Suggestions: 1] Take the batteries out and store them inside for the winter; 2] At least throw a tarp over the cab to protect stuff from snow and water; 3] Put STA-BIL formulations in fuel tanks to preserve the fuels. Have fun !!!!
I think they are building a storage building to fit all their equipment this summer. So stored inside, where it can stay warmer and out of the elements. They can probably incorporate battery tenders to connect to all the batteries in-situ.
I had the exact same thoughts as I watched this video. Taking the batteries out, would not only help protect them from the cold, but would give you a warm place to recharge them in advance when you knew you were going to use the equipment.
I'm all in favor of an equipment building. They certainly have enough equipment and vehicles that would appreciate covered storage. Courtney says she has a surprise giant equipment coming.. I can't wait to find out whatbit is, and am sure deep thought went into it. I'm glad you stockpiled videos / episodes ❤🎉
I understand fuel is expensive but when I put my equipment away for the winter I fill the fuel tank to the brim. That reduces condensation in the tank. I also put fuel stabilizer in the gas tank and then run the engine to get the stabilized fuel through the fuel system. Finally I change the oil and run the engine for a few minutes to get clean oil throughout the engine.
I run non-ethanol fuel for gas engines that set unused for any length of time. Much better on the fuel system and old carburators. Less corrosion and clogging.
@@brianworley7705 Brain, great idea. Here in Canada the only non ethanol fuel I know of is super. More expensive but worth it not having to fight the fuel system come spring.
@@PierreLamy-t1h Here in the USA, same with non-ethanol fuel usually being premium grade which is expensive but worth it compared to carb issues and rebuilding.
Ethanol fuel safe carbs need very specific ethanol safe carb parts. Even then the ethanol has issues but Sta-Bil helps. A lot. Running ethanol fuel in a carbureted vehicle stored all winter is begging for serious issues.
Playing with dozers is addictive. Bring the batteries inside for winter. It is worth the money to put a big tarp over the dozer when not in use to prevent corrosion. I use a tent garage over mine. I replace the tarp every 2 years($40). You will need to support the tarp so that rain/snow slides off. Park it near your house so that you can keep an eye on it. I have and old Sears kerosene heater for putting under engines to warm them up. Get a fuel funnel for filling fuel tanks. A good fuel funnel will have a screen that keeps water out and the funnel will prevent spills. Good Luck, Rick
Next time take the battery inside. Have a spot under a bench somewhere with trickle chargers for these starter batteries. Also consider putting stabilizer in the diesel tank for the winter. One day you'll have infinite time and money so you can build shelters for all the things! ;-D I wonder if this dozer heats up the fuel intake too, and if the pony is helping with that. Cold diesel doesn't atomize very well.
And these aren't Lithium Ion. The motorcycle tenders are .5 Amp and shut themselves off once they've reached full voltage. They then "float", watching until the voltage drops below a threshold turning themselves back on at .5 Amp. Great for long term warm storage.
We are new to off grid lifestyle, and this channel helps us out so much. We pulled the plug in July of 2022 and we are not looking back! As a small channel we don't have access to the many off grid gadgets that are out there and they are very expensive! So it's great to have a bigger channel like this reviewing products honestly so that we don't waist our time or money on inferior products or gimmicks! Thanks again @Ambition Strikes !❤🎉
They don't review anything, they get paid to say what they're told, look at other channels that have said the exact same lines about this same stuff. They've sold their souls to these companies.
I agree with Stuart. Whenever they start promoting I fast forward. I’m in Oklahoma and not going to leave, they’re fun to watch. But’s that’s all. I like my conveniences. Have fun with your life.
@Dirt Farmer thanks you too ! Stay Excellent 😉 Awesome to have so many people into the off grid lifestyle. 👍 It is a community of crushers and legends!
the Dozer is nearly unstoppable but be careful on snow pack.. once it starts sliding sideway's its a bobsled on those steel tracks.. TRUST ME .. D9L sliding sideways puts crap in your shorts in a hurry..
Riley ya got to fix that left brake, you will tear the clutch apart quickly if you don’t. Keep in mind you don’t always need clutch to steer but you need it to drive.
Just so you guys are aware, the pony motor does not have water circulating through it until the diesel engine is engaged because the diesel engines water pump is what circulates the water. You don’t want to run the pony very long without engaging the diesel because it will over heat
@@rednekd1 well I’m referring to a caterpillar not a John deer. I own a D8 exactly like theirs with a pony motor and they do not have their own water pump. The caterpillar service manual for the machine even states that the diesel engine water pump must be turning for the starting engine to receive water. But maybe they’re “wrong”
Hey Riley, have you checked the brake adjustment on your left and right sides? I can walk you through it if you want, there is brake adjusters underneath the fuel tank at the back of the machine above the winch behind that cover. the left brake always gets overused on the left side because their right foot is on the decelerator, operators seem to like to only use their left foot to brake the machine thus wearing out those shoes first. First chock the machine in a nice flat position, with something substantial against the tracks so it can't roll anywhere and disengage the parking brake. Machine engine off. To check adjustment pull that panel off and ontop of the left and right brake assemblies is a small cover with 3x 3/8' bolts in each. When you remove that cover there will be the brake adjustment head exposed which also uses a 9/16" wrench or ratchet to actuate. take your ratchet and every time you tighten(clockwise) you should feel a click if the detent isn't too warn out. anyways Run that all the way down until it bottoms out then back it out and count the clicks until it stops rotating counter clockwise. This is going to give you the rough idea of how warn your brakes are. Mark both sides down for how many clicks and then return allll the way to the bottom again (clockwise) and then back out 10-12 clicks each side. Once you've done that before you put the covers back on, hop up and feel how the brakes are actuating. if one pedal is closer to you than the other you can adjust accordingly (Counterclockwise pushes the pedal AWAY from you. If your brakes have excessive clicks with the adjuster (140+ depending on linkage wear) you may need to tighten up a bit more than the 10-12 clicks but if you go all the way tight and you still have no brakes on your left track then your brake shoe and drum is past wear and you'll have to replace both. install covers with anaerobic Loctite 515 Sealant or RTV and anti-seize the 3/8's bolts and tighten to 30 ft-lbs
You need a camera up at the front of the dozer, maybe get a backup camera kit and have the camera on one of the front top bars to see right in front of the dozer.
