My father operated one of these back in the 1970's/ 80's on the local shire council in Victoria/ Australia. When he retired in 1988 I drove it for a short time until it was sold at that time I was 27 years old. I have driven many graders since 1992 full time and built many roads and maintenance grading roads. I am 62 years now and retired. I still miss it but had a great time doing what my father did. After the 12E grader was sold I spent a year on a case 580E loader then operated a 926 cat loader till 1992 loading trucks in our gravel pitts within our shire. I had some wonderful times and got many memories. Cheers from Nev Victoria Australia.🤠👍
I love old Cat graders, I’ve got a 1955 212 and a 1956 12 myself. There are two blade lift controls on the main gear box, one controls each side of the blade independently so you can manage blade angle. The side shift on the main gearbox will move the whole DCM (drawbar circle moldboard) left and right allowing you to get the whole blade positioned further out from the main frame to pull slopes as an example. The hyd blade shift with the control closer to the window will move just the moldboard left and right. The control on the very far right of the control box is your throttle control, and the little foot control is deceleration. So you could set your desired engine speed and then decel as needed without having to always use the throttle lever. That additional drive shaft on the front; you are right would have been to control a front mounted attachment of some kind. Blades are fun and not as complicated as folks make them out to be. Look forward to seeing it in action again
The lean wheel control is used to lean the wheels into the draught of the blade to reduce the effort in steering the grader while pushing and cutting dirt. The mechanical side shift is used for small shifts of the blade but if the machine is fitted with a hydraulic side shift the mechanical shift is almost never used. When using the mechanical controls, grasp the knobs firmly and push them into engagement hard. Don't ease them in because they will kick hard because the dog clutches in the control box will be worn particularly on the blade lift. You have quite an experience ahead of you learning to operate this machine. There are cheek plates missing from each end of the mouldboard. These are used when cutting drains and are a cutting edge as well.
@@brucemullen3889 Some were worse than others depending on how worn they were. I haven't been on one since about 1974. You learn quickly to keep a firm grip on the lever and slam it in instead of trying to ease it into engagement. When the dogs are very badly worn it's impossible to get them to engage if there is a lot of weight on the blade. nevertheless, they did a lot of work and would keep going when most of the opposition machines had stopped.
If the gear lash is setup right, they dont kick till they wear. I had thr pleasure of running one before and after a overhaul..night & day diffence. NOT that when setup right. I used EVERY lever all the time. DAMN! I'm old
@@willford9205 The graders that I was operating were well worn and the owners were reluctant to spend any more money than necessary. I did operate a new one for a short time and that was really nice to use. I also operated G and H series machines for a while and liked them better. I am getting old as well and would rather watch other people operate them now.
Your style, simplicity and common sense approach has put you at the top of my RUclips list. Great, clear and concise video with no stupid gimmicks. The last guy I used to follow bragged about how cheap he was and half-assed patched his stuff back together even when being cheap made them dangerous. You save where you can but don't mind digging in your pocket when necessary. One request- when you place a subtitle explaining something, can you leave it up a few more seconds as some of us read slower than others. Thank you sir and keep up the great work!
D - 1st time here. Being frugal is one thing. Being unsafe while saving money might be something else. Using 2x4s instead of a legit jackstand ? Using an old, underpowered jack to lift something big, knowing ahead that it was large equipment ? hmm 1st impression as I am only 10 minutes in.
@@stevejette2329 lol good point, but we've all been unprepared at some point in our lives. A good 20ton+ bottle jack and he's good to go. Using old peices of 6x6 or railroad ties for jack stands is fine too if you use enough.
@@robertmiddleton1227 Wow. A road "greater" ??? It's 'grader', as in a 'grade' meaning a level. It's right in the title. "you shouldn't never brought ..." should not never ... ? That may be the only trailer he has. wow
It looks better than the one I operated on road and site prep jobs back in the 1980's. Great machine for rough country dirt work. Thanks for the video it brought back lots of memories pleasant and otherwise.
The loading was sketchy, but the hauling was more so. There was like no tongue weight. All the weight was behind the trailer wheels. The back ones were so overloaded they probably lost half their life on that trip. I am glad you made it to the shop safely.
The unloading was worrying me too. We'd hate to lose you, Matt, or see you injured. It can take a little longer, but extra blocking, safety chains, or just walking the long way around the machine could save your life if something slipped or broke. That steel is completely unforgiving; stay safe.
With each new release, you set new tasks for yourself, and the further you go, the more difficult these tasks are! I love graders since childhood, I will be happy to watch how you bring this monster back to life!
As my Dad ran a grader, a 64 Galion, for 20 yrs these things hold a spot in my heart. Thank You for at least saving it from the scrap man at least for now.
I have been in the earthmoving trade for almost sixty years and that the person who fitted the rear tyres did not have a clue, because grader rear wheels are chain driven there is no power divider between the wheels on each side, the tyres must be matched in diameter on the same side resulting in the chains inside the box fighting each other by one wheel trying to go further than the other because of the different diameter. Looking at your grader both of the leading front tyres appear to be much newer than the rear ones, put the newer ones on one side and the worn ones on the other side bearing in mind to keep the wheel diameter as close as you can on each side . From Australia
Actually all 4 drives on the old CAT graders are coupled rigidly together. There’s no differential in the center of the axle. That and the fact that they’ve got the majority of their weight over the drives is why they’ll pull through most anything without spinning out. So if you can get all 4 rear tires as nearly the same diameter that would be best. In dirt it doesn’t matter all that much.
That's an excellent machine. Caterpillar 12 motorgraders were the standard of the industry for decades. Very good condition and certainly worth the engine work that will be necessary to make it functional again. I've used them many times and they are the top of the line. With the addition of the front blade this machine is good for plowing fairly deep snow. I would set the front blade about 10-12" above the road and the main blade on an angle at road surface. I'm looking forward to watching you do this one up right.
