D8H questions

Is the undercarraige 5% worn or 95% worn, I inspected Cat undercarraige for 21 years of my career and if I wrote down 95% on a report it meant 95% worn, thats how the U/C reports are laid out.

hello helifixer ,the d8h 46A4342H was built in 1962 .

tracks -quote -In January 1989 Berco took over SIMMEL factory in Castelfranco Veneto (Treviso),

may have a leak in the oil cooling housing
bruce oz

thanks, any idea of a price range?
it also has swivel rippers.

hello helifixer ,the d8h 46A4342H was built in 1962 .

tracks -quote -In January 1989 Berco took over SIMMEL factory in Castelfranco Veneto (Treviso),

may have a leak in the oil cooling housing
bruce oz

Sounds like a low horse 46A. Finals always leak there. Simmel was popular years ago. If you don't see any chunks breaking off, the metalurgy is probably ok. Sounds like someone spent some money on it and never used it much thereafter. Offer scrap plus what its worth to you. It doesn't take long before you have to invest some money in something. Check the final and transmission filters. When you pull the final fill plugs, do you get drenched with oil. If you do, you have a problem. Cut the trans filters open and look for metal. New transmissions are nice but if it was rebuilt with aftermarket parts and the cooler was not replaced, its not much of an improvement. Was any work done on the cross shaft and brakes. What's the coolant like. Do a pH test. Coolant can go bad after a lot of years of no use but given the condition of the undercarriage, it should still be good if the previous owner paid attention to pH and nitrite. If the block is full of tap water and no coolant, you probably have a problem. CAT coolant was pink back then; DEAC. If its still pink the previous owner took good care of his equipment. Does it have a front pump with hydraulic reservoir or did someone convert it; hyd tank on right fender. Ripper or bare. Value also depends on the block. I don't remember which are prone to spider webs (cracking). Maybe someone else here does. My recollection is your serial number predates the bad blocks. If the rollers, segments and idlers are good, the coolant looks good, there is no metal in the finals or trans filters, not much blow by, no excess oil in the finals and the radiator isn't rotted, it will probably pay for itself on your first job. I forgot. Check the equalizer bar. Did it wear a hole anywhere.

There is nothing like a 46A for balance when you are in the hills. Just don't get them too close to vertical. They loose suction quickly and will give you the ride of your life backwards before they lock up. Don't power down either when you are near vertical. They will stall; the ride is the same. If it checks out, I wouldn't be afraid of it, but then its my favorite 8.

Just saw your swivel ripper post. Is it a 4 barrel or 2 barrel. CAT or Ateco. The benefit to this ripper is it is not prone to breaking off when it hits something hard. Good for ripping farm ground.

At serial number 46A3044 is when there was some update changes on the D8s.I just can,t remember all the changes and I don,t have parts books on them both to run them down.

I reckon you will find that serial number is a 235hp machine, if my memory serves me correctly, the 46A changed to the 270hp model at 46A10725 around 1965.
Strange that the U/C is measured the opposite to Cat as there was a 100% wear limit to re-use or rebuild, but a 120% wear limit (which would have to be a minus figure expressed thre other way), when it was considered scrap as the life of other components would then be affected, but I suppose quoting the life left is better when you are selling.