Hey Riley, with a pony motor it is relatively easy to get everything warmed up enough to start. I had a Cat 12 motor grader that I used to plow roads with. Almost every time when I needed it I had to go through all of the things like you did. Not much fun and quite often a pain in the booty. With my grader I would take a large bag of charcoal like you would use in a barbecue and put it into a cut off oil drum right under the engine. I would light it up and then go back inside my house and make breakfast and maybe do a little reading. After about an hour or sometimes longer when it was really cold, I would go out and hop in the seat and push the button and it starts right up. Super simple. It does require that you keep your equipment fairly clean because there are not too many experiences more exciting than watching all of the brush burning in the belly pan. That happened to me once but I had a large enough fire extinguisher on the dozer to put it out. Your method looks a lot easier than what I had to do though. Your Pal Al
Hey Riley, That machine should be equipped with reversible fan blades. There’s a tool that grabs the base of every fan blade. You push each one in and turn it so you can either pull the air through the radiator or push it out. We ran our D8’s in the winter time with a rear curtain and two side curtains. The operator stayed warm and toasty. I was in our shop the other day and noticed I still have a fan reversing tool but we no longer have a D8H’s. We were running 4-5 at one time..
He's really building a practical fleet: mini excavator, multi-attachment skidsteer, custom self-created, snow-eating blower on the front of a go-anywhere Army truck, the D8H with a decent blade and handy winch and a host of smaller toys and runabouts. Livin' the dream!
Richard D is correct Look for fan blades that are reversible. Push em in and turn them. If not? You’ll need an elephant snout- canvas shroud that directs warm air from front of radiator to operators station.
Hi Guys, great video, next year when you park the dozer for the winter drape a tarpaulin over the entire machine, keep snow, leave etc off and makes life a lot easier, greetings from Scotland.
HI,, you guys that was too much excitement for one day and i am going to say that a dog isn't mans best friend that D8 is a mans best friend [ WOW ] what a beast..........😁😁😁
Amazing as always. I am very impressed with your collective learning curves. I've taught vocational forestry at the high school level and timber harvesting at the university level. The two of you are some of the best learners I've ever seen. I'd love to sit down with the two of you and talk for a couple days straight to capture some of what it is that gives you the advantage you seem to have discovered. I think, and I'm going out on a limb here, that Riley, whether he knows it or not, believes that it is never too late to have a great childhood. Yeah, I'd be money on that one!
My dad use to put a little solar battery tender on his equipment. He'd make a little bracket with a magnet and just stick it on somewhere it would get sun. Snow will melt/slide off and his batteries always worked come summer.
In Northwestern Canada some tend to remove the batteries at the end of construction season in the winter and keep them indoors on tenders in warmer surroundings. This practice can keep these relatively expensive batteries going for many years. Ps. You'll need to put some winter diesel in it or dilute the tank with some kerosene or conditioner.
Hey guys I have two things for you , first for winter an access port in the air cleaner to stick the heat gun into to prewarm the air for the pony and the big one to warm faster ... Second , find a triangler in shape tarp long side wraps over the radiator left to right side and all the way back to the operator seat covering both open sides of the motor..tie down points or heavy pull magnets to hold in place engine heat will be blown back to keep operator toasty but smell like a cat motor by end of day .
I know you Guy's are busy. I think I would had cover the top of the CAT D8 Dozer & winterized it; do it at the end of the season every year. LOL! And I always remove the battery & put it on a trickle charge all winter. I'll take an old 1960's tractor over anything new today. Idea for you GUY's when signing off, say your names.
If the charger won't start charging a battery because it's too low, sometimes you can hook a good battery up to it in parallel, turn on the charger, then disconnect the good baterry. It just expects a minimum voltage to start charging. That's my experience with the Battery Tender brand anyway. Just be careful of surge currents and sparks, and don't leave the parallel connection on for too long.
Don't know which of you is doing the UAV shots, but they're really good. No shake at all, perfect match on frame rate, and just long enough to give you the vibe without being so long that we get bored looking. Really enjoying the progress in the video quality since you started.
I was dozer driver we in the uk call it a donkey engine there is no no carberter it is a diesel pump I drove a d 10 unbelievable nice. But in fairness you did a great job love you videos take care both of you ❤
I needed to get new batteries for my CAT 977 track loader and I purchased two 12 wat solar trickle chargers first. I found that my batteries are now fine and ready to go another year or more. For the pony motor, I would advise a large deep cycle battery with one 12 wat solar trickle charger.
I'd suggest using the D8 to create its own parking area near your home. That way, it would be handier to get to the bulldozer, & it would be less intrusive to the vehicle parking area.
Your lucky the tracks were not frozen in the ground. We try to park ours on some tree branches or brush to limit the contact of the track pads to the ground.
