I am looking for some help on a Cat 60. A friend if mine has purchased one which has been sitting for a number of years on Vancouver Island. He is trying to load it on a load bed but he cannot get the tracks to roll. He says the engine clutch is disengageing. My thoughts are that the steering clutches are froze up or the there might be a problem with the transmission. Having never worked on a tractor this old I am wondering if anyone can give me some ideas as to what might be causing the problem. Thanks.

If it's been parked outside a wet environment like that, plus being around salt air I wouldn't be surprised if the tracks themselves weren't rusted just about solid. To load the critter he will probably just have to skid it onto the trailer. As far as loosening the tracks, lots of penetrating oil on the joints and beating 'em loose might be the only way.

About the only other thing I can think of that would lock up tracks is not the steering clutches but the steering brakes. I'm not familiar with the 60 series but if they're like the rest of the Cats, water could have gotten into the steering clutch compartments and rusted up the brakes and clutches.

When pulling on the machine, hook a chain to the top of one track just ahead of the sprocket and pull backwards a little. Then hook a chain to the top of the track just back of the idler and pull forward. While doing this have someone watch the sprocket closely to see if there is any movement. Ol Grump could be right about the brakes being frozen. See if you can find the brake adjusters and back of the bands a little.

Keep us posted.....and show us some pic's......sounds like a blast!!!

Rick

Rick is right on target. This late summer I had the same problem with an old 60 that had set for possibly 40 yrs. or more. The tracks where frozen and I needed to move it. I soaked the pins good with old fuel, motor oil, etc. what ever I had to throw away and throw at her, for many months. I don't know really how much soaking time she really needed, but I had the time. I tried to pull her forward first with a good hp tractor, just moved her forward alittle with no track movement. Used a skid steer machine chained to one track top forward and backward over and over and same measures for the other track she came loose. Just be carefull and patient. If you feel you might tear something up stop and take the time and check the clutches.

The brake adjusters on the 60 are on the rear corners of the bevel gear case under the seat-big nut maybe 1 1/2 or so. The covers on the rear of the case can also be removed to see in there. The best way is just to remove the seat and the cover on the rear end housing and you can see it all. If you pull on the tracks themselves (after insuring nothing is frozen on the brakes or clutches) you can get unbelievable leverage and if she's capable of rolling she will move. hope this helps Gene

I work at the Forest Discovery Centre (Museam) in Duncan (Vancouver Island),where we have 2 Cat 60's, one which pulled a logging arch the other was set up as a yarder. Anyway, to free up the tracks on a Cat Thirty that had sat for years in a field at the museam and I could not guess how long before that , we first pressure washed the heck out of the tracks to get the grit and grime out and force water into the joints (water is a lubricator) and as we worked the machine back and forth with a loader, I soaked the tracks with a hose and smacked the shoes with a 12# sledge(we had also backed off the brakes) ! Quite to the surprise of a naysayer, who was sure we were going to fail, we had the tracks freed up in no time!

Thanks for the replies I got on my question. You were correct the brake bands were rusted to the brake drums. Once the top deck was removed it was easy to see what the problem was. As the adjusting nuts were impossible to undo they were torched off and now the tractor was able to be pushed onto the lowbed.

Have a Caterpillar Sixty Tractor Operators Instruction Book.
Send me a PM with your name & address and its yours.

Sounds like a TRUE treasure! Its good to know that its loaded with no major damage! Keep us posted on her history and progress on restoration!