I thought I was nearing the finishing line on my 9U restoration, ready for the Castle cement working weekend at Ketton on 23 / 24 June.

But as ever, as soon as you climb the last hill and reach the summit you look over the top and see another hill (if not higher than the last one) to climb again!

My 32E series No 126 CCU appears to have suffered a lack of TLC during it working life, when I came to disassemble the brake bands and clutch plates both drums were packed solid with soil and rust, to the point were I need to use a hammer and chisel to chip away at the packed material to release the brake bands, the clutch disc's on the RH drum were just as equally tight.

Both brake bands are fitted with bronze plates mounted on a backing plate onto a single solid brake bands, my parts book doesn't show this type of band? The CCU started life on a military tractor (green paint visible), would these brake bands have been a special order for the military?

One segment was loose, where rust had built up behind the backing plate, causing the segment to be blown off the band, another 2 segments are also starting to become loose due to the same reason?

I also noticed that the fairlead sheaves were very stiff to turn and the oil seal around the retaining collar was damaged, so I stripped them down at the weekend to examine the bearings. As you can see from the picture, there wasn't much left of the bearings! As I removed the sheaves, ball bearings were flying loose left, right & centre!

Looks like they haven't seen a grease gun in quite a while!

I forgot to add the CCU serial number is 32E3508, can anyone confirm the year of manufacture?

Hi David,
do recall fitting those to relined bands. Here is a poor scan of a S/M article (Jan. 19 1951) for an explanation of reason for fitting same to 25 cc's etc, but I believe is still applicable to any Cat CCU brake band.
Hope this helps,
cheers,
Eddie B.

Hi David,
I don't have enough info to tell for sure what the manufactured date is on the 32E CCU but it shows up in the service info manuals on the D6C 10K series up into the late 70's.

Hi David,
not much to add, was hoping someone else had more than I.
The 119 & 129 CCU.s were anounced in a Product Bulletin June 29 1961. When I started at the dealer in 1962 we were still fitting the 20 series units. I recall only one of the 100 series coming in as they were more rounded with the drums turned across the center line for the larger machines.
The 126 is just a renamed 25 CCU, its OMI is headed:-126 CABLE CONTROL formerly No 25 cable control, as per a pic in a previous post. This would explain why there is no mention of a release for it.
Now, I have an undated "Caterpillar Product Line" which shows the 100 series CCU's along with machines released in 1959 up to the D6C released in 1963 so this is as close as I can get you if you can not decifer the Cat NUMERAL KOD from any casting dates.
To further confuse things the 32E S/No bracket is used for the 25, 125,&126 CCU's.
Hope this helps,
Cheers,
Eddie B,

The Cat SNID book shows the three 32Es started production in 1957.

Hi,& thanks SJ,
my 05 1990 edition doesn't give any dates for any of the CCU's in the E S/No range, other than the 31E No29 & 127 CCU's --1973--(but I would think that was for the No127 & not the No29)?
Perhaps that 1957 date is for the No25 before it became the 125/6.
These S/No, Date, PIN's are often out and should be used with caution as a guide only. Numeral Kod dating may get us closer?
Anyway, not wanting to stir a hornets nest we can only be "guided" by the data given by the maker.
I stand to be corrected.
Keep smiling,
Eddie B.

Eddie, OM & SJ,

Many thanks for your input on this question.

I have since spoken to Tony Coates (tctractors) and Tony has kindly offered to give me a hand to get the CCU up and running for Ketton. Tony also has a spare brake band available which also avoids the hassle of getting the existing band repaired.

I'll keep you all updated on progress.

Thanks, David