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Cleveland bucket wheel trencher sitting 50 years - WILL it START?
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- Published on Apr 18, 2026
- My dad parked this here in 1977. We think it is a Cleveland Trencher Model 75. It has a BUDA HP217 Engine in it and has not ran or moved since. Will it start again?
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Anyone ever run one of these before?
Lots of people have.
Although not seen on a lot of areas, I heard about them being a go to tool for digging trenches when they did small irrigation systems in eastern washington state. I am seventy five an have seen many different types of ditch witches that challenged the rocky soils to do just what this one was designed to do
Yep
I have 5 Cleveland wheel ditches where i work, we have a model 95 and multiple model 247's, but your Buda is way older than mine, our company has ditched close to 50,000 miles with those machines.
Bet you installed distributor on e tooth off. Pull distributor or move wires on cap.
I watched the entire video don't leave us hanging. Get a new radiator, use a 12-volt battery, get Dad some black coffee, good night's sleep, and let's move that piece of family history back into the sun! 😃
Ha ha ha😂😂😂😂 Amen
@CornelioManuel-lr3yj get good gas
yes!!
Any updates on this?!
@dieseJLupdates? Thanks
Your Dad is a real cool guy!! He is so down to earth and easy going.
Yeah!
I was thinking the same. His Dad is a really nice guy.
I just can't describe the feeling I get when I hear a engine fire back to life after X number of years. It just makes me smile! Thank you for your diligence and good luck!
Thanks for watching!!
I couldnt decribe the feeling I got when he had the distributoor in the vice and attempted to "fix"? it with that huge screwdriver.
Enjoy your time together while you can. Tomorrow is not promised. Not trying to be morbid but I lost my dad when he was 43, I was 19. Seeing you two working together on something sentimental makes me smile. Keep up your the awesome vibes and videos.
Y’all need to pull it out, pour a concrete slab, and display it on the property. It’s part of your family history.
Definitely want to see this trencher work . Even better full time use . If not possible then in a museum where it can be seen and teach kids machines of the past .
j'adore quand ont récupère ces vieux matériels
Nice getting it running. Old girlfriend actually worked for Cleveland trencher in the 80’s
Sounds really close to what I remember the J26 sounded like!
drive it out buddy,family heirloom,its a must❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Paper match book was the perfect thickness to use to set gap on the points.
The grease cap on that distributor is to grease the shaft. You fill that cap up and each time you run it, you give it a turn to push grease into the besrings/bushing
The official name, or one of them, is Stauffer cup.
Use a matchbook to set your points. That's what the old timers always taught me a matchbook.In between your points and condenser
I used to work for a Gas Utility Company in Michigan. I worked as a Master Mechanic in the Garage. They had 2 Cleveland Trenchers. They did not use them a lot, but they did use them. Quite the trencher. Not too easy to use, but they did a good job digging. 👍👍 I might consider restoring it, if you had the time and ambition.
I was a diesel/hydraulic mechanic for Powerscreen rock crushers and screen rollers.
Didn't give up,and a machine of the past awoke once more...Nice
"Dig a trench" Agreed
Family heirloom so definitely worth restoring. Looks like it was built like a tank.
yeah man just leave her outside for 50 years she'll be ready to trench
Aawww the baby boy! I do exactly the same thing, my garage is a mess, mess of fun lol.
Great job!! Get some sump oil and start soaking everything the sooner the better it will help when it comes time to get other bits moving. And throw a tarp over it to keep the rain out. Looking forward to the next installment thanks for posting.
Hope to see another video of it.
Best part of the video is seeing the picture of it up and running back in the day. It looks exactly the same just without as many roots and plants growing in it.
Hopefully we get her back there!
Nothing is better than finding that hard to find old part online from someone trying to rehome it without making a million bucks!
At 45:17 started the best statement ever…..love it!
God bless!
Terrific to see old iron brought back to life.
77? Damn, I was 15
Come on you gotta drive it out for your Dad
All The Best 🇬🇧
HEY MO HAY MO
THAT POOOR OL STARTER MY WORD
I have always, always said the part I need is sitting on a shelf in a very, very old barn somewhere that I really need. Finding it is the hard part. I feel ya man.
definitely starter, gunna need one anyways no doubt, man this had me google lens the parts looking them up .. man this was fun .
You hate to get rid of it, and you don’t want to see it scrapped!
When that engine turned over I through my hat up in the air 🧢
My Dad who was a B-17 Mechanic during WWII was a master mechanic on our family farm. We worked on many old machines in our off time. As for me, I found computers. Thanks for stirring up the memories. Great video.
That’s awesome! Thanks for watching
@dieseJL
A great family team work.❤😊🎉. 🏆 🥇.
Interesting project coming alive.
Thank you all + the little 👦. 😊
Nn😊@roynotoy9596
Yall old folks either cant turn a computer on, or youre the ones that made em lmfao theres hardly any in between 😂 thanks for your dad's service.
Dad sounds like the guy on NNKH.
