People see all the work you are doing…Few realize that you have 2-3 times more work they don’t see and then add in 2-3 times more in editing…Thank you are amazingly dedicated!
I was just thinking that exact thought. I had a problem with my ONLY vehicle currently (A Giant Chevy Step Van) it was at the garage for 2 months ... I towed it out of there and fixed it myself, over the last 4 weeks. (basically replaced the entre fuel delivery and ignition systems, with aftermarket Holley Stuff) I've been complaining ... BUT????? ?? It is just SOOOOO MUCH EASIER than rebuilding an excavator!!!
Yea, man, I have videoed. Is that a word videoed? Anyway, I have videoed several videos, and when someone works with one hand to get the video, it is impressive. I am impressed with this guys ability. I do not envy Matt having to put this back together. However, I will be there watching with enthusiasm. Great job, Matt.
When the crickets stopped, that was probably when Sasquatch was watching you from the trees and wondering what the heck you were doing in the middle of the night. 😂
I can not help but to think that some things were not meant to be taken apart. This stuff is put together at the factor and never meant to be taken apart. You sure have a lot of courage to take it all apart. New wires and hoses are a huge job. To get that all cleaned out and painted first is great. You will have a new machine when you are done. It sure will take a lot of time, work and money. You are the bravest man that I know.
It's all meant to come apart that's why they make separate harnesses and make things removable. Plus that's how they get to see you all the marked up extra parts or remanufactured parts!
Speaking of which, awhile back I left this link in the comments. Matt, if you're looking for another project when you finish up with the excavator, that 240Z is waitin' on ya. Datsun 240Z Restoration - The Teardown (Part 1) ua-cam.com/video/B13vXFj37RI/v-deo.html
Just when I watched a 1,5 hour video of Farmcraft101 on Large Marge and thought my evening couldn't get any better....I see a new Pacific Northwest Hillbilly video pop up on the Hitachi! The ideal friday evening! 😀👍
To many people questioning the work he has undertaking. Its no different than someone taking a car/truck apart and restoring it. I applaud his dedication to the project. He has wiring diagrams, picture of hoses, he has the tools to make new hoses. He has a complete manual for the rebuild. I would never question a mans work. Its a choice. God Bless sir
I’m not sure where you read people are questioning his work. I went through the first 100 comments before I stopped looking. Not a single negative comment.
This is so much better than the 'will it run' or patch-ups and still look like junk cars or equipment that litter the youtubes. This is a balm to my OCD and a reprieve from youtubers that call rustbuckets having "patina".
I've been watching since you started the cat 4 .. the reason i kept watching was because you dont half/azz anything .. its either the right way the first time , or not at all.. love the tenacity and determination..I never miss an episode..
If that thing ever works again, I will be totally surprised! Not because I doubt your expertise, but because of the Chinese puzzle you have to deal with.
I’m always impressed by Matt’s skills and I’d never doubt him one bit! He’s a figure it out kinda guy! Plus he’s got the video footage from the dissembling procedure from back then! You got this Matt!👌🏻👍🏻👍🏻
@@Britelite-t4p How much ever it is, it's not enough!! Imagine taking all of this on without dealing with setting cameras up, moving as needed, then all of the editing. I would venture a guess that 9 out of 10 of us couldn't do half the job he is doing without the cameras that have to be a distraction. And I thought the Dozer rebuild was complicated! Nothing compared to this.
I'll give you a pro-tip that'll save your knuckles when dealing with loose lines on a loose junction . Put your wrenches on the fitting g so they're about 2-3 inches apart and then squeeze them together, your fingers around one wrench and your thumb joint around the other . You can create quite a bit of pressure , usually enough to pop the fittings loose without using your arms or risking pulling muscles trying to put pressure on the parts to hold them while pushing or pulling the wrench .
You are an inspiration, Matt. Most people, even those who had the ambition to undertake a project like this, would have given up when confronted with the complexity, grease, dirt, rodent nests, hoards of stinging incects, etc! Thanks for having us along, brother.
You're right about stripping it down , much easier to build anew than starting on a crusty foundation . As always , hats off to your one man army at work .
This is amazing work. I think in the commercial world this excavator would be well beyond economic repair/restoration but for a hobby its a great project. I have every faith in your ability to put that complicated jigsaw back together. Superb videos also.
This is another awesome restoration project being done with an absolutely painstaking attention to detail. What Matt's doing here is Inspiring. Moreover, it's so counter to the narrative of our current era. Today, it's just throw away things that are old and buy new ones. Almost without exception, the newer gear is often not made with the same level of pride or standard of manufacture. The old Hitachi here shall break earth again! Nothing like seeing older iron come back to life.