I remember taking steel barrels that has been cut down about 10 inches tall and dumping Charco in them and covering the Dozer up with tarps and then sliding the charcoal underneath the belly of the Dozier and warming them up that way
I love your channel. I retired from the Army Combet Enginners and the private sector as a heavy equipment operator. Having spent many hours on a D9 in snow/ice I'd like to offer a little safety tip. Be very careful when operating sideways accross a hill or slope, the track grousers slide very easily sideways. I did this just once, sliding sidways 40 yards only stopping when I dug into the edge of a swamp. I could have rolled very easy hitting a large rock or tree stump. Forward/reverse isn't much of a problem as you can use the blade for control. Keep up the great work you two and enjoy Oliver.
Riley, when adding various fluids to motors that have been stationary for a spell…when you shut them down…fill them up first, oh and a funnel is a great tool
Reversable fan, push blade and turn. The hole left side inline with fan incert fan tool. Patterns for engine side shields online. Engine running cold, we used piece old carpet (wire tied front sweep posts) cover over radiator at -40°C with wind -50.
Learned a lot about Cats and the good old days of pony motors. One of the best parts of your videos is yuor willingness to share your mistakes and successes equally. Enjoy your "vacation!"
Drive the tracks onto boards or trees to keep tracks from freezing to the ground. Put blocks under blade. If working in mud, make sure you clean inside track rollers free of mud before leaving to freeze.
Cool start up. Never heard anyone explain all of WHAT has to be done to a dozer to get it going . Thank you I’m from upstate New York,my snow is melted . Don’t miss it, stay warm. 👍
I work on old gear like this among newer mining gear daily. These old dozers will start relatively easy. Big thing is to try, however briefly to engage the trans into gear and hydraulics. Do this to confirm pumps are moving oil. If the pumps run dry severe damage will occur.
1 best advice I can give you In the winter keep your nose or covered Moisture concrete in I run a lot of heavy equipment and I am a firm kid No this for a fact we always kept our equipment covered up with tarts or buildings Small building Over it just a rough and pose no sides and then tarp it up at least it's out of the weather
Probably doesn’t need much carb work, it’s just super cold for that machine, take some heavy blanket and sew sometime not flammable to it like old denim and throw it over the top while the pony engine idles, keep as much heat as possible on start up procedure!
One trick my grandpa taught me after using our D-8H was to open up the compression bypass at the same time you shut the fuel off with the throttle, it makes it so the engine stops in a random spot, the pony motors on these are hard on the ring gear, opening the compression release makes it stop in a random place
All right, kids stumble across this video. I'm a heavy equipment operator I don't know if you've ever been a teacher in your life but you told me quite a few things and you kept me engaged. I am now subscribed to you guys fantastic. What a beautiful dozer take care of it you guys are great
Put a solar charger on the dozer, with a light bulb and temperature sensor, so the solar will also warn the battery box. Insulating the box would also help.
If you must start it in colder tempratures there is a device called a Arctic Blaster that preheats the engine coolant. The poormans hotbox. When way out in the boonies you have Plan A thru Plan F. I like Plan T and Plan HP. Plan T is for torrpedo heater. My fave is Plan HP aka. Hot pan/fire pan. Involves a metal hog feed pan and some scrap wood set afire 'till it burns down to coals' slide pan underneath frozzen vehicle and let heat warm the oil pan and block. If performed incorrectly can lead to setting fire to vehicle
Over 50 years ago the Cat. 8H was the primary main large dozer there was. It is a good idea to try and keep mud out of the tracks in the winter. Looks like the tracks need a little tightening Best to follow the fuel recommendations from the commenters. Try and keep the old type antifreeze in the engines year around. . If you are going to use it a lot in the winter worth the trouble to reverse the fan.
Nice dozer, but please cover it up with a tarp. And yes, take your battery out in winter. And disconnect it if you are not using it, even in summer - because if a mouse or raccoon starts nibbling on your wires with the battery hooked up, your machine may well catch fire. I have seen lots of machines burn up in the bush or on fields. I always disconnect the negative on the battery. It is good insurance. Up here in Canada, we call the "pony motor" "putt motor", and it is definitely the best to let it run a while on a cold day to warm up the coolant which the putt motor shares with the diesel motor. Given the sharp drop offs on your road and the hilly terrain, you might consider welding some grousers onto the track to prevent your cat taking off sideways like a sled if you hit an icy patch. A sideways slide on a narrow road could well be fatal for you or destroy your cat.
I'm so envious of the two of you. you're in a beautiful part of the country. I know that both have had hardships living there, but look at the progress you've made. One big question i have is, what are you two doing for water? Maybe you've done a video of that, and I haven't seen it yet.
This is one of the very few times that I've seen someone start one of these who actually appreciated how the pony motor works. Most people don't let it warm the main engine, and then don't switch the fuel off to stop it.
I ran a D8 a long time a go pushing trees and brush down. What needs to be done now is take it to your local Catapaller dealer and have them go through everything and service it from one end to the other.
Is the pony motor a 2stroke? If so, you need to use a 2stroke mix. Also, regardless, use sta-bil fuel stabilizer for both gas and diesel. One pearl for cold weather. Run the pony for a few minutes because the pony exhaust, exhausts through the main engines intake manifold, thus will preheat the air intake on the main engine if you let the pony run for a couple.
I take the battery out of my old diesel tractor in the winter when I don't need it. Keep it in the barn on a battery maintainer. In summer time I have a 12 volt solar battery charger panel on tractor to keep battery up when i let it sit. Don't forget fuel stabilizers and anti gel for the diesel fuel. You let that diesel gel up in the cold and it is a nightmare to get it thawed out. Now you need to clear an area near the house to put all the equipment so it's not in the way. There may come a time that a heavy winter snow hits and you need the dozer to clear the snow. Have fun and looking forward to seeing future projects.