You and your DAD are the perfect picture of a father and son relationship. I myself never knew my dad but I broke the cycle and have tried my best to be a dad like you Sr.
haha you never knew your dad
@kether800bro
Mount Jackson!! That’s right down the road from me!!
I love this sound, stereo... full😊😊
For gapping those points I've used a matchbook cover when I didn't have a feeler gauge handy
Stripping distributor shaft gear is common on alot of older engines and newer ones running a dizzy still alot are made of brass alloys plastic a softer material than the cam gear. Its a frustrating problem sometimes love this beast😉🙏🙏
Oh yeah. WIll need to see a continuation of this thing.
Your a patient man. I would have been drinking with the assistant you had.
Yeah we need to see this thing in action!👍👍
WELL DONE GUYS, that was tremendous hard and Frustrating work, but you got it started, WELL DONE.
I seen the oil and amp gage both working! Yard it out of the hole its in.... pull that clutch housing apart and give it a chance before winding up metal parts into a wad of junk.... just saying JR. I see it working again and if the inside of the clutch looks like the carb.... you get the picture
yeah that and i gotta pull the radiator
dont pull radiator its not good to make liquor with@dieseJL
2cylinder popping Jon engine
Бочка насос
Самоочиститель 2000
Бочка септик 10 тонн
Топливо
Get it going and make it pretty
Put your finger over or in the sparkplug hole for #1( careful,not too far) and turn it over til you feel compression. Then either via the timing marks or by something through the plug hole set it on TDC. Put your plug wires in or insert the distributor in so the rotor points at #1 on the cap,if so marked.Then arrange the rest of the wires in firing order with rotation. That'll get you in the ball park.Set timing by ear to where it runs best.On a 4 banger it can be set within a degree or two this way. Pretty easy,works great on old Farmalls this way as I take the distributor out to R&R points. Neat old trencher,it would be quite an attraction at an old iron show. Good to see you guys working on it together.
Ok
Buda Engine Co was bought by Allis Chalmers in the early 1950's.
Great job! Enjoyed watching!
Get it running and working, of course!
That just happened when it rolled over! Good job guys, order a distributor hopefully! Stuff a rag in the distributor hole y’all!
WOW! it's cleaning up nice. 😂
Great job it sounds real good , you two got some talent !
Pro tip! Always have a good pair of work gloves in your vehicle! Never know what you may have to move or work on!
Bring it back to life... Love to see it operating...
50 years 😮
Nice video, you and your dad have a nice relationship, like the humor and your reasoning. I can tell that you both know what your doing....It reminds of a close friend for many years and his dad, they too love all kinds of machines, mostly cars.
Nice job mate never give the hope up respect 👍🏼👍🏼
Just stumbled across this post fantastic very interesting to see you get this very old peace of equipment going again love to see more Cheers from Australia 👍
1:18:30 As I always tell my son, take your time, do no more harm than already has occured. The joy of working on old stuff is the small victories achieved.
Buda was built in Harvey, Illinois and was purchased by Allis-Chalmers in the 30's or 40's. Used primarily on rail equipment, A very reliable engine.
Yep! A-C used Buda gas engines thru the model U, then used the Buda diesel in the WD diesel tractors. After that they used Allis-Chalmers designed engines for all their tractors.
Purchased by Allis Chalmers in 1953
I would definitely hold onto it and restore it, or have it restored. Has the potential to be in a museum if one wanted it to be.
I think it's really cool that as time has gone on with your videos that you and your dad are more and more connected on these projects.
Always fun to do project with dad or family or friend like this .
too cool make it work 1/2 the battle is done
I remember as a child watching a group of men run a machine like this one, however, it was much, much larger. They were running water to the neighbors. Our house was the last one on the line. It was so nice having running water in the house. I didn't realize how many memories this video would trigger.
I remember watching home construction going on in my town when i was a kid. These were used around here for the water or sewer line trenches. I have always been fascinated with earth moving equipment and paving machines and such.
Full renovation
i was genuinely happy to see it run. reminded me of the time i was stuck in Minnesota reviving a dodge 360 engine from the 70's on a rv that was half sunk in the sand and snow on the side of a mountain. everything that was a moving part had to be worked on. what didn't need to be repaired from age was the question indeed! it was such a treat to get it finally running and driving again. sounded like a racecar when i was done and drove that 1000 miles home. it was a real adventure repairing it on the go and all the way home. good job you two. thank you for the happy memories.
Great story, and thank you for sharing it with us. ❤😊🎉.
That’s great stuff thanks for sharing!!
The best thing for the environment is to build things like they used to! Great job!
Boy, you got that right! Most stuff built today won't last that long, and if it did, you couldn't find the electronic chips to restore it anyway. You would have to convert it back to an old school ignition system to make it run, and use transistorized radios and such for your sound system in your car or truck. They may be bulkier, but they are more durable, and last longer too. If you look hard enough, you can often still get parts! It's surprising the things that are still lying around in some attic or garage, just begging to be used again! HAH!
