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Help with 955 serial number

coondog13

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Joined
Oct 22, 2018
Messages
22
Location
Tennessee
can someone please help me with this serial number the site I had found with the h k and l models and year ranges is not loading or something but I'm also not good with computers ha. It's suppose to be a 955L with a rebuilt 3304 and a new undercarriage. It's not mine it's for sale I found. Serial is 64J3751. Thanks!
 

coondog13

Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2018
Messages
22
Location
Tennessee
Ok I did find that it's a France machine but it could still be a K or L and that's what I can't seem to find out now or the year. I'm also looking at a 85J(don't know the rest yet) machine so I found that it would be US machine. Is it really just which seems better or is this one of those that's just buy the US machine for sure? Both have rebuilt motors around 1000 hours. One says 300 hours on undercarriage one says 90%. The 64J has ripper and no rops so I'd want to add that. The 85J has rops.
 

Welder Dave

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Joined
Oct 11, 2014
Messages
13,076
Location
Canada
I have a little booklet with some serial numbers and don't see a 955L 64J prefix. It shows an 8Y prefix from France. If it was an 85J would be a 1970 or 71J would be 1972. Is the serial number listed from the machine, engine or an attachment? It's possible my book is missing some prefixes.
 

coondog13

Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2018
Messages
22
Location
Tennessee
He did say he thought it was a 71. The owner died and the family is selling it. The man selling it for the family is a heavy equip mechanic and met the man through this machine and did the rebuild and undercarriage and everything. He said mike bos the dragster builder was the owner. I have not looked at the machine since its bout 4 hours he is suppose to be getting me a bunch more pics of it and a video. https://tricities.craigslist.org/hvo/d/bluff-city-955l-cat/6764118901.html There is the ad he said he's told the family the paint and the not having rops doesn't help it any. He said 10 would buy it. https://littlerock.craigslist.org/hvo/d/cat-955l-85j10000/6754540301.html This is the other one with the 85J that should be American I have not got any more pics of it yet either
 

Bluox

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Joined
Jun 19, 2010
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1,960
Location
WA state
They are being generous at 90% worn ,The under carriage is wore out on the little rock machine.
The first guy means 5% worn under carriage .
Bob
 

coondog13

Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2018
Messages
22
Location
Tennessee
The little rock seems wore out? I'm no expert and couldn't really tell from the picture I called for more pics just now but went to voicemail. It did look like to me that the track tensioner part up towards the front idler could not go any further forward so I guess next step would be tack a pad out? Maybe I can get better pics of it. This is the last one I had found a was interested in and it's the closest. https://louisville.craigslist.org/hvo/d/la-grange-cat-955l/6782378389.html Could anyone tell me anything bout it with the serial number 85J11622 or possibly 85J11822 that 6 or 8 is hard to see in the picture
 

kshansen

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Joined
Mar 11, 2012
Messages
11,270
Location
Central New York, USA
Occupation
Retired Mechanic in Stone Quarry
I tried looking on SIS, and at my access level at least, that S/N does not show up in the "As Built" search. But do see that if I look say under parts the S/N shows up at the top of page and says 955L but down lower on the page it has 955K. Just guessing that there are many similarities so Cat just lumped them together??

As for the question of the engine, seems Cat hand a problem with the model number system for their engines back then as they made it a bit confusing to understand what was a D330(or D333) and what was a 3304(3306). I think, and could be wrong, that the "C" on the end of the D330(D333) model number makes it closer to the 3304(3306) but maybe not 100%. Might have been a two step process changing the designs of the "D"'s to the "33".

It would be nice if someone could find a detailed description what made what what on those engines. I believe the key thing that one can see at a glance is the "D"'s had a water pump mounted on top of front cover where the "33"'s had a water pump that mounted from the front of the front cover. I also seem to recall that the shape of the casting for the block around the cylinders was different on the left side. One had round areas around the cylinders and the other was somewhat squared off looking.
 

coondog13

Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2018
Messages
22
Location
Tennessee
Ok thank you so might help if I asked him where the water pump was located? All I know is he says he's the one that rebuilt it for the man and now trying to help the family sell it and said it was 3304. I'm trying to get as much info on all of them I can before I go look at any since 2 are both 5 hours from me and in opposite directions and the one in Ky is 3 hours from me.
 

kshansen

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Mar 11, 2012
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Central New York, USA
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Retired Mechanic in Stone Quarry
Ok thank you so might help if I asked him where the water pump was located? All I know is he says he's the one that rebuilt it for the man and now trying to help the family sell it and said it was 3304. I'm trying to get as much info on all of them I can before I go look at any since 2 are both 5 hours from me and in opposite directions and the one in Ky is 3 hours from me.

And see if he can send you some pictures showing the under carriage and both sides of the engine. Including a close-up of the serial number tags just to be sure.
 

