Newby with CAT 305.5E2 (not CR) -- I think the tracks are toast. Do I need new sprockets?

[Baxsie]

I'm sorry if that comment came across as critical. . . .

Oh! No worries. Happy to get another viewpoint. Also, it was a good excuse to summarize the costs

Only the carrier roller and sprockets are verified ITR. The track rollers are "eBay", the tracks are "McLaren". I guess the tracks might turn out to be ITR once I get a closer look at them.

It is still a bit of a mystery how both the undercarriage and the bucket could be so worn on this machine at only "1600 hours". It is what it is.

My hope is that once I get the undercarriage sorted, I'll be done with major work. I do have some fiddly projects on my list (lights, 360 camera), but those are behind getting the machine functional.

Peace.

 

[BC Placer gold]

I wish I was as fast as getting projects done as you are; good job!

 

[Baxsie]

Finished up a project at my "I'm retired, I don't work here anymore" job, plus a sunny if cold afternoon means I was able to get a few hours in on the digger.

I had cleaned up the hydraulic tensioner cylinder as well as I could but the internal groove that holds the outer seal was still pitted by rust. I decided to smear a liberal amount of black gasket maker in that groove and on the outside of the seal to basically glue that outer seal in it so it won't allow water into the cylinder:



I then carefully cleaned off all of the excess sealant, making sure that the groove behind the lip of the seal was clean:



I let that cure for a few rainy days inside the warmth of the house, then today I greased up the inside of the cylinder and installed the actual seals. These consist of an O-ring and a white plastic backer ring:



Installing the piston was uneventful:



I then opened the grease valve and put the entire assembly in my press. I pushed the piston down until all of the grease, and hopefully all the air, was out of the system.

As a test, I used the grease gun to pump it up about an inch, closed the grease valve, and then used the press to push down on it with a reasonable but not too heavy force.

I did not see any leaking either around the piston or the grease valve so hopefully that's a win

 

[Baxsie]

With the hydraulic tensioner working, I was running out of excuses to avoid putting on the new track.

I pressure washed and spray painted the spring assembly. Lipstick, I know:



There was some rust on the top of the undercarriage. I cleaned that up with a scraper, brush and air gun. Then a pass with some solvent and then covered the top with a good quality undercoating (more lipstick):



I got the idler installed:



Blinked my eyes and then the track was on:



Pretty darn good progress for a winter afternoon

Tomorrow is tackling the disassembly of the right side.

Peace.

 

[Nige]

I do love it when a plan comes together.

 

[oarwhat]

Can't really tell from the picture but, it looks like the wiper seal is backwards. The big sealing lip should face outwards. I'm sure it will be fine as it is.

 

[Baxsie]

Thanks for your replies. This forum has been very helpful to my rookie self. I really appreciate all the information and feedback.

Can't really tell from the picture but, it looks like the wiper seal is backwards. The big sealing lip should face outwards. I'm sure it will be fine as it is.

Interesting. I can see your reasoning.

I put it in the way it was when I took the old one out -- but as I have learned that is no guarantee on this machine:

Googling around, I found one video where the lip was out, and one where the lip was in.

I guess I could do the next track the other way -- then I'm guaranteed one of them would be right

@Nige @skyking1 or any one else have a definitive answer on the hydraulic tensioner grease seal cup facing in or out?

 

[Nige]

any one else have a definitive answer on the hydraulic tensioner grease seal cup facing in or out?

Only if you can post a photo of (both sides of) the seal before it was installed.

 

[skyking1]

Yeah don't look at me man. Go to the pros. There's a handful of them here

 

[Tones]

I'm not an expert but repeating what I've been told. The pressure in the cylinder presses the lip against the shaft and pretty much the same on all hydraulic cylinders. If there's a wiper seal that's fitted in the outer end then that lip goes to the outside. Hope that makes sense.

 

[pittsburgh cat man]

If you look at parts is said seal dust so normal dirt seal is lip out

 

[Baxsie]

OK. Thanks for the information. Unless I have a really good reason, I'll leave it as is . When I get a new seal for the left side, I'll post up some pics before I install it.

On to the right side. The day started with the demise of a vintage craftsman socket. <sniff>:



Several hours saw all the shoes removed, and only the naked chain remaining:



Maybe 1/2 the bolts would come out with the impact. The remaining had to be broken loose with the breaker bar and an <ahem> impact socket.

Why would I take off all the shoes? I want to enable @skyking1's future art project. (MsBaxsie is an artist, and I would never want to stand in the way of art!)

The sprocket and rollers came off without drama. Track rollers are battered, as expected:



The top roller actually cam out with some encouragement provided by the sledge hammer. I was trying to be too careful with the first one.

