NCWayne

Anonymous-0 · Apr 27, 2012

I am rebuilding a small IH loader.
The tracks are rusted/frozen but are in real good shape.
Is there a shop in the Charlotte area that can push the pins a bit to free them up? Is this feasible? I have'nt been able to do anything with them with anything I've tried. Penetrating oil, pushing and droping with backhoe loader. I am in Shelby.
Thanks

NCWayne · Apr 27, 2012

I've got a customers 175B IH setting in the yard in about the same shape track wise from setting. Great tracks, look nearly new in fact, but tight as a tick in places when it was torn down 4 years ago, and probably even tighter now. I don't know what we're going to do about them if he ever comes up with the money to repair the thing.

That said, the only place I know for sure that has a track press is Wilson Finley. CAT and some of the others in the same area may have them too, but if so I've never heard of anyone taking 'outside' work to them. Here's a link to their site.

Given what all is involved in pushing the pins out and back in, I'd ask them a price to do that, and also check on the price of a new set or chains and bolts. If your's are rusted as bad as your saying the labor involved to take them apart and free them up just might be more than simply putting your good pads on a new set of chains.

If you ever run into anything else feel free to give me a shout via email and I'll give you my number. Good luck.
Wilson Finley

dpendzic · Apr 27, 2012

on the Antique Cat forums I have read of guys taking the tracks off and soaking them for a few weeks in water, citric acid bath, or diesel fuel to get them loose.

NCWayne · Apr 28, 2012

Kind of hard to get a complete track assembly that's got links so tight they won't hinge into a bath so I'd really like to see how those guys are doing it cause I don't have a tank that big. That said when my customer first got his machine about 6 years ago we beat and heat on the tightest links, saturated them in penetrating oil, and eventually just kept them soaked in diesel every tieme he finished running it. Over the course of several months of doing this they tracks were still tight.

That said setting here thinking about this situation, I wonder how using something like a rust remover would work. I know I've used a product made by ZEP that will remove rust and leave you with bare metal with enough applications. I wonder if that stuff would penetrate into the links on a set of chains and help free them up.....Might be worth a try.

john tilson · Apr 28, 2012

acetone and transmission fluid mixed half and half is the best penetrating oil.

There is a you tube video claiming to use molasses as a rust remover. They say farm grade(for livestock feed) will strip rust from any metal.

D7fever · Apr 28, 2012

can you get it to roll? if you can get it to roll, drag it around for a while, they will loosen up.
bought a D7 a few years ago, had been sitting for over 20 years, tight but got it to roll, rolls ok now.

2x4 · Apr 28, 2012

easiest quick way we do it is take a 10 lb. sleege hammer & haul back & smack the end of every track pin. The shock loosens'em right up.

Anonymous-0 · Apr 29, 2012

The tracks are off of the machine. I think I am going to bang them with a big hammer, as 2X4 suggested, while mixing a batch of molasses and water (I watched the video). Thanks to everyone for your suggestions. I will post results.

NCWayne

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