I'm sure a thousand other people have made similar comments, but it's still worth saying: when I look at these old machines, I see the tools (and operators) that built America. Your dedication to bringing them back to life is a great way to pay respect to those craftsmen and their efforts. THANK YOU!!
I'm 62 and remember the side streets in our "smallish" town were often dirt. Every few days a grader would run up and down them. It sure was a treat when me and my brother got to go to the end of the block to watch them up close.
I'm 78 and as a youngster used to ride with my dad plowing snow on country roads with a similar vintage but larger CAT motor-grader. It had a V plow on the front. That CAT was all gear drive and my dad would let me operate a couple of the controls. That one had tilting front wheels and I think the engine was six cylinder. Great memories and great machines.
I’m 69 years old. This video reminded me of when I bought a retired 1969 Austin Western 300 Pacer motor grader at a Cal Trans auction. I paid $ 5100.00 for it. When I brought it home I found a document in a compartment which had the maintenance record for the machine. One month before the state of California sold it at auction they changed all fluids, replaced all the belts, two new tires, two new batteries and topped up the fuel tanks too boot! I ran that grader for the next 20 years with no problems at all. Now that was a good buy.
I'm 71 too and remember the gear-driven graders working on roads here in New Zealand. The operators were master craftsmen, knew every inch of their machine and would spend a half hour every morning greasing up every grease nipple before work so they had absolute precision control of all the machine's functions. Don't forget to do that too Matt.
I used to do the checks and greasing while the pilot motor warmed up the diesel. The mechanical controls were very hard on the wrists, so hard I had a wrist watch smashed, my wrists still suffer the effects 50 years later, but now the least of my worries!
Bought one today!! Fully functional and built in Australia under licence from Caterpillar - but came with the big 6 Cylinder (not 4) diesel "power unit" - will be using it up the Farm ASAP - across the Ditch from you Kiwi lads in Good old OZ
For those that don't know what the scarifier does, it scars the ridge between the valleys created by driving in dirt or gravel, there by helping the grader to level the surface out. That's one of the reasons it's not as wide as the scraper blade.
I just figured it's that narrow because it takes more power than the blade, so it's adjusted to fit the power the machine has. This does make sense though.
There is a really good video on youtube about how to grade roads and keep them maintained. The state nor the county ever seems to ever use it. The scarifier can be used to remove the middle hump and to fix washboard roads as well. The way a dirt/gravel road works is the weight of stuff moving on it packs to road to what is called a hard pack and the loose few inches on top is what creates the surface and a grader driver has to decide if he is going to pull all the material back up to the center of the road or he is going to really work the road to fix it. Using a Scafier can help rip out some of those really hard sections that cause a washboard. Many times these drivers have no clue what they are doing and just cover up the wash board only to have to show back up in a few days. I blocked the road once and made him rip a 1/4 mile of road to fix the wash board that has been there all summer. He was pissed off yet for almost a year there was no more washboard there. Lazy drivers they are. So much that I publicly belated the entire department so much that their boss showed up to ask me to stop. I told him I am not going to stop until every single driver watches that video and then they take some classes on proper road maintenance. Covid hit and I found and bought a really nice place in another state and have not been back since. The only thing I have to deal with around here is my city dirt roads which no one messes with and they pretty much are in good shape. I need to get the city tractor out and adjust one road on the block I own and tidy it up. Other than that I do not think there are really any roads that need to be maintained. We do not plow the roads in the winter unless we get a foot or someone thinks we should. Though we do limit it to just the roads that need it. Even with the 6 inches we have gotten in the last week or so our roads are still in good shape.
I am also 71 years old, and I remember these graders, and the men who operated them working on our county roads. They were tough and skilled operators the closest thing to them is you your skill and determination shine through. We just don’t see this determination in young people today, sadly, be safe love watching your program
Love it when your dad helps out. I spend my days on a 1960's fiat dozer, chainsaws and a Lucas sawmill, and watch your channel to relax. keep it coming.
My late father saw them at work levelling up new airfields in the UK, N Africa and Far East in WW2. Great machines and all praise for the engineers who ran them often under life threatening conditions. A good find. Best from the UK.
@@laoluu Oh man... I'm 76, lost my 97 year old Dad 2 years ago. On his last night we sat and talked shop - math, radio antenna theory, mind was still sharp. Lost him in the middle of the night. Man, I still have questions I forgot to ask. Matt, give him a hug for all of us!!!
As an older Man , I remember the Government had all Manufactures stop all production (accept) Military manufacturing for the War effort . The year of this Grader & the original color points to it being a real Military piece of equipment . Used for clearing jungles or what not and to make landing strips for Air Craft ! Matt , You did an amazing job on this unit and the video as well !
This one deserves a restoration! what a wonderful piece of history and you did a fantastic job bring it back from the graveyard! Love your channel and your great work ethic! Stay safe and I always look forward to your videos!
One of THE BEST RUclips channel's by far. You should be very proud of yourself for revitalizing this old relic. Your determination and tenacity are outstanding.
The blade dropping might have used up more time, but at least you got to test the machine and you know the driveline works. It was good content too, I was worried you were going to get run over!