The bigger the krazy kid, the bigger their toys. That D8 is what you need if you choose to live on the top of Gobblers Knob. I never doubted that she would start and give Riley a big boy grin. Get that carb rebuilt and she’ll start as fast as you can go through the motions. Good video. 🥸👍✅
I had the exact same Dozer on a mountainous property in Southern Sierras, CA It had the Pony Motor to start main engine (and started every time) these are bullet proof. I have the complete manual for it as well. Your Browsers are about 40% or so...such a difference with good browsers. The best thing I learned on that Dozer was the Détente position of the blade handle that releases the blade to drag on the ground for grading in reverse...perfect roads!
Guys! What are you doing?!? It's the last day of April... and you're showing us snow on the ground? How far behind are you? Have you had your son and are taking some time off now.... showing us this old stuff? (I'm only kidding) Thanks for sharing your Dozer challenges with us. I always look forward to your uploads.
It is always a good idea to put blocks under the blade when you might use it before things thaw out. Keeps from freezing. Ask me how I know? 1972??? yaaa the ground froze to the track.
I wonder if one of them big ' Convex Mirrors mounted up front would help to see what's going on .Fuel stabilizes in both tanks would definitely help to keep the fuel from going flat especially when it sits for a long time ! Happy Trails from 🇨🇦 to the 🇺🇸
I think you have a D-342C engine in that unit. They are absolutely a fantastic engine I had Two in a tug boat once. Please keep tabs on your AntiFreeze Acidity.
Another good idea, if u have a maverick gas station in town, many of them in Idaho sell non ethanol gas, which elimates a lot of problems in your small engines like your ca pony motor a date 4wheeler
Tour next project needs to be building a Barn for the D8. that D8 is the most important piece of equipment on your property. you need to protect it from the weather or it's lifespan will be shortened.
Old billboard tarps from local sign company’s are Extremely valuable for protecting equipment and things around the property! Like military grade tarp material
Here's something I've learned from an old man while be an mechanic and a Operator. Take gas and soak a rag in it, while doing so, take off the Dozer air intake and take your soaked rag and stick it into the air intake, it's the best way to start any off road diesel equipment
Guys, all that snow and ice is an excellent reason why you need a "lean to type of shed" to look after ALL the toys, maybe something to add to the build list.???
🔋Use code AMBITIONSTRIKES to get $50 OFF the Growatt Infinity 1300 at: shrsl.com/419dn
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The code doesn't work
You need new spark plugs on the pony motor they are very old.
Haha...I can block ads with an adblocker, but now the good UA-camrs are turning into the Home Shopping Network and selling us worthless junk.
Suggestions: 1] Take the batteries out and store them inside for the winter; 2] At least throw a tarp over the cab to protect stuff from snow and water; 3] Put STA-BIL formulations in fuel tanks to preserve the fuels. Have fun !!!!
I think they are building a storage building to fit all their equipment this summer. So stored inside, where it can stay warmer and out of the elements. They can probably incorporate battery tenders to connect to all the batteries in-situ.
I had the exact same thoughts as I watched this video. Taking the batteries out, would not only help protect them from the cold, but would give you a warm place to recharge them in advance when you knew you were going to use the equipment.
I'm all in favor of an equipment building. They certainly have enough equipment and vehicles that would appreciate covered storage.
Courtney says she has a surprise giant equipment coming.. I can't wait to find out whatbit is, and am sure deep thought went into it.
I'm glad you stockpiled videos / episodes ❤🎉
My thoughts exactly why leave s battery out to freeze
i came here to say the same exact thing. a little winterizing goes a long way with equipment
I understand fuel is expensive but when I put my equipment away for the winter I fill the fuel tank to the brim. That reduces condensation in the tank. I also put fuel stabilizer in the gas tank and then run the engine to get the stabilized fuel through the fuel system. Finally I change the oil and run the engine for a few minutes to get clean oil throughout the engine.
I run non-ethanol fuel for gas engines that set unused for any length of time. Much better on the fuel system and old carburators. Less corrosion and clogging.
@@brianworley7705 Brain, great idea. Here in Canada the only non ethanol fuel I know of is super. More expensive but worth it not having to fight the fuel system come spring.
@@PierreLamy-t1h Here in the USA, same with non-ethanol fuel usually being premium grade which is expensive but worth it compared to carb issues and rebuilding.
Ethanol fuel safe carbs need very specific ethanol safe carb parts. Even then the ethanol has issues but Sta-Bil helps. A lot. Running ethanol fuel in a carbureted vehicle stored all winter is begging for serious issues.
@@waskier4842 PRI-G is a much better fuel stabilizer and they have PRI-D for diesel fuel!
Playing with dozers is addictive. Bring the batteries inside for winter. It is worth the money to put a big tarp over the dozer when not in use to prevent corrosion. I use a tent garage over mine. I replace the tarp every 2 years($40). You will need to support the tarp so that rain/snow slides off. Park it near your house so that you can keep an eye on it. I have and old Sears kerosene heater for putting under engines to warm them up. Get a fuel funnel for filling fuel tanks. A good fuel funnel will have a screen that keeps water out and the funnel will prevent spills. Good Luck, Rick
Rick knows!
Good advice.
Next build project; 100' x 50' vehicle shed. 3 trucks, jeep thing, excavator, skid steer, Cat dozer.