Big shout out to dad for all his help. May have to title this episode “The longest Yard.” Lol. An extra chain would have been handy to secure it while you backed off the winch to reposition. Glad everyone is safe.
If it were me, especially since you don't plan to work on it in the near future, I would drain the oil fill the cylinders and case with diesel and let it soak until you are ready to do anything. Great find, and I do believe it will run. Thanks for sharing.
Running against Vice Grip Garage and Diesel Creek, this has to be one of my all time favorite RUclips channels out there! So inspiring and awesome! Nice job as always brother, brings a smile to our faces when we see you upload another video! Keep up the good work!
First of all I'm glad to see that you and dad working together, when you look back you will back at the fun times yall had together. i say this because i did not spend a lot of time at the end with my dad i now i wish i had, you think that you have more time , and then something happen that you don;t., and i miss him . i wish he was still here . i am glad to see that you got the big boy home. and that has a lot of extras on it , that is a very nice machine that you found there. i wish i cloud find some heavy equipment here in FL. i don't know how you do it. i would love to found one and fix it. that would be great. i would love it. great video, keep up the good videos and i will see you on the next one. take care.
ANOTHER great find! I love the way you approach every machine logically, and carry through! Looks like you're needing a bushel of fittings and a mile of hose! The conditions of the old hoses is typical of the commonly found rubber lines with steel braid. It might require a King's ransom, but the stainless braid with the Teflon inner could be a great answer. We used a lot of them for high pressure lines on machinery in production. When I retired, some were still in use that I made up 20 years previously.
Oh man, love it bro I’m a blade guy myself, been operating one for about 20 years and I love the old cat machines! Look forward to seeing you restore this machine and putting it back to work!
That is the same model grader my dad delivered to Watertown NY in the 60s. He drove it from Syracuse to Watertown. No truck was available. My brother and I took turns riding with him. Good memories.
Nice find. You will be able to get it up and working without too much trouble. I had a Cat 12 exactly like that many years ago. I used it in my grading business and it was a great money maker. I had contracts with the county to maintain a number of back roads and in the winter I pushed snow removal quite a lot. I lived at 6500 feet so we got a fair amount of the white stuff. You called it right about the controls. The aftermarket blade curl is a nice improvement over loosing all of those bolts and rolling it one way or another. I later bought a much newer Cat 12 and it was like driving a new Cadillac compared to the old knuckle breaker controls. I would fix it and make money with it for a while and sell it. Plenty of people still use the old Cat’s.
Simply wonderful videos. You and Matt from Diesel Creek are all I need these days. No more TV. Just wait on my video to appear. That utility truck is turning out to be an amazing rescue vehicle. After you get it running like a top again, might I suggest a good power washing and some Salvage Workshop logos on the side. Need to dress her up a little. Thank you for such awesome content.
Had a blast watching Matt from Diesel Creek wrestle with his Galion from a similar era. But his is, apparently, haunted. I hope your Cat gives you more love than his Christine has.
I learned a long time ago to carry some plates of steel with you from now on. This will aid in things like a blade snagging in the back of your trailer deck. You can lay them flat on any edge and it will slide easily over that back gap from the ramps.
Couple of tips on the loading process: ~ 4ft Oak 2x6" placed between the tandem axles and at the foot of the front tire leaned towards the rear will lock them up better than chocks; the forward tire will try to roll back and up the board but won't be able to due to angle (and sturdy Oak won't break). ~ having a couple of "Come alongs" would have helped to lock the steering straight and lifted the blade more so it could be chained up in a higher position; there's a few more inches left in the cylinder's travel. Alternatively, a thin 1" board inserted into the trailer to blade gap would allow it to "Slide" over. ~ Your "Winch Cable" appears to actually be "Wire Rope" (anything larger than 3/8th's inch is "wire rope") and you need to have a "Safety Blanket" over it as it will literally cut you in half if she snaps ... just looking out for your safety Bro. ~ You figured out putting a snatch block doubles pulling power. All in all, congrats on a successful recovery and looking forward to more progress on this one !!!
Big bottle of cheap dish soap really helps when you need to winch rubber tired equipment sideways on a trailer. That winch setup is awesome on the truck!
Matt, really enjoy your video's. Love to see you working together with your dad!! I really like it that you keep it clean and not silly as others I've seen. I can see the passion you have for getting old gear functioning again. Keep up the great work and we'll keep watching😁
An epic series awaits, no doubt! Unless you have a mile long driveway you probably do not NEED this machine, but then again what a great way to stack up future content. A few tense moments loading that thing made for a great breakfast thriller for me- so thank you Mat. Looking forward to the engine rescue.
Nice recovery job young man, one of the better I have witnessed. Looking forward to this series. Thanks for the ride along sir. You have yourself a good machine as far as I am concerned.
Effective way of destroying wasps. 5 gallons of gasolene and a match. I worked on these graders when they were new! - Blade lift left and blade lift Right - one blade 2 controls.
When I started watching you, you worked outside on an old steel work table and restored old rusty tools and gadgets. You've come a long way, my friend, and you've earned it every step of the way. Keep making great videos, and I'll see you on the next one. The scenery is pretty; what part of the country are you filming from?
That dang winch has some TORQUE! When you hooked on the blade everything was stretching..the chain,the j hooks,the blade,the trailer everything was screaming for relief!
A bottle jack and a small portable air tank(to provide a large initial volume of air) might be some really inexpensive additions to the recovery truck.