Excavator overload! First Farmcraft101 drops his turbo/manifold video, then I see this just as I fire that up! When am I going to have time to watch Tasty Classics repair his Triumph Vitesse in a 2hr+ video or CEE Australia fabricate their spray welding hood??
You would be smart to not put those pilot lines back in that crinkle tube. Just put individual covers on them and then a zip tie to bunch them up. Having them in that tube makes it a bear to diagnose issues down the road. I found some really cool and robust hose protection on eBay. It looks like regular nylon hose jacket. But it shrinks like battery heat shrink tubing. So it form fits to the hose. It’s awesome stuff. I have rebuilt two fassi cranes this year for myself and have used it on both. I love it. Plus it keeps the sun off the hose rubber. Nice work man
Great work, sir! I’ve literally watched hundreds of hours of DIY’ers restore heavy equipment, but I’ve yet to see anyone tear an excavator all the way down and start from scratch! If you have a fund we can donate to help with the cost, please let me know! Thank you!
Greetings from not too far from you in Tualatin. You're doing the right thing by finishing the teardown. I get the trepidation though. That is a can of worms for sure. I have no doubt that your methodical workmanship will win the day. Nice work as usual. I always look forward to your content.
*- Bravo for you, Matt !* *- It was good to hear you're excited now and inspired with this huge project.* *- The first job of the laborers on a union site is to make sure the floors and workspace are kept clean and tidy for the carpenters, et. al.* *- A clean work space, where you don't turn your ankle and can walk, and not get dirty and grimy, keeps the moral up on the whole job site.*
@@ronm3245 *- You have a good sense of humor, too.* *- I bold the type because it helps my old tired eyes see what I have written/miss-typed with my fat fingers and get things corrected.*
This video is so dirty it needs an "R" rating! You sir, have an amazing amount of patience. To do all this to these machines makes you a very talented man. Great job! Thanks for sharing your journey!
Matt, you are [insert expletive here] INSANE!!! Nobody in their right mind would even BEGIN to tackle this project, but here you are absolutely KILLING it! I thought the 'dozer was a huge project (and it certainly WAS), but this one seems WAY bigger! Thanks heaps for the motivation to start huge and ambitious projects!
I sincerely admire your determination. It is a reasonable assumption the machine was assembled by lesser men than your good self, I just hope the workshop manual gives sufficient detailed assembly instructions to return it to a working condition. Should you fail, it will not be any reflection on your personal abilities, more a reflection on your eagerness to be courageous in the face of adversity. Moar powa to yer elbow fella. You'll be grand!
I'm literally blown away by the scope of what you're tackling here Matt. My 'respect meter' is pegged to 11. You need a wheel barrel to keep your sack from dragging around behind you. I can imagine the feeling of accomplishment when your done with it is gonna be tremendous. Looking forward to the next video!
I bought a Model T Ford and was just going to make it reliable. However, it was a grease nightmare. Just like you I've ended up with a bare, repainted frame and I'm rebuilding everything from there up. So nice with everything clean.
See the numbers? It will be a snowball effect. You have lots of videos and the people are starting to "binge". They will love it. What man can resist the restoration of a classic excavation pioneer. 🧐😏
It will be so awesome watching the next steps of all the new "stuff" going back in with the newly cleaned and scraped chassis! This guarantees new and interesting videos, by Matt, for a while. For your sake, hopefully not TOO long!! 🙂 I know it is "cliche" but this machine rebuild is Epic! The dozer was also an adventure in discovery. That turned out SO nice. Thanks, Matt! 😁
This is super awesome work, Matt!! Yes, sometimes the nitty gritty on a huge project (like this one) can get quite demotivating but, man I can't wait to see you put that machine back together again and fire it up! So far, this has been an exciting, entertaining and quite educational journey. Keep up the super work 💪🏽💪🏽
What you needed for the grease was hot water pressure washer. We've got a Karcher one at the farm and it takes everything off. Blast it, soak it with de-greaser to get the residue off, then blast it again. Ours will peel paint off if your not careful.
Matt, Thanks for the hard work you are putting in to own a magnificent tool for your property. You have built in a group of buyers if you ever want to sell any of your restorations. I hope your views and comments make up somewhat for the huge number of hours you are putting in to accomplish these tasks.
I hope you are paying close attention. Hitachi did not randomly assemble the machine. They had a strict methodology as it worked down an assembly line. This is to be closely watched for when you go to reassemble. Hitachi dies not pay good money to have employees sit on their thumbs while they get in each others way.
You will sleep much better knowing you washed, degreased, and started your reassembly with a clean machine. Blessing to you as you move ahead on this in depth project.
