Dozer rail advice/help

Alright, yes, I know I've got an obsolete duck here, and that's why I have the question I have. I have an '85 Fiat-Allis 8B dozer, 5600 hrs, at some point the rails/grousers have been replaced. One sprocket had been replaced just before I got it, and the previous owner sent the other new one with the machine. All parts look good, but what I don't get is the track with the new sprocket can be tensioned correctly with about half the travel left in the tensioner.. but the other is still way too slack with the adjuster all the way out. This sprocket is not worn badly either, but will replace it anyway since I have it. Undercarriage parts for these are like bigfoot, no one seems to have ever seen them, at least in the last 15 years or so. The rails are an odd metric pitch unmatched to anything out there that I've found. I don't have a pin press, nor do I want to buy a $1500 one or pay a service truck fee of 2-3K to do the work. I want to take a link out, and shorten the slack track and put the new sprocket on. Cutting the pins out would be no problem with a torch, but I can't get new pins for it, either. Someone suggested I cut two links in half, and then weld the front half of one to the rear half of the next, thereby losing the length of a full one, stating the track pad bolts will hold the most of it, and the weld will just be extra reinforcement. Anyone shorted one before without the "proper" tools to do so? Keep in mind, this is a farm dozer with only probably 100-150 hrs use per year.

TYPE IN Mc CALLISTERS EQUIPMENT IN CAIRO MISSOURI SEARCH ON LINE. They are very good dozer place. Very good about locating parts for dozers.

I switched to modern view but still don't see where you are.

S&S Tractor, Marcellus NY helped me with my FD5. I think it's about the same vintage as yours. I had the pins and bushings turned there, and bought new idlers.

If you have the same number of links on each side, then the one track must be worn terribly. That won't do much good for that new sprocket.

Thanks for letting me know about McAllisters, will try them for some pins. Still have to figure out how to remove a link as it is.

You need to do a little more looking and counting. If in fact you end up with a dozer with one less link in one rail it will want to walk to that side, and first thing you will do is over work a steering clutch. Taking a link out with a torch to heat the pin and a heavy sledge is possible but you need to know what you are doing. You also have to trim the bushing and need washers. Best to try right next to the master link. E-mail is open if you need more information.

First, DO NOT cut a link in half and try to weld it back together. The links are hardened, and WILL NOT 'take' the weld good enough to hold. I guarantee if you try this it will last until your in the worst possible spot, and break, throwing the track off and leaving you stranded.....Again, NOT a good idea.

As another poster stated though, both tracks need to be the same length. A dozer has no differential to make up for different length tracks. As a result the machine will constantly be pulling harder on one side than the other. If your on soft enough ground where the tracks can slip a bit, it's not as bad, but on hard ground, trying to push in a straight line, it's putting a heck of a load on the steering clutches that shouldn't be there.

That said, if you've counted your links, and know your one off, it's not hard to remove a link. The only difference between a master link, and a non-master is the length of the bushing

On a non-master it goes through the center/male end of the link, and continues into the sides of the outside/female half of the next link. On a master, it is only as long as the center/male end of the link, and the difference is usually made up with a slug that comes with the master pin.

To remove a link, all you need to do is cut out the un-needed link, and grind the ends of the bushing down flush with the sides of the male end.

As far as a pin, a piece of 4140 will make a pin for you just as good as factory. Simply have it turned .001 oversized, drive it in, and for good measure give it a tack or two on one end to make sure it can't back out.

If you've got any questions feel free to email me and I'll answer any questions, or walk you through things if needed. Wayne

For driving pins out weld a punch to a 4' length of pipe and use it for your driver,sometimes a two person job but saves fingers.