Caterpillar - D8 - Diesel - Cold Start - Cat - Tractor - WW2 - Normandy
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- Опубліковано 19 лип 2008
- Caterpillar D8-8R Built in Illinois USA in 1941 then shipped over to England to join 79th armoured Div 819 Dozer Squadron. This actual machine took part in Normandy and D-Day events. Filmed on 19th July 2008 at Barton under Needwood Steam Rally ( near Lichfield Staffs ) What you are watching is the start process needed before the Big Cats diesel engine can be started. The petrol driven starter motor ( donkey engine ) is fired up first. This generates heat which inturn is used to warm up the big diesel engine prior to starting. The action of the starter motor also builds up the oil pressure in the big diesel engine. When the required oil pressure has been reached you will see the guy activate the start mechanism on the diesel engine. Once she has fired up the primary petrol engine is shut down leaving the Big Cat Diesel engine purring away....Sweet
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I work for Caterpillar Inc. here in central Illinois and worked in the crawler factory in the 80's. After watching this video I am amazed on how far crawler technology has progressed. Love old iron and seeing them start and operate. It often makes me try to imagine how it really was ! Wow, 1941 army model and a D-day vet to boot. Amazing !!!!!!!
I don't think there's a better sound , than an older model diesel engine purring like this Caterpillar!
There aren't many machines like this...much less a military version that saw historic action. Amazing.
Ok I'll give you that. I have been involved with the vintage scene for most of my life and I guess we can all say we have had days like that. It can work the other way though. I remember my father starting our Foden on the London to Brighton run with a huge audience and he just rested on the starting handle and it fired into life much to his, and everyone else's amazement. It had never started like that before.
Thanks, I too liked this old girl, and to think she saw some action on Normandy beaches.... Long live the Cat !
wonderful to hear it running so healthily, thank you kindly.
A superbly maintained and presented piece of England's mechanical heritage. Excellent camera skills - neither shake nor willy-nilly, confused use of the zoom. Well done and thank you. Greetings from NZ.
Prior to enlisting in the Army in WWII my dad was in the CCC's (Civilian Conservation Corps.) at age 16. He had no parents & this was the best for him to do. The CCC's built dams, state & national parks, forestry etc. He was 16 & running a Cat like that skidding trees to the mill or dozing roads. He told me many stories of living at the camp & working in the wood. He was based at Voluntown Ct. the state park & forest still exists today .
Thank you for getting a fire lit in that diesel and drowning out the extra crappy calliope music!!! 🤠👍
Just remembered a piece of history in my home town you may not have seen before. Back in the 50's, the King Ranch here in Texas had Holt Caterpillar build them a custom twin D8, not to be confused with the SxS D9's of the 60's. I've never seen it personally, but two of my uncles working in the oilfield at the time said it was massive. If you image google "twin D8", the site that shows them has the one from here at the bottom, with their trademarked running w brand on the root plow.
That looks like a piece of history. It had a 1959 D-8. It started exactly the same way. The poney motor was a pain to start with the hand crank when it was cold. My poney had the luxury of a place for an electric starter so I found one. Much easier when cold. However when it was hot I used the hand crank. 2 pulls and it was running. Those things big cats have unbeleivable power when the governor kicks in.
A superb D8 that even makes music as the engine warms up for a start.
That engine is perfect hey, the diesel is running better than factory new. Very well done
When dozer blade was applied, often cable operated all you had to know was 2nd and Hi reverse. They were opposite on the 6 speed transmission and allowed the cat shifter to be used like a johnson bar. Had a hyster winch on the back. By the time late 1950s rolled around pony motor had electric start and remote controls
Incidentally, here in the north woods, we call that a pony motor. Donkey is most often associated with Diesel or Steam multi drum cable winches.
Ran one of these as a teenager.
these are the unsung heros of WWII
Im sure it would, It was a real pleasure to stand next to and actually touch this D8 especially knowing its background history. Im glad you enjoyed the video and Im grateful for your advice. I found your remarks very helpful, constructive criticism is always appreciated. Thankyou.
Love the old Cats. You gotta shut off the fuel and let the carb run dry though. Keeps the petrol out of the crankcase that way. Good looking tractor. A friend of mine's dad was on the beach at Normandy on D-Day plus 1 or 2. He may have driven something similar as he was an operator in the U.S. Army.