This is the channel that shows you the way projects should be done. I dearsay nearly everybody connected with the construction industry have the same comment, (we have not got the time) but deep down they probably envy you. I only hope it makes them take more care of the tools of there trade. keep on ,
I'm really enjoying watching Matt go full bore on his excavator. Right down to it's bare bones. Just like his Dozer it's going to look and run like it's fresh off the dealership floor. I for one can't wait for every episode that pops up in my feed.
I think Hitachi should send a factory tech (with a big/generous box of parts) to Matt's farm for a few friendly & mutually beneficial days of technical support. Its a win/win party! Hitachi, think of the ad campaign you could develop with this material; its a marketing miracle! You guys can't buy advertising this good! Anybody know someone at Hitachi?
I have found that the nylon labels hold up the best to fluids and time. They also have some shrink wrap in the cassettes which can be very handy. The stick'em on the vinyl seems to grab but has let go a few days later when you come back if you wrap it back on itself whereas the nylon seems to hold pretty well. Interesting fact is the cheaper Dymo printers can use the Rhino cassettes up to 1/2" quite well. Cuts down the cost if you trash one and need to replace it. The smaller sized cassettes are quite a bit cheaper as well. The 1/2 and larger are spendy with not nearly as much tape on a cassette. Great to label, really cuts down the confusion. A project can stagnate quite a while waiting for parts and a guy forgets what went where!
Matt, there is no doubt you made the right decision to clean everything and start from scratch. The finished product will be so much nicer plus , like you pointed out, you will know exactly what you have done to the excavator so it will last much longer. I really have never been a fan of channels who start so old piece of equipment up and then just walk away from it and leave to rust away. On the flipside, you have people like the other Matt over on Diesel Creek who have a hundred projects and never complete any of them.
I have to say that cleaning/washing was some kind of cathartic experience......and I was just watching! If I ever did a project, this is how I'd want to do it A clean "pallet" to start rebuilding and touching up rust, etc while you go. I've seen lots of fixing big equipment video's but very few to your level of detail Matt! Many thumbs up if I could!
Hi,Mat all the way from Ireland,you are doing a wonderful job and I wish you luck 🍀 putting all that back together. Looking forward to seeing the finished project 👍
It is a great feeling to get to the point where all the old gunk and schmoo is now out of the way and you can now being to put things back much better than they were before! Nice Work!!
You're good man, Charlie Brown. Electrical components are something else at times. Especially when it comes time to reinstall. Great video, by the way......
its a massive project mate. I've been following you since you started the 1950's Cat and I have loved every bit of it. I've done my own restorations, I still do. Whenever one of your videos shows up in my subscriptions list I know It's going to be a good evening. Please keep going. I know you may feel like you're out of your depth now but, watching your progress over the past few years, I am certain you can tackle this one too. Never give up!
You, sir, will be one good engineer. I'm 75 and have accumulated so many mechanical things in my mind. I started out at 7 years old when my dad pulled an old threshing machine up next to our shop, and said, "Take it apart." I spent the whole summer at it. Just to get the fasteners and plates. I bag and tag fasteners and small parts in zip loc bags. Yes, lots of pictures. You are brave. Keep at it. Love your videos. It's better than watching "A fist full of dollars."
Of course I made it to the end. And it was worth it, to see all the original framing and plates in their original paint…haha. That was one heck of a clean up that looked like it took several nights work to get to. Glad to see the assistants helping supervise! I know your gonna get it primed and painted before it all turns to rust and in prep for winter work. Looking forward to the next episodes! Thanks for some great video. I know the editing takes soooo much time, but your videography is great!
There is something so satisfying about taking something old, dirty and crusty, dis-assembling it , cleaning the living daylights out of it and seeing the clean stuff just waiting to be re-assembled.
Yes there is. Watching the snow slide off my 42 year old crushed by a plow truck snowblower was so satisfying as was watching the snow land on my neighbor’s roof as I pulley swapped it too. Probably have $50 in it which is an Ariens ST824 if I remember correctly. Currently have 17 snowblowers ready to go. You Tube and the great people who shared their expertise is how I learned most of what I know concerning anything with a small air cooled engine so if that’s you or you, thank you.
Great job, I would have done a Mega vacuum job, before starting, would have meant way less digging, for part of it. Now it's on to treating the rust, and then on to paint.👍👍 Best wishes from the far North.
Hey Matt, If you're worried about rust, treat it with Phosphoric Acid. You can get food grade stuff that you reduce down to about 30% with water. I've mixed some food thickener so that it not so watery. You can then pain straight over the top of it. I've treated a lot of my Excavator (& a lot of other stuff) this way & it's been holding up really well. I have only done parts at a time. not stripped it like you have....... Very interesting on how they go together & where they store crap... Well done & thank you for sharing this epic adventure 😃👍
That is a hell of a lot of work ! I hope the Road Map to assembly is a good one ! Looking forward to the wiring and hose assembly ! The big stuff is the easy part ! Thanks for sharing !
