Track adjuster help.

[VBR88]

Anyone have a trick to unstick a grease ram on a dozer track adjuster. I have a Komatsu D37e Dozer and the ram will not take grease, zurk fitting and grease check valve pass grease fine. No grease leaking from front lip seal on ram... Was thinking about removing grease fitting and tapping that track into a tree but I don't want to loosen up the track and not get it back and possibly throw the track.

Any thought about chaining the front idler wheel to the blade and using angle ram to pull the ram out?

One person told me to port-a-power oil into the cylinder but I don't want to take a chance of blowing out the seal...

Any thoughts?

 

[jbooth]

Some grease guns develop up to 10,000 PSI. It seems the one we used to use on a dozer were in the 5,000 PSI range. That dozer also had what I am going to call the button type zerks.

 

[VBR88]

Not sure of the pressure mine puts out but it was the best of the best from a high end hydraulics/hose and fitting shop. Had many of crappy ones in the past, this one is the cats ***. Never had a issue, even has a pivot point on the handle to select volume or pressure.

 

[Dozernut]

I see no reason why you could not chain up the front idler to the blade. I used to use a 4x4 with the blade to push the idler back to empty the cylinder of grease so we could put the track back on a Dresser dozer.

I had an old Dresser that liked to throw the tracks, usually cross slope, on the uphill side. Made it real interesting to jack it up on the high side of the slope. We would use a chain on the blade hooked to the track to help put the track back on ( along with some pinch bars, the loader on the tractor and a lot of blue air).

You might want to remove the zerk or plug when you pull the idler. The resulting vacuum might damage your seals if you don't.

 

[EddieWalker]

How good is your grease gun? I have quite a few of them, and have found that with manual pumps, you get what you pay for. My all time favorite is the Lucas brand that I bought at Home Depot.

When you take the zirk off, is there another fitting that comes off too? Or is it just the zirk? Can you get a tool into the hole to clean out what's in there? I've had them so compacted with dirt and old greast that it was like digging out hard clay. I have some cleaning tools that are like what a dentist would use, that I can get into a fitting and move it around to break up what's in there. I also like to spray A LOT of break cleaner into the hole to desolve what's left in there.

I don't know if I'd try to chain up the idler. That would be last on my list of things to try. Can you lift the track with your blade? I've jacked up and blocked the back of mine, and lifted the track off of the ground with the blade several times. With all the weight off of the track, you have a better chance of getting the tracks to tighten up.

Don't be suprised is the seals start to lean once you get the grease in there. I've had to rebuild both of mine. The hardest part was getting the plates off that protect everything. I had to use a torch to cut the bolts off because the rust was so bad.

Good luck,
Eddie

 

[TonyF]

Anyone have a trick to unstick a grease ram on a dozer track adjuster. I have a Komatsu D37e Dozer and the ram will not take grease, zurk fitting and grease check valve pass grease fine. No grease leaking from front lip seal on ram... Was thinking about removing grease fitting and tapping that track into a tree but I don't want to loosen up the track and not get it back and possibly throw the track.

Any thought about chaining the front idler wheel to the blade and using angle ram to pull the ram out?

One person told me to port-a-power oil into the cylinder but I don't want to take a chance of blowing out the seal...

Any thoughts?

How worn are the tracks? The track adjuster is not fully extended?

Its also possible that the piston seal is shot and grease is leaking past the piston and effectively locking it in place.

 

[VBR88]

good thoughts eddie...
-this grease gun is also my fav, as like you i have had probaly 6 or 7 of them over the years, believe i have found the best...
-there is a big check valve after the standard zirk. replaced the zirk and cleaned the check valve. both pass grease fine when removed from the cyclinder.
-already have the outside plates off. and agree a pain in the butt.

Looks like i am on to removing the entire spring carrier and the york from the idler and takeing it to a shop. i hate not doing things myself.

 

[VBR88]

TonyF,
Tracks are in pretty good shape and the adjuster is not fully extended. the other side tightens up ease.

Wouldn't the grease leak out of the front lip seal if the piston seal was shot?

 

[tlbuser]

I would place a block between the idler and blade, remove the zerk and check valve, hold a rag over the hole (in case there is other parts) then very slowly push the idler back a little. If grease comes out and the zerk and valve are good, grease should now go in. If not, you should only have one option left

 

[gghb]

haven't spent much time on small komatsu dozers thousands of hrs on deere, cat and dresser/ international but have bent the shaft on idler adjustment a couple of times and caused the adjuster to seize


Greg