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Dale
05-09-2004 19:43:49
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Re: Case 450B - track repair ? in reply to David in SC, 05-09-2004 17:45:31
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David, I am not an expert by any means, but I'll give you my two-cents worth. (1)The welded link probably wouldn't bother me at all if it were put together properly. I have done a lot worse trying to get a machine back to the shop, but I always fixed it as right as I could immediately after. As far as putting a used link in it, I would think that it might not be a good idea because of the difference in wear. I would probably weld it instead. (2)As far as welding rebar to the grousers, I don't recommend that at all. Rebar, as a general rule, is not very hard. It can get very brittle around a weld. I've seen it used before, but it usually broke off in pieces after a short while. Most steel yards, and even some equipment dealers, can get grouser bar stock. It is usually made of T-1 or AR360, it wears very well, and it welds very well with either low-hydrogen or a wire feed. It is usually not all that cheap, but I think it is well worth the cost. It really depends on how good your pads really are, and if you want to try to refurbish them or replace them. (3)Do the final drives just make a wet spot for dirt to collect, or do they actually make a large drip or stream? If they just wet enough for dirt to stick, I would just check them periodically. My HD3 Allis Chalmers leaks like that out of both finals. One I have not touched, but the other I have completely rebuilt (bearings, seals, and oil pan gaskets). I know that nearly all the old Cat crawlers I was ever around had damp finals. If they leave big puddles overnight, I would tear them down and rebuild them. Usually when a seal gives up, it is not from dry-rot, it is from being hammered out because of wear to the parts it is to be sealing. I'm not familiar with the Case machines, but it can't be too bad a job. Like my grandpa used to say,"If someone was smart enough to make it, I ought to be smart enough to fix it." As far as the odd link, it is probably not doing any favors for that final. That is what I would attend to first. Hope this helps. Good Luck!!!
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