Congratulations! That’s a ton of work to get to this stage. Clean is good! Greasy and hidden sucks 😢. I have been waiting for this part, your attitude is amazing.
Matt, you are my hero, you take restoration work to a new level, I thought the bulldozer was a work of art but this excavator will be another genuine effort
It must feel good to take this machine back to its bones ready to be built back up. Totally get why it was a hump to get back into it being so greasy. Looking forward to seeing you tackle this beast.
With relays, I would suggest that you spend an hour polishing the relay contacts, as they will be tarnished, and it will save you lots of headaches in the future. It's an easy job that will pay dividends. Also use a little petroleum jelly on the relay contact points, as it will stop arcing. If you have ten minutes, put a 1N4004 diode across each of the relay coils. This will stop any back emf, and you relays will be solid. Good to go.
As an aircraft electrician who has spent many years wiring various Boeing and Airbus planes and who knows just how easy for a small mistake to lead to big problems!…. All I say is kudos! You have balls!! Looking forward to seeing it up and running in the new year.
Great video Matt, even though my Anxiety is through the roof watching you rip out all that wiring and hoses. I really don't envy your job putting it all together again. Keep up the fantastic content. Mike, Northern Ireland.👌🍻
Matt if you're interested up here in Washington State we have the James G Murphy auction... they have a huge hydraulic auction coming up real soon... and lots of hose and other hydraulic parts just sayin'. Might be a good chance to snag a good deal! Good job!
You have balls! Hitachi should be helping you !!!
Agreed! How do we get these videos to hitachi?
Hitachi should buy them
Matt has the heart of a lion on some of these projects.
Most definitely. He'll have that excavator better than new by the time he's done!
Massive undertaking. Many many hours of work ahead but you will have almost a new machine that you can rely on.
People see all the work you are doing…Few realize that you have 2-3 times more work they don’t see and then add in 2-3 times more in editing…Thank you are amazingly dedicated!
And the setting up cameras and that's involved with that
I was just thinking that exact thought. I had a problem with my ONLY vehicle currently (A Giant Chevy Step Van) it was at the garage for 2 months ... I towed it out of there and fixed it myself, over the last 4 weeks. (basically replaced the entre fuel delivery and ignition systems, with aftermarket Holley Stuff)
I've been complaining ... BUT????? ?? It is just SOOOOO MUCH EASIER than rebuilding an excavator!!!
Very true! I am amazed at how much time goes into making a detailed video like this.
Awesome skill
Yea, man, I have videoed. Is that a word videoed? Anyway, I have videoed several videos, and when someone works with one hand to get the video, it is impressive. I am impressed with this guys ability. I do not envy Matt having to put this back together. However, I will be there watching with enthusiasm. Great job, Matt.
When the crickets stopped, that was probably when Sasquatch was watching you from the trees and wondering what the heck you were doing in the middle of the night. 😂
I JUST TURNED 71 LAST WEEK ,I SURE HOPE TO SEE THIS BACK TOGETHER IN MY LIFETIME SO I BETTER GET IN SHAPE.
I can not help but to think that some things were not meant to be taken apart. This stuff is put together at the factor and never meant to be taken apart. You sure have a lot of courage to take it all apart. New wires and hoses are a huge job. To get that all cleaned out and painted first is great. You will have a new machine when you are done. It sure will take a lot of time, work and money. You are the bravest man that I know.
Equipment like this is designed to be rebuilt instead of hauled off to the scrap yard.
It's all meant to come apart that's why they make separate harnesses and make things removable. Plus that's how they get to see you all the marked up extra parts or remanufactured parts!
The first person who has ever stripped down to the frame with the intention of fixing, only vintage cars get that much work done. 😮
Why do owners allow equipment to get so fouled up?
And aircraft...
Yup! 👍
Speaking of which, awhile back I left this link in the comments. Matt, if you're looking for another project when you finish up with the excavator, that 240Z is waitin' on ya.
Datsun 240Z Restoration - The Teardown (Part 1) ua-cam.com/video/B13vXFj37RI/v-deo.html
Just when I watched a 1,5 hour video of Farmcraft101 on Large Marge and thought my evening couldn't get any better....I see a new Pacific Northwest Hillbilly video pop up on the Hitachi!
The ideal friday evening! 😀👍
I did the exact same thing watched Farmcraft 101 then seen this video pop I up was waiting for this one, And will continue to be a fan of both
I’ve just watched Matt, of to watch Jon now! 🇦🇺🍺🍺
same here!
now on to Diesel Creek..
