JD 450g steering clutch

My Dad Brother and I bought a JD 450G dozer last summer. For our farm in Michigan's UP

Last fall when I went up and first started it and went to move the right track would not engage. I would pull the right track lever pull and release it and it would then engage and not have any problems.

This spring the same but worse. Now it is coming out of engagement while running it. If I pull and release the lever it will engage for 5 to 10 feet and then come out of engagement again.And some times when backing up over 20' or so it will load up the engine like it is binding.

Is this dozer strait mechanical clutch or hydrolic actuated.

I was told the hyd tank cap had came off two years ago and had gotten water in it. The fluid and filter had been changed. But the hyd filter light started coming on at the same time as the problem with the steering clutch.

Could this just be a adjustment issue. Or the clutch disk material coming apart. Or a actuator leak?

I run a cat D5M doing finish work but I do not know anything about JD dozers

Thanks for any help Billy

I have never ran anything but a torque conv trans. But I thought because the 450G had long levers that is was mechinacial steering clutches. Some thing that would be simple for me to work on. All that fancy stuff can be nice until you have to work on it your self. The cat I usually run is electric over hyd controls. And when it messes up its call the cat mechanic time!!

Billy

Thats good to know. A good friend of mine says that the only stupid question is the one you should have ask but didn't. Those are the only two problems that I have found so far. The best way I know to fix something is to let those that know and are kind enough to help me out. Is to tell what it is doing and when and how it is doing it to the best of my ability. Other than those problems I love it. It starts right up in 10 deg weather. And is very controllable doing finish work.

Thanks again Billy

The dozer is 350 miles north of where I live. I am going up to the farm this weekend coming home tuesday. I will plan on checking the linkages. And plan on changing the hyd oil and filter. I was just thinking on draining the hyd tank or is there a better place to drain it. At this point all I have is the operators manual. Looks like I will need to get a maitence manual. Should I take a hyd pressure gage to check pressures on the valve?

I do not know if this has any bearing on the problem but the brakes do not work very well. It slipped my mind as I rarely use brakes on a dozer. The only time I used them on this tractor was parking close to the shed doors idling up to it to block them and barely got it out of drive in time.

Billy

ps I'll email you