I'm a Yank myself but me mum was from Harrogate, Yorkshire. Her two brothers fought and returned home. Her brother in law was a Canuck pilot. He was killed when his Lancaster went down. Rough time.
If this beauty can't pull you out then nothing can !!
Yes I totally agree with you...
Thanks for watching. :-)
When I started my career with the State of Nevada in 1985 one of the fun things I was involved with at the time was the start of a D-8 Cat with a pony motor. I want to say it was an an early 50's Cat with electric start for the pony motor and a huge winch on the back for the operation of the blade (no hydraulics) as I recall it took some time to bring it up to temp but when you hear that Caterpillar rumble the first time it is unforgettable. Unfortunately, it was send off shortly afterward.
GREAT video! thank you!
I used to run an old 8-H that the pony motor had a lot of wear on and if you didn't let it idle and warm up itself it would foul a plug and then you played the devils advocate trying to get the diesel started. I'd always fire up the pony motor and let it idle while turning the diesel over with the compression off and no fuel and drink a cup of coffee. By the time I drank the cup the pony would be warmed up and would fire off the diesel with no problem. One cylinder at a time. Thanks for posting this. Good job!
+Lewie McNeely Thats a great story, Thanks :-)
Thanks for the advice, Im not a camera man or into photography, at least I wasn't when I made this. I used my Sony digital camera in video mode, it was made on the spur of the moment and was the first decent video that I made and uploaded to You Tube. Since this film I have learnt a lot more & become more into what makes a good video so to speak, but Im still no expert. If I could remake this video it would be much improved. Alas I can't but have taken onboard your comments and tips. Thankyou.
@peteacher52 Thanks, I only wish I could go back and remake this film. I now use a HD camera and know a little bit more than I did when I made this.
Still glad I captured this beast rather than not at all.
Thanks for watching :-))
Hello NZ.
@seasonedtoker Sorry my mistake, the donkey engine is providing warm exhaust gasses that are used to begin warming up the large diesel engine, making for easier starting, also oil pressure is slowly being built up in the large diesel engine at the same time, and until it reaches a specific pressure, firing up cannot begin. Hence it takes a little time for all these stages to be complete before the big fire up...
Great video, Brilliant old Dozer... Just glad we don't have to do that every morning!!!
Thanks for watching and glad you liked it, its nice to see and hear about these old machines and their history. They all have a story to tell.
my grandpa has one of these. I love to run it. A little hard to get started somtimes.
Hats off,thatat machine is in MINT condition.And Caterpillar still makes them I would bet one could still get parts for these :)
@Bevoin1970 i basically is a gasoiline powered starter, it just cranks the big engine over, and shares the same cooling system,so it helps warm up the coolant in the big diesel,and the pony exhust is routed through the diesel intake maifold to help warm it up too.
When it was really cold out, and especially after the engine had some ware on it, the farmer used to start the pony motor and let it spin the engine with the fuel lever in the off position while he went and had his morning coffee. By then the engine would be warm enough to to run.
Wow. So glad I stumbled on this video, I have never seen that before, EPIC!
Oh man, you guys across the pond get all the good WW2 stuff!! I would kill to have one of those. Or the veteran i really want, a Sherman Tank. Anyway, That sure is a beauty, iv never actually seen a CAT being started with a Pony Motor, thanks for sharing.
Brilliant !! Would have loved to have seen that. One of those priceless moments eh.
I get the impression that once these babies were running, you left them running... ha ha. Must admit I felt quite humbled myself as I stood next too this veteran. Thanks for telling your story. :-)
Just looking at your most poplar download. Nothing like a old machine getting the rev.Now like a say to many tubes support this video with something similar.
This old beast looked like something which would drive out of Thunderbird 2 pod with the Mole on top.
By the by, I saw this Cat in your steam vid and was immediately impressed to see such a monster was saved...
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it. Take a look at my some of my newer video's I have uploaded some more Caterpillar stuff and International Crawlers, hopefully something for all tastes...
Thanks for watching.
Thank You !! Im happy you enjoyed it.