I love it,one of my older half brothers used to drive a grader for the county & grade the dirt roads & clean up the ditches,he would drive a old one like that one or the ones with the square cabs
What a fantastic old machine! I love this old blade! Can't help but wonder if you would have been better off loading it backwards to keep the weight forward? Food for thought 🤔 Not telling you how to do it by any means! Great video as always 👍 Take care and stay safe!
I would have LOVED to load it backwards, but I wasn't sure how easy it was going to roll, and in this direction we had gravity helping us out... It sure did roll well! Good Thought Raymond, and thanks for watching!
Matt, I hope that i allowed you named so . I love your videos and your passion to bring old iron to new life. Nice that i see you work with your father. Greetings from germany.
Looks like a very interesting project, looking forward to its restoration. Thanks for the video - excellent photography as usual and you tell a great story.
I recently bought a backhoe that had been sitting outside with the exhaust pipe uncovered for 12-13 years with rain going straight in the engine. Had it running in 30 minutes. Gave it some fresh fuel, primed it up, new battery and engine runs great.
I think it would have been much easier loading the grader the other way round. You have the heavy end hanging way past the axle which is safety issue putting a lifting force on the truck rear axle good thing highway traffic control never spotted you you would have been paying fines until eternity. The way you loaded was and is very dangerous!! If you would have gotten any sway at speed you and anyone close to you tow unit would probably be DEAD !!! Think before you do this stuff
I wouldn't put much money into this grader if l was doing it....they are a tough sell... trust me, l owned several very similar Cat graders. I do enjoy your videos very much 👍
I love these videos...if you keep finding such large toys, you will need to soon find a bigger trailer to go with it :) And I doubt it would work well, but do you have a big enough compressor to blow air in one end of the frame to force the wasps and nest out the other end or out all the holes? Or maybe run a working large motor exhaust through a pipe that then fed through the frame for pressure.
In Australia every third Cattle station you will find these old girls, pilot engines get pulled off and electric starters fitted. 17K and 21F i think. One was made in the USA and the other here in Cats Melbourne factory. Wrist breakers we call them. Hell hard on the shoulders trying to steer them. Good Stuff. Good Luck.
Well your into a real experience when you get the 12E up and running! They are a good machine,I operated the same model in the early '70s while in the service.Beware of the knuckle busting controls ,those are a gear drive from the control box out to the different functions of the blade and scarifier and wheel tilt. On the standard model 12E,there are 88 grease fittings on that machine,I believe that 12-14 are under the floor plates,on the clutch and brake pedals,the drive shaft to the control box,emergency brake linkages, and transmission shift levers.Keep a cllose eye on those rims when airing down or inflating,they are split rims with lock rings and can separate when airing up. We didn't have a big enough cage when airing up,so I would block up the rim with oak timbers, and set the blade of our TD-25 on the tire,to pin it to the floor,before any air went in,,overkill?,definitely, but alot less worry about the lock ring unzipping and killing me or someone else. Saw that happen to a younger,inexperienced kid,basically cut him in half,terrible way to die!! Be Careful!!
Those lock ring rims that CAT used aren’t particularly prone to failing. The reason is the tire sidewall pushes a rim flange outward and it traps a wedge cross sectioned lock ring as it moves outward under air pressure. This clamps the ring tightly in its groove in the rim base. Once it’s seated, it’s only coming loose if the rim is badly rusted and the whole outer edge breaks off. The wheels that are prone to failure (Firestone RH5 if you want to look it up) do not have this wedging action. Instead they are a simple interference fit and some rust and corrosion can compromise the strength of the engagement between the two parts. Clean the lock ring and rim base surfaces with a wire brush and inspect for damage. Lubricate the tire beads, rim bead seats and the rim o-ring area with tire mounting “soap” and you should have no problems with leaks. Use a cage if you have one and always use a clip-on chuck when inflating a tire that has loosened up the lock ring on the rim.
As soon as the trailer arrived, half the viewers were shouting at the screen - its not big enough! Nice machine though the water ingress into the motor might prove tricky - but it will be interesting 😃
I did the same thing with a 212 on a 24’ single wheel triple axle gooseneck trailer. I knew I had to load it back first to get the weight distributed correctly. Problem was it was parked so that was winching it uphill onto the trailer. Steep uphill. Hand winches…..Hot summer……afternoon sun……..no wind……South Georgia! I made it 4 hours drive home without incident though.
Hi Mr. Salvage, I think your son is a machine. I thought maybe he was born in a foundry. With the two of you there is a lot of knowledge. Thank you guys for your hard work.
I still operate one of them today. The 12 e. Great old graders. The big problem is greasing seems to take all day. They opened up most of Australia in the early days.
The first “tractor” I ever saw was a grader that came to work on our street. I was about two feet tall and this thing looked SO huge and loud and strong, I was like WAW.
After maintenance on the truck, you might want to inspect the trailer. The way it was twisting when you pulled the grader out of the field. Could have cracked or broke some welds.
The wheel lean is to help you steer and on slopes, with out its almost impossible to steer and probably has way to unlock the diffs, cool old grader and they used to call them nukel busters cause when the gears got worn they will chatter
Tip. Put some little bits of wood in-front of the steering tyres, and winch the tyres onto them, they will then slip on the bed of the trailer. In the U.K. we call them ‘skid plates.’ Used to recover vehicles with failed steering or jammed parking brakes. ‘Let’s get that grader off the trailer.’ I was half expecting you to just put the bucket under the trailer and lift. She’s off. One big shove. Got a like, saving old stuff pleases me. 👍 Have you fixed it yet?
To stop the engine, pull up on the throttle pedal. The pedal has a bar across the front and back of it. You can use it as a decelerator by pushing the back down with your heel and also stop the engine by pushing down hard with your heel. The key just serves as an electrical isolator.
Back in it's day, the Cat #12 was the best motor grader out there, My Granddad was a salesman for a Caterpillar dealer, and he sold a ton of those #12 graders.
