1982 USMC Caterpillar D7G

[jaws4518]

Nope, never heard of it. This is the pair my Brother and I have been running for a guy that bought them to put a pond (it's a lake) in.

Brother has a 450 Case that I can't grade worth a crap but I hopped into the 850 and run smooth for hundreds of feet at a time. The Cat is a D8N with rippers. First time I pushed with it I ended up rolling the dirt up higher than the hood. Good grief.

Worst thing in it? I forgot to pick the rippers up and ran it for half an area pushing dirt dragging them. I couldn't tell the difference.

I'd like to have a dozer but at my age that ship sailed. One of the best times of my life, my Brother running his Case backhoe digging sides while I was pushing the dirt out of a pond with the 450 Case to my Dad who was using his 450 JD moving it away.

Good day running a dozer is better than a good day at work or fishing.

View attachment 944439

That Case looks like very nice. I have seen a few like that in my area. I like Case equipment. I don't have any experience with the newer Case stuff.

 

[jaws4518]

So here are the things I have had to do so far. I have not run the dozer for more than an hour because it's not ready.

1. replaced tilt cylinder hydraulic lines and fittings
2. overhaul door seals which were non existent, doors rattled badly, had to be fixed in the open position
3. free main belt tensioner and generator tensioner to adjust loose belts
4. wash out clogged radiator cores, totally impacted on the fan side
5. pull cab hatch covers, rust treat w/Loctite Extend, red primer on all surfaces, add new weather seal and Titebond Gutter sealent (like NP-1 but better I think)
6. start prepping cab everywhere for pressurization, (rust treat everywhere, caulk with Titebond)
7. dissemble air handler can and remove for overhaul ( heater core and fan controls all good)
8. rust treat and coat battery "tie down" frames with Flexseal
9. remove seat for overhaul (all adjustment controls are frozen)
10. start freeing control rods and yokes so they can be adjusted
11. remove hatches to adjust brakes per TM
12. look for chaffed hydraulic hoses
13. drop belly pans to remove all debris and inspect power train and hose connections underneath
14. grease everything (some zerks are clogged)
15. fabricate new belt pulley for 1" to 3/8 belt combination (install AC compressor)
16. adjust tracks
17. install tachometer drive to the governor and gauge on the dash

Tachometer drives are becoming scarce for the 3306 engine. There is a $15 shaft coupling which is hard to find but I found another one from the same company 5 years ago. They said it was the last one they had. I got lucky! Back in the 70s and 80s Cat did not bundle anything together. Parts don't come with bolts, screws, clips, O-rings etc... Anyway, I'm preaching to the quire for you "old timers". I will post pictures soon. Trying to make this discussion informative for the next guy who has the same interest.