Another Caterpillar D4?!

[@HawksofOz]

we were all starting to wonder if you were still on planet earth mate, other than a neck down shot from Squatch the other day, "which by the way could have been anybody including Toby himself" there's been little proof that you're still with us. Welcome back.

[@kylechrist]

I'm around and that was me in Toby's video, having 2 kids under 2 years old really slows down what I can get done but I need to keep projects rolling, thanks for watching

[@benvanecek2135]

Stumbled upon your channel, love it! Thank you for sharing these old machines.

[@brenterickson1695]

Your the go to guy for D4 stuff... One dies so another can live. Love the puppies at the end.....Thanks Kyle.

[@kylechrist]

Thanks for watching Brent

[@acewrench]

Thanks, as always, for the doggie bonus footage. They help keep our mental state in check.

[@lukestrasser]

I don’t think the dogs are why you don’t get anything done. But probably safer to blame them than the wife or kids.

[@kylechrist]

Very true Luke haha

[@rickyjessome4359]

Lots of good usable parts for sure

[@kylechrist]

Absolutely!

[@Stoparts]

Hello from Turkey, cool channel CAT is the best

[@richardross7219]

Good plan. In my area(CT), many excavation contractors welded up their idlers and rollers in the winter. Good Luck, Rick

[@kerrybradbury8768]

Hello from Tasmania. Well done finding a donor tractor to keep your other ones going thanks Kerry.

[@kylechrist]

Thanks Kerry!

[@briandemas2548]

Thank you for the bonus footage of your pooches, Love your dogs.

[@hmw-ms3tx]

Back in the 50's and 60's when my grandpa was freighting in the winter with D4's, the upper idlers would freeze solid and then wear like yours did. To prevent that he replaced the upper idler with a block of either oak for fir.

[@kylechrist]

I've seen that in pictures but never in person 👍

[@briananderson1781]

I asked the Historian at Caterpillar when Caterpillar discontinued the traverse spring and only sold crawlers with hard bars and they could not answer. I remember back in the 1960's people talking about swapping the springs for hard bars on older dozers they used.

[@clydeschwartz]

Excellent video

[@paulsilva3346]

Kyle, did I miss you checking the clutches😊? Good to have you back on the channel again

[@kylechrist]

Thanks Paul

[@williamhastings7182]

When might we see more of the RD4 project?

[@kylechrist]

August is always busy but the plan is to get back into it asap

[@jeffsnider3588]

Everyone needs a few of these!😀

[@geneguenther4325]

Nice parts Tractor! It’s a shame it’s so beat up but happens

[@4051a]

Nice find

[@kylechrist]

Thanks!

[@billlee4838]

I have a D2 with a complete LaPlant dozer and hydraulic system. It looks like you are missing everything except for the tank. Also if you are looking to ad another D4 to your collection, I have one been setting in storage for 20 years. Both engine run. I'm at the age where I need to be selective as to what I save and what I part with. It's not to far from Prairie Village

[@spacemanmat]

Nice.

[@kylechrist]

Thanks!

[@raincoast9010]

Great parts find!... or get the engine unstuck and run it? Why are the pads not to your liking?

[@kylechrist]

The torch cut snow relief holes are very crude and irregular, the grousers have also been welded up. After editing the video, I did think I may hang on to them for a blade machine as they would be great for that 👍

[@raincoast9010]

@@kylechrist I thought you might be able to put the pads on a milling machine and clean up the holes. Thanks for the reply.

[@richardlindgren529]

I think that is a Dakota dozer. Sold by surplus tractor in Fargo.

[@kylechrist]

Thanks for the info!

[@ironman3406]

Undercarriage parts!! Yay. Those idler arms likely broke from falling over too many ridges. Front of the tractor comes up, then hammers down on the other side. Would have been a rough experience for the operator, but that’s all I can think that would cause them to break.

[@kylechrist]

That would make sense because upon further inspection, the track frames themselves are broke as well

[@ironman3406]

@@kylechrist yup that’ll do it

[@oldamericaniron5767]

I saw the rails immediately in the opening. Nice to find a parts machine that you won’t feel bad about disassembling. 👍

[@kylechrist]

@@oldamericaniron5767 not at all, with the front idler forks and tracks frames as torn up as they are, it basically confirmed turning it into a parts machine

[@challengerhitchman]

I agree the hydraulic tank is a LaPlant possibly much older than the dozer. I believe the dozer blade is Dakota. My dad has a 7u with a 6 way blade but the cylinder lift brackets and mold board look identical to this dozer. The decal on his use to say Dakota Dozer I belive. When he mounted the blade in 1980 they were still in business and sold him the hydraulic drive coulping for the engine.

