Can someone date my tractor:

I've found a couple of designs for a root rake to build, but I want to have the tractor at my shop when laying it out for fitment. Hope to have that done sometime in the near future.   

That tarp in my opinion was worth the extra money it cost. It has held up much better than the best polyethylene tarps out there. I will purchase a small one to use for patching and a flexible contact cement for permanent repairs when needed.     

Got a small hole worn through the tarp where a muffler support bracket was rubbing when the rubber bungees starting breaking allowing the tarp to make contact. Not a worry and I'll cement a patch over this compromise once the tractor is opened up again.

Didn't untarp but did replaced the broken bungees with new. Unfortunately they too are from the same batch as the prior so a short lived repair I'm certain. Supposed to start raining again this afternoon so didn't open her up, but sure am getting anxious. Later in the week possibly. 

Looking over the brochure, looking through the manuals, looking over this and that, along with good conversation, I've received a call from a guy who used to run my dozer for the original owner and happens to remember it quite "fondly" I'll say. He worked for the original purchaser and was for the most part the sole operator of this machine during it's tenure through trade in at the local Caterpillar dealer.

I'm told it was the last Allis unit in inventory and to the best of his knowledge in 1995 the tractor had just over 4500 hours on the meter and the u/c just about worn through after a P&B turn. The engine had never broken down that he remembered and really the only mechanical problems experienced were a radiator from the fan blade carrier bearings failing and taking the core out, and an alternator went bad. A new radiator complete was installed rather than a recore, along with a new reversible cooling fan, along with the original alternator rebuilt by a favored local rebuilder. The "Huber" fan currently mounted matches the parts manual and I assume is a dealer supplied part. The turbocharger was rebuilt also as a suspect part which turned out to be a missed air filter at a service interval. We both got a laugh out of that one.

I'm told this tractor was kept far in excess of normal usage interval because he "liked it" and not being troublesome, was obliged. This I find as very good news. when I asked about it's duties he stated it was mostly on the road construction side so the dozer did a lot of scraper pushing and cleanup which are long and straight jobs without a lot backing up. This would seem to equate to why the undercarriage would go so long, and everything remain so tight on the machine. Also some of the "ribbing" to the moldboard.

I explained my desire to rebrand back to Allis-Chalmers to which he was pleased. This tractor was a replacement for a prior AC HD-11 and was purchased as one of the last "true" AC tractors they'd be able to get with Fiat now in the mix. They knew the 11B was a rebadged HD-11 Series B but he did not like the cab so purchased without. The tractor was found to be getting difficult to source parts for, (undercarriage) and at the end of 1995, it was traded in on a new Caterpillar D5 who installed new chains complete, sprocket segments, a couple of rollers, (don't know which) and front idler bearings. The original selling dealer purchased the tractor back with this work sublet to the Caterpillar dealer. It was then sold to the gent I purchased it from. The undercarriage has a little under 1600 hours on it with his tenure and I estimate with my track gauge for the purpose about 85% remaining on most parts. Grouser bars are at about 75% service remaining which is probably a testament to being used on dirt mostly. Given the tractor was probably left on jobsites, (I didn't think to ask) is probably reason it has the "vandal" protection package installed with all the padlocks.

All that being said, I have ran across something maybe you can help with. In one of the manuals I noticed this logo on the front of a tractor:

You can clearly see "Series B" under the AC corporate logo:

In this photo of which I am emulating with my rebrand, there is no such additional script:

Yet when I look on the face of the brochure the above image was plagiarized from, some tractors show this additional script, some do not:

I'm certainly no purest and has been suggested I'll go my own way, but asking what do you guys think?

Scanning through the parts manual to ascertain what will be needed to swap intake manifolds and I see this later edition manifold w/cast bosses of which has been referenced in the past:

Low and behold, the underhood muffler too:

I've located a couple of dealers with most any soft parts I'd need for the engine but nothing near me. I'm finding much is discontinued in the aftermarket but I'm real accustomed to that with my old Mack trucks, Continental, and Hercules Engines also.

