D6 Tracks

i have same deal with my 3t. haven't had much luck getting it freed up. i even jacked dozer up under frozen link with rail road jack and heated it up, no luck. maybe somebody has a better idea.

If it were mine, I would try running the tractor in shallow water, lube up the rollers good and run it in water deep enough to cover the lower track section. a shallow gravel bottom creek would be just right.

Take a look at the pin bushing wear also.
May be just the angle of the picture but that neareast sprocket root seems to show a thinner bottom section than the rest. Overall not bad except for the frozen links.

Got to thinking and checking a little more on those tracks. The D6 runs a 28 tooth sprocket and with the large front idler, a 40 link chain. This makes a non hunting tooth combination which means the same bushings run in the same sprocket teeth so there could well be a wear pattern developing from running those frozen links for some time.

Need to get the links fixed and jump a sprocket tooth to get a new wear pattern going.

I just got back from inspecting the D6, it is a 1957 9U model. As you guys said the chains look good. The rails measure just a hair under 4", the bushings have very little surface wear [I forgot to measure them]. The part number on the links is 2S5960...SEALED.
I took a better look at the sprocket and it has pretty even wear all around. Old Magnet noted one of the sprocket roots in the picture looked like it had a thinner bottom than the rest, to my untrained eye they all look on the thin side. Even though the sprocket seemed to have relatively even wear, I took notice that from running it today [I ran it about 200 to 300 yards] only every other root looked polished. I counted and the sprocket has 28 teeth and there are 40 links as Old Magnet said. So if the same bushings run in the same sprocket root, how do you get even wear on the sprocket and chain? Old Magnet, How would I jump a tooth to get a new pattern? Do those frozen links affect the wear pattern?

Thanks, John

Yes, if left uncorrected those frozen links will affect the wear pattern.

Jumping a tooth involves splitting the track and either rotate the sprocket to the next tooth or moving the tracks to do the same. That's the nature of non-hunting tooth track and sprocket combinations.

A friend of mine has been pouring Diesel Fuel on a set of tracks for 2 years , then beating them free with a sledge hammer. I said, "Fellows claim water works better". He gave up on the Diesel Fuel, only going out to beat on them when it rained. Where he is at been raining alot. Anyways he called to tell me they freed up!
Don't understand it all but water really does work(at least for him)!

Those tracks have quite a bit of internal bush wear or 'stretch' that is why the idlers are well out and the wear pattern is high up the sprocket on the 'reverse drive' side, they are probably approaching 100% internal wear.

I made the owner of the D6 an offer this morning...we'll see what happens.
Catsilver, I agree that the idlers are way out and the internal wear is probably way up there, so why do the rails measure almost new?
I also have a question to OM"s comment, "That's the nature of non hunting tooth track and sprocket combinations". Why would Cat have this non hunting tooth track and sprocket combination? Especially in such a popular tractor as the D6 9U...Whats the reasoning? On the surface it seems counter productive when it comes to even wear of the sprockets and bushings. I must be missing something.
Thanks, John