There is a channel called LAOL that should get some love. They are restoring a 1939 CAT D4 to showroom condition. Worth a look!
I applaud your determination, you will have a nice machine in the end.
To many people questioning the work he has undertaking.
Its no different than someone taking a car/truck apart and restoring it.
I applaud his dedication to the project.
He has wiring diagrams, picture of hoses, he has the tools to make new hoses.
He has a complete manual for the rebuild.
I would never question a mans work. Its a choice.
God Bless sir
I’m not sure where you read people are questioning his work. I went through the first 100 comments before I stopped looking. Not a single negative comment.
@@corydriver7634 In his mind, most likely.
I love to see things brought back to life. Make sure you sign and date your restoration work in a hidden place!
This is so much better than the 'will it run' or patch-ups and still look like junk cars or equipment that litter the youtubes. This is a balm to my OCD and a reprieve from youtubers that call rustbuckets having "patina".
Agreed!
I've been watching since you started the cat 4 .. the reason i kept watching was because you dont half/azz anything .. its either the right way the first time , or not at all.. love the tenacity and determination..I never miss an episode..
Yep! Myself also.. bloody excellent entertainment!
FINALLY a new Excavator Video... never clicked on a video so fast in my life xD
If that thing ever works again, I will be totally surprised! Not because I doubt your expertise, but because of the Chinese puzzle you have to deal with.
He’s gotten this far…He learned a whole lot on that dozer 👍🏻😁🤩🧐
You doubted his work already.
Few extra bolts and brackets only means that he has improved the assembly procedure.
Are you kidding me? He literally fixed it getting dark at the very beginning of the video!😂
I’m always impressed by Matt’s skills and I’d never doubt him one bit! He’s a figure it out kinda guy! Plus he’s got the video footage from the dissembling procedure from back then! You got this Matt!👌🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Complete restoration, you've got balls taking on a project like this, expensive and challenging
We grow by taking ourselves out of our comfort zone.
UA-cam is paying him don't forget that hence the camera
@@Britelite-t4p How much ever it is, it's not enough!! Imagine taking all of this on without dealing with setting cameras up, moving as needed, then all of the editing. I would venture a guess that 9 out of 10 of us couldn't do half the job he is doing without the cameras that have to be a distraction. And I thought the Dozer rebuild was complicated! Nothing compared to this.
@@jeffsnodgrass9747 More like 999 out of 1000.
They say take photos....This thing would confuse even a Smart Phone..... Awesome video...
Huge respect for this massive project! Thanks for another awesome video💪⚒️
This was "too big to even begin" in my mind and I wasn't even the one doing the work!
Kudos, you are great at this!
Those bigger rubber grommets look like the ones that are on my big truck brake lights on a volvo day cab
I'll give you a pro-tip that'll save your knuckles when dealing with loose lines on a loose junction . Put your wrenches on the fitting g so they're about 2-3 inches apart and then squeeze them together, your fingers around one wrench and your thumb joint around the other . You can create quite a bit of pressure , usually enough to pop the fittings loose without using your arms or risking pulling muscles trying to put pressure on the parts to hold them while pushing or pulling the wrench .
I thought the D4 project was ambitious, but this thing……………holy moly! I’m rootin’ for you Matt.
You are an inspiration, Matt. Most people, even those who had the ambition to undertake a project like this, would have given up when confronted with the complexity, grease, dirt, rodent nests, hoards of stinging incects, etc! Thanks for having us along, brother.
Does the Miss Pacific know you are using her good dust pan? 😊
"Maybe this harness is for running a subwoofer " 🙃🤣
You're right about stripping it down , much easier to build anew than starting on a crusty foundation .
As always , hats off to your one man army at work .
This is amazing work. I think in the commercial world this excavator would be well beyond economic repair/restoration but for a hobby its a great project. I have every faith in your ability to put that complicated jigsaw back together. Superb videos also.
This is another awesome restoration project being done with an absolutely painstaking attention to detail. What Matt's doing here is Inspiring. Moreover, it's so counter to the narrative of our current era. Today, it's just throw away things that are old and buy new ones. Almost without exception, the newer gear is often not made with the same level of pride or standard of manufacture. The old Hitachi here shall break earth again! Nothing like seeing older iron come back to life.
Excavator overload! First Farmcraft101 drops his turbo/manifold video, then I see this just as I fire that up! When am I going to have time to watch Tasty Classics repair his Triumph Vitesse in a 2hr+ video or CEE Australia fabricate their spray welding hood??