Hey Riley, you should Park your machine on a bed of logs in the winter time stop freezing to the ground.
Great idea
Next time take the battery inside. Have a spot under a bench somewhere with trickle chargers for these starter batteries. Also consider putting stabilizer in the diesel tank for the winter. One day you'll have infinite time and money so you can build shelters for all the things! ;-D
I wonder if this dozer heats up the fuel intake too, and if the pony is helping with that. Cold diesel doesn't atomize very well.
Keep in mind, trickle chargers/battery tenders are a huge fire hazard, avoid using them inside residential buildings if possible!
@@marks8068 not good ones. This is lead acid packs.
And these aren't Lithium Ion. The motorcycle tenders are .5 Amp and shut themselves off once they've reached full voltage. They then "float", watching until the voltage drops below a threshold turning themselves back on at .5 Amp. Great for long term warm storage.
We are new to off grid lifestyle, and this channel helps us out so much. We pulled the plug in July of 2022 and we are not looking back! As a small channel we don't have access to the many off grid gadgets that are out there and they are very expensive! So it's great to have a bigger channel like this reviewing products honestly so that we don't waist our time or money on inferior products or gimmicks! Thanks again @Ambition Strikes !❤🎉
They don't review anything, they get paid to say what they're told, look at other channels that have said the exact same lines about this same stuff. They've sold their souls to these companies.
@Stuart Cotterill I find value in their videos 📹 and value their opinion.
I hope you have a great weekend! 👍
I agree with Stuart. Whenever they start promoting I fast forward.
I’m in Oklahoma and not going to leave, they’re fun to watch. But’s that’s all. I like my conveniences. Have fun with your life.
@Dirt Farmer thanks you too ! Stay Excellent 😉
Awesome to have so many people into the off grid lifestyle. 👍
It is a community of crushers and legends!
Your videos were more enjoyable when they weren’t an entire advertisement. Get the ad over with a be done with it once in the video please.
🤔 And I thought it was nice to mix it up with content and commercial.
No doubt
It was fine. I thought the product was really interesting and worked well in the video. Wasn’t as if it was an ad for a game or anything.
It is faken annoying!!!
the Dozer is nearly unstoppable but be careful on snow pack.. once it starts sliding sideway's its a bobsled on those steel tracks.. TRUST ME .. D9L sliding sideways puts crap in your shorts in a hurry..
I've went skating with a D6C sideways and I've watched a D8H go sides down a slope, it takes some good sized trees to stop a D8 once it takes off
Riley ya got to fix that left brake, you will tear the clutch apart quickly if you don’t. Keep in mind you don’t always need clutch to steer but you need it to drive.
Just so you guys are aware, the pony motor does not have water circulating through it until the diesel engine is engaged because the diesel engines water pump is what circulates the water. You don’t want to run the pony very long without engaging the diesel because it will over heat
I was thinking the same thing
Wrong. The pony thermo siphons coolant on some like older john deeres and others do have a waterpump.
@@rednekd1 well I’m referring to a caterpillar not a John deer. I own a D8 exactly like theirs with a pony motor and they do not have their own water pump. The caterpillar service manual for the machine even states that the diesel engine water pump must be turning for the starting engine to receive water. But maybe they’re “wrong”
I’m wondering just how difficult it would be to enclose this type of dozer cab?
One day it’s ecoflow then bluetti then growatt or anker lol just more ads than content lately
Hey Riley, have you checked the brake adjustment on your left and right sides? I can walk you through it if you want, there is brake adjusters underneath the fuel tank at the back of the machine above the winch behind that cover. the left brake always gets overused on the left side because their right foot is on the decelerator, operators seem to like to only use their left foot to brake the machine thus wearing out those shoes first.
First chock the machine in a nice flat position, with something substantial against the tracks so it can't roll anywhere and disengage the parking brake. Machine engine off.
To check adjustment pull that panel off and ontop of the left and right brake assemblies is a small cover with 3x 3/8' bolts in each. When you remove that cover there will be the brake adjustment head exposed which also uses a 9/16" wrench or ratchet to actuate. take your ratchet and every time you tighten(clockwise) you should feel a click if the detent isn't too warn out. anyways Run that all the way down until it bottoms out then back it out and count the clicks until it stops rotating counter clockwise. This is going to give you the rough idea of how warn your brakes are. Mark both sides down for how many clicks and then return allll the way to the bottom again (clockwise) and then back out 10-12 clicks each side.
Once you've done that before you put the covers back on, hop up and feel how the brakes are actuating. if one pedal is closer to you than the other you can adjust accordingly (Counterclockwise pushes the pedal AWAY from you. If your brakes have excessive clicks with the adjuster (140+ depending on linkage wear) you may need to tighten up a bit more than the 10-12 clicks but if you go all the way tight and you still have no brakes on your left track then your brake shoe and drum is past wear and you'll have to replace both.
install covers with anaerobic Loctite 515 Sealant or RTV and anti-seize the 3/8's bolts and tighten to 30 ft-lbs
I'm going to need time to digest that. Come back and reread, then digest again. Great read.
You need a camera up at the front of the dozer, maybe get a backup camera kit and have the camera on one of the front top bars to see right in front of the dozer.
