OM,

Today we got break from the city project , so we started the D7 17A restoration.
We took off the track frame , work will be done on the leaf spring extra leaf and as building up the channel. track frame will need to clean off the old weld on the roller.
The pictures show only on side, we had problem with the machine shifting on us due to wet soft soil. the monster fell on us a couple of time that why I left the other side. With one Frame off i can reach most any thing under it.

Take a look at the pictures and just for comparison I enclosed my last year project D 7 17A , that machine is a later machine but looked the same as the one we are just started.

Last years one looks like a very cherry machine. Move any dirt with it yet? And far as the new one GIT-R-DONE!

Last years one looks like a very cherry machine. Move any dirt with it yet? And far as the new one GIT-R-DONE!

Ali - You need to fabricate some heavy duty, wide base steel stands, out of heavy wall pipe or I-beam, with large "feet" on them, to support the front of the tractor.
Even better, is one large, wide, steel stand for the front. Always use a block of wood between steel stands and the tractor.

If you have to use wood blocks, use two blocks side by side .. long ones on the bottom, going to shorter ones on top .. and lay the wood blocks, criss-cross fashion .. alternating in direction .. i.e. .. bottom ones East-West, next layer North-South, next layer East-West. The front of the tractor MUST be held securely .. it's very high, and gets a lot of leverage on any support mechanism.

Additionally .. be careful, if the front is supported by blocks alone, and you commence to wrench with a big cheater bar elsewhere on the tractor .. or you start jacking the rear end somewhere. This will often make the front of the tractor fall off the blocks! Ask me how I know this!

Hi Ali,
Thanks for the pictures....your really getting in to it:)
A big plus I could see right off is there appears to be very little rust/corrosion.
I really hate it when some cobb artist welds the rollers on...usually means the rest of it is downhill from there. Were you able to locate replacement bolting strips.....would call for some pretty tricky drilling accuracy to duplicate them but can be done.

The 17A is a fine example to renovate, will probably outlast us both if returned to its original glory.

Seems your regularly working the safety fringe, what with welding fuel tanks and now shaky blocking. Need to shift some focus there....nuff said:)

Thank you OZ and OM ,

safety is my concern and today was not a good exemple. the tractor kind sagged few times. the soft ground did not help. That is why I left the other frame in place. with one side track frame out , we can reach most anything under the tractor.

I do like your idea OZ using one I beam across the front end on heavy wall base. The other idea is to use I beam right in front of the support spring that goes all way through the tractor , use it to jack the tractor and support it

The cobb artist welded on the fuel tank support. the fender bolts are gone . there will be alot of drilling and tapping.
Mostly do what ever it take to stay safe

That should be a great project for you. The 14A and 15A and the 17A was the start of Cat engineering to more modern tractors and development so hope things work out well and then you,ll have a great tractor to be proud of.Those 4 cyl. engines always had a sound of it,s own that was something to listen to.

Hi OM

I posted the wrong picture of the restored tractor. Here is the one I intended to post

O M ,


Just an update on the restoration , it is going to be slow . Today it took us all day just to take out the leaf spring and the channel. the bolts were not a problemm to loosen them up , the problem was the bolts were rusted in place from yours truly having pressure wased the machine and used amixture of detergent and phospheric acid . I guess that acid is suppose to kill the rust but if you leave on too long it will creat a reaction.
We had to cut the bolts on side after we loosen the nut to get it out.

Tomorrow we will well the channel with 3/4 plate and add a long leaf spring ( the old is bronken) and start the fenders

Hi Ali,
Thanks for the update.
That would explain the lack of rust that I was noticing;) ....but I guess you waited to long.

That's no small undertaking so yes progress will be slow....only so many hours in a day and limits to what a person can do along with daily work and chores.

It's those small increments that add up in time:D