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1941 D7 7M Dozer
1941 D7 7M Dozer
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Posts: 102
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Thank you received: 1
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9 years 11 months ago #113743
by Raeme
Hi all I've been on the site for a awhile. Thought I would post some photos of the old Girl. Also has the three Tyne Letourneo rippers with it.
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9 years 11 months ago #113747
by Raeme
Hi. Yeah they both still get used. The one beside it is a hydraulic D7E. Both push everything in front. I used the E on fence line contract work and the Cable one is for my place.
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9 years 11 months ago #113793
by D6c10K
My brother has the D7 7M my Dad bought back in the early 60's...I was told it was a 1940 but I'm not sure. It's had a hard nose & hyd lift cylinders added. Not sure if the blade is Cat or not....the push arms are rigid mounted to the blade. Tracks are pretty tired.... Hasn't been run now for several years, but he keeps the water out of it so with a day or so of fiddling with the mag I think it will still go.
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9 years 11 months ago #113794
by willitrun
picked over carcass of 7m1029 here. I was told it was a 1940. poor old frame has enough welds on it to make Lincoln electric proud. I'll bet it had a multitude of operators. from the looks of it, some good-some bad
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9 years 11 months ago #113807
by OzDozer
Raeme - That old girl is in pretty good shape, the undercarriage looks very serviceable. With that LeTourneau blade, overhead cable guide and LeTourneau PCU, I'll wager she's likely to be a WW2 hero.
Any sign of military olive drab under the yellow? Have a close look at the S/N tag, or on the upper rear face of the steering clutch housing, for a stamp that says "US7".
If it has "US7" stamped there, she's been part of the U.S. Seventh Fleet that was based on the East Coast of Australia during WW2, and which fleet fought the island-hopping war against the Japs in the SW Pacific.
These tractors were either transported via landing craft, usually LCT's (Landing Craft, Tank) or LCM's (Landing Craft, Mechanised) to the islands, to carry out airstrip construction and repair, and to bulldoze out pillboxes and bunkers.
If they didn't do that, they were kept here in Australia to build airstrips for the Allied effort. Over 300 new airstrips were built during WW2 in Australia, with nearly all of them capable of taking the largest of the American 4-engine bombers.
At the end of the War, some were destroyed due to Lend-Lease regulations, and the rest were sold to the public via the dozens of Disposals Commissions Sales held between 1946 and 1949.
Regards, Ron.
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9 years 11 months ago #113808
by Bruce P
Not a bad looking tractor at all. What's the serial number? I've got # 298 here. It had a very similar blade and CCU when I got it. Just like Willitrun said about his, mine has had a lot of welding done to it. Thanks for sharing.
Bruce P
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9 years 11 months ago #113822
by Raeme
G'day all. Thanks for the replies and kind words. Yes it was olive drab under the yellow. I'll check for the us fleet markings and let you know. The chassis is in good nick on this one. I've replaced the radiator, clutch, steer brakes, track adjuster and rebuilt water pump. I'm waiting on a local cat guy to come out and we are going to rebuild the RH final. Looks like it might have dropped a bearing, you can rock the sprocket with a crow bar. It still has original pony motor and runs like a button. I can dig all day and the temp never goes over half, she burns no oil and runs clean as a whisper. She has a fantastic bark out the stack when you stab the thottle.
Also the serial number is 7m9506SP
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9 years 11 months ago #113823
by OzDozer
With a S/N of 7M9506, she's a 1944 model and near the end of 7M production. S/No's for the 7M ended at 7M9999 around August 1944 and the next tractor off the line was 3T0001.
The transition from 7M to 3T series was seamless and there were only a few minor design changes when the 3T production started.
The SP indicates factory-installed attachments - quite possibly a full set of lighting and a heavy duty generator. They worked these tractors around the clock when the pressure was on.
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1941 D7 7M Dozer
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