Track adjuster help.

VBR88 · Jul 20, 2011

normal use would bend it? havn't run into anything or beat it up in that manner.

MHarryE · Jul 20, 2011

I blew the seals on the track adjuster on my Cat mini-excavator and there was a huge amount of grease in the pocket where the piston end pushed when I got it apart. Fortunately having a mini everything was easy to work with. gghb - what do you have to do to bend an adjuster so it seizes? Even on my mini everything looked so stout that a complete equipment abuser like me could only do something like blow out the seals due to the extremely high pressure that can build p rather than bend the rod.

VBR88 · Jul 20, 2011

Mharry,
How did you know you blew it out? did grease leak from the front lip seal or did it just not take grease?

VBR88 · Jul 21, 2011

bent yoke on the idler. few taps with the sledge allowed a few pumps of grease, few more tap and a few more pumps. track is tight now. going to have to split the track and strighten it out on a press soon here.

Any idea how this could happen? what causes it to bend? are they just that weak?

Anyone ever strengthen them up?

EddieWalker · Jul 21, 2011

My guess is that it got stuck and somebody used something pretty big to unstuck it. Of course, there is no way of knowing what kind of abuse an old machine has gone through, which is why buying used equipment is so much fun. NOT

Congrats on finding the problem, that's always the hardest thing for me.

Eddie

VBR88 · Jul 21, 2011

any good advice on how to split the track? just unbolt the shoe from the master link and pry apart?

EddieWalker · Jul 21, 2011

I only have one experience with tracks, and it came off while I was working it. Not where I wanted to mess with!!!! LOL

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/parts-repairs/42294-lost-my-track.html

Hope this helps.

Eddie

Dozernut · Jul 22, 2011

You will need a pin driver and a sledge hammer. The pin driver will look like a sledge head but different. It will have pin with a face for striking and a long handle. A helper will hold the pin driver in place on the master pin and you will hit the pin driver with the sledge. Not easy, but cheap. A shop will use a hydraulic press to drive the pin out. Driving that pin out will show you what kind of physical shape you are in.

One other alternative is to do what I mentioned earlier. Jack up the affected side, remove the grease plug and use a 4x4 with the blade to to push the idler back to collapse the cylinder. This will give you enough slack to pull the track away from the dozer with out breaking the chain link. You will need support equipment to do this as the track is very heavy. I have done this several times so it can be done, it is just not the orthodox way of doing it.

If you are going to rebuild the pins and bushings then you will need to break the track. If you rebuild the tracks then you will also need to change the sprockets as a worn sprocket will damage your newly rebuilt tracks.

I sold my last dozer, a Komatsu, and I sure miss it. But to be fair I do not miss the the upkeep and expense to keep an older dozer running. Now if I could just win the Powerball I would have a brand-new one with heat and air plus a warranty, wouldn't that be grand.

Dozernut · Jul 23, 2011

Just a quick reply, the master pin will have a dimple in it. You can make a pin driver by using a bolt slightly under size of the pin. Weld a 3' section of sucker rod or other rod to the bolt for a handle. The heavier the sledge the better, 14lb or better. Position the master pin on the sprocket for support. After about 5 or 6 hits if the pin doesn't move use a torch to heat it. Do this quickly as you do not want the pin to swell. Good luck!