Saya senang klo perbaikan penuh semangat dan teliti detel komponen selamat sukses selalu
Was a pleasure to see the bond in your family and your tenacity to get the job done. A true pleasure to watch. Keep that old iron running!!
Parabéns, mostrando a realidade de um motor parado a anos!
Interesting Machine! Sadly we don't normally find old iron like that here in the UK and Considering the Condition of some parts she didn't sound that bad when running, so yeah you got to get her Moving under her own power, and, dare i say it, Maybe Digging a Trench after all those years Asleep 😁❤
It's good to hear her run again.
I usta have a shop that bordered Cleveland Trencher's toxic, abandoned site. They pioneered motorized trenching just in time for WW1 and sold to all sides, made a fortune. Bailed to west coast in1970's.
Dark piece of history to an awesome machine.
Wow that’s amazing
Hughy, Dewy and Louie !
It’s great how you and your dad do things together all the best to you guys
After graduating from high school in 1974 I was in the middle of a bad recession so I got a job working as a basically a ditch digger for a guy that laid field tile and the trencher he had was called a “buckeye” and it had one of those huge wheels on it Like on the one shown in the video with buckets that scooped out the dirt and that’s what we used to dig the trench to lay the concrete drain tiles throughout the fields and drain the land for the farmers
1:46:09 trench
I think it would be cool to watch it work
I think so too!
Just ran on to your page. Im 61 and i luv seeing the old stuff getting worked on. Always make memories with your dad because one day hes not going to be around
yeah, we have fun with this stuff it has been great
or vice versa. my father had to go through loosing a son.
I love the old Hercules flatheads. When I was 7 my dad bought a 1957 Chris Craft cruiser with twin Chris Craft Hercules engines. I had never heard the sound of twin engines running synchronized. Yeah, the intake and exhaust manifolds and head design are ineffecient in a huge way compared to modern engines. But their beefy build and simple design make them venerable workhorses by any standard.
Great video. You’ll have memories from this one for sure.
indeed
Look at the big trucks in the background.
That must have been a blast getting that thing going…..esp with your Dad. Good Job!!!!
Thanks!!
Super cool, I hope you and your dad get it moving!!!
Do me a BIG favor put a small dab of grease on the cam lobe in the distributor. A dry cam will have a tendency to wear the fiber on the points changing the gap. Just a skim of grease will be sufficient.
you got it
Try non mineral based hi- temp white grease.
Some of them used to have a little felt pad for this very reason.
@changingmyworld-j9z also sometimes new sets of points came with a tiny packet with a fingernails amount of grease to swab the felt pad.
@changingmyworld-j9z. The old BSA motorcycles I used to have, & lots of other British machines had those. I used a drop of Singer Sewing Machine oil.👍.
I've got a 1947 Ford 9n. Sounds great
I used to work for a company in Phoenix Arizona..we had several of those little Cleveland trenchers,we charged $3.00 a foot to dig with them,they were perfect on small jobs...
Buda engine parts are rare as hens teeth,worked on locomotive with a buda engine had to have new parts made and machined.Thie are a few custom radiator shops around that will build one if planning on a restoration.For temp radiator use radiator for like custom car builds jus make sure inlets a outlets are in the correct place.
Talk about a good hiding spot. If someone walked past that, they wouldn't even know it was setting in there
My exact thoughts for that carb sonic vibrating to clean and loosen up crud XD
Get it running please
Great job and engine sounds so good for years she's been sat wow . They dont make them like remember that .
"Youse" guys sound like your midwest, but that looks more like the Amazon.
The fact that it turns over is a miracle, I’d imagine it needs a tear down and rebuild before you try running it
This is the first time I've landed on your videos. Love the way you chat with your dad. Reminds me of how my dad and I bicker a bit back and forth when working on projects. You can tell you trust his opinion but some stuff he can say just annoys you for no reason really. He's a character and hilarious to listen to. Pretty fun will it run and wish you guys the best!
thanks for tuning in!
Как я им завидую. Это такой кайф.
Once you get it out dad will start remembering how to operate it, that’s how I am! Once I start playing with something, I start remembering how to operate it again!
yeah but then i asked him if it sounded how he remembered and he said 'idk' lol
Love you got it started. I agree drive it out would be a great thing!
The rough timing adjustment is just #1 cylinder TDC on compression stroke, rotate distributor so the points are just beginning to open then move the #1 spark plug wire to the nearest output terminal on the cap. I'm guessing the firring order is 1243... So move the other 3 wires in a clockwise order so it's 1243. The position of the distributor drive gear in the engine isn't important, if you pulled it out again you'd just go through the same procedure above. Once the engine is running, rotate the distributer to fine adjust it.
Most 4 cyl car engines are 1342.. with 4 throw crankshaft. If this engine has a 2 throw crank, then it would be different.. and I have no clue what kind of crank a Budda has. I would hope this info is online somewhere, like in a vintage tractor forum.
@jenniferwhitewolf3784Most Modern 4 cylinder engines are 1342. An older/ antique engine is typically 1243.