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Hi Mac, Thanks for your thoughts. Spent some time today on the phone with Cat. My manual talks about ancient, obsolete pins, like you said. In addition to one pin that looks a little like what the manual described, there's another one with the dimple. Cat says it's not unusual to have two master pins after a field repair but not much chance of an old master pin lasting from the 60's. Beats me. No telling how many previous owners. They also said to look at the numbers on the links. Unfortunately they are all the same. There is supposed to be a different number for the master. They gave me the possible numbers but none are on my track. Tomorrow I'm going to attack the dimpled pin with a loaned hydraulic press. Whatever the other pin is, it can stay there. The guy who loaned me the press warned me against whacking an unsupported (from the back side) link as it would only bounce. Make sense to you? He thinks something needs to be wedged between the track and something that won't move, like the engine housing. Is that why you said twenty-five past on the clock face? I'm lost on your wood block placement. The manual says 9 o'clock position if the outside of the idler was a clock face. I'm hoping that the press will fit. Pad has to come off first. Both ends of the engine support are broken between the inner track frame attachment and the outer track frame attachment, if that makes any sense. The side I'm having trouble with had been repaired with 3/4" bar stock welded on very poorly and since then, broken loose. I don't brag on my welding but I can do a LOT better than what's there. At present there's a 1/8" misalignment between the broken ends and of course nothing to stabilize the outer track rail. The other side, also broken, at least lines up. Hasn't been a problem until very recently. Thanks for mentioning the heat. I'd considered it but didn't know if it was a good idea. Cat says to just beat on it. With a bigger hammer if it doesn't move. Wouldn't be the first time I got some questionable advice from them. My old JD crawler was a lot easier to split the track, not that I want it back. This has been a great machine for me and I have another 1/2 mile driveway to cut up a mountain. Thanks again, Tom
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