Well I see you got Home so to speak. I kinda figured the ass end would squat pretty low, an I was right on the money. Lol ! I think my Great Uncle would be I thinking Flabbergasted at the way most of the CAT Machines have evolved/changed over the Years. He most likely either helped build them or worked on them umpteen moons ago. I belive if Memory serves me right Great Uncle Willard would have been in his late 70's to mid 80's so umpteen years ago, when I was probably early to mid teens. Thank You for Sharing, and bringing back long ago memories . I enjoyed watching the Video.
👍 i didn't think you would get home with that trailer. I think you need to get the semi-tractor running and get a trailer that isn't so high off the ground. It didn't surprise me that you had to take the ramps off to get home. Keep looking for the rescues, and roll on.
A brilliant video now I can't wait for the next one, it amazes me how much effort you guys put into your work I was out of puff just looking at the way you had to man handle the loading ramps on and off the vehicle, thanks for sharing that with us and all the best and cheers from across the pond.
Nice job getting the old girl home. Didn't look sketchy at all. Nice rigging to load. A chain to keep it from rolling back, and couple boards on the dove tail for rear tires to ride up on would have helped. The two blade lift levers is L/R corners. One raises one side the other for other side. The heal on the foot throttle is how you kill it. The added Hyd. controls the blade pitch as you said, used to loosen bolts on the serrations and adjust . Tom IUOE Retired
As long as there's no serious corrosion inside the engine from all that water I think you'll be OK. Definitely worth the effort of restoring considering how good the rest is.
Doesn’t look like he’s in the high desert. It’s most likely stuck. I’m betting the crank is bad with a spun bearing that seized on the crank and made the governor open up to make the black smoke. I’ve seen smaller CAT engine 3204 seize a main. I’ve also seen other engines knock with a bad main, so it’s a guess, but I’m betting it’s going to need an overhaul. ☹️
OK. I see the hydraulics now. Those are nice features. You are correct on the start switch. Turn on the main disconnect and then the glow plug heat will be in one direction and starter in the other. On direct electric start machines the glow plugs will need to be heated for a Minute for 70 F and above. Two minutes for 70F to 32F. Three minutes for temps below 32F. The tires on this vintage of machine should have tubes. It has three piece rims with a ring and lock ring. The hardest thing on these machines is getting the brake drums off to do brake work. You need a hydraulic press to do that. Brake parts were still avalible from Cat not long ago. I repaced the master and wheel cylinders on my Cat 12.
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My father operated one of these back in the 1970's/ 80's on the local shire council in Victoria/ Australia. When he retired in 1988 I drove it for a short time until it was sold at that time I was 27 years old. I have driven many graders since 1992 full time and built many roads and maintenance grading roads. I am 62 years now and retired. I still miss it but had a great time doing what my father did. After the 12E grader was sold I spent a year on a case 580E loader then operated a 926 cat loader till 1992 loading trucks in our gravel pitts within our shire. I had some wonderful times and got many memories. Cheers from Nev Victoria Australia.🤠👍
It's refreshing to see someone do their thing without any BS, never easy moving a piece of equipment that's not running
Stumbled onto this YT video and don't know why, but found it fascinating. Great to see a father/son team working together!
I love old Cat graders, I’ve got a 1955 212 and a 1956 12 myself. There are two blade lift controls on the main gear box, one controls each side of the blade independently so you can manage blade angle. The side shift on the main gearbox will move the whole DCM (drawbar circle moldboard) left and right allowing you to get the whole blade positioned further out from the main frame to pull slopes as an example. The hyd blade shift with the control closer to the window will move just the moldboard left and right. The control on the very far right of the control box is your throttle control, and the little foot control is deceleration. So you could set your desired engine speed and then decel as needed without having to always use the throttle lever. That additional drive shaft on the front; you are right would have been to control a front mounted attachment of some kind. Blades are fun and not as complicated as folks make them out to be. Look forward to seeing it in action again
The lean wheel control is used to lean the wheels into the draught of the blade to reduce the effort in steering the grader while pushing and cutting dirt. The mechanical side shift is used for small shifts of the blade but if the machine is fitted with a hydraulic side shift the mechanical shift is almost never used. When using the mechanical controls, grasp the knobs firmly and push them into engagement hard. Don't ease them in because they will kick hard because the dog clutches in the control box will be worn particularly on the blade lift. You have quite an experience ahead of you learning to operate this machine. There are cheek plates missing from each end of the mouldboard. These are used when cutting drains and are a cutting edge as well.
Those old knuckle buster blade are what I ran many years ago. Make my hands ache looking at them .
@@brucemullen3889 Some were worse than others depending on how worn they were. I haven't been on one since about 1974. You learn quickly to keep a firm grip on the lever and slam it in instead of trying to ease it into engagement. When the dogs are very badly worn it's impossible to get them to engage if there is a lot of weight on the blade. nevertheless, they did a lot of work and would keep going when most of the opposition machines had stopped.
Exactly!
If the gear lash is setup right, they dont kick till they wear. I had thr pleasure of running one before and after a overhaul..night & day diffence. NOT that when setup right. I used EVERY lever all the time. DAMN! I'm old
@@willford9205 The graders that I was operating were well worn and the owners were reluctant to spend any more money than necessary. I did operate a new one for a short time and that was really nice to use. I also operated G and H series machines for a while and liked them better. I am getting old as well and would rather watch other people operate them now.
Your style, simplicity and common sense approach has put you at the top of my RUclips list. Great, clear and concise video with no stupid gimmicks. The last guy I used to follow bragged about how cheap he was and half-assed patched his stuff back together even when being cheap made them dangerous. You save where you can but don't mind digging in your pocket when necessary. One request- when you place a subtitle explaining something, can you leave it up a few more seconds as some of us read slower than others. Thank you sir and keep up the great work!