Lined up another job for this tractor on Friday rebuilding a retaining wall that is collapsing, or pushing out. From the explanation it doesn't appear the wall had adequate drainage and was not braced appropriately from the backside prior to backfilling.

I seen this video on youtube and it's an old HD-11 with a non turbocharged engine. At 1:52 into the video is a nice clear shot of the engine and it looks as if the air intake port is centered on this manifold to me? Maybe the one I'd mentioned earlier wasn't from an original HD-11 tractor?

Should match the tag on the firewall.

Thanks,

Let me update this a bit with reasoning:

The intake on my 11000 does not have the wording "Allis-Chalmers" cast into it. It is smooth and clean. I know where there is an older manifold that does have the name and I'll swap them if possible. I don't know if the air entrance from the air cleaner, or turbocharger is the same between the two. The older manifold is from a blown 10000 engine originally in an HD-11 series tractor. I don't want to ship the manifold here to ship it back if it doesn't fit my application.

I could decal, or stencil the letters, but would rather have the raised cast letters so it looks correct. May be important to me only but we're not going to change that.

Thanks,

Thanks Eric, really appreciate you speaking up as it's got me to thinking. I haul things for a former Allis-Chalmers dealer whom started in 1949 and are still around through the various changes over the years. I asked them and now realize there are two shades of orange AC used over the years. One is "corporate" orange, the other "Persian", orange. Myself never really being up close and personal with AC equipment did not realize this and thought there was only the "Persian" orange color. However, looking in the upstairs storeroom, it is plain to see there were two different shades used.

This is an NOS part of some kind from the 1970's and the box hasn't seen sunlight in over 40 years:

This is a model tractor from the 1980's which is new and is in the same dark storeroom:

This is a brand new owner's manual:

The place is loaded with things like this the collectors would like to have but nothing is for sale.

It's easy to see the difference in the colors on the boxes especially with that tractor which is not faded. Looking online I see where the AC logo I'm chasing is marketed in both aforementioned colors and I'll probably go with the brighter of the two which is the Persian orange. This just because it will stand out better on the side of the tractor. On another note I called one of my friends in Springfield, IL and he tells me he actually has one of the logos that would have been installed onto the tractor and I'm welcome to borrow it for reproduction if needed. I understand he would have been one installing these at one time. Doesn't remember if he has the Allis-Chalmers script or not, but going to look. It would be so much easier and no guesswork if originals can be rounded up to work with.

Here is a snip from the above posted brochure and to my eye, it looks to be the "corporate" orange color for the "C" of the logo? Do you see it that way also?

It is this logo I'm interested in emulating.

I see a lot of folks with restored antique Allis-Chalmers equipment, but it's all agriculture related. Having this tractor I may start delving into these construction type shows also.

Thanks for the assist as it helps get the motivation going.

Talked to the young lady whom has done my sign lettering for years and she actually has the correct AC corporate logo in her database in three different sizes. We will scale this to fit and match the font once the tractor is at the shop. She will need to order a cut sheet of the Persian Orange color rather than use an orange color on hand. I don't mind the expense to have it correct.

I should mention I am missing the panel that the operator handle protrudes through for blade operation. Neither parts chassis has the needed panel as the one tractor that has the tilt blade also had a ripper and the whole valve block is gone as is the ripper. The other chassis was an angle blade and it's panel is MIA also. The parts manual shows this panel, but it appears to be only for a straight fore and aft moving operator handle. I don't know if the panel just has an large opening in the center, or is closed with a rubber boot, (nothing like listed) but I can't believe it's just open like that exposing all the linkage from the build. I think I'd be better with a photo of what it actually looks like. Attached is the only photo I have of the operator station and it is very low resolution but you can see the opening this panel would cover:

Found one of the open hole:

From the parts manual. Item #12 which I don't think looks correct:

This seems to be the only access panel missing from the tractor.

The tarp seems to be holding up very well as the tractor is dry under where it is covered. We were lambasted with high winds, rain/sleet, and snow on Saturday, and everything is still intact.

Thanks guys,