Cat 951-C in my sights

[Nitelite]

the fun continues

More pictures

Crossing the concrete bridge over the spill way. I built that bridge more than thirty years ago.


the water's edge after it was cleaned off.


clay covering the weeds


Fire wood for the fall wiener roast


Two neglected old cats.

 

[DMiller]

Here in MO with our all volunteer fire department if we set up a dry hydrant in the pond bank it reduces our rate but only by a few percent, just having access to a water supply here makes all the difference as we do not have a county system as yet. I get it set up also have to let them use it for other fires close by but I do not mind.

 

[boone]

Looks like some good memories being made. At least your not letting the weeds grow up around those cats.

 

[Nitelite]

Here in MO with our all volunteer fire department if we set up a dry hydrant in the pond bank it reduces our rate but only by a few percent, just having access to a water supply here makes all the difference as we do not have a county system as yet. I get it set up also have to let them use it for other fires close by but I do not mind.

We also have county wide volunteer fire service. They charge the taxpayers a fire tax that is added to the property tax bill every year. The fire service is not too dependable and they don't recognize a lake as being a viable water source to fight a fire. They use a pumper truck and a portable swimming pool that they use as an on site reserve. Not a chance for a discount from the insurance company. We are in a ISO rating of 10. We have Farm Bureau insurance.

 

[Nitelite]

Neglected Cats

Looks like some good memories being made. At least your not letting the weeds grow up around those cats.

Hello boone, I just cut the grass and parked them there last week. They are not really neglected, I spend more on those Cats than I spend on my wife. They both have full fuel tanks. My wife's car only has half a tank and I always buy something for the Cats for Mothers Day, Fathers day too.

 

[Tcsmc]

Nitelite those are great pictures. I'm sure those kids will always remember the lake and time spent with them. Definitely can't drain it now. Haha. I haven't had time to mess with the old loader but I went out and took some pictures and checked the water level in the radiator, it was still visible so I'm gonna run it some this weekend and see what happens.took pics of the alternator, still haven't hooked it up yet. Starts good and runs good so I will fix on it when I can make some time. I've benn clearing and digging out for a new shop.

 

[Tcsmc]

I'm not too good at posting pictures. Maybe I will get used to it. I couldn't find any numbers on the alternator without removing the side cover.

 

[Nitelite]

Tcsmc, you can't check the radiator level on that machine while it is standing on the fuel tank as pictured! Stand it up right on its tracks on level ground to check the water level. just kidding, I had some trouble posting pictures too. In the pictures it appears that you are running one loose track chain and the other side looks to be too tight?

 

[Nitelite]

This link might help you out with the alternator wiring.

http://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cgi-bin/viewit.cgi?bd=rrtips&th=27917

 

[Tcsmc]

Thanks for the link, I will trace it all out when I get a chance. I have a bad seal on the track adjuster cylinder. I had the track shimmed out with a block and noticed it fell out the last time I ran it. I looked at your pictures, doesn't look too bad to rebuild. It will probably take a long time for me, everything around the house always goes wrong and takes five times longer than it should.

 

[Nitelite]

Those track tension cylinders are no big deal and the seal kits are inexpensive at Off Road Equipment in Alcoa Tn. You might consider rebuilding both sides at the same time. The second one will take you half of the time that the first one did and then you will be set. I rebuilt one side on the D4-E and it wasn't three months until I had to do the other side. I rebuilt both sides at once on the 951-C when I replaced the sprocket rims and track chains.

 

[Tcsmc]

I hope it's easy to replace the seals in the track tensioner, never done that before. It needs new sprockets,rails and pads.more money than the machine is worth probably. But you can't buy newer machines in good shape any cheaper. It's paid for and doesn't cost anything sitting around. Seems like everything I have needs something on it to be fixed. I've sold a lot of equipment over the last two years, told someone the other day that the best way to not work on stuff is to not have it.

 

[Nitelite]

If my old machines had not been in disrepair I could not have afforded to own them. I have more time than money and I don't mind a little hard work. There is a certain amount of a feeling of accomplishment in knowing that you took junk and turned it into something useful again. Just run it until something needs fixing, fix it and go again. It would work the same way if you had a new machine I suspect.