You would be smart to not put those pilot lines back in that crinkle tube. Just put individual covers on them and then a zip tie to bunch them up. Having them in that tube makes it a bear to diagnose issues down the road. I found some really cool and robust hose protection on eBay. It looks like regular nylon hose jacket. But it shrinks like battery heat shrink tubing. So it form fits to the hose. It’s awesome stuff. I have rebuilt two fassi cranes this year for myself and have used it on both. I love it. Plus it keeps the sun off the hose rubber. Nice work man
Perfect example of sweat providing inspiration ... NEVER the other way around.
Great work, sir! I’ve literally watched hundreds of hours of DIY’ers restore heavy equipment, but I’ve yet to see anyone tear an excavator all the way down and start from scratch! If you have a fund we can donate to help with the cost, please let me know! Thank you!
From a giant grease ball to a "show" excavator! You my friend are determined! Great work, and thanks for taking the time to video the whole process.
This was probably the most satisfying video of the excavator yet!
Greetings from not too far from you in Tualatin. You're doing the right thing by finishing the teardown. I get the trepidation though. That is a can of worms for sure. I have no doubt that your methodical workmanship will win the day. Nice work as usual. I always look forward to your content.
Absolutely well said 👍🏻
I have watched every episode. I love watching you.
*- Bravo for you, Matt !*
*- It was good to hear you're excited now and inspired with this huge project.*
*- The first job of the laborers on a union site is to make sure the floors and workspace are kept clean and tidy for the carpenters, et. al.*
*- A clean work space, where you don't turn your ankle and can walk, and not get dirty and grimy, keeps the moral up on the whole job site.*
Very bold of you to say.
@@ronm3245 *- You have a good sense of humor, too.*
*- I bold the type because it helps my old tired eyes see what I have written/miss-typed with my fat fingers and get things corrected.*
This video is so dirty it needs an "R" rating!
You sir, have an amazing amount of patience. To do all this to these machines makes you a very talented man.
Great job! Thanks for sharing your journey!
Matt, you are [insert expletive here] INSANE!!!
Nobody in their right mind would even BEGIN to tackle this project, but here you are absolutely KILLING it!
I thought the 'dozer was a huge project (and it certainly WAS), but this one seems WAY bigger!
Thanks heaps for the motivation to start huge and ambitious projects!
Wow lots of work. Good job. I’m surprised you haven’t got a hot water pressure washer. They clean the grease off quite well. Good show.
Nothing scares me more than wiring - I salute you!!!
I sincerely admire your determination. It is a reasonable assumption the machine was assembled by lesser men than your good self, I just hope the workshop manual gives sufficient detailed assembly instructions to return it to a working condition. Should you fail, it will not be any reflection on your personal abilities, more a reflection on your eagerness to be courageous in the face of adversity. Moar powa to yer elbow fella. You'll be grand!
Toward the rebuild. thanks for content!
Thanks! It will go to the rebuild for sure.
I'm literally blown away by the scope of what you're tackling here Matt. My 'respect meter' is pegged to 11. You need a wheel barrel to keep your sack from dragging around behind you. I can imagine the feeling of accomplishment when your done with it is gonna be tremendous. Looking forward to the next video!
I bought a Model T Ford and was just going to make it reliable. However, it was a grease nightmare. Just like you I've ended up with a bare, repainted frame and I'm rebuilding everything from there up. So nice with everything clean.
See the numbers? It will be a snowball effect. You have lots of videos and the people are starting to "binge". They will love it. What man can resist the restoration of a classic excavation pioneer. 🧐😏
You deserve every pat on the back that these comments are giving you and a million more. Thank you for these fine videos, I enjoy them very much.
It will be so awesome watching the next steps of all the new "stuff" going back in with the newly cleaned and scraped chassis! This guarantees new and interesting videos, by Matt, for a while. For your sake, hopefully not TOO long!! 🙂 I know it is "cliche" but this machine rebuild is Epic! The dozer was also an adventure in discovery. That turned out SO nice. Thanks, Matt! 😁
This is super awesome work, Matt!! Yes, sometimes the nitty gritty on a huge project (like this one) can get quite demotivating but, man I can't wait to see you put that machine back together again and fire it up! So far, this has been an exciting, entertaining and quite educational journey. Keep up the super work 💪🏽💪🏽
What you needed for the grease was hot water pressure washer. We've got a Karcher one at the farm and it takes everything off. Blast it, soak it with de-greaser to get the residue off, then blast it again. Ours will peel paint off if your not careful.
Good work Matt! That’s one helluva jigsaw to put back together! 🇦🇺🍺🍺
Matt, you certainly have brass ones, for taking that electrical and hydraulic nightmare apart, I wish you the best of luck on the assembly!!!!