D - 1st time here. Being frugal is one thing. Being unsafe while saving money might be something else. Using 2x4s instead of a legit jackstand ?
Using an old, underpowered jack to lift something big, knowing ahead that it was large equipment ? hmm 1st impression as I am only 10 minutes in.
it can be fun to make old stuff work with what ya got and is more realistic in some ways (farmers), but then later on fix them properly.
@@stevejette2329 lol good point, but we've all been unprepared at some point in our lives. A good 20ton+ bottle jack and he's good to go. Using old peices of 6x6 or railroad ties for jack stands is fine too if you use enough.
@@robertmiddleton1227 but did it work though? Yes
@@robertmiddleton1227 Wow.
A road "greater" ??? It's 'grader', as in a 'grade' meaning a level.
It's right in the title.
"you shouldn't never brought ..." should not never ... ?
That may be the only trailer he has. wow
Excellent find! If more people restored equipment like you, we'd be a more resourceful country.
It looks better than the one I operated on road and site prep jobs back in the 1980's.
Great machine for rough country dirt work. Thanks for the video it brought back lots of memories pleasant and otherwise.
That has to be one schetchiest loading ever. What was probably the worst is having the winch controls in the bite zone.
Glad to see I wasn't the only one cringing during the loading sequence. It only takes once...
Yeah it was a bit sketchy! Moving the winch controls isn't an easy thing to do, but I might think abut that, we'll see!
The loading was sketchy, but the hauling was more so. There was like no tongue weight. All the weight was behind the trailer wheels. The back ones were so overloaded they probably lost half their life on that trip. I am glad you made it to the shop safely.
The unloading was worrying me too. We'd hate to lose you, Matt, or see you injured. It can take a little longer, but extra blocking, safety chains, or just walking the long way around the machine could save your life if something slipped or broke. That steel is completely unforgiving; stay safe.
Yeah I was wondering... Wouldn't be easier and much safer to load it backwards? Better weight distribution also.
That hydraulic winch and the snatch blocks was perfect for getting this ole girl loaded
With each new release, you set new tasks for yourself, and the further you go, the more difficult these tasks are! I love graders since childhood, I will be happy to watch how you bring this monster back to life!
As my Dad ran a grader, a 64 Galion, for 20 yrs these things hold a spot in my heart. Thank You for at least saving it from the scrap man at least for now.
Always a great video when you can work on a project with your dad. Thanks for sharing 👍
Enjoying this so far! Couldn’t help but think a couple blocks for rear wheels to roll over would lift blade off deck.
I have been in the earthmoving trade for almost sixty years and that the person who fitted the rear tyres did not have a clue, because grader rear wheels are chain driven there is no power divider between the wheels on each side, the tyres must be matched in diameter on the same side resulting in the chains inside the box fighting each other by one wheel trying to go further than the other because of the different diameter. Looking at your grader both of the leading front tyres appear to be much newer than the rear ones, put the newer ones on one side and the worn ones on the other side bearing in mind to keep the wheel diameter as close as you can on each side . From Australia
Good to know Bob! That totally makes sense, and wouldn't be too hard to do! Thanks for letting me know, I appreciate that!
Actually all 4 drives on the old CAT graders are coupled rigidly together. There’s no differential in the center of the axle. That and the fact that they’ve got the majority of their weight over the drives is why they’ll pull through most anything without spinning out. So if you can get all 4 rear tires as nearly the same diameter that would be best. In dirt it doesn’t matter all that much.
Yes it's like 4x4 .. the wheel diameters have to be equal or the tires will just fight eahoter and have to scrub to even turn
That's an excellent machine. Caterpillar 12 motorgraders were the standard of the industry for decades. Very good condition and certainly worth the engine work that will be necessary to make it functional again. I've used them many times and they are the top of the line. With the addition of the front blade this machine is good for plowing fairly deep snow. I would set the front blade about 10-12" above the road and the main blade on an angle at road surface. I'm looking forward to watching you do this one up right.
Great score, it’s so nice to see a guy who loves old iron get a great find like this, can’t wait to see this project start
Big shout out to dad for all his help. May have to title this episode “The longest Yard.” Lol. An extra chain would have been handy to secure it while you backed off the winch to reposition. Glad everyone is safe.
If it were me, especially since you don't plan to work on it in the near future, I would drain the oil fill the cylinders and case with diesel and let it soak until you are ready to do anything. Great find, and I do believe it will run. Thanks for sharing.
Patrick, I think that's a GREAT idea!... I should probably add an exhaust flapper in case the bungee cord breaks and the coffee can flies off!
Matt, don't change your style of videos. You have and will continue to climb the ranks of RUclips! Thanks for all of your postings and take care!
Running against Vice Grip Garage and Diesel Creek, this has to be one of my all time favorite RUclips channels out there! So inspiring and awesome! Nice job as always brother, brings a smile to our faces when we see you upload another video! Keep up the good work!
Junk Yard Digs is a good one. Check out Grumpy Farmer.
But this is my #1 show I watch.
LOL!! I just mentioned Diesel Creek in my comment before I saw yours. Now I have to go check out Vice Grip Garage.
@@davidakridge2831 you never saw VGG? Oh man, I wish I could experience him all over again 🤣
@@4acrehome168 I'll check it out
First of all I'm glad to see that you and dad working together, when you look back you will back at the fun times yall had together. i say this because i did not spend a lot of time at the end with my dad i now i wish i had, you think that you have more time , and then something happen that you don;t., and i miss him . i wish he was still here . i am glad to see that you got the big boy home. and that has a lot of extras on it , that is a very nice machine that you found there. i wish i cloud find some heavy equipment here in FL. i don't know how you do it. i would love to found one and fix it. that would be great. i would love it. great video, keep up the good videos and i will see you on the next one. take care.