[@kylechrist]

Thanks for the info!

[@seniorelectrician6831]

good find!

[@kylechrist]

Thanks!

[@tmscheum]

Will parts that today are rejected eventually become unobtainium? In other words, will bad parts today become the only parts of tomorrow?

[@evankibbe590]

😊🤔😊😊😊😊 good morning 😊

[@kylechrist]

Good morning Evan

[@waynep343]

Are you going to use the D4 with the V4 air compressor to set up for sand blasting.

[@thecollectoronthecorner7061]

Shame someone let it rain into the exhaust. If it was mine. I would remove the oil pan unbolt the rod caps. and use my porta power to push the piston and liner out as a unit. And get the engine running. We just made a video where I removed the sleeves pistons and rods from a C Farmall using that method. Looks like too good a machine to part out.

[@kylechrist]

Unfortunately with the track frames, idler forks, and carrier rollers all being broke, the stuck engine just added to the list of things wrong with it that deem it a parts machine to me

[@glennstasse5698]

One question this raises, among many!, is what amount of usable material makes one of these things worth taking home? Your walk around seemed to suggest much of it was no longer good enough to use. At least as far as the under carriage and engine were concerned.

[@kylechrist]

The main factor is price haha, what made the decision to bring this particular machine home was the rails (chains) themselves. Finding good D4 undercarriage parts is getting harder as they do not make new so it's only used or NOS parts at this point. As far as parts off this machine, the drive sprockets, bottom rollers, and chains will be saved, the track frames and front idlers are broke so more than likely scrap weight. The radiator will be saved. The diesel engine is parts to me, it's stuck, but will be saved. The pony engine seems low on compression so it may only be parts. As far as main transmission and rear end, those parts rarely go bad and therefore rarely need spares. I'd like to keep the blade as I dont have a blade machine. Hopefully this helps

[@glennstasse5698]

@@kylechrist sure it helps. Thanks for taking the time to answer. The list of good parts in your note is pretty much what you said in the video and my impression listening to that was that half the machine seemed either beyond use or not needed elsewhere. All in the eye of the beholder, I suppose, and this here beholder has a really ignorant eye when it comes to these things. One reason I like you guys channels. Thanks again.

[@kylechrist]

@@glennstasse5698 thanks for watching, there are plenty of usable parts on this machine, unfortunately there are too many little things wrong in my opinion to fix this machine. Many parts of it will help others live on though!

[@SuperMAZ007]

Lot of useable parts. That one idler wheel must have been stuck for decades to get wear like that. But the blade looks all original and decent so you can use it on a different machine. What I like on this machine is lot of smaller bits and pieces left and like Toby says: devil is in the details.

[@kylechrist]

Absolutely, a few parts here and a few parts there and the machine is paid for

[@SuperMAZ007]

@@kylechrist You can always sell the rest or trade them with who ever wishes to give you something in return. Kind of a long term investment that will pay itself back.

[@mog5858]

my guess is that the blade looks a like a Dakota blade. them pads are too good to scrap. I have seen way worse pads in use. sell after you get them off.

[@RickBork]

Top carriers where over greased.

[@brandonsilvay4822]

Why do it my parts vehicles and tractors is as a swap the parts between the two is I marked the bad ones and I put them on the parts one that way I can keep track everything still move everything around and if I decide to actually try to fix the parts one I know what's there and what's not

[@catman13131313]

that is a dakota blade

[@timtimtim5294]

Lol I can’t even find an old D4 that’s not at least 5k. I’d take one much worse than that to fix up

[@kylechrist]

Where are you located?

[@timtimtim5294]

@@kylechrist I used to live in Colorado but have been moving down to East TN. They were 5k with a locked up motor there. Don’t seem to be much better in TN

[@kylechrist]

@@timtimtim5294 wow, that's insane!

[@RustandDust]

Rails are bass ackward

[@kylechrist]

Yes they are!

[@wilmamcdermott3065]

Rails are on backwards

[@kylechrist]

Yes they are

[@bcbloc02]

Roller ground half in two...... Whats that noise??? who cares keep driving. LOL

[@rickbrandt9559]

Options sad some/lots driver abuse.