Thanks for watching. :-)
My stepdad was in the Army during WWII and was in the engineer unit that crossed the Rhine River heading for Berlin. He told harrowing stories of using his D-8s Blade to keep enemy fire off of him when driving into the river to push gravel to make bridge supports for the following units to bring the tanks and trucks and supplies needed to take Germany after getting to Berlin and hoping to end the war. He told me German snipers were constantly dinging rounds off his Cat while working at night time to drive into the river and push gravel back to the shore line and then push it into a lane for the suspension bridge spans to rest on. He slept during the day and worked only after full darkness to keep from getting shot off the D-8 while out in open river working. My Dad told me several Cat operators were in fact shot while working this job and he just knew his time had come when he was on the front of the unit pushing across the river at the end of the job. To the day he died in 2010 he credited that Cat D8 for saving his life several times.
Jim London wow! That's a fantastic story. Thanks for sharing that. I was trying to picture the scene in my head, wondering how I would have coped had it been myself. Such brave men eh? That really is a brilliant story to tell. Thank you.
That spirit is still alive. Combat engineer here.
Now you mention running the carb dry, prior to me filming this video the donkey engine did have petrol flooding out of the carb, this could well explain the difficulty in starting, it was simply flooded. Nice story you gave, just to stand close and actually touch these machines makes you wonder what stories they could tell if only they could speak...
Nice big beastie!
It's good that you've included information in the description so that people who don't know much may learn some more. (I know a little, but i'm always eager to learn a little more.)
8-)
I wish I was around when things like this were commonplace!
To be fair to the chap doing the starting up, he did have what appeared to be flooding problems with the Donkey / Pony engine. I actually saw with my own eyes Petrol leaking out from the float chamber. Seemed to be just one of those moments that happens when you have a crowd of people watching your every move, and the last thing you want is a problem occurring when your performing to an audience...
That one nice old machine!
@seasonedtoker It was just one of those things at the time. The owner had a small crowd of people stood around him, and I think he flooded the engine with petrol, that made the spark plug all wet, and so it didn't want to fire up.
I dare say under normal conditions, it would fire up 1st time, usually the way when no one else is watching.
Thanks for watching. :-))
Bevoin19
70
@leokimvideo Thanks for all the advice and tips etc... I'll have to get my thinking cap on and see what I can come up with.
I believe your right though in what you say about sleepers...
Thanks for the info, will take a look.
excellent.. sounds very good.
A musical Cat D8 8r lol , nice machine. It ran well at the Dorset in 2017
@greenjeens It provides heat from its exhaust gasses, which in turn help warm up the large diesel engines oil, thus making it easier to turn over and hopefully fire up - it also builds up the oil pressure in the large diesel engine before firing up can commence, by checking gauges the operator can determine if all is ok prior to slipping the clutches which allow the diesel engine to begin turning over and eventually fire up into life, so the little donkey engine does quite a bit of work... :-)
Ah wonderful i love it. Caterpillar really knows how to make a dozer.
My favorite piece a diesel engineering!
diego hermosillo ĺiiu
Shame we never got to see it move. The show organisers would'nt allow it. It saw action in Normandy though. It was certainly a lovely piece of machinery to look at and listen to.
Thanks for all the info, fascinating stuff... :-)
I like the video...I like old CATs.
I love old machines proper basic no fucken electrics and fuses, Just pure mechanics
Great machine!!!
@leokimvideo I wish I could in many respects, this was a fluke really, a one off.
I came across this Caterpillar quite by chance, literally one day at a vintage steam rally. He was having a tough time regarding Health & Safety issues, show organisers wouldn't let him drive this into the arena. I was lucky in that he offered to start her up for me, hence this film is the result. Never ever saw him again after this.
Your right about Thunderbird 2 Pod... ha ha....
Brilliant!
Pretty cool story. You never forget a rig like one of those when you have a chance to be hands on with it.
The 4 stroke marine diesels had de-compressors for ease starts; two stroke recoil start donkey engines were used on Soviet made "Belarus" tractor (1978) to start 4 cylinder 4 stroke diesel engine.
That's quite correct according to the chap who owns this machine. He also says that they throw out less black smoke too....
Gave me Goosebumps and I found myself thinking,"If only she could talk"
I am only going on what I see in the video and what I see is a very well presented Caterpillar which is a credit to the restorer but bearing in mind this must be in the summer as it is at a rally I would want it to start a lot better than it appears to. I have seen many D2s and D4s and even the rough looking ones have started very well. .