ANOTHER great find! I love the way you approach every machine logically, and carry through! Looks like you're needing a bushel of fittings and a mile of hose! The conditions of the old hoses is typical of the commonly found rubber lines with steel braid. It might require a King's ransom, but the stainless braid with the Teflon inner could be a great answer. We used a lot of them for high pressure lines on machinery in production. When I retired, some were still in use that I made up 20 years previously.
Nice old machine, love your videos. Keep up the good work.
Oh man, love it bro I’m a blade guy myself, been operating one for about 20 years and I love the old cat machines! Look forward to seeing you restore this machine and putting it back to work!
That is the same model grader my dad delivered to Watertown NY in the 60s. He drove it from Syracuse to Watertown. No truck was available. My brother and I took turns riding with him. Good memories.
Another great find ! Can't wait for the engine investigation, let's hope the bores are salvageable! Great filming Matt !
Nice find. You will be able to get it up and working without too much trouble. I had a Cat 12 exactly like that many years ago. I used it in my grading business and it was a great money maker. I had contracts with the county to maintain a number of back roads and in the winter I pushed snow removal quite a lot. I lived at 6500 feet so we got a fair amount of the white stuff.
You called it right about the controls. The aftermarket blade curl is a nice improvement over loosing all of those bolts and rolling it one way or another. I later bought a much newer Cat 12 and it was like driving a new Cadillac compared to the old knuckle breaker controls. I would fix it and make money with it for a while and sell it. Plenty of people still use the old Cat’s.
Simply wonderful videos. You and Matt from Diesel Creek are all I need these days. No more TV. Just wait on my video to appear. That utility truck is turning out to be an amazing rescue vehicle. After you get it running like a top again, might I suggest a good power washing and some Salvage Workshop logos on the side. Need to dress her up a little. Thank you for such awesome content.
Nice video, your dad is a good operator. Think I would drain the fluids now.
Had a blast watching Matt from Diesel Creek wrestle with his Galion from a similar era. But his is, apparently, haunted. I hope your Cat gives you more love than his Christine has.
Christine tried to take Matt out when he was unloading
Galion,Ohio. I live 15 miles south and used to work there for a snowplow manufacturer.
@@sallybrokaw6124 Ah, sorry for misspelling. 😁
@@scroungasworkshop4663 I heard that Australians have good taste. More proof.
I was just thinking of Matt and Christine. :)
I learned a long time ago to carry some plates of steel with you from now on.
This will aid in things like a blade snagging in the back of your trailer deck. You can lay them flat on any edge and it will slide easily over that back gap from the ramps.
Couple of tips on the loading process:
~ 4ft Oak 2x6" placed between the tandem axles and at the foot of the front tire leaned towards the rear will lock them up better than chocks; the forward tire will try to roll back and up the board but won't be able to due to angle (and sturdy Oak won't break).
~ having a couple of "Come alongs" would have helped to lock the steering straight and lifted the blade more so it could be chained up in a higher position; there's a few more inches left in the cylinder's travel. Alternatively, a thin 1" board inserted into the trailer to blade gap would allow it to "Slide" over.
~ Your "Winch Cable" appears to actually be "Wire Rope" (anything larger than 3/8th's inch is "wire rope") and you need to have a "Safety Blanket" over it as it will literally cut you in half if she snaps ... just looking out for your safety Bro.
~ You figured out putting a snatch block doubles pulling power.
All in all, congrats on a successful recovery and looking forward to more progress on this one !!!
Great advice Craig, us old folks, have to help the young ones when we can.
Big bottle of cheap dish soap really helps when you need to winch rubber tired equipment sideways on a trailer. That winch setup is awesome on the truck!
GREAT idea! I have some cheap dish soap I NEVER use! I'll put that in the service truck for future recoveries! Great idea, Thanks!
Matt, really enjoy your video's. Love to see you working together with your dad!! I really like it that you keep it clean and not silly as others I've seen. I can see the passion you have for getting old gear functioning again. Keep up the great work and we'll keep watching😁
Those tyres are amazingly clean and shiny for a machine that has been sitting out in the sun for 10 years.
An epic series awaits, no doubt!
Unless you have a mile long driveway you probably do not NEED this machine, but then again what a great way to stack up future content.
A few tense moments loading that thing made for a great breakfast thriller for me- so thank you Mat. Looking forward to the engine rescue.
Congratulations Cat Grader; you got your second chance!
Thanks for saving it.
Nice recovery job young man, one of the better I have witnessed. Looking forward to this series. Thanks for the ride along sir. You have yourself a good machine as far as I am concerned.
Effective way of destroying wasps. 5 gallons of gasolene and a match. I worked on these graders when they were new! - Blade lift left and blade lift Right - one blade 2 controls.
Yeah ! A match !
Not worth the waste of a zippo !
When I started watching you, you worked outside on an old steel work table and restored old rusty tools and gadgets. You've come a long way, my friend, and you've earned it every step of the way. Keep making great videos, and I'll see you on the next one.
The scenery is pretty; what part of the country are you filming from?
That dang winch has some TORQUE! When you hooked on the blade everything was stretching..the chain,the j hooks,the blade,the trailer everything was screaming for relief!
I love your videos, I think you are great at what you do, and it is great how you can salvage such run down machines in the weeds like you do.
I have memories, you have learning to do. Those blade lift levers are a great idea.
A bottle jack and a small portable air tank(to provide a large initial volume of air) might be some really inexpensive additions to the recovery truck.
I love it,one of my older half brothers used to drive a grader for the county & grade the dirt roads & clean up the ditches,he would drive a old one like that one or the ones with the square cabs
What a fantastic old machine!
I love this old blade!
Can't help but wonder if you would have been better off loading it backwards to keep the weight forward? Food for thought 🤔 Not telling you how to do it by any means!
Great video as always 👍
Take care and stay safe!
I would have LOVED to load it backwards, but I wasn't sure how easy it was going to roll, and in this direction we had gravity helping us out... It sure did roll well! Good Thought Raymond, and thanks for watching!
Good call. It should be reversed for proper weight distribution .Hauled dozens over the years.
Ray - Yes, I wondered that. Front first allowed them to steer. Backwards they would have no way to control the front. Field improvisation.
Matt, I hope that i allowed you named so . I love your videos and your passion to bring old iron to new life. Nice that i see you work with your father. Greetings from germany.
Looks like a very interesting project, looking forward to its restoration. Thanks for the video - excellent photography as usual and you tell a great story.
I really like seeing some of this vintage equipment saved, the scrap man could care less...be safe!! God Bless!!!
Good job in all the videos, you are getting steadily better at recovering these old beauties! Look forward to seeing the next stage!
I recently bought a backhoe that had been sitting outside with the exhaust pipe uncovered for 12-13 years with rain going straight in the engine. Had it running in 30 minutes. Gave it some fresh fuel, primed it up, new battery and engine runs great.
I think it would have been much easier loading the grader the other way round. You have the heavy end hanging way past the axle which is safety issue putting a lifting force on the truck rear axle good thing highway traffic control never spotted you you would have been paying fines until eternity. The way you loaded was and is very dangerous!! If you would have gotten any sway at speed you and anyone close to you tow unit would probably be DEAD !!! Think before you do this stuff
Yes reversing the grader on would have made more safety sense.
My most favorite toy when I was a kid was my big Tonka Road Grader...it was huge...at least to a 5-6 year old :)
I had the same toy and loved it just as much!
Hey, you are amazing! Just one question: what about the OLD RED???
I wouldn't put much money into this grader if l was doing it....they are a tough sell... trust me, l owned several very similar Cat graders. I do enjoy your videos very much 👍
I love these videos...if you keep finding such large toys, you will need to soon find a bigger trailer to go with it :) And I doubt it would work well, but do you have a big enough compressor to blow air in one end of the frame to force the wasps and nest out the other end or out all the holes? Or maybe run a working large motor exhaust through a pipe that then fed through the frame for pressure.
Lol... I'm already looking for a large Low Boy trailer and semi tractor to move all my big toys!
In Australia every third Cattle station you will find these old girls, pilot engines get pulled off and electric starters fitted. 17K and 21F i think. One was made in the USA and the other here in Cats Melbourne factory. Wrist breakers we call them. Hell hard on the shoulders trying to steer them. Good Stuff. Good Luck.
Been waiting for you to drop another video
Well your into a real experience when you get the 12E up and running! They are a good machine,I operated the same model in the early '70s while in the service.Beware of the knuckle busting controls ,those are a gear drive from the control box out to the different functions of the blade and scarifier and wheel tilt. On the standard model 12E,there are 88 grease fittings on that machine,I believe that 12-14 are under the floor plates,on the clutch and brake pedals,the drive shaft to the control box,emergency brake linkages, and transmission shift levers.Keep a cllose eye on those rims when airing down or inflating,they are split rims with lock rings and can separate when airing up. We didn't have a big enough cage when airing up,so I would block up the rim with oak timbers, and set the blade of our TD-25 on the tire,to pin it to the floor,before any air went in,,overkill?,definitely, but alot less worry about the lock ring unzipping and killing me or someone else. Saw that happen to a younger,inexperienced kid,basically cut him in half,terrible way to die!! Be Careful!!
Those lock ring rims that CAT used aren’t particularly prone to failing. The reason is the tire sidewall pushes a rim flange outward and it traps a wedge cross sectioned lock ring as it moves outward under air pressure. This clamps the ring tightly in its groove in the rim base. Once it’s seated, it’s only coming loose if the rim is badly rusted and the whole outer edge breaks off.
The wheels that are prone to failure (Firestone RH5 if you want to look it up) do not have this wedging action. Instead they are a simple interference fit and some rust and corrosion can compromise the strength of the engagement between the two parts.
Clean the lock ring and rim base surfaces with a wire brush and inspect for damage. Lubricate the tire beads, rim bead seats and the rim o-ring area with tire mounting “soap” and you should have no problems with leaks.
Use a cage if you have one and always use a clip-on chuck when inflating a tire that has loosened up the lock ring on the rim.
As soon as the trailer arrived, half the viewers were shouting at the screen - its not big enough! Nice machine though the water ingress into the motor might prove tricky - but it will be interesting 😃
And somehow it FIT!! I measured it before I went to get it!
I did the same thing with a 212 on a 24’ single wheel triple axle gooseneck trailer. I knew I had to load it back first to get the weight distributed correctly. Problem was it was parked so that was winching it uphill onto the trailer. Steep uphill. Hand winches…..Hot summer……afternoon sun……..no wind……South Georgia! I made it 4 hours drive home without incident though.
very interesting ! a shame that theres not more people like your good self ! the world would be a better place ! regards laurence
Hi Mr. Salvage, I think your son is a machine. I thought maybe he was born in a foundry. With the two of you there is a lot of knowledge. Thank you guys for your hard work.
You’ll get it running it’ll be a good piece of equipment for your farm
I remember seeing them back in the early 60s.
Real workhorse!!
I still operate one of them today. The 12 e. Great old graders. The big problem is greasing seems to take all day. They opened up most of Australia in the early days.
My Dad drove one of these for a living. What an adventure this was. I'll have to subscribe and watch you fix it. Thanks for the memories.
