acmoc

ACMOC Membership Benefits

  • FREE quarterly magazine filled with content about antique Caterpillar machines
  • FREE classified listings
  • ACMOC store discounts and specials
  • Full Bulletin Board Access
    • Marketplace (For Sale/Wanted)
    • Technical Library
    • Post attachments

$44 /year ELECTRONIC

$60 /year USA

$77 /year International

1955 Bucyrus Erie help needed

More
2 months 1 week ago #257700 by side-seat
Since the pinion is engaged or stuck, You should disengage it so you can turn the diesel and pony by themselves independently . Since you have a pinion that's exposed you can easily push the jaws that keep it engaged with a screwdriver or whatever works. May need to oil it up so all the parts move freely. Be careful not to get you fingers in the way, there's spring pressure when it snaps out.
If the diesel will turn some, you better pull the valve cover off and verify all the valves will move. If that engine took in water, it went down the exhaust valves.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
2 months 1 week ago #257702 by neil
Replied by neil on topic 1955 Bucyrus Erie help needed
Standard Magneto can supply the magneto parts for a Bosch I'm pretty sure. Just got a bunch of Wico parts from them, all new

Cheers,
Neil

Pittsford, NY

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
2 months 1 week ago #257704 by K100
Replied by K100 on topic 1955 Bucyrus Erie help needed
When I arrived on-site to load it, there was an old mud flap over the exhaust pipe. There is no metal flip-flap on it, just open. The engine oil doesn't look abnormal just black like its been forever since its been changed. The broker that I bought it from was very difficult to deal with. It was Gerhart Machinery from Lititz Pennsylvania. I would not recommend dealing with them. I was told it has been around ten years since it ran but no one really knew for sure.

1986 Kenworth K100E Aerodyne 3406B Cat 500 HP 13 Speed
1955 Bucyrus Erie 15B D315 Cat

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
2 months 1 week ago #257705 by K100
Replied by K100 on topic 1955 Bucyrus Erie help needed
So it does look like the pinion is engaged? I have pry on it but whatever I do it wont release.

1986 Kenworth K100E Aerodyne 3406B Cat 500 HP 13 Speed
1955 Bucyrus Erie 15B D315 Cat

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
2 months 1 week ago #257707 by D8Dude
It does appear that your pinion latch is engaged. Prying on it without releasing the latches will not disengage. I've attached a picture of what the pinion latch looks like if you are not familiar, I've circled with red the area where you need to press in against spring pressure, and the latches will release.

 
Attachments:

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
2 months 1 week ago #257725 by K100
Replied by K100 on topic 1955 Bucyrus Erie help needed
Thank you very much. I will try that tonight

1986 Kenworth K100E Aerodyne 3406B Cat 500 HP 13 Speed
1955 Bucyrus Erie 15B D315 Cat

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
2 months 1 week ago #257739 by neil
Replied by neil on topic 1955 Bucyrus Erie help needed
In D8Dude's photo, there's a spring between the two latches, at those adjusting screws. So squeeze there and the latches will unlatch. If it was latched, the pinion will spring forcefully out towards you, so use care

Cheers,
Neil

Pittsford, NY

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
2 months 1 week ago #257750 by D8Dude
One thing I should've added; when you press on the latches to release them, they will release with less effort if you can hold the pinion latch assembly engaged either by hand or with the pinion engagement lever, that way you are only fighting the spring pressure between the latches. It also controls the release so that it doesn't spring back unexpectedly.
I hope that made sense.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
2 months 1 week ago #257778 by K100
Replied by K100 on topic 1955 Bucyrus Erie help needed
UPDATE
I was able to release the pinion with no problem. However, I think the pony motor is whipped. It got rained in for years and was full of muddy water when I was trying to get it running during pickup. So I had an idea to fill the entire motor with some diesel fuel to rinse it out and some bad things happened. I have attached two pictures. Diesel just poured out of the crankshaft seal and the gearbox with the engagement handle (see red circles). I can understand the crankshaft seal but why would it be pouring out of the gearbox? I think its safe to say that the pony motor will need a complete rebuild. Does anyone have any input on what is happening? And also a source for a complete pony motor rebuild kit and gasket set?
I still cannot turn the diesel over. I removed the valve cover and everything looks great. I took the exhaust manifold off and the ports look great also. I drained the engine oil out and it looked ok, just black from old age but absolutely no evidence of water or anything else.

1986 Kenworth K100E Aerodyne 3406B Cat 500 HP 13 Speed
1955 Bucyrus Erie 15B D315 Cat
Attachments:

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
2 months 1 week ago #257779 by neil
Replied by neil on topic 1955 Bucyrus Erie help needed
The pony crank has seals on both ends. So if what you poured into the pony crankcase also came out of the pinion gearbox, then the inner end seal has also failed. The good news is ponies are extremely easy to rebuild. Most of what you need to do is turn the main journals, and procure new bearings and seals and dowels. If you want to go the extra mile, you can do what I and a couple of others have done and that is to fit thrust washers on to the pony crank to take axial thrust. But it's not necessary. Get the gasket set from Cat and you're good to go. They really are simple engines. For your main engine, was there any water evident in the drained crankcase oil? If not, is there any evidence of water having gotten into the cylinders? Also, is the output shaft from the engine (or better, what it's connected to) seemingly free to move / backlash? This is to determine whether it's the main engine crank is loose or something else is hanging up. If it's just the pistons/rings that are stuck, you can free them up either with some leverage on the flywheel ring gear or you could pull the cylinder head and light some fires in the bores to expand them and then turn it over. There's a bunch of techniques yet that you can use to free it up.

Cheers,
Neil

Pittsford, NY

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Time to create page: 0.190 seconds
Go to top