Doubt I can get this old Cletrac running...

/pine · May 30, 2019

mopardude318 said:
Yes sir, this is not for show. I do fully intend to put this machine back to work. I've got an embankment to build up. LOL

IMO...your work on this machine ranks right up there with the most accomplished projects in the TBN archive...
When you run this machine it is hard to imagine a more rewarding experience on a personal scale...IMO it is one of the most interesting continuing threads...Thanks so much for taking the time to take the pics and explain things in the narrative...

Hang in there we're all pulling for you...I guarantee a bunch would have given up long ago or would have not even considered putting a wrench to it the way it sat in the OP...

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

radios1 · May 30, 2019

here's some pages you may be interested in!.. Oliver Cletrac BGS crawler/dozer and Buy • Sell Cletrac and Oliver Crawlers Public Group | Facebook

dfkrug · May 31, 2019

pmsmechanic said:
If you are just gong to drive it around for the fun of it and not work it hard then the gears are good enough the way they are.

Maybe the left and right bull gears can be swapped, like the drive sprockets.

radios1 · May 31, 2019

dfkrug said:
Maybe the left and right bull gears can be swapped, like the drive sprockets.

that would not work, since the full width of the gear gets engaged. and one half of a tooth is missing, that will be the first to go, and the tractor can't move with that tooth missing, unless you like to drive in circles, using the intact gear on the other side..

MossRoad · Jun 5, 2019

I was looking at your missing tooth on the gear and googled up some stuff on repairing gears. Found this interesting video. Of course, not many of us have this equipment sitting in our shops, but someone, somewhere does. hahaha

Anyhow, the process is very interesting.

radios1 · Jun 5, 2019

this is an "on the cheap repair" cast iron is very strong, and to see teeth chip off on it, indicates this gear can see very large loads sometimes. putting bronze teeth on it just don't make sense. it would have been much better to just make a new gear in this case.. since the machinist is not fully confident in welding cast iron.. since he has only manual machines, it would take much longer to make a full gear, as opposed to using a CNC gear hob to make this gear.. this type of repair, using bronze would not be suitable for repairing the gear on the Cletrac, there's way too much pressure on the teeth of this gear..

mopardude318 · Jun 5, 2019

radios1. Thanks for the links. I’m on the cletrac crawler FB page which has been a big help.

As for the bull gear, I have located one in good condition that has no damage. It’s on its way.

. I’ll be taking the other final drive apart hopefully in a week. Biggest hurdle is again, breaking track on that side.

dfkrug · Jun 5, 2019

mopardude318 said:
As for the bull gear, I have located one in good condition that has no damage. It’s on its way.

Great news. What did it cost?

Your old gear looks like some foreign object got in the box, and caught in the teeth.

MossRoad · Jun 5, 2019

radios1 said:
this is an "on the cheap repair" cast iron is very strong, and to see teeth chip off on it, indicates this gear can see very large loads sometimes. putting bronze teeth on it just don't make sense. it would have been much better to just make a new gear in this case.. since the machinist is not fully confident in welding cast iron.. since he has only manual machines, it would take much longer to make a full gear, as opposed to using a CNC gear hob to make this gear.. this type of repair, using bronze would not be suitable for repairing the gear on the Cletrac, there's way too much pressure on the teeth of this gear..

I didn't say it was the right way to go. I just said it was very interesting. And from watching that video, I gained some appreciation for how much work would be involved in making a brand new, all from scratch, gear for some piece of equipment where no parts are available, let alone just a repair on a couple teeth. Fascinating process.

radios1 · Jun 5, 2019

MossRoad said:
I didn't say it was the right way to go. I just said it was very interesting. And from watching that video, I gained some appreciation for how much work would be involved in making a brand new, all from scratch, gear for some piece of equipment where no parts are available, let alone just a repair on a couple teeth. Fascinating process.

I totally agree, and I just made the mention so others don't make a mistake..:thumbsup: