Hi, first I am new to the cletrac and oliver tack area. I bought my wife a what I believe is an HG 68. It is currently green, but there is a lot of orange underneath. The tag is of coarse missing, and I tried finding another number on the bell housing, but could not find it. The tracks are 68 wide, so it is a 68 model or whichever model the cletrac was at 68. It has the hercules motor, and nearest my impression, tractor style tin work, what is there at least. I need help trying to verify the model and year, and am also in need of grill ad dog legs for radiator sides for same. I believe they are the same as a couple tractors, but do not know which models. Or am I wrong oion this belief? Is there other ways to identify the year? model? It is also missing the magneto. Does anyone know what degree the lag is? Can I use any stadars flange mount like the good ol FMJ? QUite a few questions, and I greatly appreciate all the help and time for the responses. I am hoping to get this in the shop and torn apart in the next couple weeks, but would hope to have this information so I know which parts, seals, bearings and such to aquire as needed. If you need any more information, I will be glad to help with what I know or can find out. Thanks again.
The only wheel tractor with the same sheet metal was the Cletrac General and the early BF Avery model A.The grill is different on them . The early hg had the id tag on the right side rear of frame and the later were on the bellhousing. Look on the lower right of the engine block for an id tag . It should be an IXA,IXK, or IXB hercules . If you post a picture we might be able to help more or go to the photo album and look .
Walter
Hi, The motor is an IXB, I know they switched in what I believe to be 44, correct me if I'm wrong. The tag is of coarse missing, I found the grind spot on the bellhosuing but there is no number. I am trying t figure out what year. I wouldnt think if someone replaced trhe motor at one time or another, if it was a newer one, to put an older herc back in instead of a 60 motor. The grill is missing, so cant use that to help distinguish year, it is either a HG68 or a cletrac HG or their oc version that is relatively the same. It is identical in appearance as the green HG, but cannot figure out the herc motor if it is a true green. I restore tractors, mainly steel wheels and traction engines for a living, and only do things in the purist form. I am in need of figuring out exactly what this is. Is there other numbers to look for? I know cletrac wasnt up to date coding parts or am I wrong here? I would like to figure this out and tear it apart and have it done for xmas, at least have it ready for the paint booth by the first of december. Theres alot of seals and bearings to replace, I am planning a total tear down. I do not know how to post pictures, but as I stated, it is the same in appearance as a green hg68. Thanks again, enjoy the day. Shane[/img]
There are a lot of running improvements over the life of the HG/OC3 production. Machines built just a few months apart can have major differences in parts and assemblies which makes it hard to pinpoint bearing #'s and such without measuring or reading the #'s on your existing parts. And then there are the modifications, as you have found out. Take a look at the photo section of this web site for some visible clues to narrow done the model and/or year.
To start with:
front idlers: solid or with holes
rail on which frt idler slides: hidden inside the track frame or outside
frame to transaxle attachment
brake lever/linkage
tie bar across trackframe support arms
removable plate over bullgear/axle or welded on cover
The H. G. crawlers did not go the IXB engine until February of 1950. Now the HG was discontinued in 1951. Let me do some more thinking. Also a good friend of mine who's fater was a dealer would take HG models and covert wide ones to narrow ones and narrow ones to wide ones. Also if the bell housing has a place for the serial number tag it is a later one and it is a wide gauge model and if that is a factor wide gauge model it is a later HG or newer. There was also a design change on some of those parts. How far are you going to tear the final drives down? There are also changes in them. Somewhere I have the service bulletin that tells when the serial number location changed. John
All of the hercules IX engine parts are the same except for the bore and the IXA has babbited bearings . Many parts are interchangeable through the years . The final drives changed . Are your front idlers solid or do they have several large holes in them ? DO the final drives have a bolt on pinion bearing retainer ?
Walter