I feel like the dog that finally caught the car! I was out working on a county machine near home when a passerby stopped and asked if I worked for the public. I said yes and that's when my troubles may have started. He said he had a Cat 983B track loader with a seized engine. Not familiar with track loader models, I thought it was the size based on my D6C with the 3306 engine in it when I said I would take it on. Wrong! Wow. Went by and looked at it today and realized it is bigger than a house and I assume built on a D8K undercarriage. After exchanging names, we realized we're both locals so I can't wash this one off as easily as a chance meeting.
He told me it had started knocking so they changed the engine oil and it ran fine for two hours or so then as he was nosing off into a ditch, it seized without warning and now the starter won't bump it. After some research, I found it has a 3408 engine with a bare weight of 7K pounds, more than many of the farm tractors I work on. Short of a lifting apparatus, is this a BIG job or not too bad? It will need to be pulled back from the water's edge before beginning repair. Undercarriage is new with dozer pads and machine is otherwise in good condition so it's not a scrapper.
He told me it had started knocking so they changed the engine oil and it ran fine for two hours or so then as he was nosing off into a ditch, it seized without warning and now the starter won't bump it. After some research, I found it has a 3408 engine with a bare weight of 7K pounds, more than many of the farm tractors I work on. Short of a lifting apparatus, is this a BIG job or not too bad? It will need to be pulled back from the water's edge before beginning repair. Undercarriage is new with dozer pads and machine is otherwise in good condition so it's not a scrapper.