INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER COMPANY 1945 TD-9 CRAWLER (serial number TDCB21318T7CC ) WITH BUCYRUS ERIE ( serial number 43936 ) LOADER
APRIL 2008
SORRY FOR SUCH A LONG TITLE TO THIS PAGE. IT CONTAINS ENOUGH INFORMATION TO SHOW UP ON GOOGLE. THAT WAY OTHER BUCYRUS ERIE LOADER OWNERS WILL HAVE ACCESS TO THE INFORMATION ON MY TD-9 KNOWN AS "THE ROCKET". IF YOU HAVE JUST FOUND THIS WEBPAGE ON THE INTERNET AND ARE ASKING WHY I CALLED MY LOADER "THE ROCKET". PLEASE CLICK ON FOR THE STORY OF "THE ROCKET". BUT IS YOU HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING ALONG MY WEBSITE www.kingofobsolete.ca AND KNOW THE FULL STORY ON "THE ROCKET". THESE PAGES WILL BETTER KNOWN AS THE COUNT DOWN TO THE "LAUNCH OF THE ROCKET". SO RELAX AND ENJOY AS I TRY AND POST A DETAILED PICTURE DIARY OF GETTING "THE ROCKET" CLOSE TO "THE LAUNCH DAY". ALSO THIS WILL HELP OTHER TD-9 CAT OWNERS IN FIXING UP THEIR COLLECTABLES. REMEMBER NO DRIVING ACROSS THE LAWN WITH THE CAT WHEN YOU GET IT RUNNING OR YOU WILL HAVE TO BE FORGIVEN FOR YOU MISTAKE, LOL.
THE FIRST THING I DO WHEN I GET A NEW COLLECTABLE HOME TO THE "KINGDOM", IS FILL EVERY COMPARTMENT WITH OLD DIESEL FUEL. THIS WAY IT STARTS THE SOAKING PROCESS BECAUSE WATER HAS GOTTEN IN THESE AREA. PLUS ON "THE ROCKET", ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS USED THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD AS A FOOD STORAGE AREA.
ONCE I REALIZED THAT THE RODENTS ENJOYED A FEW GOOD YEARS IN THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. THE CYLINDER HEAD HAD TO COME OFF TO REMOVE THE CONDO THAT HAD BUILT. THE CYLINDER HEAD ONLY TOOK 1.5 HOURS AND I EVEN REMEMBERED THE THE BOLTS THROUGH THE FIREWALL BEHIND THE AIR CLEANER. THESE 2 BOLTS ARE ALWAYS FORGOTTEN WHEN REMOVING THE HEAD BECAUSE THEY ARE HIDDEN SO WELL. TO MY SURPRISE, THE ENGINE IS IN VERY GOOD SHAPE FOR BEING LEFT OUT IN THE GREAT WHITE NORTH.
THE BIGGEST SURPRISE WAS WHEN NONE OF THE VALVES WERE SEIZED FOR THE AMOUNT OF WATER AND SNOW THAT WENT DOWN THE UNCOVERED EXHAUST PIPE.
THE SEATS ON NUMBER ONE CYLINDER NEEDED TO BE BUFFED TO GET THE RUST PITS OUT. OF COURSE, I DON'T HAVE THE FANCY VALVE GRINDING TOOLS AND THE NEAREST ENGINE AND HEAD SHOP IS 1200 KMS TO THE SOUTH. I HAVE TO DO THE BUFFING THE OLD FASHION WAY WITH VALVE GRINDING COMPOUND AND LOTS OF TIME.
THE TRICK WITH USING THE DRILL TO SPIN THE VALVE IS NOT THE SPEED. YOU WANT THE DRILL TO SPIN VERY SLOW AND YOU SHOULD HEAR THE SOUND OF THE GRITTY VALVE GRINDING COMPOUND WORKING. MAKE SURE YOU USE LOTS OF COMPOUND AND ALWAYS PUSH THE DRILL IN TO GET MORE COMPOUND ON THE SURFACE OF THE VALVE. ALSO USE AN OIL CAN ON THE DRILL SIDE OF THE VALVE TO KEEP THE VALVE STEM LUBED UP.
AFTER A COUPLE OF HOURS YOU WILL GET THE VALVE AND SEATS TO BE SMOOTH OF PITS FROM THE RUST.
WHEN THE BUFFING IS DONE, YOU HAVE TO TAKE THE BENCH GRINDER AND REDO THE EDGE OF THE VALVE BECAUSE IT BECAME SHARP WHEN YOU BUFFED IT. IF YOU LEAVE IT SHARP IT WILL BURN OUT QUICKLY. THESE ARE SOME OF THE TRICKS I HAVE LEARNED OVER THE YEARS ON THESE CATS. BACK WHEN I HAD MORE MONEY THEN BRAINS, I REPLACED THE HEAD ON THE "RED CRANE CAT" WHICH WAS $1100.00 PLUS FREIGHT, A $350.00 HEAD GASKET PLUS MY TIME. AFTER ALL THE WORK WAS DONE, I SUNK THE CAT IN A FROZEN LAKE WHICH THE REBUILT CYLINDER HEAD DID NOT LIKE THE COLD WATER SO IT CRACKED BIG TIME. I KISSED ABOUT $2000.00 GOODBYE AND NOW I USE THE "KING OF OBSOLETE" WAY OF REPAIRING MY CATS TO TAKING THEM SWIMMING.
MAY 2008
I USED MY LITTLE LOADER AND GOT "THE ROCKET" TURNED AND UP ON BLOCKS. WHEN IT DRIES UP, I CAN WORK ON HIM AGAIN. THE PARTS NEEDED ARE ARRIVING IN THE MAIL FROM EBAY.
AUGUST 2008
THE FUN BEGINS WITH DUMPING THE BUCKET THAT HAS NOT DUMPED IN 40 YEARS.
THE NEXT FUN PART WAS GETTING THE HYDRAULIC HOSES OFF THE CYLINDER. I HAVE NEVER SEEN HOSE ENTER THE RAM PART OF THE HYDRAULIC CYLINDER.
THE CATERPILLAR 922 LOADER HAD JUST ENOUGH REACH TO REMOVE THE BIG HYDRAULIC CYLINDERS.
NEXT THE LOADER FRAME CAME OFF WITH EASE.
LOTS OF PARTS AND THEY ENDED UP ON PALLETS.
FINISHED UP FOR THE DAY, NOT BAD FOR A SUNDAY AFTERNOON.
THANSK