Cat 951-C in my sights

[Nitelite]

Both machines, the D-4 dozer and the 951 track loader, were fueled up and ready to go this morning. I decided to go with the dozer. I cleared some remaining saplings from the top of the hill and began a routine with my slot dosing idea. After about an hour I realized that chewing away at the face of the hill with the loader produced more progress so I went back to chewing away at the dirt bank with the loader. For now that old loader is doing the job but at some point the face of the hill will become too high to work with the loader. I then will need to work from the top down for sure.

We had real hard rain and storms tonight so it will be a few days before I can get back on it but I will get some pictures then. An old dozer operator could probably come up with some tricks of the trade and work circles around me and the loader. One good thing is that I am no longer hearing the loud popping noise coming from the new tracks. Could be that they just needed to be run. I have been running WOT for many hours at a time and no sign of engine slobbering. The old engine sounds really good, plenty of power, all gauges are in the green no fluids have needed topping off. How long can my good fortune last?

 

[Dickjr.]

Just curious if you ever got your toll by plate bill for crossing the Ohio river? I seen on the news were some rental car places were forwarding the bills and adding a 25$ handling charge , which is highway robbery literally.

 

[Nitelite]

Although I was expecting to get a toll bill by mail I never got one, not yet anyway. It has been two months now.

Last year I went to Norfolk Va. I got on a road and came to the unmanned toll booth. I stopped and saw that there was no one around and there was no place to pay the toll. I drove on. I was driving a rental car and I did get a bill from the rental company in the mail with a tacked on twenty five dollar fee. I paid the bill. You are right, it was highway robbery. There should be a law enacted against such actions.

 

[Dickjr.]

About the time you crossed they had trouble with the system. It seems they got it ironed out now. They are drilling people left and right. There are trucks that haul sand from Louisville over to Clarksville , make 6 to 10 trips a day. They are getting pounded. I can agree with a toll for a short while to help with such a project but tearing people a new one is different.

 

[Nitelite]

The state of Tennessee is planning to increase the gas tax by 7 cents and 12 cents on Diesel. They are bragging about the revenue from unsuspecting interstate travelers that they anticipate will get saddled with the tax increase. Think about it, just where would you suspect most Tennessee residents buy their gas? Yup, right the old wazoo again!

 

[Dickjr.]

That does sound like a bad decision on the states part. why beat up the local guys? The thought is not correct in my eyes. When we travel south , I fill up here and it will take me to exit 114 in southern Alabama. Big logistics companies plan on these things as well. But what do I know....

 

[CavinJim]

I like to think that most everyone here knows that buying a hunk of yellow iron comes with a substantial maintenance cost that will likely exceed the cost of the machine over its lifetime. Same thing goes with infrastructure. Remember the NIMBY (not in my backyard) folks? Now there's the NOOMP crowd (not out of my pocket). Near as I can figure, that's everyone.
Oh, the irony of it--I spent much of the evening writing up how what I do in my job relates to failing infrastructure in hopes that I have a job this time next year!
For years Missouri had about the lowest fuel tax in the nation-- and the worst roads. Some folks finally realized that what they were saving in tax was more than offset in vehicle maintenance, tires, and shocks. Finally bumped up the fuel tax and it sure is a lot nicer driving most roads! Still some big problems, but lots better than it was.

 

[Dickjr.]

CavinJim , I'm not saying the tax increase is the end of the world. But make it fair across the board, why is the diesel tax higher? A good fair start would be 3 to 4 cents per gallon of product. See how that works instead of going hard especially on the diesel burners that carry all the goods. All this will do is drive prices on the goods up more. I agree infrastructure repair is in need for sure. Hopefully things in DC will get more fiscally responsible and these repairs and improvements can be carried out.

 

[DMiller]

Politicians never see the trade off of transferred costs into final product sales. Every $.01 transport cost goes up so too the cost of buying food, fuel anything trucked. Funny how that works.

 

[Hobbytime]

CavinJim , I'm not saying the tax increase is the end of the world. But make it fair across the board, why is the diesel tax higher? A good fair start would be 3 to 4 cents per gallon of product. See how that works instead of going hard especially on the diesel burners that carry all the goods. All this will do is drive prices on the goods up more. I agree infrastructure repair is in need for sure. Hopefully things in DC will get more fiscally responsible and these repairs and improvements can be carried out.

diesel is taxed higher because it is used commercially alot more than gasoline, so you cant cut back on the use and you can add $$ to the customer to pay for it, so the increase is spread out to more end users..still not fair but just another way for the government to fleece you of your $$...and the politicians know exactly what they are doing when it comes to separating you from your money...