He calls it a waste of time, but I call it a learning experience. Sometimes you don't know until you try. There was a chance there was nothing wrong with the clutch and it could have broken free, he would have taken the entire engine off and found nothing wrong other than it was just a bit stuck.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained. If it HAD worked, it would have been a lot of time saved. Matt, you may think it was wasted, but it was a worthwhile try
It lives !!! Well done Matt. Just paint it army green anyway and please, do us all a favour and never try doing anything that sketchy again. If you had tripped or got caught up near that back wheel AND you were on your own. At least there would be video evidence, and you’d probably be nominated for a Darwin Award. So good to have your Dad to help get it back together, that’s the sort of thing you can’t buy. Take care and stay safe. Cheers mate, Stuart 🇦🇺
I have a degree in physics and engineering so I'm way out of my league here and yet I love watching these videos. You're an amazing and talented person.
By God, I think this guy can fix anything! A piece of machinery from 1942 and it’s still working. How cool is that?!!!! The history of our country being preserved. That would be cool to see it blasted and repainted and have the lights replaced. Thank you sir for your hard work. Time to buy a hoodie…
As much of a pain it may be to be doing repairs on this thing, I think it is worth it. Bringing an 81-year-old machine back to life after sitting for so long and then making it look good as new would make for an amazing show piece alongside your Galion. I'm sure some Cat reps would be interested too haha.
@@ivanolsen8596I work on the new stuff for a living. It's got good bones, but too many error-prone sensors and gizmos thanks to government meddling. We tend to rebuild stuff from 20-40 years ago rather than buying all-new iron.
@@Porty1119 One mining job I was on we had a Cat loader that regularly put its dipstick into orbit, no amount of Cat dealership coercion would make it mend its ways. Another loader would throw itself on full steering lock and we would have to wait for a serviceman to travel 300k to fix it. It was a plastic component in the steering hydraulic system breaking up and blocking a port. Funnily enough this component was not used in this model but was there anyway thanks to the vagaries of Mr Caterpillar. This makes me think your policy of rebuilding older gear is better as downtime over foolish ''breakdowns'' is expensive. As the man said' 'KISS'''. Keep it simple stupid.
An important part of the history of Canada and the USA.They built the roads we are driving on today.I appreciate you getting them and keeping them running.
Oh My that grader reminds me so much of my childhood. I lived in the sticks, needless to say all roads were dirt. Hearing and seeing that monster coming down the road was amazing. There was one old man would let us ride with him what great memories
Nice to see you following all the OSHA approved starting techniques. You’re right about that kitty cat purring. Give the puppy dogs an extra pat on the head for us.
Matt, fantastic revival and an unambiguous testimonial for direct drive systems that still function after 81 years! Since I'm the same age as your latest conquest I can truly identify! Thanks for the great will-it-run videos!
Gee, with everything mechanical, there must be no less than a gazzillion grease and oil points on that machine. If my math is correct, that's an 81 year old machine and you got it running and actually working. Amazing Matt. Having said that, starting that thing in gear and having to jump into the cab with only you around is, well, a boneheaded move (no disrespect intended, I've been around long enough to see people get hurt when there was no reason for it). If anything had happened, there would have been no one around to call the ambulance. Again, having said that, I can't say I haven't done a few, and maybe more, boneheaded things in my day and I'm still, fortunately, in one piece. So ... welcome to the club Matt.
What a wee gem ! The more you use it the better it will operate. I also remember these operating on the roads construction here in Christchurch N.Z. Excellent project and love you saving machines that work and LAST!!! cheers
Hey Matt I just want to say your videos are amazing it as driven me to going into the diesel mechanics field, I'm currently in school for automotive but once I graduate I'm going to go to diesel school so I too can learn how fix these old beauties thank you for showing me a job I never thought I would find amazing. Keep it up congrats on the new shop
Congratulations on another loving and successful restoration. Old Iron was new technology in their eras and they were built to be simple and indestructible. If you store them properly, essentially keeping water out of the engine they'll last forever. My 14 years with Tilcon North Branford, CT, we were in the process of disposing the old iron for new from Cat and Komatsu. We scrapped the Euclid Haul Trucks for Cat 772 and 777s. 992 and 988 Loaders were being replaced with smaller more fuel efficient Komatsu Front Loaders. This was in the early to mid 2000's. We had three GE 44tonners left of the 7 and one in particular had two 1942 Cat engines. It took a machine shop 8 months to recon the heads. It too was replaced in 2005 with a GE 60tonner repowered with 6cyl Cummins on each end. In your case, having a Grader is indispensable One of my Co Workers at Tilcon spent his days grading the haul roads that were 2 miles from face to crusher..
At 78, I like some of the others have seen these machines work as a friend owned a construction company and used anything that could be made to run. Money was very tight and building roads would require you to use any old equipment that could help complete the project. Thanks Matt for holding in there for all of us.
Incredible Matt that the old girl fires up and idles as well at it does considering that its not moved in 20 odd years, testament to how well the old stuff was built, great vid mate.
Several testimonies are all speaking at the same time: Hats off to Caterpillar to make something that can be abused by lack of use and bounce back so quickly. Also, a testimony to you Matt, your skills are what made this revival seem so easy to your RUclips audience. A testimony like you said, to the robustness of the diesel engine and the old mechanical equipment.. THANKS FOR THE GREAT VIDEO!!
