112F Grader

Hi, D349.
Jumper leads to the grader from a good 24-volt source and use the starter in shortish bursts - maybe 20 seconds at a time to turn the those functions. Those controls are hydraulic boosted but you MAY get enough out of turning the engine over to do what you want.

Just my 0.02.

Hydraulic boosted? Really. I think you are refering to 12F not 112F. I could certainly be wrong.

Hi, D4C Charlie.
I only ever saw ONE 'F' series Cat grader DowNunda. It was a 112F belonging to a company named Houlihan's Constructions and I worked alongside it on refurbishment of a trotting track, Ascot Race Course in Perth, Western Australia, to be precise. I was operating an 8T series Cat 12 at the time. How I wished. The year - 1969.

Just my 0.02.

Hi Kevin,
looks like old school controls.
You should be able to use a spanner on one of the square drive shafts on the lean wheel drive train to slowly turn the the wheels up straight again--do not think there are brakes inside the Power Control Box to stop the wheels leaning on their own as they sometimes do.
From memory there is a hole in the lean wheel rack which should align with a threaded hole in the axle for shipping--this stops the lean wheel creeping during shipment--must be removed to work the machine after shipping.
You will find the lean wheel very helpful for sharpish turning, it helps ease the Armstrong steering effort.

Deas--I stand to be corrected, but seeing as it is a local built machine it will be like a No12E and still mechanical right up through, we did not build hydraulic assisted Graders as far as I am aware--no local 12F Grader style here as it would have required big $$ re-tooling--our 12's and the local built G's even stayed with the A frame for the blade when the rest of the world went to the X frame on their G's
Cheers,
Eddie B.

Hi D349.
Dunno why but that photo didn't show up when I first looked at this thread and gave you my response. I would suggest that somebody has MISS-represented it by putting 112F stickers on an earlier machine. As edb said, it looks like the earlier mechanical dog clutch controls. A 112F would have had the blade lift drives at the front of the frame with the lift shafts coming back from there to the lift arms and drop links.

Also, as edb, said, you should be able to rotate the appropriate control shafts with a 'left-handed metric Fitzall' on the squares of the shafts.

Just my 0.02.

If you take a hydraulic jack and blocks to raise up the front, the lean wheel control shaft will turn easily. Maybe by hand or a small crescent wrench.

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G'day All. Thanks for the information so far, it all adds to the picture. I have added some more of the auction photos to help answer the questions.
Eddie, I can see the hole I think you are referring to in the rack shown in the first two extra photos, it looks like it would actually line up with the pinion, is there a thread in the centre, any guess on size? It appears to have power steering by the photos too so my shoulders may survive, it should not have to do a lot of work, mainly to maintain my gravel drive of a bit over half a km which gets a bit of a hard time from the truck.
Deas, my serial number book says the 80J is Australian made 112F from 1968 on ( till possibly 1974, a guess). This one appears to have a 3304 but earlier ones would have had D330 or D330C I think. I have put in a photo of control box, I think its only mechanical.
oldbeek, that makes sense, I always have a good jack in my truck.
Regards Kevin

Didn't realize they still made the old knuckle busters that late. Not a bad looking machine and that scarifier is a real plus, particularly if you want to put it to work. Interesting to see some of the changes compared to my old 1949 112. The power steering on one like mine looks like an afterthought and is an assist just outside the cab windshield on the steering shaft.

It will take a lot of "turns" to change the blade setting and the wheel tilt if they are worm screw driven.

The 112F 80J went to the 3304 at s/n 80J402 in 1970 according to my info. with production to 80J641 in that year.