Thats ok glad you enjoyed it. Wished I had the opportunity to re make this video in HD and on a much nicer day. Maybe one day If I ever see it again at a show... Thanks for watching and good luck in getting a Sherman.... :-)
Bevoin1970
Damn, didn't think the pony motor was even gonna start lol!
actually cats of all sizes had donkey engines until the 60s my dads first D6B had a donkey, we had 2 D8Hs on the farm for many years 1 was donkey start built '64 the other built 66 started off life with a donkey but was converted to direct start- the donkeysthem selves were electric start only in the 50s
for those that dont know cat eninges up until the late 80s were "indirect injection - these engines take alot of starting & smoke alot when cold- dont be fooled tho they are very good motors!
Thank You Bevoin1970
Sound great.
"thats all there is to it" lol
great vid and great lookin piece of iron
@FJSchrank Where do you get the air from on the initial start up? The Pony engine gives off heat, which is then used to help pre heat the big diesel engine, no air start could do that for you.
Even better close up !!
@VYXtreme Sounded very nice being stood next to it. Thanks :-)
Thanks for watching, and glad you enjoyed it.
Thank You. Greetings from England. :-))
Even in the 40's a cat still sounded like a CAT!!!
That sounds like a good idea to me...... Nice 1
Great video, but that thing starts hard. Dad has a 1953 D-8 2U1976. Until this year it has started much easier than that. Even in the cold. Choke her till she starts, push it in some and it will run. Warm her up a bit then open the throttle up and let her crank on teh big one for awhile. Our has the crank up through the hood, saves climbing on the machine to adjst the choke or run things, you are already up there. Also a better set up with the dozer blade on it.
that is in very very very very very good condition i like it!
Caterpillar, even today build great engines, although you don't want to run today's unit injection ones out of fuel as they are pigs to bleed. With the use of a laptop you can cut the injectors out and run a modern six cylinder on just one injector. Quite impressive
State of Idaho with a D-6 cable-blade. The pony did not have enough hp to run and spin the diesel for mor than 15-20 sec so it had to be engaged and dis-engaged several times. Exhaust was inches above the pony motor clutch and shift levers...You only forgot gloves once! Built a back-country firefighting airstrip with that little thing.
Thanks :-)
@DOCTORDROTT I think he had a CD playing in his player... LOL
The chap reckoned it was because he'd got an audience, and that normally it fired up quite quickly and without much fuss.
Was a very nice machine though, shame he wasn't allowed to drive it - Health & Safety as per usual...
Thanks for watching
Paul :-)
Yes same difference, You call it a Pony engine, and over here in England we would call it a Donkey engine.
@theimaginator16 Thats a great story, quite funny and yet I can believe it too...
Its not the kind of machine you want to keep switching on and off , especially during War time... Sounds much easier to just keep topping up the diesel tank and let the machine keep on running...
Thanks for that. :-)
it also sounds like a tractor trailer truck idling hehe i like it lots
Thank you. :-)
Thank You. :-)
@SpeedyNeutrino43 In over 155,322 views, your the first person to say that. This was filmed at a Vintage Steam Rally, with a variety of Steam powered traction engines, stationary engines and a "Fairground Organ" playing in the background.
This is what you can hear playing. Its not some music track that I have added later on. Unfortunately I had to take this opportunity to film this big CAT as it happened. I had no control over the background noise. I wished I had, but there you go.
Thanks :-)
@Bevoin1970 Interesting pictures. Always wondered what the extra holes in the pad were for. We always added hard metal welding to top of pad treads to extend life of pads.
Wow! Is that in good shape!
@HJMC3345 Many thanks for such informative information - interesting!
What a nice machine,those donkey engines can be temprimental.Never seen a D8 that sounds like a fairground organ before it starts,is it a modification lol
Thanks for posting,well done
The high rate of compression on those (diesel) pistons, and their bore size, requires a tremendous amount of torque to turn over which would not be humanly possible safely. The pony motor (starting engine) was used back then to accomplish this feat. Also for lack of battery power on most equipment.
@Bevoin1970 Yeah even the glow plugs are built right into the start cycle.
GOOD RUNNING TRACTOR
Me too buddy, I would so love to have a dozer, if only I had the money and the space to keep one..... I can always dream eh?
ha ha...... Thanks for watching.
If it is very cold the pony start is actually a little more reliable than a modern direct electric start.
I know this guy knows what he’s doing but it’s never safe practice to stand in front of a running machine. No disrespect intended. Hoorah Carry on and thank you for your service.
@mihanurgos yes she sure was.... Thank you :-)