I just scrolled back and can’t believe I’ve been watching you channel for over 3 years now lol, my first video was the cheap marketplace forklift, and I haven’t missed a video since. I love what you do Matt, I love how much effort and time you put into these videos and I have truly enjoyed watching the new shop come from the ground up!! Here’s to many more years of watching you make more great videos and more old machines come back to life! Thank you for everything you do!!
Job well done Matt...another top quality video on RUclips...you bring this 81 years old gem back to life even though it looked like a rusty bucket..this is a testimony to old American iron that last so long...this machine truly deserves a ground up restorations to be brought back to her former glory ...keep up the good work and good luck 😊.
The old girl looks fantastic! I kind of like the look of the patina, It graphically shows her age..... I don't know if you know "Marty T," another RUclipsr who fixes old equipment in New Zealand. He uses a concoction of engine oil and diesel mixed together and sprayed over any and all metal surfaces to preserve them. Could be good for this old girl.. As always Massive Respect from Aotearoa, New Zealand 😀👍
I agree, I thought it would be clunky and jerky like the cable driven "steam shovels" but it looked quite effective and smooth. That is one rusted pile of neat machine and engineering. Definitely worth restoration
That clutch disk looks like it was fairly recently replaced, recently as in shortly before the machine was parked for good. I think asbestos based clutch material was more gray in color anyways, the stuff in this one looks like the kinda friction material we have in modern day clutches. And the clutch brake i think is more likely slap worn out than out of adjustment.
I've seen multiple road graders racing and the Battalion Commander caught them. I won't say where or when it was, but those caught were not treated well. This one looks similar but graders are what they are, working machines designed for specific jobs. Good to see you got her running around doing what it is intended for.
That old grader sure seems like a gem! Both diesel and pony sounds great, what a nice machine under that rough paint! Keep up the good work Matt, your content is some of the best on youtube! :) As always, big thumbs up!
Thanks Matt, for all you do to keep the old iron moving and running. I'm a history buff of sorts and love seeing anything that WAS brought back to being of use. Please do keep them coming and again for all you do.
It would look awesome to restore her cosmeticly, since she runs so smoothly! 👌 "Thanks" for sharing, it's always fun and interesting with your projects at hand!
As you should be proud of yourself Matt!! It also goes to say how things were made to last. 3 weeks ago in a field and running and driving today. Still love the look on your face when you get something running or driving! Awesome job Matt!! 👍👍
You've got my sympathises mate. I lost my Dad to dementia on Christmas Day 2016. I still miss working on our old vehicles together. And arguing who should hold the light now that I was older😆 Cherish the happy memories and that he helped mold you into the man you are today👍🏻
Father's day is just around the corner, 😢, my dad passed in 04 and I still ( always will ) miss him. Matt is blessed to still have his dad to lend a hand in the shop! Having a hard time as I type with tears rolling down my cheek, but I have a couple of sons to ease the pain. Excellent episode, Matt, you never cease to amaze me with your ambition!❤
Great to see that old iron pushing dirt again ! You gotta get that clutch brake adjusted Matt....it gets me right in the feels to hear all that grinding .
I've always admired the people who have the time, money, and equipment to take on projects like this just for the fun of it, since this endeavor has no practical goal.
It would be great to see it olive drab.Make it a tribute machine to the Seabees and other vets who did so much with equipment. The CanAm highway, Burma trail, countless runways and a thousand other projects that won the war.
Looked everywhere in the comments for US Army Air Corps and here it is. I can’t answer your question, but my grandpa was a corporal in the USAAC during WWII - he was a company clerk (corporal) and was sent to Arizona for his service years. Grandma and my mom (who was a very little girl then) rode out on the train to visit him. I still have his class A uniform jacket with its Army Air Corps patch!
So great to see that old iron back in working order.. fantastic find on that one and WOW it would be super cool to find the old plaque that was on it!!
Matt, an upgrade you can make on your steering bis to add a hydraulic torque amplifier. It is one of those things farmers do to older tractors to keep them going on the farm. It's an easy hack, but you'll need to add a power steering pump to the engine to complete the job.
I am sure there is one stored in the yard, somewhere. I am sure Matt would have factored it into the new shed design. But an OH crane does not have a diesel in it, so would not have excitement factor when it sparks into life. 🙄
Those are the machines that were crawling the earth when I was kid . Always wondered what the view from the cab was like . I now at 70 , I do know . Thanks Matt ! 😊🌵
Your videos about the restoration of these old machines and this entire channel in general are something that calms me down and makes me very curious. When these old machines come to life after many years, it is something that is amazing and very touching because it is a piece of the history and durability of these machines. Thank you.
Love the bolt bin, had a new shop once to service my equipment and 4 buckets of used (every size) bolts was my inventory and then came along metric! Plus everytime I think of your overhead crane I get excited as you when an old engine comes to life! Would love to see it in place and assisting! Thanks for great videos!
You seem to be good at finding the absolute polar opposites in machinery, Christine was an absolute dog to you and this thing's just been nothing but an absolute honey.
It's great to see this machine working! I was wondering if that was your dad. THANKS DAD FOR THE HELP!!! That's "AWESOME" Matt!!! And............ you will not have to worry about hoses braking! This machine has a "GOOD HOME"!
Having had my first engineering job at Caterpillar, I'd be amazed if you don't have a fan club there! Love seeing you restore the grand ol' dames (of any maker). And odds are you could get her history from sending the SN to Cat--but hope someone working there contacts you first!
