Caterpillar Running In Oil

Hi all. This board has been hanging in my cousins garage for years. He brought it over to me today to hang on the wall. Anyone have any idea what vintage this would be? I’d guess mid Thirty’s, since they got their first RD4 in ‘36

1. BP.

   

My grandpa bought one of the first 2 Cat Diesel 35's the dealer could get. This was the in 1934. One was pre sold, the other they intended to take out on demonstrations. He made a deal to let the dealer bring customers around and test drive it. It was after grain harvest so late summer early fall. So the first job was chisel plowing in dry hard ground. With no break in or even warming the engine up. The salesman just taking off to see how much the new diesel could get done. In the first season it developed oil consumption problems. But being the demo tractor the dealer and Cat worked on it several times. Things like new rings on the original pistons. In the second season they did a total engine rebuild along with a all new oil with detergent, and a proper break-in period of not letting it lug and such. So I am assuming that would have been in 1936. So since Cat had worked with Standard oil I think it was in the oil development, my guess in 1936.

Now this is all history from my dad and uncle, so no going back and asking questions. But both were very adamant you needed to be careful the first several days to not let a new engine lug down. But at the same time don't operate at 1/2 throttle.

When I was a kid and started reringing engines I was told to use a non detergent oil for break in otherwise the cylinders would get glazed. Sta-bil made an oil for this purpose. I would think with a diesel engine it would be best to drain and replace it after a short time and not lug it until rings are well seated. Maybe Eddie B can comment on break in procedures.

I would be very interested in Eddies thoughts as well. My only personal experience is with a 9u D6, and AC HD 5. The mechanic on the AC said he would drive it from the shop about 3 miles over hill and dale to where I was going to use it, and call it the break in period. On the Cat just use it with out lugging and on sitting and idling. Both turned out well. No oil burning or smoking.

Hi Team,

I do not have documentation as to early issues with lubrication issues in Cat Diesels only hearsay.

I only know that in early days Cat had issues with oil burning from cylinder wall/ring glazing. They later went on to design and produce the laboratory Oil Test engines to formulate their own specific oils to address the issue.

Cat came up with their own brand of "Superior"oils to address the issue, I believe these were known as Series 2 and later Series 3. I recall Series 3 was the go when I started at the Dealer in 1962.

Oils have come a long way since. Cat to this day market their own oils formulated to their own specifications and made up by selected oil companies.

The OMI (printed 1928) for the Diesel 75 (2E1--2E213) tractors (as an example) said to " Operate new tractor under light load for the first Sixty hours" in the "Driving The Tractor" section.

In the Lubrication Section it simply says to use "Crankcase Lubricating Oil" in the specified Viscosity for the temperature range in a chart given on said page.

In the earlier Diesel Sixty Five OMI it says to use Crankcase Oils as recommended for the Sixty in the booklet "Oils recommended by Oil Refiners and Distributors for use in Caterpillar Tractors" (scanned below)

When time allows I will endeavor to search thru my pile of leaflets etc. for any further relevant items.

Scan below I saved from here ages ago and is the early oil recommendations for Cat machines mentioned above so it was in use at the time (1931) of the first Cat Diesel being the (1C1--) Diesel Sixty Five with the D9900 engine.

In 1962 I noted all machines had a decal on the dash stating to "WORK IT DON'T BABY IT" I believe that the engines were test run-in on a dyno and then the machines were run on a greased steel plate test rig and so were likely ready to be worked.

I stand to be corrected and if anyone has more to add to the story please do so.

Best Regards,

Eddie B.