The first “tractor” I ever saw was a grader that came to work on our street. I was about two feet tall and this thing looked SO huge and loud and strong, I was like WAW.
As usual censored..
that is awesome i live not far from Decatur and actually work at an old asphalt company in Decatur that still runs a no.12 grader!
I changed a tire on 1 of them. Drove it a little. Had a blast.
Good job with what you had to start. boards chains and snatch blocks are essential for moving equipment. Good job.
Thanks!
Awesome job another piece of history saved just think no DEF fluid
Hi Fellas,
Well, I am glad I found your channel I just happen to be an 81-year man retired Macantic who worked on school buss and out board motors
Machine time is the best time .... Rollin Rollin
I sure hope the motor can be salvaged. You have such a common sense approach with mechanical things and if anybody can get this running again you can.
After maintenance on the truck, you might want to inspect the trailer. The way it was twisting when you pulled the grader out of the field. Could have cracked or broke some welds.
This should have been first but Great video as always.
With the cost of new equipment it is becoming more and more viable to resurrect these old pieces.
The wheel lean is to help you steer and on slopes, with out its almost impossible to steer and probably has way to unlock the diffs, cool old grader and they used to call them nukel busters cause when the gears got worn they will chatter
YOU are the hardest working dude on UT........!!!!!
Enjoy finding a new channel that loves old equipment as much as i do. I hope to see more of this critter in the future.
Man, can't wait for you to dig into this one! I've always had a thing for road (motor) graders and can't wait to see how this one goes.
Caterpillar No 12 Grader one of the best graders ever built
Tip. Put some little bits of wood in-front of the steering tyres, and winch the tyres onto them, they will then slip on the bed of the trailer.
In the U.K. we call them ‘skid plates.’ Used to recover vehicles with failed steering or jammed parking brakes.
‘Let’s get that grader off the trailer.’ I was half expecting you to just put the bucket under the trailer and lift. She’s off. One big shove.
Got a like, saving old stuff pleases me. 👍
Have you fixed it yet?
Hi Mr Salvage Senior. Hope you enjoyed yourself. Now we wait for the next episode..
It’s funny how all the equipment you’ve brought to life comes to the rescue or back t work, to help you with another equipment rescue
To stop the engine, pull up on the throttle pedal. The pedal has a bar across the front and back of it. You can use it as a decelerator by pushing the back down with your heel and also stop the engine by pushing down hard with your heel. The key just serves as an electrical isolator.
Bunch of old machines like that here in lower Alabama 😁👍
Looks like a 21F to me. Did many hours on one of these and a 17K.
Then along came the G series Cat graders. All bulletproof in their day.
Back in it's day, the Cat #12 was the best motor grader out there, My Granddad was a salesman for a Caterpillar dealer, and he sold a ton of those #12 graders.
Well I see you got Home so to speak. I kinda figured the ass end would squat pretty low, an I was right on the money. Lol ! I think my Great Uncle would be I thinking Flabbergasted at the way most of the CAT Machines have evolved/changed over the Years. He most likely either helped build them or worked on them umpteen moons ago. I belive if Memory serves me right Great Uncle Willard would have been in his late 70's to mid 80's so umpteen years ago, when I was probably early to mid teens. Thank You for Sharing, and bringing back long ago memories . I enjoyed watching the Video.
Nice to see a cameo by the Chalmers loader. Sounds like the old girl is still doing well. Hope we can give the old Cat another shot at living.
Well done lads. That grader has fought you every inch of the way
👍 i didn't think you would get home with that trailer. I think you need to get the semi-tractor running and get a trailer that isn't so high off the ground. It didn't surprise me that you had to take the ramps off to get home. Keep looking for the rescues, and roll on.
A brilliant video now I can't wait for the next one, it amazes me how much effort you guys put into your work I was out of puff just looking at the way you had to man handle the loading ramps on and off the vehicle, thanks for sharing that with us and all the best and cheers from across the pond.
Another gem in the rough
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✅✅✅✅✅
Nice job getting the old girl home. Didn't look sketchy at all. Nice rigging to load. A chain to keep it from rolling back, and couple boards on the dove tail for rear tires to ride up on would have helped. The two blade lift levers is L/R corners. One raises one side the other for other side. The heal on the foot throttle is how you kill it. The added Hyd. controls the blade pitch as you said, used to loosen bolts on the serrations and adjust . Tom IUOE Retired
As long as there's no serious corrosion inside the engine from all that water I think you'll be OK. Definitely worth the effort of restoring considering how good the rest is.
Doesn’t look like he’s in the high desert. It’s most likely stuck.
I’m betting the crank is bad with a spun bearing that seized on the crank and made the governor open up to make the black smoke.
I’ve seen smaller CAT engine 3204 seize a main. I’ve also seen other engines knock with a bad main, so it’s a guess, but I’m betting it’s going to need an overhaul. ☹️
Good to see the motor grader at it's new home
Wow what a job to get that thing onto the trailer, but the winch in your truck is a real beast!
Thx for showing!
👍👍👍
OK. I see the hydraulics now. Those are nice features. You are correct on the start switch. Turn on the main disconnect and then the glow plug heat will be in one direction and starter in the other. On direct electric start machines the glow plugs will need to be heated for a Minute for 70 F and above. Two minutes for 70F to 32F. Three minutes for temps below 32F. The tires on this vintage of machine should have tubes. It has three piece rims with a ring and lock ring. The hardest thing on these machines is getting the brake drums off to do brake work. You need a hydraulic press to do that. Brake parts were still avalible from Cat not long ago. I repaced the master and wheel cylinders on my Cat 12.
The traxcavator and the wheeled front end loader were nice, but the grader is the real jewel. Please put that machine right. It deserves it.