That machine runs pretty well! Great work. I hope that, despite the swearing and frustration off camera, you had "fun". Your pride comes through and serves as some inspiration.
Everyone in my family knows that I follow your channel. For my birthday my son went out to your site and bought me a hat. Not only was it a great gift but it also made me proud that he would do this in his own knowing how much I like your channel.!
Another piece of construction history saved, these types of equipment were and are so important. Nice that your dad was able to come and lend a hand, as you say it was a 2 man job. 👍🤗
When I was a kid, one of those graders plowed our streets during the winter. It had a huge plow on the front pushing snow. We had 6' storms back then. It was awesome to watch that piece of machinery work. Nice video, Matt. Mission Hill, Roxbury, Ma
Pony engine Started so easy with that rope and Diesel Started up With no issues maybe this old girl wants to Start grading again 😮 Matt 6:30 @Diesel Creek
We have 1966 E at work. Almost the same machine. Hydrolic steer with tilt and electric start. I've just finished rebuilding the water pump on it. It still gets used regularly. Still fires up no problems.
Great job again Matt. These are my favorite videos, watching these old beautiful machines being brought back to life and doing some work again. Gre Great to see your Dad pop in and give you a hand.
Love seeing you resurrect the old iron Matt. Over 80 years old and still able to work. You see most things now 30 years old sold for scrap, don't make them like they used to that's for sure. Awesome channel brother 🍻👌
I'm sure a thousand other people have made similar comments, but it's still worth saying: when I look at these old machines, I see the tools (and operators) that built America. Your dedication to bringing them back to life is a great way to pay respect to those craftsmen and their efforts. THANK YOU!!
Perfectly said!
1
This is American history for
I'm 71 yrs old and I can remember seeing those gear driven graders reworking the streets in my neighborhood when I was young.
I'm 62 and remember the side streets in our "smallish" town were often dirt. Every few days a grader would run up and down them. It sure was a treat when me and my brother got to go to the end of the block to watch them up close.
I played with a gear driven controlled grader while stationed at Eglin AFB in the late 60's.
Not where I lived I’m afraid, not much public dirt road left in UK 71 years ago !
I'm 78 and as a youngster used to ride with my dad plowing snow on country roads with a similar vintage but larger CAT motor-grader. It had a V plow on the front. That CAT was all gear drive and my dad would let me operate a couple of the controls. That one had tilting front wheels and I think the engine was six cylinder. Great memories and great machines.
Me too... also 71
I’m 69 years old. This video reminded me of when I bought a retired 1969 Austin Western 300 Pacer motor grader at a Cal Trans auction. I paid $ 5100.00 for it. When I brought it home I found a document in a compartment which had the maintenance record for the machine. One month before the state of California sold it at auction they changed all fluids, replaced all the belts, two new tires, two new batteries and topped up the fuel tanks too boot! I ran that grader for the next 20 years with no problems at all. Now that was a good buy.
This is an interesting story, thank you
This is one of the FEW YT channels that still the same since the beginning. No drama, no click bait BS!!!
You brought an 81-year-old machine back to life with style!
Absolutely Amazing!
Well done, Matt!
I'm 71 too and remember the gear-driven graders working on roads here in New Zealand. The operators were master craftsmen, knew every inch of their machine and would spend a half hour every morning greasing up every grease nipple before work so they had absolute precision control of all the machine's functions. Don't forget to do that too Matt.
I used to do the checks and greasing while the pilot motor
warmed up the diesel.
The mechanical controls were very hard on the wrists, so
hard I had a wrist watch smashed, my wrists still suffer the
effects 50 years later, but now the least of my worries!
Bought one today!! Fully functional and built in Australia under licence from Caterpillar - but came with the big 6 Cylinder (not 4) diesel "power unit" - will be using it up the Farm ASAP - across the Ditch from you Kiwi lads in Good old OZ
"Mouse Dominion" is what I'm gonna call any challenge I face from now on! 😂
Thank you Hephaestus for hydraulic servo control...
@@ivanolsen8596got your kicks
Another excellent factor about that beast is that you never have to worry about blowing a hydraulic hose. This was one of your best finds yet.
But he'll only get about $2500 for it so there's that....
Карыто на свалку его
@@thinkcasting3182with the money he earns from the RUclips content it will be a win in the long run.
aaa
@@thinkcasting3182 He's selling? Once it's fixed and turnkey won't it bring much more? I wish I had a use for one.
For those that don't know what the scarifier does, it scars the ridge between the valleys created by driving in dirt or gravel, there by helping the grader to level the surface out. That's one of the reasons it's not as wide as the scraper blade.
I was wondering why it is narrow. Thanks for telling us the reason 👍
yeah the center hump remover :)
I just figured it's that narrow because it takes more power than the blade, so it's adjusted to fit the power the machine has. This does make sense though.
And here I thought it was called a mold board, not a scraper blade
There is a really good video on youtube about how to grade roads and keep them maintained. The state nor the county ever seems to ever use it.
The scarifier can be used to remove the middle hump and to fix washboard roads as well.
The way a dirt/gravel road works is the weight of stuff moving on it packs to road to what is called a hard pack and the loose few inches on top is what creates the surface and a grader driver has to decide if he is going to pull all the material back up to the center of the road or he is going to really work the road to fix it. Using a Scafier can help rip out some of those really hard sections that cause a washboard. Many times these drivers have no clue what they are doing and just cover up the wash board only to have to show back up in a few days.
I blocked the road once and made him rip a 1/4 mile of road to fix the wash board that has been there all summer. He was pissed off yet for almost a year there was no more washboard there. Lazy drivers they are. So much that I publicly belated the entire department so much that their boss showed up to ask me to stop. I told him I am not going to stop until every single driver watches that video and then they take some classes on proper road maintenance. Covid hit and I found and bought a really nice place in another state and have not been back since. The only thing I have to deal with around here is my city dirt roads which no one messes with and they pretty much are in good shape. I need to get the city tractor out and adjust one road on the block I own and tidy it up. Other than that I do not think there are really any roads that need to be maintained. We do not plow the roads in the winter unless we get a foot or someone thinks we should. Though we do limit it to just the roads that need it. Even with the 6 inches we have gotten in the last week or so our roads are still in good shape.
I am also 71 years old, and I remember these graders, and the men who operated them working on our county roads. They were tough and skilled operators the closest thing to them is you your skill and determination shine through. We just don’t see this determination in young people today, sadly, be safe love watching your program
Love it when your dad helps out. I spend my days on a 1960's fiat dozer, chainsaws and a Lucas sawmill, and watch your channel to relax. keep it coming.
Matt, nice to see your Pops helping you out. Cherish those times brother! Great to see the old girl breathing life once again!!
My late father saw them at work levelling up new airfields in the UK, N Africa and Far East in WW2. Great machines and all praise for the engineers who ran them often under life threatening conditions. A good find. Best from the UK.
Yup, I grew up in Southern Rhodesia & all the roads in our residential area were dirt, kept level by grading once or twice a year.
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Old pops saved the day. I'm sure he's just as happy as you are to see it run. And real proud of his son.
So good to have a dad around. I learned so much from mine and regret very much, that I wasn't always grateful for it.
@@laoluu Oh man... I'm 76, lost my 97 year old Dad 2 years ago. On his last night we sat and talked shop - math, radio antenna theory, mind was still sharp. Lost him in the middle of the night. Man, I still have questions I forgot to ask. Matt, give him a hug for all of us!!!
As an older Man , I remember the Government had all Manufactures stop all production (accept) Military manufacturing for the War effort . The year of this Grader & the original color points to it being a real Military piece of equipment . Used for clearing jungles or what not and to make landing strips for Air Craft ! Matt , You did an amazing job on this unit and the video as well !
Just picked up an identical machine and it has the army air corps tag on it still. Green paint under the yellow. Cool stuff!
This one deserves a restoration! what a wonderful piece of history and you did a fantastic job bring it back from the graveyard! Love your channel and your great work ethic! Stay safe and I always look forward to your videos!
One of THE BEST RUclips channel's by far. You should be very proud of yourself for revitalizing this old relic. Your determination and tenacity are outstanding.
Gotta love him...⭐👍⭐⭐👍
@@gerardocabrera3787 Huh?
Matt sandblast that beast and put some yellow on it.
The blade dropping might have used up more time, but at least you got to test the machine and you know the driveline works.
It was good content too, I was worried you were going to get run over!
He calls it a waste of time, but I call it a learning experience. Sometimes you don't know until you try. There was a chance there was nothing wrong with the clutch and it could have broken free, he would have taken the entire engine off and found nothing wrong other than it was just a bit stuck.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained. If it HAD worked, it would have been a lot of time saved. Matt, you may think it was wasted, but it was a worthwhile try
It lives !!! Well done Matt. Just paint it army green anyway and please, do us all a favour and never try doing anything that sketchy again. If you had tripped or got caught up near that back wheel AND you were on your own. At least there would be video evidence, and you’d probably be nominated for a Darwin Award. So good to have your Dad to help get it back together, that’s the sort of thing you can’t buy.
Take care and stay safe. Cheers mate, Stuart 🇦🇺
What about him flying the drone and grading?
I have a degree in physics and engineering so I'm way out of my league here and yet I love watching these videos. You're an amazing and talented person.
By the way, it's possible this machine was used by the Forrest service.
By God, I think this guy can fix anything! A piece of machinery from 1942 and it’s still working. How cool is that?!!!! The history of our country being preserved. That would be cool to see it blasted and repainted and have the lights replaced. Thank you sir for your hard work. Time to buy a hoodie…
As much of a pain it may be to be doing repairs on this thing, I think it is worth it. Bringing an 81-year-old machine back to life after sitting for so long and then making it look good as new would make for an amazing show piece alongside your Galion. I'm sure some Cat reps would be interested too haha.
It would be too hard for the Cat blokes to justify the difference
in quality of the 212 and the current models.
What a piece of junk! Only 81 years old and already a little play in the transmission bearing! 💩
@@ivanolsen8596I work on the new stuff for a living. It's got good bones, but too many error-prone sensors and gizmos thanks to government meddling. We tend to rebuild stuff from 20-40 years ago rather than buying all-new iron.
@@Porty1119 One mining job I was on we had a Cat loader
that regularly put its dipstick into orbit, no amount of Cat dealership coercion would make
it mend its ways. Another loader would throw itself on full steering lock and we would
have to wait for a serviceman to travel 300k to fix it. It was a plastic component in the
steering hydraulic system breaking up and blocking a port. Funnily enough this component was not used in this model but was there anyway thanks to the vagaries of Mr Caterpillar.