Hey Riley, with a pony motor it is relatively easy to get everything warmed up enough to start. I had a Cat 12 motor grader that I used to plow roads with. Almost every time when I needed it I had to go through all of the things like you did. Not much fun and quite often a pain in the booty. With my grader I would take a large bag of charcoal like you would use in a barbecue and put it into a cut off oil drum right under the engine. I would light it up and then go back inside my house and make breakfast and maybe do a little reading. After about an hour or sometimes longer when it was really cold, I would go out and hop in the seat and push the button and it starts right up. Super simple. It does require that you keep your equipment fairly clean because there are not too many experiences more exciting than watching all of the brush burning in the belly pan. That happened to me once but I had a large enough fire extinguisher on the dozer to put it out.
Your method looks a lot easier than what I had to do though.
Your Pal Al
Glad to see the Dozer woke up. Good job step-by-step problem solving, as usual. Happy Spring!
Hey Riley,
That machine should be equipped with reversible fan blades. There’s a tool that grabs the base of every fan blade. You push each one in and turn it so you can either pull the air through the radiator or push it out. We ran our D8’s in the winter time with a rear curtain and two side curtains. The operator stayed warm and toasty. I was in our shop the other day and noticed I still have a fan reversing tool but we no longer have a D8H’s. We were running 4-5 at one time..
He's really building a practical fleet: mini excavator, multi-attachment skidsteer, custom self-created, snow-eating blower on the front of a go-anywhere Army truck, the D8H with a decent blade and handy winch and a host of smaller toys and runabouts. Livin' the dream!
Richard D is correct
Look for fan blades that are reversible. Push em in and turn them.
If not?
You’ll need an elephant snout- canvas shroud that directs warm air from front of radiator to operators station.
@@bc-guy852 so you think Cortney is getting a full size back hoe for this summer? 👽
think i remember that on old d4,just by hand,no tool,or maybe it was 951
Hi Guys, great video, next year when you park the dozer for the winter drape a tarpaulin over the entire machine, keep snow, leave etc off and makes life a lot easier, greetings from Scotland.
30 step checklist and it fires right up! LOL😂😂😂😂. Good Job!!!
Oliver is going to have the BEST childhood EVER with all your awesome equipment! Great video!
I thought his name is Sam?
I know the dozer is loud and all and hard to film, but I really love hearing a machine purrr and turbo spool up/down
YES! Instead of music let the diesel engine do the talking! Of course I am a diesel junky!
HI,, you guys that was too much excitement for one day and i am going to say that a dog isn't mans best friend that D8 is a mans best friend [ WOW ] what a beast..........😁😁😁
We built a tent around engine and used a charcoal grill to start some are tractors when I worked on power lines cutting trees got warm breakfast too
Amazing as always. I am very impressed with your collective learning curves. I've taught vocational forestry at the high school level and timber harvesting at the university level. The two of you are some of the best learners I've ever seen. I'd love to sit down with the two of you and talk for a couple days straight to capture some of what it is that gives you the advantage you seem to have discovered. I think, and I'm going out on a limb here, that Riley, whether he knows it or not, believes that it is never too late to have a great childhood. Yeah, I'd be money on that one!
My dad use to put a little solar battery tender on his equipment. He'd make a little bracket with a magnet and just stick it on somewhere it would get sun. Snow will melt/slide off and his batteries always worked come summer.
In Northwestern Canada some tend to remove the batteries at the end of construction season in the winter and keep them indoors on tenders in warmer surroundings. This practice can keep these relatively expensive batteries going for many years. Ps. You'll need to put some winter diesel in it or dilute the tank with some kerosene or conditioner.
Hey guys I have two things for you , first for winter an access port in the air cleaner to stick the heat gun into to prewarm the air for the pony and the big one to warm faster ... Second , find a triangler in shape tarp long side wraps over the radiator left to right side and all the way back to the operator seat covering both open sides of the motor..tie down points or heavy pull magnets to hold in place engine heat will be blown back to keep operator toasty but smell like a cat motor by end of day .
I know you Guy's are busy. I think I would had cover the top of the CAT D8 Dozer & winterized it; do it at the end of the season every year. LOL! And I always remove the battery & put it on a trickle charge all winter. I'll take an old 1960's tractor over anything new today. Idea for you GUY's when signing off, say your names.
If the charger won't start charging a battery because it's too low, sometimes you can hook a good battery up to it in parallel, turn on the charger, then disconnect the good baterry. It just expects a minimum voltage to start charging. That's my experience with the Battery Tender brand anyway. Just be careful of surge currents and sparks, and don't leave the parallel connection on for too long.
you could stick on an oil pan heater to the pony motor might be more efficient than the heat gun
Don't know which of you is doing the UAV shots, but they're really good. No shake at all, perfect match on frame rate, and just long enough to give you the vibe without being so long that we get bored looking. Really enjoying the progress in the video quality since you started.
I have plowed 12 feet of snow with that size dozer... piece of cake. Love them big dogs!
I was dozer driver we in the uk call it a donkey engine there is no no carberter it is a diesel pump I drove a d 10 unbelievable nice. But in fairness you did a great job love you videos take care both of you ❤
I needed to get new batteries for my CAT 977 track loader and I purchased two 12 wat solar trickle chargers first. I found that my batteries are now fine and ready to go another year or more. For the pony motor, I would advise a large deep cycle battery with one 12 wat solar trickle charger.
I'd suggest using the D8 to create its own parking area near your home. That way, it would be handier to get to the bulldozer, & it would be less intrusive to the vehicle parking area.
Looks like your knowledge of the dozer has greatly increased since you bought it!
Your lucky the tracks were not frozen in the ground. We try to park ours on some tree branches or brush to limit the contact of the track pads to the ground.
One of the best things you did was putting that bucket over the exhaust pipe. That keeps all that water out of the engines vital parts.
