Look what Matt from YT channel Diesel Creek finally pulled inside his shop. An antique Cat D4 7U that he bought years ago and left sitting between a new house and a new shop building. The tractor cost roughly 2500 dollars and carries every mark of long storage.
Undercarriage components are loose, an old weld on the track frame was done poorly, and the steering clutches are stuck. Matt’s goal stays simple through all of this: bring the old machine back to life so it can push dirt again.
Built in 1952, this D47U relies on a Caterpillar D315 diesel that starts with help from a small gasoline pony engine. That little opposed twin does far more than spin the crank. It shares coolant with the big diesel, warming the block before compression and fuel arrive.
Blade control sits on a single lever, and adjustable bars let the operator manually change blade angle when nothing is frozen or worn. Early checks reveal a gear shifter locked solid and an undercarriage showing decades of work and patch repairs.
Plenty of details add character to this tractor. Brake pedals are worn almost smooth. A colony of mice filled the exhaust ports with packed debris that stopped the engine from making a full rotation.
Once Matt cleaned out the cylinders and repaired a starter full of spiders and webs, the pony engine came to life and finally spun the diesel into motion.
Much remains before this D4 can move under its own power, including transmission work and a painfully loud exhaust manifold. For the full depth of the job, nothing beats watching the video.
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