work and sweat once the operator compartment got hot you was sitting in an oven!! After you parked and was done for the day you smelled like gasoline, diesel fuel, soot, engine oil and hydraulic oil!!!
I love watching people start these old international dozens. Having run a TD 14 never turned the gas off to switch to diesel and switch back to gas to shut it off
My farther bought TD-9 dozer in 1954..made a life living with it. Middle class home life I learn on this dozer to complete 45 year living in the operating engineers local 324 Now retired with good pension
Many do not believe me, but I actually started a TD-14 backwards. My procedure was to start on gas, and then shut off the gas petcock, and just as it died, I would switch over. I put it in reverse, pulled the clutch and started going forward. Thinking I had missed the gear, I re engaged it and started forward again! Put my hand on the exhaust stack, and it was sucking! It was dark so I could not see the exhaust coming from the air cleaner but felt it with my hand! I swear it happened!
