450C new undercarriage installation

[DBCSteve]

Took us much of a day to put new tracks, sprockets and hydraulic tensioners on my 450C with help from my father in law, but it sure makes a difference! The old sprockets were worn to points and the tensioners had corroded pistons. Could have rebuilt the chains but the cost was about the same as new ones and would also have required removal of the old pads. Normally that would not have been a problem with an impact wrench, but the grousers were so worn that the pad bolt heads provided a lot of the effective traction -- and they were pretty badly mushroomed.

Getting the tensioner pistons out was a challenge, but there is always a way!

All in all a straightforward job. Here is a link to pictures:

http://gallery.me.com/macaulay.steve#100120

Steve

[Rick Kr]

Nice pictures. In the future I may be pulling of one track to get at the steering clutches. Your pictures are a nice step-by-step.
Rick

[DBCSteve]

Rick --

Last year I rebuilt the right side clutch on my 350B and would be glad to post step by step pics of that. I did make one mistake in retrospect -- cutting off the end of the track frame to pull the drive assembly out, then welding it back on after putting in the rebuilt clutch assembly. Only did that since it had been done that way on the other side. Found out later that all I had to do was rotate the assembly and stick my hand in to pull the shaft out. Easy to say, but I'm still not sure I would have stuck my hand inside with all that weight dangling at the end of my backhoe!

The technical manual instructions? Something like "after removing the drive assembly...."

Steve

[KenP]

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[DBCSteve]

Would be great to see "step by step" pics of 350 clutch work.
Thanks.

Here is a link: http://gallery.me.com/macaulay.steve#100128

As you can see, I had a problem removing the right side final drive assembly, and ended up cutting and rewelding the end of the track frame. It was tricky getting to this point since I had to unbolt and shift the JD ripper frame (in addition to removing ROPS, all hydraulic hoses, tank/seat/reservoir assembly, etc.). I was told later that all I had to do was reach inside and slide the shaft out away from the throwout bearing. I cut the track frame since the left side had been taken out and repaired this way by the prior owner. It was easy to reweld and re-align. The primary purpose of this part of the track frame, I figure, is to have something to bolt the sprocket guard to.

In removing the final drive assembly, be very careful to remove without tweaking the TO bearing.

Did not rebuild the clutch myself.

As indicated in many posts, adjust the clutch/brake linkage per the TM instructions. As to removal and installation, I took pictures all along the way since the camera's memory is better than mine.

One last hint: don't put dozer parts in your trailer with your mountain bike. Things shifted, and the bike lost.

[KenP]

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[Rick Kr]

Steve,
Thanks for posting the link. I still have some life left in the clutches, I think. Previous owner never drained the clutch housings, I ended up freezing them both up first winter I had it from rusting and ice. I spent two weeks drying out the housings with a heat gun.

Left side works real good, right side ok. I am going to adjust the right per the manual and see if it improves. But I am gathering everything I need for when the time comes.

Thanks,
Rick

[VT350C]

I have to comment on the great pics and what a joy it must be to have new grousers and undercarriage...Was the track tensioner piston just rusted really badly to the spring? Wow!

[Paul45]

I will be doing both sides on the 350 gas dozer i recently bought for $2000 as a parts machine. after getting it home and playing around with it i was able to get the gas engine running and the winch working. I bought this for the six way blade and winch seeing the my other dozer has a manual blade and an older style winch that had the big lever on the left side to operate it, but does not work. but now i am going to fix the steering cluthes on it because this old girl fires up in seconds and also has a reverser.
I have done the steering clutches on both my track loader and the manual blade dozer by myself. I have made some rods that i incert into bolt holes to help align the final, using an overhead electric winch and a floor jack i was able to remove final clean and rebuild clutch and reinstall in about four hours by myself. i can take pictures and post in the spring. NO HEAT in my garage. ha ha and it almost snowmobile season.

Does any one know a replacement option or a fix for the bad winch control or activator lever ( which i think i a big two way master cyclinder) big lever mounted on left side of machine, the seals are bad and leaks out all oil when i filled it? thanks ahead of time. Paul