HD21B put in service
Printed From: Unofficial Allis
Category: Allis Chalmers
Forum Name: Construction and other equipment
Forum Description: everything else with orange (or yellow) paint
URL: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=104924
Printed Date: 28 Apr 2024 at 9:16pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.10 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: HD21B put in service
Posted By: AC Mel
Subject: HD21B put in service
Date Posted: 18 Apr 2015 at 12:01pm
So since the logging show we've been working on this HD21B. We acquired this tractor many many years ago after the previous owner had removed the transmission to do repairs. It sat for several years after they had repaired the transmission, but no one wanted to put the transmission back in. We picked up all the pieces and got it home where it sat some more. We actually went back into the transmission and changed some main bearings that we could see had some rust showing up from moisture. After we got it going we got to busy to work on it, so we parked it and the sprocket shaft final seal promptly leaked oil. Knowing that needed fixing before we could go on (kinda took the fun out of it). That was 4 years ago, so fast forward to today. We have a opportunity to do some vineyard prep (ripping and digging stumps etc.) for a neighbor. Here's the story so far.  Get the swing frame off, a big forklift helps. Build a outboard bearing wrench  This is the puller setup we use to pull the bearing  Then you get your big sprocket nut wrench out  After the nut is loose you have an after work beverage while you set up the sprocket press  The sprocket press looks like this (and makes a loud pop!) when it comes loose at 60 tons  Use the forklift to remove it.  It looked like the metal sealing ring was not tight against the bearing retainer allowing the rubber seal to slip out the bottom and leak ( I think that was the smoking gun)  Press it back on like this.  Had to get more creative for the outboard bearing press, but it worked.  So David's got the paint shop open now. We had 10 gallons of Caterpillar paint unopened from 8 years ago. We got some clean buckets and began stirring and dumping back and forth. As you know we haven't needed much yellow paint lately,but this late model AC stuff (LOL) needs to be yellow as it was when new. We have used the Cat paint for yellow. It's good paint and just about as economical as any thing else.  John finished washing and we also did some sanding    So this was what it looked like yesterday. The rest of the paint is going on today  Stay tuned |
Replies:
Posted By: darrel in ND
Date Posted: 18 Apr 2015 at 12:57pm
| You and your crew never cease to amaze me. I think you must get more stuff done in a day than I do in a year. Love all the pictures and stories to go with them. Glad you are bringing new life to all of this old Allis equipment. Thanks, Darrel |
Posted By: donoman
Date Posted: 18 Apr 2015 at 2:19pm
| It would be great to see a video of it ripping the stumps out when its back at work |
Posted By: Ray54
Date Posted: 18 Apr 2015 at 5:39pm
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My uncle had a 69 HD 21 from 73 until he died. He worked on the finals a number of times.The last several times he used a guy from the oil fields that had equipment put to liquid nitrogen on, so parts would slip together with the bearings and such. He covered the garbage for the city of Paso Robles Ca for about 15 years.Lots of stuff to wrap into the finals and take out seals when some of the pour help didn't clean them out.Don't know how similar this final is to the older ones he ran.May not be rocket science to repair one but not possible without good lifting equipment and the special wrenches. Uncle was one to sit and have a cold one if things would not go together rather than get impatient with it. |
Posted By: Mactractor
Date Posted: 18 Apr 2015 at 6:37pm
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Its gotta be those beverage intervals that help these boys get so much work done on the tractors. We should all follow suit to increase productivity and reduce stress. Great work Mel |
Posted By: B26240
Date Posted: 19 Apr 2015 at 7:01am
| Wow you guys have all the stuff needed to do the heavy work!!! Most amazing and thanks for posting all the great pictures. |
Posted By: ACcrazy
Date Posted: 19 Apr 2015 at 9:22am
Yeah!! A big, bad 21!  Great work, Mel. 
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Posted By: JC-WI
Date Posted: 19 Apr 2015 at 11:59am
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Darrel in ND, when you said, "You and your crew never cease to amaze me. I think you must get more stuff done in a day than I do in a year." I was thinking more on the abilities that Mel and crew possess, they use more of their abilities and talents in one day than some have had in the totals of their lifetimes.
