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Hi, Andy. One real big consideration here would be if the 17A machine has an oil bath clutch and/or oil steering clutches and brakes. I am not sure when Cat introduced them but I believe it was during the production of the 17A's. None of the 3T's that I operated ever had them. The oil bath clutches and brakes were among the smartest moves Cat ever made, extending the lives of these components dramatically. The 17A machine may also have a turbo as they were introduced somewhere in that production run. That pressurised cooling system will be either a head gasket or a cracked head on either the pony or the main. To discover which, fill the radiator right to the top and, with radiator cap still off, start and run the pony for 30 seconds to a minute without turning the diesel and look for bubbles coming up in the radiator water. If no bubbles are seen, engage the pony pinion and clutch and have it turn the diesel for 3 or 4 minutes with no compression and continue to look for bubbles. It is not a good idea to run the pony for very long without turning the diesel because the pony relies on the diesel's water pump for coolant circulation. If still no bubbles are seen, start the diesel, shut down the pony and continue the search with the diesel running at a bit above low idle until the diesel gets to around operating temperature. This is because these leaks sometimes don't show until the engine has warmed up which is also the reason for running the pony turning the diesel without compression for several minutes - to allow the pony to warm up. Hope this helps. You have a wonderful day. Best wishes. Deas Plant.
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