Bluox

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WA state
Ok thank you so might help if I asked him where the water pump was located? All I know is he says he's the one that rebuilt it for the man and now trying to help the family sell it and said it was 3304. I'm trying to get as much info on all of them I can before I go look at any since 2 are both 5 hours from me and in opposite directions and the one in Ky is 3 hours from me.
That serial #85J11622 is a 955L ,K &L both had 3304 motors should be a 78P if it's original .The 64J machine should have a 48V 3304 motor. Look that under carriage over carefully the 85J ,something is not quite right with it.
Bob
 
Last edited:

coondog13

Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2018
Messages
22
Location
Tennessee
That serial # is a 955L ,K &L both had 3304 motors Look that under carriage over carefully ,something is not quite right with it.
Bob

Are you talking bout the one without the rops? He suppose to get me a lot of pics but I won't know how to get them on here unfortunately. Said its rusty on top from sitting but listed all the new stuff. I also believe I've guessed the ky loader with serial number 85J11622 to be a 77 or 78 just by looking at machinery trader serial numbers close to it.
 

coondog13

Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2018
Messages
22
Location
Tennessee
I also don't see the square bracket on the rear of the machine to bolt the rops to so I don't know how big a deal that would turn into.
 

Nige

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Jun 22, 2011
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G..G..G..Granville.........!! Fetch your cloth.
Am I mistaken in thinking that in a 955 equipped with a 3304 the engine Serial Number will be different to that of the machine..?
In the case of a D330 engine the machine and engine Serial Numbers would be the same.
There are S/N breaks in the 64J-prefix at 3993, 5182, & 7631. Above 5182 SIS lists the engine as a 3304.
 

coondog13

Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2018
Messages
22
Location
Tennessee
That serial #85J11622 is a 955L ,K &L both had 3304 motors should be a 78P if it's original .The 64J machine should have a 48V 3304 motor. Look that under carriage over carefully the 85J ,something is not quite right with it.
Bob

Did you have a specific area you was looking at that didn't look right? And you are talking bout the Louisville one not little rock correct?
 

kshansen

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2012
Messages
11,270
Location
Central New York, USA
Occupation
Retired Mechanic in Stone Quarry
He suppose to get me a lot of pics but I won't know how to get them on here unfortunately.

Posting pictures are very easy nowhere as complicated as it may sound from the description below:

Well if he is sending them to you as a digital file .JPG or such. Just save them to your computer someplace you can find them. Then Just click on "Reply" down in the lower left corner of this or any post in this thread. When box opens up where you type your reply there should be three blue "buttons" at the bottom. One says "Post Reply" second says "Upload a File" and one says "More Options".

Click on the second one "Upload a File" that should take you to someplace where you can look around on your computer, on mine it goes right to "Desktop", but that may because that is where I have saved an temporarily stored files for several years. You may have to hunt around a bit the first time to get to where you saved the files of the pictures.

Once there if you hold down on the "CTRL" key on your key board you should be able to keep selecting the files you want to up load. Once you have them selected click on the "Open" button and it should take you back to where you were writing your reply with the pictures in thumbnail form at the bottom. Just click on the button right under the words "Insert every image as a.... that says "FULL IMAGE" then just hit the "Post Reply" button.

And if I made any errors anyone let me know or correct them!
 

Rusted

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 1, 2007
Messages
211
Location
Australia
I tried looking on SIS, and at my access level at least, that S/N does not show up in the "As Built" search. But do see that if I look say under parts the S/N shows up at the top of page and says 955L but down lower on the page it has 955K. Just guessing that there are many similarities so Cat just lumped them together??

As for the question of the engine, seems Cat hand a problem with the model number system for their engines back then as they made it a bit confusing to understand what was a D330(or D333) and what was a 3304(3306). I think, and could be wrong, that the "C" on the end of the D330(D333) model number makes it closer to the 3304(3306) but maybe not 100%. Might have been a two step process changing the designs of the "D"'s to the "33".

It would be nice if someone could find a detailed description what made what what on those engines. I believe the key thing that one can see at a glance is the "D"'s had a water pump mounted on top of front cover where the "33"'s had a water pump that mounted from the front of the front cover. I also seem to recall that the shape of the casting for the block around the cylinders was different on the left side. One had round areas around the cylinders and the other was somewhat squared off looking.

There's always been much confusion over the late "D" series engines and the "33xx" series. Having owned and operated both, hopefully I may be able to clarify things a little (please bear in mind I am not a mechanic, just an owner operator.)

The original "D" series engines were 4.5" bore with element type fuel and oil filters and the deeper cyl head (when compared to the c series and 33 series).
When they went to the "c" series (about '67), the bore increased to 4.75", the canister type oil filter remained, but the element type fuel filter became a spin on type. The cyl head became the "thinner" look ala the "33xx" series.
As Nige says, the serial numbers still matched the machine they were fitted to.

In about '72-'73 the "c" series morphed into the "33xx" series proper and the engines got their own serial number ranges.
The quickest way to tell them apart at a glance is the water pump plate being round on the "c" series and square on the "33xx". Also the engine oil filter is a good guide too, though quite a few of the "c" series have been converted to spin on type filters, so it's not foolproof.
The fan mounts were different too.
I've probably forgotten some stuff, but hopefully this helps a little.
 
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