Here is a shot of the track chain wear:



That is a screen shot of a video I took of both tracks sitting next each other.

Here is the entire video:

I also came across some masking that had not been removed from the paint job. It included some Chinese language newspaper, which confirms this machine was painted in China before it was sent here. Not actionable intelligence but interesting trying to piece the history of the machine together.

 

[Baxsie]

The right-side hydraulic tensioner is a Chinese aftermarket part:



It has a grease port on each side:



I'll have to see if it looks like I can use the standard CAT seals and grease valve(s) on it. Otherwise I'll be looking for a new assembly.

 

[laidback01]

wow, you are doing great at documenting your progress ! I did some of what you did, replaced all the rollers, new tracks, new propel motors, cleaned up, etc. I didn't take any photos, have have only a couple lines in my log book of the hour meter time and what I did that week. This is so much better history! regardless, I can say without a doubt I'm quite pleased with my eBay rollers as a non-professional user. I have no idea who made them, but I check them out every grease session, and they have not yet lost their tension on rotation 87 hours in, so far so good. If I put on 200 hours in a year, I'll be amazed, I may break 100 hours this year. at this rate, my rebuilt mini will last me the rest of my life!

 

[skyking1]

about that "100 hours" thing.
If you enjoy refurbing your machine then continue on, but there is no need to do more. You may have 100 to 200 hours of work there to do.
Get with it

 

[Baxsie]

Thanks for the kind words, @laidback01. Very short update today. First, a moment of silence to bereave the pump on our 13+ year old DeWalt Pressure washer:



There was oil in it, as evidenced by the slick around the parts. Not necessarily fresh clean oil.



We have used the heck out of that pressure washer. RIP. The Honda engine is still strong, so I decided to take a chance on a cheesey Vevor pump:

VEVOR Pressure Washer Pump, 1" Shaft Horizontal Triplex Plunger, 4200 PSI, 4.2GPM, Replacement Power Washer Pumps Kit with 5 Nozzles, Compatible with Simpson MorFlex 40224, 40225, 40226, Santoprene | VEVOR US

Shop VEVOR Pressure Washer Pump, 1" Shaft Horizontal Triplex Plunger, 4200 PSI, 4.2GPM, Replacement Power Washer Pumps Kit with 5 Nozzles, Compatible with Simpson MorFlex 40224, 40225, 40226, Santoprene at lowest price, 2-day delivery, 30-day returns. Shop now at VEVOR.

www.vevor.com

Back to the excavator. The Chinese Aftermarket "306" track tensioner has no seal visible form the outside:



Where the CAT seal uses and o-ring with backer for the high pressure seal, and a molded cup seal for the dust seal, the aftermarket part uses an opposite strategy: Cup seal with backer for pressure and an o-ring for the outer dust seal:



The same local hydraulic shop that cut a new piston for the left-side tensioner was able to cross the seals to some off-the-shelf parts that they had in stock. The right-side piston should be ready tomorrow. I'll assemble the tensioner, check it with the grease gun and the press. If it works, then I should be able to start the right side sprocket, rollers, and track reassembly.

 

[laidback01]

about that "100 hours" thing.
If you enjoy refurbing your machine then continue on, but there is no need to do more. You may have 100 to 200 hours of work there to do.
Get with it

yeah, I don't want to screw up Baxsie's thread. I'm all done working on mine, now I'm just using it to do work. By the look of it, Baxsie will have a fantastic rig once he's done! Cool to see the progress someone else is making and think "I did something similar on mine!"... less fun when I think "Should I have looked at that?" heh

 

[Baxsie]

Got the new piston for the Chinese "E306" track tensioner installed and tested:



And this morning doing the two-tractors-one-man dance:



Progress.

 

[HarleyHappy]

Looks like you have some demolition work ahead also.

 

[Baxsie]

That shed just needs a little TLC. I'll probably get to it next year. It happens to be the shed that the spring is plumbed to. There is a cistern in the floor -- maybe 18" diameter by 4' deep, so perhaps 50 gallons or so. There was electricity to that building, so I assume that there was a pump of some sort in there. Last time I looked, the cistern was dry and home to a black widow. Being a good parent, I covered it up with an old board and forbade the kids to enter. Seems to have worked

Concerning the CAT 305.5E2, it now officially has new shoes:



As well as track chains, drive sprockets, refreshed hydraulic track tensioners, and all new rollers.

I have it up on wood to keep it out of the mud and the battery on a maintainer so is should be cozy while waiting for drier weather.

I do have an immediate question though, it seems to have a more noticeable drift to the right. Is there an adjustment that can be tweaked to straighten out tracking?

As always, thanks for the advice, support and guidance you have shared.