Cat 951-C in my sights

[kshansen]

Nitelite , Are you really going to take that nice shiny 951 and go play in that pond and get it all dirty?

Then again that is what it was built for from the get go. Not like some of the guys around here with the big pockets that drive around in their Hummers that never saw a gravel road much less deep mud. Makes my wife crazy, she says if she could afford one of those she would make sure it had a couple of inches of mud hanging off it all the time. Hummm, just had a idea, maybe I should start a company making artificial mud kits for those country club people to attach to their Hummers and Range Rovers so they can look like they just got back from Safari in deep Africa!

 

[Nige]

Same here. The most danger any SUV is in here is from the brats while doing the school run twice a day. What a waste of an offroad vehicle ..........

 

[Nitelite]

Ok, I think you guys have put your heads together and solved all of my problems, saved me a heap of work too. First, I am going to satisfy Tony and order some of those grill hole decals for the front end. Then, I am going to satisfy kshansen and Nige by ordering some artificial mud decals for the lower third of the machine. I won't even need to put the shoes back on, I'll just leave it on the cribbing to keep it high and dry. Thanks for the ideas guys, I just love this forum

PS I am even going to please workshop and order a warped bucket decal for the shovel.

 

[kshansen]

Nitelite, I'm actually waiting to see the first pictures with that machine working hard digging that pond out with a little smoke coming out the stack.

Maybe you can get some one to make a video and post it on line so we can enjoy it too.

I know this isn't going to be a trailer or shed Queen you're going to make it work to pay you back for all the time and efforts you put into this job.

 

[Nitelite]

Nitelite, I'm actually waiting to see the first pictures with that machine working hard digging that pond out with a little smoke coming out the stack.


I know this isn't going to be a trailer or shed Queen you're going to make it work to pay you back for all the time and efforts you put into this job.

or sink it!

I got one track frame back on today. That is a big job for one man. It turned over on me three times due to the front idler making it top heavy. Righting it took awhile. I was really glad to get that first mounting bolt started. Tomorrow the first thing that I am going to do is to make a 4x4x6 wood outrigger and clamp it to the bottom of the other track frame so it can't turn over when I lift it and put it in its mounting position.

Installing the new track chains working by myself will be a trick. I can push them under the front idler and sprocket with the bucket on the ag tractor. Next I will lift the chain at the rear and get it started on the sprocket teeth. Start the engine and slowly turn the sprocket pulling forward. Use a come a long pulling from the bucket to take up slack as the chain goes over the top idler and on to the front idler and bolt the master together over the front idler. Simple, no trick to it?

 

[Nige]

Nitelite, I think if I was you working on my own I'd get both the new track chains under the loader as you describe then lower the loader on to the chains. Once the tractor is sitting on the chain you can use the sprocket to drive the chain over the rear of the machine and pull the slack end to the front idler. Also doing it that way you will have less slack in the bottom run of the chain to try to pull together to get the 2 halves of your master link to line up. with the tractor off the ground the chain is going to hang pretty low even without the shoes fitted.

 

[nicky 68a]

Yes mate,get both track groups under before winding them on as the master links need to be nice and level on both sides.When you button them up on the Croc link the 4 bolts should be run in by hand after a good clean up of the paint etc.I don't need to tell nitelite this,but it may be of use to somebody else

 

[fixou812]

Remember the old Caterpillar logo. ....the one that looks like a insect or slinky. ..do they have them?

When you get ready for decals check out the store on the ACMOC site. They make full factory match decal sets for all these older machines along with factory correct direction on where they should be applied to be correct. Very reasonably priced.

 

[Nitelite]

Nitelite, I think if I was you working on my own I'd get both the new track chains under the loader as you describe then lower the loader on to the chains. Once the tractor is sitting on the chain you can use the sprocket to drive the chain over the rear of the machine and pull the slack end to the front idler. Also doing it that way you will have less slack in the bottom run of the chain to try to pull together to get the 2 halves of your master link to line up. with the tractor off the ground the chain is going to hang pretty low even without the shoes fitted.

