Doubt I can get this old Cletrac running...

BigBlue1 · Nov 21, 2018

I remember your Oliver thread... Loved watching the progress. I'm in for this one too. Keep up the great work!

Rob

Stimw · Nov 21, 2018

mopardude318 said:
Alright today I pressure washed the head and intake/exhaust manifold, then did a real quick bead blast job. Good enough. LOL

I cleaned the top of the block, pistons, wiped the bores out and wire wheeled everything. My father is coming over today with a valve spring tool so I can remove the valves. I'll bead blast those too. More to come.

Can you feel a ridge in the cylinders?
Also there might be a screen in that fuel pump if you take out that bolt holding the top on. ??

cqaigy2 · Nov 21, 2018

dragoneggs said:
Me too.. and I end up with more than I started even after I put it back together!

Obviously over engineered.

mopardude318 · Nov 21, 2018

Yea there's a small ridge at the top. very minor, I'll let it be. I'll take a look at the fuel pump.

I got all but one of the valves out. Good golly were they TIGHT. Lots of prying and tapping and prying some more. One of 'em took the guide along with it. I think that's how the last one will come out too. It got dark and started raining.

Smokepole62 · Nov 21, 2018

It looks like you bead blasted the face of the head. You may have to have it decked at a machine shop as this is might not allow the head gasket to seal up.

mopardude318 · Dec 17, 2018

Been real busy this month but was able to get stuff done the past 3 weeks. I took the radiator apart. Not as bad as I thought. I think I can work with this core. Couple of tubes I'll need to block off, but should be fine. Experimenting with paint. Caterpillar yellow is off, then I went with orange, which isn't right either, but it sure looks close to the Cletrac orange, of which I ordered a case of it.

mopardude318 · Dec 17, 2018

Of course there were some stuck bolts in the exhaust manifold, so I made a repair that has worked excellent for me in the past.

Cut the bolts off flat:

Drilled the holes to accept a 1/2-20 tap:

Then I buy these brass fittings which have a 1/2-20 straight thread, and Loctite them in:

Then I drill and tap the inside of the fitting for a 3/8-16 bolt:

Then grind off the heads and make sure its all flat:

Works very good

Cut off a piece of stainless, I'm gonna straight pipe it!

Then I painted the manifold with POR 15 manifold paint and baked it in the oven, which my wife wasn't happy about that at all.

(

dragoneggs · Dec 17, 2018

Nice job Mopar! I use my wife's oven for post curing small parts as well... needless to say, she let's me have it every time! :muttering:

mopardude318 · Dec 18, 2018

Thank you! It certainly turned into an argument in which I lost. LOL

Today was an excellent day though. I finished lapping the valves, my dad is helping me here.

I replaced 2 valve guides and 2 exhaust valves.

We got everything cleaned up and finished the valve adjustment:

Bolted on the head:

And exhaust manifold:

We got it started today!! Man it sounds really good! I don't want to run it too long without coolant, but I'll post a video soon! I need to finish the radiator and install new freeze plugs, but I have to remove the water pump and the starter, a couple freeze plugs sit right under there.

oosik · Dec 18, 2018

Amazing. The very first unit I had here was an Oliver Cletrak. Not near as big as your 550. And the axel housings, out to the big drive gears were very wide. I was told the unit was so very wide to give stability for use in orchards. I kept it for two months - found that I had no use for a tracked dozer and traded it back to the dealer for my Ford 1710.

I became dangerous with that little unit. I drove it around the property like Rommel going over the sand dunes in N. Africa. It was a blast - but served no useful purpose. It was four cylinder - gas.