It is so satisfying to see that greasy mess completely clean. Great job!
Matt, Thanks for the hard work you are putting in to own a magnificent tool for your property. You have built in a group of buyers if you ever want to sell any of your restorations. I hope your views and comments make up somewhat for the huge number of hours you are putting in to accomplish these tasks.
thank you
I hope you are paying close attention. Hitachi did not randomly assemble the machine. They had a strict methodology as it worked down an assembly line. This is to be closely watched for when you go to reassemble. Hitachi dies not pay good money to have employees sit on their thumbs while they get in each others way.
Love it....Can't wait to see it completely rebuilt!
You will sleep much better knowing you washed, degreased, and started your reassembly with a clean machine. Blessing to you as you move ahead on this in depth project.
*- I can agree wholeheartedly.*
*- Thanks for saying what I always think: Clean up your work area*
*- Things go better that way.*
I feel like you should be using your other excavator to help remove those heavy pieces off
This is the channel that shows you the way projects should be done. I dearsay nearly everybody connected with the construction industry have the same comment, (we have not got the time) but deep down they probably envy you. I only hope it makes them take more care of the tools of there trade. keep on ,
I'm really enjoying watching Matt go full bore on his excavator.
Right down to it's bare bones.
Just like his Dozer it's going to look and run like it's fresh off the dealership floor.
I for one can't wait for every episode that pops up in my feed.
The D4 rebuild was the most epic YT series I've watched, followed by Squatch's D2 series. This build us shaping up to be another great one.
I think Hitachi should send a factory tech (with a big/generous box of parts) to Matt's farm for a few friendly & mutually beneficial days of technical support. Its a win/win party!
Hitachi, think of the ad campaign you could develop with this material; its a marketing miracle! You guys can't buy advertising this good!
Anybody know someone at Hitachi?
Patience in a job like this is definitely a must!
I have found that the nylon labels hold up the best to fluids and time. They also have some shrink wrap in the cassettes which can be very handy. The stick'em on the vinyl seems to grab but has let go a few days later when you come back if you wrap it back on itself whereas the nylon seems to hold pretty well. Interesting fact is the cheaper Dymo printers can use the Rhino cassettes up to 1/2" quite well. Cuts down the cost if you trash one and need to replace it. The smaller sized cassettes are quite a bit cheaper as well. The 1/2 and larger are spendy with not nearly as much tape on a cassette. Great to label, really cuts down the confusion. A project can stagnate quite a while waiting for parts and a guy forgets what went where!
100 k soon well deserved been here since you had less than a thousand viewers 🎉 you put DC to shame to be honest.
Been following along since the beginning-
If you get this back together you are one amazing talented gutsy son of a gun!!!!
Hats off to you sir!!!!
Matt, there is no doubt you made the right decision to clean everything and start from scratch. The finished product will be so much nicer plus , like you pointed out, you will know exactly what you have done to the excavator so it will last much longer. I really have never been a fan of channels who start so old piece of equipment up and then just walk away from it and leave to rust away. On the flipside, you have people like the other Matt over on Diesel Creek who have a hundred projects and never complete any of them.
I have to say that cleaning/washing was some kind of cathartic experience......and I was just watching! If I ever did a project, this is how I'd want to do it
A clean "pallet" to start rebuilding and touching up rust, etc while you go. I've seen lots of fixing big equipment video's but very few to your level of detail Matt! Many thumbs up if I could!
Hi,Mat all the way from Ireland,you are doing a wonderful job and I wish you luck 🍀 putting all that back together. Looking forward to seeing the finished project 👍
We are with you in spirit! 🤗
Looking good! Gonna be a brand new machine when you're done.
It is a great feeling to get to the point where all the old gunk and schmoo is now out of the way and you can now being to put things back much better than they were before! Nice Work!!
The video is barely 2h old/ done watching it and im already stressing to see the next part 😂
Cant wait for the next video!!
You're good man, Charlie Brown. Electrical components are something else at times. Especially when it comes time to reinstall. Great video, by the way......
its a massive project mate. I've been following you since you started the 1950's Cat and I have loved every bit of it. I've done my own restorations, I still do. Whenever one of your videos shows up in my subscriptions list I know It's going to be a good evening. Please keep going. I know you may feel like you're out of your depth now but, watching your progress over the past few years, I am certain you can tackle this one too. Never give up!
You, sir, will be one good engineer. I'm 75 and have accumulated so many mechanical things in my mind. I started out at 7 years old when my dad pulled an old threshing machine up next to our shop, and said, "Take it apart." I spent the whole summer at it. Just to get the fasteners and plates.
