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Well it looks like my luck ran out. Started the dozer after an hour of trying. It hasn't run since really cold weather hit. Anyway I got it going and went to get more water and move a couple things so I could get it to the shop while it warmed up enough to move. Got back over to it and it's spewing bright yellow from the radiator I had just put 5 gallons of water in. I thought well FU-- and went to move it out of the end of the garden out of the way and it won't move. WTH? So I shut it down and checked the oil expecting to see water a plenty in the oil nope no sign water in the engine oil and it's about the usual place on the stick. So I pull the radiator cap and check to see just what is in there that's bright yellow. It looks & feels like 30 weight oil mixed with a little water, just enough to make a bright yellow cream or maybe milkshake but not quite that thick.

If anyone knows or knows anyone who might have a clew what is going on PLEASE HELP!
 
Biggkidd said:
Well it looks like my luck ran out. Started the dozer after an hour of trying. It hasn't run since really cold weather hit. Anyway I got it going and went to get more water and move a couple things so I could get it to the shop while it warmed up enough to move. Got back over to it and it's spewing bright yellow from the radiator I had just put 5 gallons of water in. I thought well FU-- and went to move it out of the end of the garden out of the way and it won't move. WTH? So I shut it down and checked the oil expecting to see water a plenty in the oil nope no sign water in the engine oil and it's about the usual place on the stick. So I pull the radiator cap and check to see just what is in there that's bright yellow. It looks & feels like 30 weight oil mixed with a little water, just enough to make a bright yellow cream or maybe milkshake but not quite that thick.

If anyone knows or knows anyone who might have a clew what is going on PLEASE HELP!
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Umm...I've never even heard of something like that out of a radiator. Just to be sure, I might try draining a little engine oil to see if there's any water in the bottom of the pan. Might be time to drain the radiator and replace the coolant. I'm a little confused as to why I wouldn't move though...
 
The engine oil is BLACK and NASTY no way possible it's the bright yellow I'm seeing. I've been trying to trace things down and talk to people who might have any idea. From what I saw when looking things over it seems there's a heat exchanger on the left side of the engine that has two 1 inch lines coming from the torque converter / transmission area. I'm thinking if it is a heat exchanger as it appears it's the most likely place to look first. Then again I don't want to go just taking random pieces apart. lol There are two dipsticks under the seat and one is full the other shows no fluid so I have the impression that's where the missing fluid came from. Best guess the reason it won't move is the torque converter fluid is to low.
 
After much searching I finally found a couple tags on the engine and trans that might let the parts guy at Carter machinery help me figure out what's going on with this thing. I also found it does indeed have an oil heat exchanger or cooler with lines coming from the trans area on the side of the block that has a crack just above it where it mounts to a water manifold. The crack I might maybe be able to weld. This thing has leaks all over it mostly water / coolant leaks.
 
Bit the bullet and ordered the cheap cooler / heat exchanger off ebay. Should be here by the end of next week. Dealership wanted $1,200. I didn't pay but 2/3 of that for the dozer! It was a fight finding any info or parts since everyone I talked to swore it didn't have a heat exchanger / cooler for the transmission / torque converter. I think part of the issue was wording. A cooler has fluid on one side and air on the other a heat exchanger has fluid on one side and coolant on the other. Yet Cat calls it a torque converter cooler.
 
Biggkidd said:
Bit the bullet and ordered the cheap cooler / heat exchanger off ebay. Should be here by the end of next week. Dealership wanted $1,200. I didn't pay but 2/3 of that for the dozer! It was a fight finding any info or parts since everyone I talked to swore it didn't have a heat exchanger / cooler for the transmission / torque converter. I think part of the issue was wording. A cooler has fluid on one side and air on the other a heat exchanger has fluid on one side and coolant on the other. Yet Cat calls it a torque converter cooler.
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I like your updates.

Ben
 
Cat has a parts web site, https://parts.cat.com/en/catcorp/PartLookup i don't know if it goes back that far, but it would be worth having a look, before you start you need your serial number. can save a lot of time because Cat like to name things a little different than everyone else.
 
I'll keep that link @Tirediron . Thanks!

@Mountain trapper I sure hope so. Although it has many other issues that need addressing. A friend who knows said better than 50% and the tracks have over an inch of cleat left. For what I paid for it including these parts I still feel it's already paid for itself with the little I did with it right after I got it. I probably haven't used it 8 hours yet. But I've cleared at least 1/2 an acre if not over an acre in that time. I've got a lot more I want to do with it.
 