As always Mel, you guys do excellent work at bringing them old machines back to life and useable conditions again. ------------- He who says there is no evil has already deceived himself The truth is the truth, sugar coated or not. Trawler II says, "Remember that." |
Posted By: scooter01922
Date Posted: 19 Apr 2015 at 3:13pm
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Excellent work, we are going to absolutely REQUIRE some vid of that brute back at work and lookin pretty. Keep it up |
Posted By: hd16b
Date Posted: 19 Apr 2015 at 7:42pm
| Mel,I wish I could borrow your tools and knowledge.i also have seals leaking on my 16b. Been putting it off because I don't know how I am going to pull off and press on the sprocket. I just love working on old dozers,if I was close to you I would work in the off season for you for free,doing it just for the experience. |
Posted By: AC Mel
Date Posted: 20 Apr 2015 at 11:11pm
Thanks for all the nice comments guys. So here's how the painting has gone so far      So the track went on yesterday, the canopy and sweeps today, the blade tomorrow and hopefully a trial run. I placed an order with Speer Seat Cushions for the seat and armrests. Also we'll get some video to happen when we get going. |
Posted By: jorstad brothers
Date Posted: 21 Apr 2015 at 7:52pm
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mel thats a nice 21 u have there all of them up in this country are wore out ------------- remember plunder than burn |
Posted By: AC Mel
Date Posted: 21 Apr 2015 at 11:43pm
Todays events looked like this       Ok so I've got video but having trouble geting it uploaded. I know, I know, any one that can work on these old tractors should be able to upload video too. (I'll get it) |
Posted By: JC-WI
Date Posted: 22 Apr 2015 at 2:02am
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Day~um, those pics were so good lookin that I could almost smell the new paint and the smoke rollin... She sure looks like its working good.
As always , you guys really do a good job bringing the dead back to life... and looking best they have in many a years... ------------- He who says there is no evil has already deceived himself The truth is the truth, sugar coated or not. Trawler II says, "Remember that." |
Posted By: SHAMELESS
Date Posted: 22 Apr 2015 at 2:14am
| how come you don't paint the inside or outside of the tracks? and you guys are like the "king of obsolete" or he's like you guys! great job! |
Posted By: DMiller
Date Posted: 22 Apr 2015 at 4:17am
| Ol' girl looks good in new dress, looking sharp. How did the 21B end up with split segment SALT rails? Wish I had a set for my little 7G. |
Posted By: hd16b
Date Posted: 22 Apr 2015 at 5:52pm
| She looks wonderful mel, first chance you get I would love to have a close up on the muffler set up,I have been wanting to make mine like that |
Posted By: HD6GTOM
Date Posted: 23 Apr 2015 at 10:48am
| Thank you so much for the pictures and the hard--hard work to get these old gals back in operation. Now if I could only get my old gal---well never mind. |
Posted By: Lazyts
Date Posted: 26 Apr 2015 at 10:16pm
| Nice looking 21 to be sure. Also curious as to the rails- maybe from a D8? Would like to test out a 21B or 21C someday... |
Posted By: AC Mel
Date Posted: 27 Apr 2015 at 9:49am
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Yes those are D8 tracks (Berco). The previous owner had put those on with the help of a mechanic who had done the research knowing that the pitch was the same as the 8s. Everything was compatible and it sure made it easier to work on. Doug, I'll get some close ups of the muffler and email you. |
Posted By: HD6 Merv
Date Posted: 28 Apr 2015 at 3:56am
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yep both are the same; D8H and HD21; 9 inch pitch ------------- tits tyres and tracks they all cost you money |
Posted By: AC Mel
Date Posted: 12 May 2017 at 12:11pm
Here's an update for the 21B. We got a gig ripping some vineyard ground for our neighbors. We had to load it on the cozad and move it 1/2 mile down the road   We postponed the job for 2 weeks because of over 60'' rain.  |
Posted By: HD6GTOM
Date Posted: 12 May 2017 at 12:56pm
| Good Greif that is one healthy looking bruit. Great Work Guys |
Posted By: Lee Bradley
Date Posted: 12 May 2017 at 2:31pm
| As has been said, nice tracks. Just looking those look like extreme service rock grousers. |
Posted By: JohnCO
Date Posted: 12 May 2017 at 10:30pm
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Another wonderful looking and running machine, I, along with everyone else on this forum are really impressed with your work. I was on a farm tour in your area about 20 years ago and we came past a vineyard that had just been dozed out, two D9's or D10's sitting next to a big pile of posts. wire and plants. Vineyard owner had decided he had two many of that variety of grapes, going to replant something else. Some people out there must have more money then sense! Darrel, the reason they get so much more done then you is there are more of them and it's not 40 below and snowing half the year! ------------- "If at first you don't succeed, get a bigger hammer" Allis Express participant |
