Broken Front Idler

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CuttingEdge
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Broken Front Idler

Post by CuttingEdge » Sun May 01, 2016 1:50 pm

So much for my rebuilt tracks lasting for awhile. I have been working it pretty hard and sometime over at that rock-infested Christian Camp that I volunteered my dozer for, it shattered the front idler. About half the flange on both sides of the center rib is completely broken away!

I have a service manual, but not a parts manual and was wondering if anyone had the part number so I can find out how many hundred dollar bills this is going to cost? The previous owner said they were $900 per idler.

I'll gt some pictures as soon as I can...then I'll bombard you with question on how to get this thing properly repaired. Looks like a fairly straightforward process though.

1988 John Deere 350 D 6 way bulldozer

Thank you!
I have no intention of traveling to my grave in a well manicured body; instead I am going to slide into heaven with a big power turn, totally wore out with busted knuckles, jump off my dozer loudly yelling, Woo Hoo, another Shepard has just arrived!

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jsal
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Post by jsal » Mon May 02, 2016 5:29 am

try JD Parts web site all parts books are right their

JIM

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CuttingEdge
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Post by CuttingEdge » Mon May 02, 2016 2:42 pm

Hey thanks...
I have no intention of traveling to my grave in a well manicured body; instead I am going to slide into heaven with a big power turn, totally wore out with busted knuckles, jump off my dozer loudly yelling, Woo Hoo, another Shepard has just arrived!

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Tigerhaze
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Post by Tigerhaze » Tue May 03, 2016 11:07 am

(1) JD Straight 450 crawler dozer with manual outside blade; (2) JD 2010 diesel crawler loaders; (1) JD 2010 diesel dozer with hydraulic 6-way blade; (2) Model 50 backhoe attachments, misc. other construction equipment

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CuttingEdge
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Post by CuttingEdge » Tue May 03, 2016 3:45 pm

Hey thanks TigerHaze. I found it last night and tried an aftermarket parts guy with no luck, the John Deere themselves. They can get it, but not just the front idler, but the entire assembly. $800. :-(
I have no intention of traveling to my grave in a well manicured body; instead I am going to slide into heaven with a big power turn, totally wore out with busted knuckles, jump off my dozer loudly yelling, Woo Hoo, another Shepard has just arrived!

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jsal
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Post by jsal » Wed May 04, 2016 5:47 am

might try wengers of meyerstown I found one for my 350 I think like 200.00
if you go to machinery trader put in part no. they search all over US.


also tractor part .com should be some used ones out their

JIM

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Lavoy
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Post by Lavoy » Wed May 04, 2016 8:19 am

For $800 buy it and fast. That is by far the best price I have heard in years, and that will get you axle, seals, bushings, brackets, etc. 350 front idlers are getting really hard to come by, many companies are discontinuing 350 undercarriage. Buy it while you can get it.
Lavoy
Parts and restoration for antique and late model John Deere crawlers.
Owner and moderator www.jdcrawlers.com

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Stan Disbrow
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Post by Stan Disbrow » Wed May 04, 2016 2:24 pm

Hi,

Of course they are....just when I want to buy another 350 and retire my 420 to shows.

Stan
There's No Such Thing As A Cheap Crawler!

Useta Have: '58 JD 420c 5-roller w/62 inside blade
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pondhogvt
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350 Idler

Post by pondhogvt » Thu May 05, 2016 6:38 am

My uncle always used to say no good deed goes unpunished.. Not sure excactly what he meant but sounds like your situation.. humor.

anyway I have many used 350 idlers for sale.. and one real good shell.

priced according to wear but reasonable..

I see you are from Maine,, I post on Vermont,NH and Maine craigslist..

thanks Mark
350 loader,350c dozer winch and arch,450c winch and arch,450e winch and arch,D37p komatsu lgp dozer,D85 Komatsu dozer,D8k Caterpillar.

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CuttingEdge
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Post by CuttingEdge » Thu May 05, 2016 2:53 pm

Maybe you are THE ONE! :-)

Everyone and his brother keeps telling me there is a John Deere bulldozer scrap yard somewhere in Vermont with tons of John Deere parts. This obvious appeals to me because we have a house in New Hampshire not far from the Vermont border. (Lisbon New Hampshire). In fact my wife and I got married in North Haverhill.

Yeah no deed goes unpunished, but honestly I have been without a dozer for 20 years so its no big deal that I got one now that is broke. As we said on the railroad for years; "The only thing unfixable is body parts". Seems as i you have the parts!
I have no intention of traveling to my grave in a well manicured body; instead I am going to slide into heaven with a big power turn, totally wore out with busted knuckles, jump off my dozer loudly yelling, Woo Hoo, another Shepard has just arrived!

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CuttingEdge
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Post by CuttingEdge » Mon May 09, 2016 4:53 am

I have a stupid question, well many of them actually.

I have a John Deere manual for this crawler and it shows it has a master link, yet I cannot find one anywhere. I know this has brand new aftermarket tracks so is it possible there is not a master link per se for these particular set of tracks? To that end, if that is indeed the case, would it be still possible to pound the pin out of a link to split the track by hand?

I did a lot of YouTube looking and when they started saying having real mechanics fix their tracks costing $14,000 dollars I started getting scared; real scared...and wondering why I am raising sheep when instead I should be fixing bulldozers full time!! :-)
I have no intention of traveling to my grave in a well manicured body; instead I am going to slide into heaven with a big power turn, totally wore out with busted knuckles, jump off my dozer loudly yelling, Woo Hoo, another Shepard has just arrived!

B Town
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Post by B Town » Mon May 09, 2016 8:14 am

Some of the after market chains have a two piece master link. No master pin, but a serarated two piece link that fits together and the track pad bolts run down through the track pad into the link and holds it together. Bruce

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Lavoy
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Post by Lavoy » Mon May 09, 2016 8:27 am

Master pin will have dimple in each end to denote it from a regular pin. No good to knock just any pin out, most likely you have interlock rails, and it will not do any good. Keep looking, it is there. Master link looks no different than a regular link, you need to find the pin.
Lavoy
Parts and restoration for antique and late model John Deere crawlers.
Owner and moderator www.jdcrawlers.com

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CuttingEdge
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Post by CuttingEdge » Mon May 09, 2016 9:10 am

Just did a lot of checking and still see no dimple. I'll keep looking. :-(

I did find out it is an aftermarket tracked called VTrack (Valuepart) which says on their website they have two piece links, but I am not sure if they mean EVERY track chain they produce has two piece links or just certain models? I did an image search on the internet and sort of know what I am looking for, but did not see anything but the same ole thing.
I have no intention of traveling to my grave in a well manicured body; instead I am going to slide into heaven with a big power turn, totally wore out with busted knuckles, jump off my dozer loudly yelling, Woo Hoo, another Shepard has just arrived!

User avatar
CuttingEdge
2010 crawler
2010 crawler
Posts: 534
Joined: Wed Sep 03, 2014 5:13 pm
Location: Maine

Post by CuttingEdge » Mon May 09, 2016 9:50 am

Powerwashed the right side tracks impeccably and absolutely no dimple. I even moved the machine ahead and back checking off pins with chalk as I went. The only thing I remotely see was on one pin some ever so slight concentric circles...like the rings on a tree, but it is ever so slight. I would think they would have been marred upon being pounded in to connect the track, or it just might be from the parting tool of the lathe in the manufacturing of the pins. But it is the only one that has them.
I have no intention of traveling to my grave in a well manicured body; instead I am going to slide into heaven with a big power turn, totally wore out with busted knuckles, jump off my dozer loudly yelling, Woo Hoo, another Shepard has just arrived!

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