Biggkidd said:
Well it looks like my luck ran out. Started the dozer after an hour of trying. It hasn't run since really cold weather hit. Anyway I got it going and went to get more water and move a couple things so I could get it to the shop while it warmed up enough to move. Got back over to it and it's spewing bright yellow from the radiator I had just put 5 gallons of water in. I thought well FU-- and went to move it out of the end of the garden out of the way and it won't move. WTH? So I shut it down and checked the oil expecting to see water a plenty in the oil nope no sign water in the engine oil and it's about the usual place on the stick. So I pull the radiator cap and check to see just what is in there that's bright yellow. It looks & feels like 30 weight oil mixed with a little water, just enough to make a bright yellow cream or maybe milkshake but not quite that thick.

If anyone knows or knows anyone who might have a clew what is going on PLEASE HELP!
Click to expand...


People will tell you that oil & water don't mix. But, when they are captured under pressure in a coolant system, they make a batter like substance, about like pancake batter. There are o-rings in the heat exchanger that have degraded, or hardend, allowing the oil to bypass into the coolant. Fixing the heat exchanger o-rings will keep the oil out of the water, but flushing the coolant system, to get rid of the "batter", can be difficult. We used to use a mixture of Washing Soda dissolved into water. If you remove the drain petcocks first, and get the heavy batter out of the block, while flushing with a garden hose under pressure, it goes faster, then put the drains back in, add your Washing Soda mix, and run the engine at idle. Then drain and repeat till it's all out and running clear water. Don't forget to flush your heater core for your cab heater too. Washing Soda is Sodium Carbonate, it's not baking soda, it turns into Carbolic Acid when mixed into solution with water, so don't drink it, or taste it.

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Calgon work well too, when working on your own machine, leave the mixture in while you work the machine, you get a better clean, drain while warm.
Honestly if that were my machine I would block off the ports on the block, and loop the oil lines, just keep an eye on the temp guage and make sure it doesn't get far into the red. take a break when it gets warm. Can't really do this with some one elses machine, but.
 
Cleaning the system isn't an issue at the moment. When I bought this D4 I knew it had serious issues and that was okay. I feel like I stole it for what I paid. The heat exchanger should be here this week sometime. Then I have to wait for a new head gasket set to come in. The head gasket was known bad when I bought it. Honestly I wasn't really planning to fix it right now as it only leaks water to the outside of the engine. But after everything else I just want to get it taken care of. The engine burns real clean and has plenty of power. The steering clutches and brakes need some work also but I can live with them as they are for now and hopefully forever! I just bought this machine for working here not to make money with. This place is only 36 acres so I expect it will do everything I need it to...

P.S. The radiator needs some serious work or replacing as well. I think it will be alright as is though since about 2 hours at a time is all my body wants to run this machine. I have just been refilling it as needed and it's been working so far.
 
The oil cooler for the dozer came in today. Just unboxed it and did the happy dance because it is the correct size & shape. There was some confusion on account of the parts people giving me incorrect measurements. The part number was correct so I took the chance and ordered and got lucky!

Ordered the head gasket set this morning and it should be here by the end of the week. Probably going to try and wait a bit before doing the gaskets as I NEED the dozer last week more than next week. I'm going to try and get the cooler on and see if I can get the dozer to move tomorrow. I want to try and flush the cooling system a few times before I pull the head to cut down on the mess.

Got all of the first pile of brush from clearing for more solar burned today. That part of the driveway is back open for the first time since starting last year.
 
After a couple hours I finally got the oil cooler off. It is broken exactly like I thought it was. It froze with water in it since I didn't know it had it's own drain. I suspect it was leaking already seeing as the fluid was real low before this happened. Still have to get it the rest of the way apart and clean up the pieces I need to reuse. Not sure what I'm going to do about the piece it's bolted to that's cracked. I may leave it until we do the head gasket. Be a lot easier to fix once I can get the machine out of the field and to the shop. Tempted to try JB weld on it...
 
Alright got the dozer to pull itself back out of the driveway. Haven't filled the radiator yet since I have a JB Weld product on the ground out crack. But it did at least pull up out of the way. Didn't run it but about two minutes, just barely long enough to check the transmission fluid level and move it out of the way. Didn't feel like it was pulling like it should but it probably needs to A) warm up more and B) get all lines and such filled and the air out.
 