I bag and tag fasteners and small parts in zip loc bags. Yes, lots of pictures. You are brave. Keep at it.
Love your videos. It's better than watching "A fist full of dollars."
I thought the Cat dozer rebuild was a big project! Holy cow! Can’t wait to see you put this back together.
Of course I made it to the end. And it was worth it, to see all the original framing and plates in their original paint…haha. That was one heck of a clean up that looked like it took several nights work to get to. Glad to see the assistants helping supervise! I know your gonna get it primed and painted before it all turns to rust and in prep for winter work. Looking forward to the next episodes!
Thanks for some great video. I know the editing takes soooo much time, but your videography is great!
There is something so satisfying about taking something old, dirty and crusty, dis-assembling it , cleaning the living daylights out of it and seeing the clean stuff just waiting to be re-assembled.
Yes there is. Watching the snow slide off my 42 year old crushed by a plow truck snowblower was so satisfying as was watching the snow land on my neighbor’s roof as I pulley swapped it too. Probably have $50 in it which is an Ariens ST824 if I remember correctly. Currently have 17 snowblowers ready to go. You Tube and the great people who shared their expertise is how I learned most of what I know concerning anything with a small air cooled engine so if that’s you or you, thank you.
Grueling job but with great results. Starting with a clean base is desirable. Thanks for documenting this step.
Great Video Matt.
Glad you are doing this repair/restore.
You will have a "new" backhoe that will last a lifetime.
Great job, I would have done a Mega vacuum job, before starting, would have meant way less digging, for part of it.
Now it's on to treating the rust, and then on to paint.👍👍
Best wishes from the far North.
Hey Matt, If you're worried about rust, treat it with Phosphoric Acid. You can get food grade stuff that you reduce down to about 30% with water. I've mixed some food thickener so that it not so watery. You can then pain straight over the top of it. I've treated a lot of my Excavator (& a lot of other stuff) this way & it's been holding up really well. I have only done parts at a time. not stripped it like you have....... Very interesting on how they go together & where they store crap... Well done & thank you for sharing this epic adventure 😃👍
1.02.20 “a little more work” the understatement of the decade😊🇬🇧
That is a hell of a lot of work ! I hope the Road Map to assembly is a good one ! Looking forward to the wiring and hose assembly ! The big stuff is the easy part ! Thanks for sharing !
Congratulations! That’s a ton of work to get to this stage. Clean is good! Greasy and hidden sucks 😢. I have been waiting for this part, your attitude is amazing.
Matt, you are my hero, you take restoration work to a new level, I thought the bulldozer was a work of art but this excavator will be another genuine effort
I’m glad you have the determination to tackle this, it’s giving me anxiety just watching
It must feel good to take this machine back to its bones ready to be built back up. Totally get why it was a hump to get back into it being so greasy. Looking forward to seeing you tackle this beast.
With relays, I would suggest that you spend an hour polishing the relay contacts, as they will be tarnished, and it will save you lots of headaches in the future. It's an easy job that will pay dividends. Also use a little petroleum jelly on the relay contact points, as it will stop arcing. If you have ten minutes, put a 1N4004 diode across each of the relay coils. This will stop any back emf, and you relays will be solid.
Good to go.
WTG MATT, LIKE HOW YOU ALWAYS DO A THROUGH JOB CLEANING EVERY THING !
Matt, rent a hot water pressure washer, they really work well on greasy machines.
Kudos to you Matt! Your excitement is definitely shared.
As an aircraft electrician who has spent many years wiring various Boeing and Airbus planes and who knows just how easy for a small mistake to lead to big problems!…. All I say is kudos! You have balls!! Looking forward to seeing it up and running in the new year.
Looks good. Nice choice on tearing it down to the frame. Getting cleaned up is a huge safety improvement. Reduces the risk of fire. Keep it up!
MATT , I REALLY ENJOY UR EXCAVATOR VIDEOS AS I DID W/ UR CAT DOZER. KEEP'EM COMING ,AND GREAT JOB !!! CHEERS
Might be an idea to coat the floor plate of the cab with truck bed liner. Easy to clean and prevent rust. Love the content Matt,
Just looking at that mess of an operator's seat gave me the willies. I admire your courage and strong stomach!
Man oh man you are brave!! From watching all your previous videos, I know you will get this done. Great job!
Great video Matt, even though my Anxiety is through the roof watching you rip out all that wiring and hoses. I really don't envy your job putting it all together again. Keep up the fantastic content. Mike, Northern Ireland.👌🍻
Matt if you're interested up here in Washington State we have the James G Murphy auction... they have a huge hydraulic auction coming up real soon... and lots of hose and other hydraulic parts just sayin'. Might be a good chance to snag a good deal! Good job!