 

[kshansen]

If my old machines had not been in disrepair I could not have afforded to own them. I have more time than money and I don't mind a little hard work. There is a certain amount of a feeling of accomplishment in knowing that you took junk and turned it into something useful again. Just run it until something needs fixing, fix it and go again. It would work the same way if you had a new machine I suspect.

Nitelite,

Agree on that!

Sometimes(or maybe all the time) my wife thinks I crazy for spending time fixing things like the old snow blowers I have that are around 40 years old. She says why not buy one new one? Well for the price of one new one I can keep four of the old ones in good working condition and if I had one new on and something broke on it I would have zero working. But with three or four old ones if one does break in two minutes I'm back to work cleaning out the driveway!

I did buy a new snowblower about 45 years ago but once I started acquiring the others that people gave me because they did not think they were worth fixing I ended up giving that one away as the "free" ones gave me less trouble than the almost new one!

 

[RustedHeroes]

Nitelite,

Agree on that!

Sometimes(or maybe all the time) my wife thinks I crazy for spending time fixing things like the old snow blowers I have that are around 40 years old. She says why not buy one new one? Well for the price of one new one I can keep four of the old ones in good working condition and if I had one new on and something broke on it I would have zero working. But with three or four old ones if one does break in two minutes I'm back to work cleaning out the driveway!

I did buy a new snowblower about 45 years ago but once I started acquiring the others that people gave me because they did not think they were worth fixing I ended up giving that one away as the "free" ones gave me less trouble than the almost new one!

Same here! Its nice coming on this forum to find that there are like minded people out there. When people ask what i'm doing this weekend and I reply with something like oh you know just tearing the undercarriage off a Cat that's older than I am (with a great big grin on my face) the reactions I get are priceless. Same when my father stops over to see what i'm working on, and there I am swinging an 8 pound sledge for two hours trying to get some bolt unstuck! he just shakes his head and says you do this for fun!?

There is definitely a sense of accomplishment when you repair something and get it going and also I find it makes you take care of EVERYTHING better because you know first had what it takes to make repairs.

 

[Tcsmc]

My wife is the reason I don't have a lot more things to fix. I'm glad we don't have snow blowers here. I would probably have several of those around as well. I'm bad about bringing home "in my head "what would be such a cool project only to have them sit on death row until I finally make time to work on it. I do like working on things and it does leave a good sense of accomplishment. I think the older Machines are more durable, easier to fix. Comforts might not be there but also not the cost of buying new and then having to pay someone to fix when it breaks down.

 

[nicky 68a]

Nitelite,I enjoy your posts,but was particularly impressed with your plug pulling thoughts and those 5 gallon drums!!

 

[Nitelite]

Yes nicky, You can bet that I will be wearing a life vest. The old knees and my balance is not what it was twenty years ago. The last time I used large rocks as weight in the front of the boat. It will be much easier to put the empty drums in the front of the boat and then dip them full of lake water.

 

[Nitelite]

I got the 951-C out for a while yesterday and stretched its legs a little bit. The old gal sure does run great. I have a hill to put into a hollow. Thin top soil with the bulk being hard clay mixed with yellow rock. Yellow rock digs fairly easy with the loader teeth or the dozier blade tilted a bit.

I plan to take down the trees and clear the top soil with the 951 and dump truck. Then use the D4E to do the bulk pushing. Maximum push distance will be 300 ft. I am thinking on working back to front slot dozing. It will be a down hill push to begin with but it will level out as the hill is taken down. The project end use will be for a concrete pad 24'x60' for a equipment shed. Pole barn type building. No hurry at all, just taking whatever time it takes to dig it out and level a place for the pad.

Tomorrow I might get some pictures to post.

 

[Nitelite]

I began the day putting the belly pans back on the 951. I procrastinated on putting the plates back on after overhauling the engine. Being that I have quite a bit of clearing trees and brush in the woods, I need the skid plates. I got the skid plates back on and noticed a fuel leak at the hour meter. That took some doing to get it to stop leaking so it was after noon when I got started clearing trees. I had one 14' white oak that came over backwards on me. I am thankful for ROPS.