450 track adjuster headache

[dudedigger]

Hi Ihave a 450 john deere crawler loader. The problem I am having is I have a track adjuster that will not hold hydralic pressure. It was stuck, track to tight, just bought dozer. Used it for about 9 hrs and it worked great but left track was very tight . Iran it with the bleeder open and never loosed up. I removed the bleeder and grease zert and collapsed it with the bucket and a 4x4. It loosened up and grease came out of the bleeder and zert hole. Know I can pull track foward were I need it and the grease seal in adjuster will not hold ,leaks grease and will collapsed under a load ,seal bad or piston is pitted.My question is I tried to get adjuster out it is stuck in coil spring and I cannot remove track as it is in the woods and this is the only place Ihave to do the work. Ihave totally collapsed the adjuster piston pulled track out were it needs to be and if I shim the adjuster out with 1 and 3/4 block made at machine shop and fine tune track alignment with alignment shims and add shims if track loosens WILL THIS WORK. Has anyone ever done this and will it work. Iknow this is not the correct method but I am in a pinch. Thanks

[digitup2]

If you can possibly block between the housing and the cross beam then get the crawler out of the bush but don't get anything cought in the sprocket of somthing will get damaged as you have no relief spring in that position so get it home and fix it with the block in place is OK but good luck new seals on both sides are your best bet .Good luck .Digitup.

[dudedigger]

Thanks for the reply, Iwas goning to put blocks between yoke and frt idler. The only thing that should be different is the adjuster is no longer hydraullically adjusted know it will be by shims. the rear coil spring will still take the impacts or objects in tract. I think this is how a case dozer adjuster is only it has a adjuster rod. I maybe looking at this wrong, but I think the track will still be protected. thanks again

[dudedigger]

Thanks for the help, the adjuster fix with the blocks works, used dozer for 5 hrs sat. You can make the big blocks from 1in 3/4 block of steel cut holes out with 9/16 bit. Than make fine tuning shims out of 1/4in and 1/16 in steel and slot thamso they just need to be slid in to align idler or extend track due to wear.

[digitup2]

Do both adjusters while you have it in the shop.It makes the dozer a better machine when they both work proper.Splittin the tracks is the big thing.Digitup.

[MattE]

Not recommending... Just saying. I have seen more than a few farm crawlers with bottle jacks replacing the stock cylinders and they seem to work fine for a farm machine.

[FL450B]

i think under the bleed a small ball may have fell out look at parts book if you can but i think may be the ball droped

[digitup2]

I think Lavoy has those little balls for that bleeder unit and you need one if the housing is built for a ball and bleeder screw .Some were and some weren't depends on the age of the yoke .Other wise the bleeder screw will leak down if they were made for balls and don't have them.Digitup.

[bonker81]

I think Lavoy has those little balls for that bleeder unit and you need one if the housing is built for a ball and bleeder screw .Some were and some weren't depends on the age of the yoke .Other wise the bleeder screw will leak down if they were made for balls and don't have them.Digitup.

The bleed screws and balls were a shelf item at my local Deere dealer. $6-7 per side if I remember correctly.