Got pony engine on the 212 grader started for first time today. Tried to engage the engine to the flywheel but must not have levers correct as it tried to grind. Anyone can explain position I should have levers before starting and what to do after pony starts and smooths out running?

After a couple attempts to engage I just shut down and put it in gear and started it in gear. A shot of either and we were grading gravel.

I found out a grader is not as easy as it looks to smooth out a gravel lot. Finished it up with the backhoe bucket--going backwards. LB

Sounds like you weren,t braking the system. Have the engine more or less idling & first pull back hard on the starting engine clutch engaging lever for braking & hold till you engage the pinion lever & I,m sure it will go in ok unless the brake is shot. Make sure you release the compression lever till you get oil pressure up & then engage it & then pull the throttle on & proceed to start it then.

Hey Leaky, glad you got er goin!! Sometimes those discs in the pony clutch stick together or if it has to heavy wt oil in the clutch housing. If the brake lugs down the pony and tries to kill it you might want to flush the pony cluch housing and refill with 10W oil. I use 10W in my 112 and D47U pony clutches.
Like SJ said, make sure you have the pony idling when you try to engage the pinion.

Thanks for the info. I wish I had an owners manual but only a parts manual this far. I'm having to guess at most things.

OK---lets go over the start again. Looking at pony I have two levers. One on right is starter pinion engage control--right?? Is engaged moved to right or left? Lever on left is clutch

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I felt a snap in if I moved all way to left of travel---I think, if I remember correct. How do you engage the mentioned brake?? PLease comment and correct anything wrong here.

As I mentioned, no manual. I need to check grease level in all the blade control systems. Is that heavy stuff like 140 wt? And---do the chain cases have a check system? I see plates to remove up top but there must be level plugs somewhere.

Thanks for the info. LB

Your assumption on the two levers is correct, the one on the right engages the pinion with the flywheel and the lever on the left is the clutch, it is this lever ( left ) that also acts to brake the pinion, if you force the lever the opposite way and hold it while engaging pinion you will find things easier.
Good luck and good grading. Al

You have gear lube in all the blade control boxes. I would recommend checking the drains before topping up. The large blade lift boxes on each side of ours had quite a bit of water, but the main box was fine. don't forget the small angle box where the blade control driveline turns up and comes through the floor. Then there's boxes on the circle etc. up front. I believe some had grease instead of oil on ours, but that might not have been original.

Tandem chain cases have gear lube also.

there's a bunch of grease fittings all over, but two that you might not find are on the tandem chain case pivots underneath the grader.

From experience, it would be worthwhile to adjust the slack out of the worm bearings and the rack (I think that's possible) on the steering box. they're scarce and expensive if you break it. Ours had power steering, but there was no warning when it broke. Worm gear just shattered and it appeared to have 'climbed' up on the rack and gotten into a bind because of slack in the bearings.

On the engine, there is oil (motor) in the injection pump housing and also in the starting motor pinion clutch case. Some folks use ATF or 10 wt in the pinion clutch case to keep it from spinning so much when the pony cranks up. In any case, hold hard to front of machine on the pinion clutch lever while you snatch up on the pinion lever to engage and latch the pinion into the flywheel.

If you have to add water or refill the radiator, always check the air bleed cock on the left side of the pony motor top cover for air so the pony isn't air bound and gets too hot. Also you need to get the main engine turning pretty soon after cranking the pony so the water pump gets the coolant circulating through the pony motor.

I have a CAT reprint Operator's and Maintenance instruction form FE034351-01 from the CAT dealer (they got from the CAT legendary literature publisher)
Parts book is Form 32687 (replaces form 32367)

I haven't bought a serviceman's reference book yet.