Can't put the weight of the loader on the track chain with no shoes on the chain due to working on soft ground. I need to put the chain on the rear sprocket, pull it over the top roller and on towards the front idler with the ag tractor. I should be able to bolt the chain master link over the front idler. Then the rest of the shoes.

 

[Nitelite]

Made some good progress today.

I got the loader frames on and then got the track frames lined up beneath the machine.


I came in from the rear with the ag tractor and lifted the chain over the sprocket.


I went to the front with the ag tractor to complete the pulling of thr chain to the front idler.


Dark got me.


As you can see, I lack bolting the master link, just at the front of the front idler. The chain on the right side is pulled over the sprocket and top idler. worked until dark thirty. Should be putting on her slippers tomorrow!

 

[Nitelite]

That new SALT chain is really stiff to work with.

 

[Nige]

That new SALT chain is really stiff to work with.

That's a sign that there is NO wear in it....a good sign I would have thought. :thumbsup

I like what you did with the cribbing under the new rails to reduce the slack as much as possible in order to get the Master Link connected. Remember when installing the Master Link bolts that they get anti-seize on the shank of the bolt and under the head where it bears on to the track shoe as well as on the threads as would be normal. Don't be stingy with it.
Also I would suggest when you bolt the Master Link up to install the track shoe on that link at the same time. It will save time later.

 

[Nitelite]

Ouch, I just found out that the bolt pattern for the master link is gust a little bit different than the bolt pattern for the rest of the chain. I will need to do some grinding in the bolt holes of two of the shoes that fit over the master link. I might need to weld up the old holes and re drill.

 

[Nige]

That's happened quite a bit over the last few years. As Cat has beefed up the "crocodile" of the master link joint the profile of the links has changed and therefore the bolt hole pattern of the Master Shoe had to change. If your dealer didn't say anything about the need for a change of Master Shoe to fit the new Link Groups then I would hit them up for a couple of free shoes with the correct hole pattern........

 

[Nitelite]

Cleaning paint from the rails and bolting shoes.

When I get half of the pads on I can start the engine and turn the pads to the bottom.


Then I will be able to lower the machine to the ground to sit on the pads.


Last, I will put the rest of the pads on and work out the bit of modification to the master link bolt holes.

 

[Nitelite]

Almost half of the pads on.

Dark got me again.

My impact gun set up with an auxillary air tank.


All of the nuts are started on the bolts, just need to run them up and torque.


Really getting close now.

 

[Nitelite]

I have extra shoes to modify and experiment with.

That's happened quite a bit over the last few years. As Cat has beefed up the "crocodile" of the master link joint the profile of the links has changed and therefore the bolt hole pattern of the Master Shoe had to change. If your dealer didn't say anything about the need for a change of Master Shoe to fit the new Link Groups then I would hit them up for a couple of free shoes with the correct hole pattern........

Does anyone have a picture of the odd bolt patterned master shoe that fits the SALT chains. My shoes are triple grouser. The chains, I think, are the same as a D5 Cat.

Nige' I will call Thompson Cat tomorrow to check on the availability and price of the master pads. Just as you suggested the need for those pads should have been mentioned and priced in by the dealer at the same time as the link group purchase.

Today, I got another third of the pads installed and ran into the dark thirty thing again.

 

[Nige]

I'm sure you are but just confirm you're taking off all the paint from the new links before fitting the shoes.

Sorry but I don't have any sort of dimensioned drawing of the track links.

 

[Nitelite]

Yes all paint is removed from new rails using a 4" flap disk. Also cleaning each pad where it mates to the new rail. I am thinking that I will modify my existing shoe to fit the master link. I have plenty of extra pads. I hope to finish up with the track pad replacement today and put the machine back on the ground.

 

[dmcschultz]

When I called and talked to Jeff at OffRoad about ordering my chains he mentioned I would need Master Shoes and included them in the quote (CR3601/14@ $25.00 for my 941) and he mentioned they take a different set of nuts/bolts. BTW when I called and asked for him the receptionist put me right thru to him.