I remember taking steel barrels that has been cut down about 10 inches tall and dumping Charco in them and covering the Dozer up with tarps and then sliding the charcoal underneath the belly of the Dozier and warming them up that way
I love your channel. I retired from the Army Combet Enginners and the private sector as a heavy equipment operator. Having spent many hours on a D9 in snow/ice I'd like to offer a little safety tip. Be very careful when operating sideways accross a hill or slope, the track grousers slide very easily sideways. I did this just once, sliding sidways 40 yards only stopping when I dug into the edge of a swamp. I could have rolled very easy hitting a large rock or tree stump. Forward/reverse isn't much of a problem as you can use the blade for control. Keep up the great work you two and enjoy Oliver.
Riley, when adding various fluids to motors that have been stationary for a spell…when you shut them down…fill them up first, oh and a funnel is a great tool
You should be running atleast some fuel into the cylinders anytime that thing is spinning. Leave the valves open and diesel fuel some what on.
Reversable fan, push blade and turn. The hole left side inline with fan incert fan tool.
Patterns for engine side shields online. Engine running cold, we used piece old carpet (wire tied front sweep posts) cover over radiator at -40°C with wind -50.
Hi Courtney & Riley! Hope you are both enjoying parenthood! ❤️to your Beautiful Lil family!🙏🙏🙏Blessing’s
Learned a lot about Cats and the good old days of pony motors. One of the best parts of your videos is yuor willingness to share your mistakes and successes equally. Enjoy your "vacation!"
Drive the tracks onto boards or trees to keep tracks from freezing to the ground. Put blocks under blade. If working in mud, make sure you clean inside track rollers free of mud before leaving to freeze.
Cool start up. Never heard anyone explain all of WHAT has to be done to a dozer to get it going . Thank you I’m from upstate New York,my snow is melted . Don’t miss it, stay warm. 👍
I work on old gear like this among newer mining gear daily.
These old dozers will start relatively easy.
Big thing is to try, however briefly to engage the trans into gear and hydraulics. Do this to confirm pumps are moving oil. If the pumps run dry severe damage will occur.
So,,you two are nuts in such a cool way! Keep doing you.
1 best advice I can give you In the winter keep your nose or covered Moisture concrete in I run a lot of heavy equipment and I am a firm kid No this for a fact we always kept our equipment covered up with tarts or buildings Small building Over it just a rough and pose no sides and then tarp it up at least it's out of the weather
I have heard of all the things you are walking about but have never seen them in use. Thanks for sharing and the explanations.
Probably doesn’t need much carb work, it’s just super cold for that machine, take some heavy blanket and sew sometime not flammable to it like old denim and throw it over the top while the pony engine idles, keep as much heat as possible on start up procedure!
One trick my grandpa taught me after using our D-8H was to open up the compression bypass at the same time you shut the fuel off with the throttle, it makes it so the engine stops in a random spot, the pony motors on these are hard on the ring gear, opening the compression release makes it stop in a random place
Take the seat bottom ouy and ther is a cover on top of the ham cage,that is were you adjust the break band for the steering.
All right, kids stumble across this video. I'm a heavy equipment operator I don't know if you've ever been a teacher in your life but you told me quite a few things and you kept me engaged. I am now subscribed to you guys fantastic. What a beautiful dozer take care of it you guys are great
As the Brits might say: "that dozer is a great piece of kit, cheers!"
About the dozer, why wait for summer? It would be one heck of a snow plow for the driveway in winter.
Keep the battery in the workshop and charges over winter, drape a tarp over the machine it will save you a lot of problems further down. 👍🏻
If you use an old school charger that battery will probably take a charge and still be usable
Put a solar charger on the dozer, with a light bulb and temperature sensor, so the solar will also warn the battery box. Insulating the box would also help.
Iam glad to see the dozer back and alive what a great machine long live big Bertha
If you must start it in colder tempratures there is a device called a Arctic Blaster that preheats the engine coolant.
The poormans hotbox.
When way out in the boonies you have Plan A thru Plan F.
I like Plan T and Plan HP.
Plan T is for torrpedo heater.
My fave is Plan HP aka.
Hot pan/fire pan.
Involves a metal hog feed pan and some scrap wood set afire 'till it burns down to coals' slide pan underneath frozzen vehicle and let heat warm the oil pan and block.
If performed incorrectly can lead to setting fire to vehicle
Over 50 years ago the Cat. 8H was the primary main large dozer there was. It is a good idea to try and keep mud out of the tracks in the winter. Looks like the tracks need a little tightening Best to follow the fuel recommendations from the commenters. Try and keep the old type antifreeze in the engines year around. . If you are going to use it a lot in the winter worth the trouble to reverse the fan.
Nice dozer, but please cover it up with a tarp. And yes, take your battery out in winter. And disconnect it if you are not using it, even in summer - because if a mouse or raccoon starts nibbling on your wires with the battery hooked up, your machine may well catch fire. I have seen lots of machines burn up in the bush or on fields. I always disconnect the negative on the battery. It is good insurance. Up here in Canada, we call the "pony motor" "putt motor", and it is definitely the best to let it run a while on a cold day to warm up the coolant which the putt motor shares with the diesel motor.
Given the sharp drop offs on your road and the hilly terrain, you might consider welding some grousers onto the track to prevent your cat taking off sideways like a sled if you hit an icy patch. A sideways slide on a narrow road could well be fatal for you or destroy your cat.
Not grousers. What you're thinking of is "caulks".
In the owner's manual there is something about a small fire under the belly pan when weather required
I'm so envious of the two of you. you're in a beautiful part of the country. I know that both have had hardships living there, but look at the progress you've made. One big question i have is, what are you two doing for water? Maybe you've done a video of that, and I haven't seen it yet.
