Opinions and ideas on track chains and oil leaks please.

Well you are right, the track group is pretty well shot! but the sprocket seems to be in good shape.

But,,, we had a 3cyl on the farm that leaked a little oil out of one final and we just kept it full. About once a week we added a little oil. The leak was not as bad as what yours appears however.

It would be nice if you could redo the track group but it all depends on dollars you wish to spend.

If it were me as broke as I am I would not spend much on paint until I had the tracks and leak fixed.

The paint looks pretty good to me, I would not even budget it yet. How is the engine and transmission?

Oh, just fix it! It will work better, look better and add value. Find some better used chains to put on soon as way better sets than that are retiring to China.

My D2 4U has welded in pins, and worn bushes just like your D4, if you are only going to do 10 -20 hours a year of "playing" on the tractor I would leave those tracks on it for now, but keep your eyes open for a decent secondhand set, even out of the USA, budget on $500- $1,000 for both.

You will see your bottom rollers are getting low too, they are hitting the pin bosses creating a flat spot, again I would leave that area alone until you find better track chains. It is not a huge job to weld those up, or buy good secondhand ones.

My "old" D4's (RD4, 2T, 7J) all have a large ring adjuster on the final drive sprocket that allows you to take the wear up, I couldn't see them in your photo from the angle, but they are outboard of the rear sprockets and are rotated to tighten the sprocket. What model is your D4?

Are you running 140W oil in those final drives, because that would be my next suggestion for a show tractor not doing any serious work. I agree about the paint work too, the little I can see looks OK, a lot of collectors prefer old Cats in their original paint, no matter how bad it is.

Good luck.
regards
Mike

Thanks for the replies, I've decided that I will replace the tracks (chains) soon. I'll get it right and then I'll not be looking at the tracks every time I set eyes on it thinking they need changing! So I'm looking out for some second hand ones really as new ones are possible but tending towards the expensive for a hobby.

I know that the bottom rollers are ''scalping'' the track pin bosses - is this because of track wear or roller wear? I've got the facilities to build up the roller bottoms with MIG and to square the things back up in a lathe.....

Mike, I'm not sure about the large ring adjusters on the FD sprocket, I've just received the manuals from the States so I'll investigate, my D4 model should be in my signature.

I've already got some 140 weight oil in the FD's, I'm (for now) thinking that the seals have seen better days. If I replace the tracks then there's not a lot extra involved to remove the track frames and strip down the seals - well that's the plan for now😆

Regards Julian.

On my D4 7J, S/N 1261 there is a large castellated adjutment ring just outboard of the rear sprocket that is turned to take up the wear in the bearings.

On my D4 2T I can actually slightly wobble the rear sprocket on the right hand side, and needless to say there was no oil in that side final drive when I bought the poor Ol girl a year ago.

Have another look for that ring. Your Cat was built in 1941.
regards
Mike

Hi, Julian.
The general consensus seems to be that those track chains ahve seen better days. I would add that those better days were probably so long ago that the tractor has forgotten them. The roller flanges hitting the pin bosses is a result of low rail height and worn bottom rollers. Both can be rebuilt but, with the wear in those pins and bushes, I think you would be better off looking for a better set of second hand chains for it.

If you have the facilities to rebuild the rollers and machine them back, I think it would be a good idea, in view of what you have mentioned regarding the tractor's future, to find a replacement set of chains, oxy-cut those current chains off, remove the track frames and turn them over. Then you can remove the bottom rollers, dismantle them, rebuild the shells, re-seal if needed and replace. While you are at it, you might like to check the idlers to see if they need rebuilding, new bearings, seals, etc..............

The above also gives you a clear shot at replacing the outer seal on the sprocket.

If my memory sreves me right, tightening the bearing adjustment that Mike Meyer mentioned ONLY tightens the bearing. It will not stop the seal from leaking. If my memory serves me right, even back then the sprockets were a press fit on the drive axle spline and should not wobble slightly as Mike said one of his does. This wobble on Mike's tractor may only be the bearing but if it is the sprocket moving on the axle, that is a whole different ball game which requires replacement of the axle and sprocket to repair.

Again if my memory serves me right, there was not supposed to be any oil getting out to the track frame outer bearing as it was a greaseable bearing.

Just my 0.02.

Hey Deas, I only suggested he check that adjuster first because I have a D4 the same vintage with one sprocket loose, and I remember clearly our inhouse Cat repair Guru, Mr. "edb" giving me some very sound advice a year ago when trouble shooting a problem on my RD6, "Mike" he said, " do the simple and obvious things first, always return the tractor to basic original specification and adjustment before getting too fancy and stripping it down".

Like if you have a pilot motor running rough and you find two different brands of old spark plugs in it, do the obvious thing and replace the plugs with the correct type, before removing and rebuilding the pilot motor, as I saw someone do here recently. From what I read they removed and stripped down what appeared to be a perfectly good pilot motor, simply because of a minor exhaust gasket leak.

I haven't pulled a D4 sprocket yet, only D2, but I'm sure you are right about a loose sprocket on the shaft not impacting the final drive oil seal.
All the best
Mike

Hey Deas, I only suggested he check that adjuster first because I have a D4 the same vintage with one sprocket loose, and I remember clearly our inhouse Cat repair Guru, Mr. "edb" giving me some very sound advice a year ago when trouble shooting a problem on my RD6, "Mike" he said, " do the simple and obvious things first, always return the tractor to basic original specification and adjustment before getting too fancy and stripping it down".

Like if you have a pilot motor running rough and you find two different brands of old spark plugs in it, do the obvious thing and replace the plugs with the correct type, before removing and rebuilding the pilot motor, as I saw someone do here recently. From what I read they removed and stripped down what appeared to be a perfectly good pilot motor, simply because of a minor exhaust gasket leak.

I haven't pulled a D4 sprocket yet, only D2, but I'm sure you are right about a loose sprocket on the shaft not impacting the final drive oil seal.
All the best
Mike

Hi, Mike Meyer.
I have no argument at all with your/EDB's approach of doing the simple things first. That is the way I approach problem solving too, maybe 'cos I'm a lazy 'illegitimate person'. All I was trying to do was point out the limitations of tightening that adjustment.

I am also not sure that a loose sprocket would not affect the inner seal. It's been a LONG time since I was last involved with any D4 final drive - the last one was a 2T back in 1964 - but I seem to remember that there is a sealing face either on or attached to the inner face of the sprocket. If so, a loose sprocket would be 'bad news' for that seal.

One thing that a LOT of people forget or don't even consider about seals is that if they are letting oil OUT, they can also let dirt IN. These machines are NOT like the early DowNunder-built Chamberlain farm tractors where you 'threw a handful of gravel' into the transmission or the differential after you had rebuilt them to help everything bed in. LOL.

As solid as they mostly are, Cats still like SURGICAL CLEAN on everything inside.

I am ALWAYS open to correction about anything technical that I post 'cos I have NO workshop manuals or parts books or technical journals to refer to, only a 'vintage' memory - - - 'n' I never was a mechanic or fitter anyway, just a mug operator.

Just my 0.02.