 

[old-iron-habit]

When I was young the state gas tax money collected could only be used for roads and bridges. They never used to spend all the money until they decided that the earmarked tax money would be added to the general fund. The road budget has been crap since, and the money pi**ed away on everything else. They should start with putting the money back that was stole from the infrastructure fund. I believe the fed tax also goes into the general fund now.

 

[DMiller]

That is how is done in MO. All the tax revenue goes to General Fund anymore as they had run out of ways to 'pad' that fund for budgets. Most of our fuels taxes go to KC, STL, SPRFLD, or COL as to use on Major highway projects as those are seen as most needy where they have the most voters sitting in traffic. They built the new I-70 bridge into downtown STL, should have been well north of there but the politicians HAD to HAVE it input to downtown just KNOWING it would spur new development. Now is just a underused overly expensive structure that has no really defined routing sitting next to three others that did and do the same thing.

 

[Nitelite]

Got in about three hours on the loader this morning.

 

[Nitelite]

I blew the main pressure hose coming off of the hydraulic pump. The other end bolts to a steel line. Total length of the hose looks to be about 30- 36 inches long and about 1 1/2" od. Just a quick glance tells me it will be an easier job if I drop the belly pan.That is no big deal as the belly pan is clean from the fairly recent engine overhaul. Looks like I lost about 2 1/2 gal of hydraulic oil. It could have been worse.

I lost some of that fluid hoisting the bucket all of the way up in order to use the safety angle irons to keep the bucket locked in the full up position. Tomorrow I will chase the part to replace the hose.

 

[Nitelite]

My cat loader is a 951-C #86J 2188 with a D 330 engine. In my parts book, if I am understanding it right, I am showing the entire hose assembly as 7k7676. It is shown as a hose assembly and broken down into individual parts which make up the hose. The hose itself is a 8S9355. Could be that I can take it to a hydraulic shop and have the hose replaced using my existing ends. It may also be available at Off Road Equipment.Co.

 

[Nitelite]

Finally, I think it is readable now. I am thinking that part numbers 36,37,35,and 31 are separate components and maybe reusable parts if I have the hose made up at a hydraulic shop.

Right click the picture to zoom to the top right in order to read the parts discription

 

[Dickjr.]

If the hose ends are the reusable one I hope you have better luck than I did. At any rate , the hydraulics are strong enough to pop the hose and the hose is probably due anyway. My last hose on the drive of the 943 , they say it will see peak pressure of 5500 psi a couple times a day. I'm not sure on that but if so maybe that's why a 40" hose cost 500$.

 

[Cmark]

Your local hose man may not have the tooling for the reusable ends but your Cat dealer will. If the ends are very old and rusty, they may not be reusable any more.

I personally think Cat hose prices are quite reasonable for an OEM. Why not give them a call and get a cost on the assembly, 6K7407.

 

[Nitelite]

I looked up the hose at Off Road Equipment Co. I shows $116 for the complete hose not including shipping. It is a made up aftermarket part and therefore non returnable. That is not too bad but I will take off the old hose and see what the local shop, Volunteer Hose and Gasket, has to say about it.

 

[Nitelite]

Cmark, I agree on cat's hose prices and I will call the local cat dealer first thing in the morning. My ends are in remarkable condition as the paint has been maintained on them.

The old gal sits now with the bucket hoisted and supported high in the air and a 4'x10' piece of sheet steel shoved under her between the tracks to support my hydraulic jack for the belly pan removal. I don't expect it to be a big job. The 4 bolts connecting the hose to the pump will be in good shape as they were removed at overhaul. If I don't get into a broken bolt situation on the other end it won't be a big deal to change out the hose.

As you see in the pictures up thread, I am shaving the face of the dirt bank from below using the loader. With the loader out of commission until I get the hose replaced I guess it is time to put the dozer on the top of the bank and start pushing dirt from right to left. You can see in the picture up thread where I have been up on the top 30 yards beyond the face removing the top soil.