A couple weeks ago after I finished building a crossing over a creek I got off my dozer and and noticed what looked like fine metal shavings on the right sprocket. I figured I'd better take a look and see what was going on so today we started off by checking the oil in the final drive. No oil in sight. We got some and filled it to the top only to find it running out the bottom of the inside of the sprocket after we were done. Realizing we were in trouble we went ahead and pulled the cone shaped guard off the sprocket and saw the sprocket looked like it has a lot of play in it. When you go from forward to reverse it moves about a half inch back and forth.

So I figure I'm in for a complete finial drive rebuild at this point.

About how much should I expect this to cost for someone to do it?
I guess I'll get the Houston CAT dealer to give me a quote.
Does anyone know anyone in the Houston area that would be familiar with doing this?

It's still one piece now so it could be moved if someone thought it would be worth it to take it to a shop.
Where it's sitting now would be a good place to work on it too if someone want to do it mobile.

it would be probably cheaper to take it to a shop, that way mechanic don't have to run back and forth several times for parts and paying a mechanic travel time.

I don't have experience with them, but these guys are close to you and have a full line shop as well as field service:

gilsheavyequip.com/

They will be able to give you some sort of estimate on the damage after talking with you. I would think 6-7 thousand just by sitting in my recliner and looking at it. There's going to be some high dollar stuff ruined, and there's no way to get an accurate estimate until they open it up. There's special tools needed for that work, and the track frame has to come off which means lots of labor.

Take your heart pills before calling the Cat dealer, and they won't have many service techs that are familiar with that age machine.

Don't forget that Holt Cat Used Parts in San Antonio has a large used part inventory, and can find you other genuine new old stock Cat parts from other sources. I have used them several times. I prefer used Cat parts to some of the new aftermarket stuff, especially gears.

that's a good recliner estimate d9gdon! I just paid $6,625 to have a final replaced on my 9U by a former Cat mechanic who specializes in that vintage and who had a parts machine in his yard. that included hauling it 150 miles and finessing the starter pinion bendix latches. His detailed invoice and description of the job tells me he earned every dollar.

In the U.K to remove the blade, split the track and whip out the frame, then strip out the F/drive without removing the top pinion (If good) on a D6C/D then rebuilding back up with Customer supplied parts the cost would be around £1500 ish and easy coins to earn, if the tin labrinth guards need changing on the sprocket it can add £200 or some more to the bill, this would be for a local (30 Mile Radi) of home for me, the back Hub bearing is usually a knacker job, I can often get them done in 2 days but allow 3 days, I once did an easy 1 in just the 1 day but things were all ready for me and the tractor was steam cleaned off and on hard standing. tctractors

and the track frame has to come off which means lots of labor. In my younger days i had a track frame off before my dad hauled the garbage to town, what is scary costly in a final is if it is ran to long, to the op it wont be cheap.

All of my tractors had rippers, because of them I never removed a track frame to rebuild a final drive, just disconnected it from the dead axle and jacked up on the rippers to allow room to remove the sprocket, did this to both D6D, D8H and D8K.

Wombat

I never waste my time leaving the blade on and pushing the Ripper down to lift the tractor out of the frame to strip out a F/Drive, I found it to be a slow and nasty way of doing the job, the first thing is it's all 6 ft up in the air, it's also a total pain to get back into the Track Frame, doing the job via this method is not something I would advise anyone to take, all you need is the top pinion to be damaged and then you are in Hell of a state, I would think I have done more than 200 F/drive rebuilds on CAT equipment in the past 46 years and have tried all the tricks, the best way is blade off, frame pushed forward or out the way totally, then get it in bits without a struggle. tctractors

I called Gil’s today and they said they did one last year for $5,200.00 and quoted shipping at about $800.00 both ways so that comes out pretty close to. $7000.00. They seemed very knowledgeable on the phone and said they could have it back in 2-3 weeks so I think I’m going to let them have a go at it.
Appreciate the advice!

"d9gdon" wrote:

I don't have experience with them, but these guys are close to you and have a full line shop as well as field service:

gilsheavyequip.com/

They will be able to give you some sort of estimate on the damage after talking with you. I would think 6-7 thousand just by sitting in my recliner and looking at it. There's going to be some high dollar stuff ruined, and there's no way to get an accurate estimate until they open it up. There's special tools needed for that work, and the track frame has to come off which means lots of labor.

Take your heart pills before calling the Cat dealer, and they won't have many service techs that are familiar with that age machine.

Don't forget that Holt Cat Used Parts in San Antonio has a large used part inventory, and can find you other genuine new old stock Cat parts from other sources. I have used them several times. I prefer used Cat parts to some of the new aftermarket stuff, especially gears.

"tctractors" wrote:

I never waste my time leaving the blade on and pushing the Ripper down to lift the tractor out of the frame to strip out a F/Drive, I found it to be a slow and nasty way of doing the job, the first thing is it's all 6 ft up in the air, it's also a total pain to get back into the Track Frame, doing the job via this method is not something I would advise anyone to take, all you need is the top pinion to be damaged and then you are in Hell of a state, I would think I have done more than 200 F/drive rebuilds on CAT equipment in the past 46 years and have tried all the tricks, the best way is blade off, frame pushed forward or out the way totally, then get it in bits without a struggle. tctractors

Two men and a 12/13 hour day could re race D8H final drive (except for inner pinion bearing) up the bush without any other assistance/machine, by just disconnecting track frame and jacking up with the rippers, never was 6' in the air, only just jack enough to angle sprocket off, dealer resident field serviceman and myself got this down to a fine art, as resources were always short and freighting out of the bush in the snow and mud not practical. Only ever did it this way even in the workshop with D8K, very quick and effective. Managed to do it without draining transmission oil to do inner intermediate bearing as well.

Wombat