Posted By: JC-WI
Date Posted: 13 May 2017 at 12:21am
------------- He who says there is no evil has already deceived himself The truth is the truth, sugar coated or not. Trawler II says, "Remember that." |
JohnCO wrote:Posted By: DMiller
Date Posted: 13 May 2017 at 9:12am
| Awesome machines, saw one years ago working coal pile at one of Ameren's stations, was HUGE! with a coal blade on it. |
Posted By: tadams(OH)
Date Posted: 13 May 2017 at 3:32pm
| What a load. How much does it weigh ? |
Posted By: Mikez
Date Posted: 13 May 2017 at 11:46pm
| Wow that's a cool dozer. You sure do get a lot done with your projects. I think I'm a little jealous. |
Posted By: AC Mel
Date Posted: 14 May 2017 at 10:08am
| We think it weighs over 80,000 lbs. We tried to weigh it the first time we hauled it, on our truck scales. There's an incline to our scales and the lowbed is close enough to the ground that it high centered with the truck axles on the scales and the trailer axles still coming up the ramp. Well that took some weight of the truck axles, so the air bags dumped some more lowering the trailer onto the ground all the way. We got if off by pulling it backwards with one of the 11Bs. That was difficult cause the ground is hard packed and it just wanted to spin. So we haven't tried that again, but someday we'll get the exact number. |
Posted By: donoman
Date Posted: 14 May 2017 at 2:43pm
| would love to come over to see these great restorations first hand, I have just got my turbo HD6E fired up this weekend, just got to sort the air cleaner |
Posted By: tadams(OH)
Date Posted: 16 May 2017 at 2:37pm
Don't scratch the fresh paint 
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Posted By: AC Mel
Date Posted: 20 May 2017 at 11:57pm
OK, finished the ripping project this morning. It was about 8 acres, 2 different areas of about 4 acres each. Had to move a pile of winery compost to rip under it. The owners own there own winery and return all of it back to the vineyards. It was steamin pretty good. Smelled like Zinfandel wine. (LOL) Don't have any action pictures cause know one ever came around while I was working. 
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Posted By: Steve allis dozer
Date Posted: 21 May 2017 at 3:41am
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Hey Mel nice job How does she run , how much fuel per day? Regards Steve
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Posted By: AC7060IL
Date Posted: 21 May 2017 at 6:00am
| Mel, thanks for sharing your impressive procedures, tools, and "know how" of dozers. How many psi do your handy hydraulic presses require? Doing some simple math, I figure the 60ton press requires an 8" dia cylinder(50.24sq in area x 2500psi = 125,600lbs). But your 60ton press looks smaller than 8" dia., so must be more psi...? |
Posted By: tcfello
Date Posted: 04 Oct 2017 at 9:29pm
 I have this HD21B working in eastern WA . Less than 3500 hrs on the engine. Great machine ,good on fuel. |
Posted By: shameless dude
Date Posted: 05 Oct 2017 at 1:44am
| out there....scratching up Davids paint job! it does look nice tho! |
Posted By: jerbob
Date Posted: 05 Oct 2017 at 7:45am
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Wow, impressive Mel. Your tutorials and story boards are the best ever. Inspires me to go the distance restoring my HD16. I also am going to paint mine yellow and planned on Cat yellow. Seeing yours and Ricks great paint jobs confirms my decision. Thanks |
Posted By: jerbob
Date Posted: 05 Oct 2017 at 7:48am
Nice tractor. Love that winch on the tail. Would love to find a Carco for my HD16 DC. |
Posted By: tcfello
Date Posted: 05 Oct 2017 at 10:04am
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That winch is nice to have, have not needed it yet, it would take the D4 to pull the 1 1/4" wire off of the drum. Not looking forward to that day. |
Posted By: AC Mel
Date Posted: 05 Oct 2017 at 10:04am
Jerry.... I like the orange paint....You need to check your serial number and see if your tractor was orange or yellow the day it was born....then you will have the right restoration color. Tims' tractor was born yellow...Nice tractor!! do you have any other ACs? |
Posted By: jerbob
Date Posted: 05 Oct 2017 at 11:13am
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According to my serial number my tractor came in AC Yellow. Not a ag tractor. I was looking at a few different yellows but did not want a bright yellow. Really like the Cat Yellow. The Case Yellow was a little brighter but settled on the Cat color. There is a lot of it around as well. You and your crew do great work. Having the tools would be great but I need the experience on the tractor and how to use the tools more right now. |