TD-18 INTERNATIONAL
"DUALLY"
NOVEMBER 2003
THE TD-18 KNOWN AS "DUALLY" SEEN HERE WITH A CATERPILLAR HARD NOSE TO CONFUSE EVERYONE. YOU CAN READ THE STORY ON MY CAT TRAIN NEWSLETTER ISSUE #24.
ARRIVING IN THE "KINGDOM" TO MY LITTLE SHOP AND LITTLE XENA.
UPDATE AUGUST 2008
AFTER 5 LONG YEARS I DECIDED TO GET BACK WORKING ON "DUAL STACKER". FIRST I USED BUDDY BARRY'S BIG LOADER TO PUT "DUALLY" BACK IN MY LITTLE SHOP.
THE REASON WHY I HAD TO WAIT SO LONG TO WORK ON "DUALLY" IS BECAUSE I NEED A SET OF CYLINDER HEADS. I THOUGHT I HAD A SET WHEN I PICK UP THIS MOTOR ON THE SOUTHERN TOUR IN 2004. BUT THE ENGINE HAD RUST IN THE SPARK PLUG HOLES SO I THOUGHT I HAD A BOAT ANCHOR. IN 2008 I THOUGHT I WOULD TAKE A CHANCE AND SEE HOW BAD THE RUST IS INSIDE THE MOTOR.
THE TWO CYLINDER HEADS FROM THE BOAT ANCHOR DIDN'T SEEM TO BE TOO BAD FOR THE AMOUNT OF RUST FALL OUT OF THE SPARK PLUG HOLES.
AFTER A QUICK BUFF WITH THE WIRE WHEEL ON THE GRINDER, I CHECKED THE HEADS TO SEE IF THERE IS ANY CRANKS WHICH TD-18s ARE KNOWN FOR.
SINCE I'M THE "KING OF OBSOLETE" AND DON'T HAVE A FANCY VALVE GRINDING MACHINE AND THE NEAREST ONE IS 1200 KMS TO THE SOUTH. I USE THE DRILL AND SPIN THE VALVE AT A VERY LOW SPEED TO GET THE VALVE GRINDING COMPOUND TO BUFF THE SEATS. LOTS OF TIME AND A RAINY DAY IS REQUIRED FOR THIS JOB.
I WAS UNABLE TO GET ONE OF THE DECOMPRESSION VALVES TO SEAT SO I WELDED IT SHUT. THESE HEADS ARE ONLY TEMPORARY TO GET "DUALLY" UP AND RUNNING TO SEE WHAT OTHER SURPRISES AWAIT ME. WITH THE VALVE WELDED, I THEN DID A WATER TEST TO SEE IF THE WELD LEAKS. (THE HEAD IS FILLED WITH WATER BUT YOU CAN'T SEE THAT IN THE PICTURE, NEXT TIME I'LL ADD FOOD COLOURING TO THE WATER SO IT SHOWS UP BETTER.)
TO REUSE THE OLD HEAD GASKET I CLEANED EVERYTHING VERY WELL, THEN WIPED DOWN WITH A SOLVENT. NEXT A GOOD COATING OF PERMATEX AVIATION FORM-A-GASKET #3 SEALANT ON THE ENGINE BLOCK. SLIDE THE GASKETS IN TO PLACE AND COVER THEM WELL WITH THE AVIATION GASKET GOO.
MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A HELPER TO GET THE HEADS ON BECAUSE THEY NEED TO SLIDE DOWN STRAIGHT ON THE BOLTS.
AFTER TIGHTENING THE HEADS DOWN, I LEFT THE ENGINE FOR ABOUT A WEEK BEFORE I ADDED WATER. THIS WAY EVERYTHING SEALS UP NICELY. HERE IS "DUALLY" FIRST SMOKE OUT THE "DUAL STACKS" IN OVER 22 YEARS. THANSK TO THE 922 CATERPILLAR LOADER PUSHING "DUALLY" SINCE I CAN'T START HIM ON GAS BECAUSE OF THE WELDED VALVE.
THE LOADER JUST DIDN'T HAVE THE POWER TO PUSH A "DUAL STACKER" SO I USED THE D6 9U KNOWN AS "THE HOOD".
IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG AND "DUALLY" WAS UP AND RUNNING.
