I’m curious where this D7 is btw? Looks very familiar Clayton.

Ray54 wrote:

The right side track looks like there could be lot of trouble hiding there. At the least the track adjuster needs help. Look the bushings over to assess the track condition, the closer to round the better. If the bushings are warn thru to the pin time to spend big money.

The diesel fuel pre low sulfur lasted almost forever, the new fuel ............................................not so much. Not in my machines so, just hear say more or less. But with other brands of farm equipment forums, the talk is lots of very stuck fuel pumps with the new clean fuel.

I fired a Cat D6 that sat in a barn for 30 years, other than rust in tank the old 1980's fuel ran fine. So you can get lucky. But it was old 1980's fuel. But I would recommend you use the search function on here and look at posts on stuck fuel racks, and freeing them up.

Not real familiar with the D7, but believe that will be a 17A serial number and not a D7 E. The same basic engine block, but not fully interchangeable parts.
I like to see old iron saved, but this one could more expensive than average. Talk to the owner and see what you can discover. If old age and fiscal disabilities of the owner figures in the machine sitting, I would be less afraid. But the open air cleaner, hood off, and loss track are all warning signs, of BE VERY CAREFULL.

On the fuel rack, I figure I'll just take the cover off, spray some Kroil, and see if I can free it up.

From what I can tell, it's a 17A tractor with a later model D7E engine.  At least that's what I'm hearing.  But there's no serial number on the engine, and I don't have a serial number for the tractor yet.

Thanks for the input on the undercarriage.  I suspect it needs a lot of attention and $$$.

Should I try to turn the engine over manually before hitting it with the starter? I'm worried about bending a rod if the cylinders are full of water.

If so, anyone know what size socket I'd need? I'm assuming I'm going to try to turn it using the crank bolt on the lower pulley.

And would I crack the injectors loose first so any water can exit the cylinders?

Thanks

You won’t be able to get to the crank bolt because there is a coupling for the hydraulic pump attached to the crankshaft pull. A large pipe wrench would be your best bet but not much room. I believe there should be a compression release on that engine see if you can actuate it. It should be above the starter halfway up the block, Up is with the valves lined up to RUN, all the way down is the START position which what you want to do to get it turning over. I always like to use an electric fuel pump to help push the fuel to the injectors if a machine hasn’t ran for some time.

clayton wrote:

You won’t be able to get to the crank bolt because there is a coupling for the hydraulic pump attached to the crankshaft pull. A large pipe wrench would be your best bet but not much room. I believe there should be a compression release on that engine see if you can actuate it. It should be above the starter halfway up the block, Up is with the valves lined up to RUN, all the way down is the START position which what you want to do to get it turning over. I always like to use an electric fuel pump to help push the fuel to the injectors if a machine hasn’t ran for some time.

Thanks for the info! 

clayton wrote:

I’m curious where this D7 is btw? Looks very familiar Clayton.

It's in Texas. 

Did I miss that you had 17A in the title 😒 ,or did you edit. Oh well makes no difference now. At some point in production Cat added the turbo to all the rest of the 17A serious I believe.

Many of the hydraulic drives have U joints you can slip a bar in to turn the engine, if there is no room for a pipe wrench. So with compression release should turn relatively easily.

It also seem you are ahead of my advice about the rack. So I give a big at a boy, and see you having success with a crawler toy even if this one is not the one. So hard to ascertain someone's level of knowledge on the net in a case like this.

Ray54 wrote:

Did I miss that you had 17A in the title 😒 ,or did you edit. Oh well makes no difference now. At some point in production Cat added the turbo to all the rest of the 17A serious I believe.

Many of the hydraulic drives have U joints you can slip a bar in to turn the engine, if there is no room for a pipe wrench. So with compression release should turn relatively easily.

It also seem you are ahead of my advice about the rack. So I give a big at a boy, and see you having success with a crawler toy even if this one is not the one. So hard to ascertain someone's level of knowledge on the net in a case like this.

17A was in the title to start with...

Good point about turning it over with a bar.

Where would the compression release be?  I thought it was a lever above the starter, but I'm not seeing it, unless it's higher up than I saw on another model.

Thanks

 

Look behind firewall facing operator. Lever that you should pull towards the left side to decompress; some have been removed as well, just a shaft exposed.
My favorite part about starting a 17A was spinning fast with decompressed and then kicking that lever to the right side to fire it off!

It’s been a long time since I have seen a low horse E but I can tell you that is NOT a high horse E. the turbo and air cleaner setup are backwards of that, the oil filters are different only 1 filter on the E ,the fan is 36 inch on the E I had too take both the E and the 17A fans and make one out of them the 17A has a 29 inch fan, I think a low horse E has the same oil slinger setup on the rear main as a 17A the high horse E has a piston ring seal which you have too make an adaptor plate to go onto your bell housing CAT wanted $4000.00. 35 years ago for a new bell housing I am pretty sure that is a 17A engine. Also the manifolds are bolted to the heads not clamped on a high horse. 17afarmer