If you rad is seepy, run it with the cap loose, that helps a lot with leaks, cats tend to like to build a lot of coolant pressure,
 
Tirediron said:
If you rad is seepy, run it with the cap loose, that helps a lot with leaks, cats tend to like to build a lot of coolant pressure,
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It's a squirter that's for sure. Leaving it loose it tends to come off. I'm trying not to lose it...... So I've been putting it on barely snug, just tight enough it doesn't twist itself off.

I cleared all the debris off the top right side of the head where it was gathering. Now I'm not so sure the head gasket is the problem. The water looks to be coming from around the second injector. It's hard to tell for sure with everything already wet.

I did push a tree over that has been an issue right along side the driveway. Feels like it's pulling / pushing okay now.
 
We used to have a powder that you mixed with water and mixed into a crack. Dad and his buddies had a seiner (commercial fishing boat) when he was in his 20's. At the start of the season a cylinder cracked. They removed the piston, smeared this paste into the crack, let it dry, honed the cylinder, replaced the piston and head, and fished the season. Wish Dad were here to ask him the name of the product.
 
some guys put a bolt in the top side of the cap threads, to lock it in the loose position, also sometime the pressure relief cap is just a standard automotive rad cap in which case you can cut the pressure seal rubber out Another old school trick if you are running straight water is to add an egg to the water, it will cook and seal, only work with straight water, antifreeze de solves the egg. so it is easy to flush after.
The panic of not putting sealants in is was propagated b rad shop guys to increase bussiness, course ground pepper works too, but would be more work to flush
 
I've used pepper and egg in the past. lol Old school is how I was raised! Thanks! ! !

Right now I'm happy to let it leak and fill it back up once in a while. As I get more things taken care of and repaired on it I may try pulling the radiator and repairing it or replacing it. It's a balancing act trying to use and repair as needed on a broken and tied shoestring budget.
 
Tirediron said:
some guys put a bolt in the top side of the cap threads, to lock it in the loose position, also sometime the pressure relief cap is just a standard automotive rad cap in which case you can cut the pressure seal rubber out Another old school trick if you are running straight water is to add an egg to the water, it will cook and seal, only work with straight water, antifreeze de solves the egg. so it is easy to flush after.
The panic of not putting sealants in is was propagated b rad shop guys to increase bussiness, course ground pepper works too, but would be more work to flush
Click to expand...

Honestly I can't thank you enough for any and all tips & tricks with this old machine. It's the first one I've been around. Besides I doubt a lot of people know about egg, pepper and a few others I can't recall at the moment.
 
Biggkidd said:
Honestly I can't thank you enough for any and all tips & tricks with this old machine. It's the first one I've been around. Besides I doubt a lot of people know about egg, pepper and a few others I can't recall at the moment.
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I seem to remember that you could use water glass to seal a leaking radiator. Double check this advice as it is a vague memory.
 
Got three of the four holes tapped. Was just able to thread a nut on what was left of the broken bolt. Then I proceeded to dull several drill bits trying to drill that grade 8 bolt. I did manage to get a cavity about 1/4 inch deep. So I welded the nut to the broken bolt. Seemed to get a decent bite. I put nearly all my arm strength on a wrench on it and it stayed put. Next time I get out I will heat up the boss the bolt goes in and try to ease it out. Fingers crossed.
 
Biggkidd said:
Got three of the four holes tapped. Was just able to thread a nut on what was left of the broken bolt. Then I proceeded to dull several drill bits trying to drill that grade 8 bolt. I did manage to get a cavity about 1/4 inch deep. So I welded the nut to the broken bolt. Seemed to get a decent bite. I put nearly all my arm strength on a wrench on it and it stayed put. Next time I get out I will heat up the boss the bolt goes in and try to ease it out. Fingers crossed.
Click to expand...
PB blaster?
Impact wrench?

Ben
 
the best way to remove broken bolts in a casting is to weld a nut to the broken bolt, when you heat the bolt by welding, it has no where to go,so the expansion will lenthen the bolt a tiny bit, when the bolt cools it will be a tiny bit smaller and should thread out fairly easily, a small cordless impact will often rattle them out, an impact is far more likeley to free the bolt than just wrench force. Drilling cat bolts with conventional drills is very difficult, a carbide end mill sharpened like a bit sometimes works
 
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