This makes me think your policy of rebuilding older gear is better as downtime over foolish
''breakdowns'' is expensive.
As the man said' 'KISS'''. Keep it simple stupid.
Matt you are AMAZING! We should start calling you the “The Diesel Whisper”
Keep'em coming Matt! You can never stop making your videos! I'm addicted and nowhere to get my fix but here! Thanks for all you do.
Matt great to see your Dad giving you a hand. I love, love, love this Grader!
An important part of the history of Canada and the USA.They built the roads we are driving on today.I appreciate you getting them and keeping them running.
I'm 62 and very happy you did this!!!
Oh My that grader reminds me so much of my childhood. I lived in the sticks, needless to say all roads were dirt. Hearing and seeing that monster coming down the road was amazing. There was one old man would let us ride with him what great memories
Nice to see you following all the OSHA approved starting techniques. You’re right about that kitty cat purring. Give the puppy dogs an extra pat on the head for us.
I swear one of these days we get to see Matt being run over if he continues this... Especially with Christine.
Matt, fantastic revival and an unambiguous testimonial for direct drive systems that still function after 81 years! Since I'm the same age as your latest conquest I can truly identify! Thanks for the great will-it-run videos!
Worth every minute, what a gem, That will keep your road in good shape. A job well done!!
Man if I lived in your neck of the woods, I’d beg you to let me lend a hand just so I could learn all that knowledge you have. So impressive.
I enjoy how you bring love to abandoned iron for where many wouldn't even look at. Keep up with the amazing content.
Gee, with everything mechanical, there must be no less than a gazzillion grease and oil points on that machine. If my math is correct, that's an 81 year old machine and you got it running and actually working. Amazing Matt. Having said that, starting that thing in gear and having to jump into the cab with only you around is, well, a boneheaded move (no disrespect intended, I've been around long enough to see people get hurt when there was no reason for it). If anything had happened, there would have been no one around to call the ambulance. Again, having said that, I can't say I haven't done a few, and maybe more, boneheaded things in my day and I'm still, fortunately, in one piece. So ... welcome to the club Matt.
Seeing you succeed in saving these great machines just makes my day. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching!
Video is still trending! Awesome work!!
What a wee gem ! The more you use it the better it will operate. I also remember these operating on the roads construction here in Christchurch N.Z. Excellent project and love you saving machines that work and LAST!!! cheers
A lot of pride to be felt there Matt. You sure have come a long way from two 40' trailers and a mud pit. I enjoy all you videos. Keep'em comin'...
Thanks 👍
One thing to note: Brakes and clutch of a machine that age may have asbestos...
@@dingdong2103I'd be more surprised if they didn't. I recently eliminated some asbestos from a machine built in the mid-80s!
Hey Matt I just want to say your videos are amazing it as driven me to going into the diesel mechanics field, I'm currently in school for automotive but once I graduate I'm going to go to diesel school so I too can learn how fix these old beauties thank you for showing me a job I never thought I would find amazing. Keep it up congrats on the new shop
Awesome!!! Stick with it!
Thanks, I've been watching your chanel for a few years at this point and every vid is amazing
Good luck!
@@DieselCreek I don't think you could receive a better compliment. Congrats on continuing to inspire, Matt!
@@DieselCreek great to see you're influencing younger generations Matt 👍
Congratulations on another loving and successful restoration. Old Iron was new technology in their eras and they were built to be simple and indestructible. If you store them properly, essentially keeping water out of the engine they'll last forever. My 14 years with Tilcon North Branford, CT, we were in the process of disposing the old iron for new from Cat and Komatsu. We scrapped the Euclid Haul Trucks for Cat 772 and 777s. 992 and 988 Loaders were being replaced with smaller more fuel efficient Komatsu Front Loaders. This was in the early to mid 2000's. We had three GE 44tonners left of the 7 and one in particular had two 1942 Cat engines. It took a machine shop 8 months to recon the heads. It too was replaced in 2005 with a GE 60tonner repowered with 6cyl Cummins on each end. In your case, having a Grader is indispensable One of my Co Workers at Tilcon spent his days grading the haul roads that were 2 miles from face to crusher..
At 78, I like some of the others have seen these machines work as a friend owned a construction company and used anything that could be made to run. Money was very tight and building roads would require you to use any old equipment that could help complete the project. Thanks Matt for holding in there for all of us.
Love watching you save this old equipment from the scrap yard. Great job ! Love your videos !
Hey Matt put a flapper valve on the exhaust to keep water out if it sits outside.
Incredible Matt that the old girl fires up and idles as well at it does considering that its not moved in 20 odd years, testament to how well the old stuff was built, great vid mate.
That's amazing. The Cats that were inspiring to all the other construction equipment. Well done Matt😺👍
12:00 always Cool to see These old Machines live again and all the functions work Matt @Diesel Creek
FANTASTIC JOB. You should be very proud of the rescues you do.
Several testimonies are all speaking at the same time:
Hats off to Caterpillar to make something that can be abused by lack of use and bounce back so quickly.
Also, a testimony to you Matt, your skills are what made this revival seem so easy to your RUclips audience.
A testimony like you said, to the robustness of the diesel engine and the old mechanical equipment..
THANKS FOR THE GREAT VIDEO!!