Congrats Riley and Courtney, on getting ur D8 Dozer started and driving again. glad that u made-it/dozer to the shop. lv from florida..
This is one of the very few times that I've seen someone start one of these who actually appreciated how the pony motor works. Most people don't let it warm the main engine, and then don't switch the fuel off to stop it.
Installing a positive drain drainage ditch surrounding the perimeter of you home and drive way should help alleviate the mud pit.
19:23 Imagine, in 2 years you'll have Jr video-taping/filming. What a glorious life, gotta love it!
Thank you for going through the controls! Been wondering how those older once worked :)
I ran a D8 a long time a go pushing trees and brush down. What needs to be done now is take it to your local Catapaller dealer and have them go through everything and service it from one end to the other.
Funny Riley I get such a kick out of watching that dozer. Just like a little kid. Glad it started.
Is the pony motor a 2stroke? If so, you need to use a 2stroke mix. Also, regardless, use sta-bil fuel stabilizer for both gas and diesel.
One pearl for cold weather. Run the pony for a few minutes because the pony exhaust, exhausts through the main engines intake manifold, thus will preheat the air intake on the main engine if you let the pony run for a couple.
No it’s a 4 stroke
Love the video the Dozer is so cool. Maybe when it warms up you could show us how to fix that left brake.
You Done Good! I'll never forget my experience plowing snow with a 1951 D8.
I take the battery out of my old diesel tractor in the winter when I don't need it.
Keep it in the barn on a battery maintainer.
In summer time I have a 12 volt solar battery charger panel on tractor to keep battery up when i let it sit.
Don't forget fuel stabilizers and anti gel for the diesel fuel. You let that diesel gel up in the cold and it is a nightmare to get it thawed out.
Now you need to clear an area near the house to put all the equipment so it's not in the way. There may come a time that a heavy winter snow hits and you need the dozer to clear the snow.
Have fun and looking forward to seeing future projects.
glad you got dozer going , as others have said take batteries out amd keep warm.
but most importantly hows the baby doing???
I had the same thought, "what if that big beast broke down blocking your road access". Anyhow, it didn't. Good on ya!
Could you build a car port type structure to store your heavy equipment over winter to keep the worst of the weather off.
I don't know if you're aware of it but you can pull the fan blades out and spin them and it will send heat back towards you
The bigger the krazy kid, the bigger their toys. That D8 is what you need if you choose to live on the top of Gobblers Knob. I never doubted that she would start and give Riley a big boy grin. Get that carb rebuilt and she’ll start as fast as you can go through the motions. Good video. 🥸👍✅
I had the exact same Dozer on a mountainous property in Southern Sierras, CA It had the Pony Motor to start main engine (and started every time) these are bullet proof. I have the complete manual for it as well. Your Browsers are about 40% or so...such a difference with good browsers. The best thing I learned on that Dozer was the Détente position of the blade handle that releases the blade to drag on the ground for grading in reverse...perfect roads!
2
What size group battery do you recommend for these dozers?
Guys! What are you doing?!? It's the last day of April... and you're showing us snow on the ground? How far behind are you? Have you had your son and are taking some time off now.... showing us this old stuff? (I'm only kidding) Thanks for sharing your Dozer challenges with us. I always look forward to your uploads.
It is always a good idea to put blocks under the blade when you might use it before things thaw out. Keeps from freezing. Ask me how I know? 1972??? yaaa the ground froze to the track.
I wonder if one of them big ' Convex Mirrors mounted up front would help to see what's going on .Fuel stabilizes in both tanks would definitely help to keep the fuel from going flat especially when it sits for a long time ! Happy Trails from 🇨🇦 to the 🇺🇸
I think you have a D-342C engine in that unit. They are absolutely a fantastic engine I had Two in a tug boat once.
Please keep tabs on your AntiFreeze Acidity.
Another good idea, if u have a maverick gas station in town, many of them in Idaho sell non ethanol gas, which elimates a lot of problems in your small engines like your ca pony motor a date 4wheeler
Love how you don't seam to stress. If I was younger an in better shape this would be me
Brings back memories of hauling D8's and 583 side booms during the winter months for the pipeline companies we hauled for.
Tour next project needs to be building a Barn for the D8. that D8 is the most important piece of equipment on your property. you need to protect it from the weather or it's lifespan will be shortened.
Hop y’all and baby are enjoying your well deserved time off. We see y’all sooner than later.
1 thing never to forget, that machine is on tracks. Which means at any time they become very unwanted Ice skates. 😮 Be safe 😊
It has good grouser bars
Had a 9 sliding on Ice little down hill on the right side a drop of about 1,000 Alaska good times
A well produced video! When was this recorded? The roses in my yard are in full bloom.
Old billboard tarps from local sign company’s are Extremely valuable for protecting equipment and things around the property!
Like military grade tarp material
Here's something I've learned from an old man while be an mechanic and a Operator.
Take gas and soak a rag in it, while doing so, take off the Dozer air intake and take your soaked rag and stick it into the air intake, it's the best way to start any off road diesel equipment
Guys, all that snow and ice is an excellent reason why you need a "lean to type of shed" to look after ALL the toys, maybe something to add to the build list.???
i joined your channel about 2 weeks ago and i just got done watching all your videos .. i love how you work together and most of all the puppies lol
By allowing the snow to Go onto Both terminals of the Battery you have caused the Battery power to short Circuit and Drain out the Battery Power
It started that good good because it was started correctly, good job!