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Maybe the clutch same size was used on other equipment
I just scrolled back and can’t believe I’ve been watching you channel for over 3 years now lol, my first video was the cheap marketplace forklift, and I haven’t missed a video since. I love what you do Matt, I love how much effort and time you put into these videos and I have truly enjoyed watching the new shop come from the ground up!! Here’s to many more years of watching you make more great videos and more old machines come back to life! Thank you for everything you do!!
Time goes quick, doesn't it, especially when you're getting older!😄👍🏻
@@R.Sole88109 not a truer statement could be made!
Matt, have you considered turning the old shop covered area into a mega paint booth? That way you have a big clean area to restore paint.
That would spoil everything
Great idea!
@@jp34604 a proponent of the "vintage" (aka rust bucket) look, i see.
Job well done Matt...another top quality video on RUclips...you bring this 81 years old gem back to life even though it looked like a rusty bucket..this is a testimony to old American iron that last so long...this machine truly deserves a ground up restorations to be brought back to her former glory ...keep up the good work and good luck 😊.
you gotta keep this one. It's cool AF! She deserves two new front tires and an aerosol makeover.
The old girl looks fantastic!
I kind of like the look of the patina, It graphically shows her age.....
I don't know if you know "Marty T," another RUclipsr who fixes old equipment in New Zealand.
He uses a concoction of engine oil and diesel mixed together and sprayed over any and all metal surfaces to preserve them.
Could be good for this old girl..
As always
Massive Respect from Aotearoa, New Zealand
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I am just impressed by how smooth those great drive controls work. Nice job getting this one rolling again
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I agree, I thought it would be clunky and jerky like the cable driven "steam shovels" but it looked quite effective and smooth. That is one rusted pile of neat machine and engineering. Definitely worth restoration
Don't See 1942 Caterpillar 212 Motor Graders ever These Days she could use some Clear Coat that patina is Impressive Matt 0:19 @Diesel Creek
You should be proud Matt you did a fabulous job bringing the old girl back to life. I’m impressed as everyone else is. 👍👍👍😅
Great work again! Be carefull about asbesthos in old clutch
That clutch disk looks like it was fairly recently replaced, recently as in shortly before the machine was parked for good. I think asbestos based clutch material was more gray in color anyways, the stuff in this one looks like the kinda friction material we have in modern day clutches.
And the clutch brake i think is more likely slap worn out than out of adjustment.
@@rovhalgrencparselstedt8343 Ok, thats good then
I've seen multiple road graders racing and the Battalion Commander caught them. I won't say where or when it was, but those caught were not treated well. This one looks similar but graders are what they are, working machines designed for specific jobs. Good to see you got her running around doing what it is intended for.
That old grader sure seems like a gem! Both diesel and pony sounds great, what a nice machine under that rough paint! Keep up the good work Matt, your content is some of the best on youtube! :) As always, big thumbs up!
Amazing old unit.. Matt is awesome
Thanks Matt, for all you do to keep the old iron moving and running. I'm a history buff of sorts and love seeing anything that WAS brought back to being of use. Please do keep them coming and again for all you do.
I love seeing you resurrect these rusty giants. They deserve all the love you can give them.
It would look awesome to restore her cosmeticly, since she runs so smoothly! 👌 "Thanks" for sharing, it's always fun and interesting with your projects at hand!
I wonder if he'll sandblast her inside out and and give her new Cat Yella clothes.
As you should be proud of yourself Matt!! It also goes to say how things were made to last. 3 weeks ago in a field and running and driving today. Still love the look on your face when you get something running or driving! Awesome job Matt!! 👍👍
Great video Matt, glad that you can get your Dad out to work together, my Dad passed away in 2010 and I still miss him.
You've got my sympathises mate.
I lost my Dad to dementia on Christmas Day 2016.
I still miss working on our old vehicles together.
And arguing who should hold the light now that I was older😆
Cherish the happy memories and that he helped mold you into the man you are today👍🏻
Father's day is just around the corner, 😢, my dad passed in 04 and I still ( always will ) miss him. Matt is blessed to still have his dad to lend a hand in the shop! Having a hard time as I type with tears rolling down my cheek, but I have a couple of sons to ease the pain. Excellent episode, Matt, you never cease to amaze me with your ambition!❤
Man you made me cry for my dad and best friend
Great to see that old iron pushing dirt again ! You gotta get that clutch brake adjusted Matt....it gets me right in the feels to hear all that grinding .
I've always admired the people who have the time, money, and equipment to take on projects like this just for the fun of it, since this endeavor has no practical goal.
Matt, you should ask Clint over at C&C Equipment for help to determine if the grader is ex military. He would likely know where to find out.
It would be great to see it olive drab.Make it a tribute machine to the Seabees and other vets who did so much with equipment. The CanAm highway, Burma trail, countless runways and a thousand other projects that won the war.
I'm sure I saw some green paint on it in the last vid. might even have been used in the Pacific theater of war.
United States Army Air Corps-USAAC
I think it was sent as lend lease to Russia as it has a cope cage fitted on the cab roof. 😁
Looked everywhere in the comments for US Army Air Corps and here it is. I can’t answer your question, but my grandpa was a corporal in the USAAC during WWII - he was a company clerk (corporal) and was sent to Arizona for his service years. Grandma and my mom (who was a very little girl then) rode out on the train to visit him. I still have his class A uniform jacket with its Army Air Corps patch!
So great to see that old iron back in working order.. fantastic find on that one and WOW it would be super cool to find the old plaque that was on it!!
Matt, an upgrade you can make on your steering bis to add a hydraulic torque amplifier. It is one of those things farmers do to older tractors to keep them going on the farm. It's an easy hack, but you'll need to add a power steering pump to the engine to complete the job.
Power steering would be great. Creature comforts are always welcome.
Matthew you need to look into putting some fresh oil in that pony motor perhaps with some molybdenum disulfide? Now to grease the running gear.?
Amazing how well it runs after sitting so long, nice job Diesel Creek 👍🏻🇺🇸
Man that sure does look like a job where an overhead crane would be super handy lol
I am sure there is one stored in the yard, somewhere. I am sure Matt would have factored it into the new shed design. But an OH crane does not have a diesel in it, so would not have excitement factor when it sparks into life. 🙄
Quality comment, I can't wait to see that thing working!
Andrew Camarata has one
I believe he picked up a traveling crane at the auction and built the building to be able to use it.
@@The_DuMont_Networkit’s a gantry crane
Well done Matt. Love seeing the old construction equipment come back to life.
This man is ghost riding a 1942 grader... I'm blown away and chuckling all at the same time. I'm glad you're safe. the video made my day.
Those are the machines that were crawling the earth when I was kid . Always wondered what the view from the cab was like . I now at 70 , I do know . Thanks Matt ! 😊🌵
Your videos about the restoration of these old machines and this entire channel in general are something that calms me down and makes me very curious. When these old machines come to life after many years, it is something that is amazing and very touching because it is a piece of the history and durability of these machines. Thank you.
Oh wow thanks so much!!
Matt, you do a really amazing job bringing these old machines back into action, greetings from Brazil!
Thank you very much!
Love the bolt bin, had a new shop once to service my equipment and 4 buckets of used (every size) bolts was my inventory and then came along metric! Plus everytime I think of your overhead crane I get excited as you when an old engine comes to life! Would love to see it in place and assisting! Thanks for great videos!
You seem to be good at finding the absolute polar opposites in machinery, Christine was an absolute dog to you and this thing's just been nothing but an absolute honey.
if its not a Cat, its a dog
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It's great to see this machine working! I was wondering if that was your dad. THANKS DAD FOR THE HELP!!! That's "AWESOME" Matt!!! And............ you will not have to worry about hoses braking! This machine has a "GOOD HOME"!
Nice sounding engine for sure. Definitely worth going through all the lube points and making sure all the final drives are clean with fresh oil.
This video has more sketchy stuff than regular. Love it!
Having had my first engineering job at Caterpillar, I'd be amazed if you don't have a fan club there! Love seeing you restore the grand ol' dames (of any maker). And odds are you could get her history from sending the SN to Cat--but hope someone working there contacts you first!
That machine runs pretty well! Great work. I hope that, despite the swearing and frustration off camera, you had "fun". Your pride comes through and serves as some inspiration.
Everyone in my family knows that I follow your channel. For my birthday my son went out to
your site and bought me a hat. Not only was it a great gift but it also made me proud that he would do this in his own knowing how much I like your channel.!
I love the sweeps on top of the cab to protect the warning light
Another piece of construction history saved, these types of equipment were and are so important. Nice that your dad was able to come and lend a hand, as you say it was a 2 man job. 👍🤗
She's a great macine Matt and you should be proud of her, make her perfect by sand blasting and a nice coat of Cat yellow!
a weekend without diesel creek is not a fun weekend, finally!!!😉👍
Good to see you and your dad work on putting the engine back in place
Wow Matt that Caterpillar sounds way sweeter than Old Christine!
When I was a kid, one of those graders plowed our streets during the winter. It had a huge plow on the front pushing snow. We had 6' storms back then. It was awesome to watch that piece of machinery work.
Nice video, Matt.
Mission Hill, Roxbury, Ma
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Great work! Great Video. Great progress. BTW...Roscoe seems like a great dog and a faithful companion.
Nice running grader its very amazing how it runs considering how long it sat
Pony engine Started so easy with that rope and Diesel Started up With no issues maybe this old girl wants to Start grading again 😮 Matt 6:30 @Diesel Creek
We have 1966 E at work. Almost the same machine. Hydrolic steer with tilt and electric start. I've just finished rebuilding the water pump on it.
It still gets used regularly. Still fires up no problems.
Great job again Matt. These are my favorite videos, watching these old beautiful machines being brought back to life and doing some work again. Gre
Great to see your Dad pop in and give you a hand.
Love seeing you resurrect the old iron Matt. Over 80 years old and still able to work. You see most things now 30 years old sold for scrap, don't make them like they used to that's for sure. Awesome channel brother 🍻👌
Thanks 👍
Matt, again great work. Love to hear those old engines idle.
My father have a similar (but newer) machine like that... Brings me a lot of memories playing with that
Your humility and sense of humor makes all of your videos great. In this video, I feel like I’m doing the work with you. Thank you.
Really good stuff. Can't believe it idles so well after sitting for so long. They don't build things for longevity anymore
I love your channel. Not only do you put in a lot of knowledgeable work but you strategically place your cameras for the best shots.
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@@Fabulouxbazzwrld wtf is this\?