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Ok, I'm familiar with parkerizing too, but didn't realize it was the same thing. Where can one get the concentrate?

The OC-4 is looking great!

Could you tell me a little more about the phosphate coating? Is it what is also called black oxide?

About the only way to check wall thickness is with an ultrasonic tester that is big $$$$. A good machine shop will have one and shouldn't charge more than a few bucks to check it for you. They should also be able to tell you if the wall will be thick enough. Just remember that you're going to be taking an 1/8" out of the wall thickness and not a 1/4". They should checkit in several places per cylinder. I hate to say it, but it might not hurt if they THINK  they will get a job out of this.
Geoffrey

Stahltrucking,
What brand and model boring bar do you have and are you using standard cutters that have to be sharpened or indexible tools? If you don't know, the indexible uses (normally) a triangle shaped carbide cutter that when dull you unscrew it an turn to one of the other corners or replace it with a new one. To bore that much out of a cylinder, the indexible is a lot less hassle.
Geoffrey

If the dash looks like that and it's a 3 cylinder, it's an OC-4. Right now you have a little over 134 ci. at 3.560" bore x 4 1/2" stroke. To get to 149ci. you need to bore it to 3 3/4". An aluminum 3 3/4" piston with the correct compression height, pin size, etc. shouldn't be very hard or expensive to get.

John,
Is this what you had in mind? Out of curiosity, do you know how thick this leaves the cylinder wall when bored this far over?

I agree with John. The model number of the machine has nothing to do with the number of cylinders. If it did It would be neat to see an OC-18 with 18 cylinders or a Cletrac 100 with 100! Get the point? I would bet anything that you have and OC-4. Please post a picture of it so we know for sure. Does your dash look anything like the one in Horatzs' avatar? How many bottom rollers does it have (NOT including the sprocket and front idler)?

Thanks John,
I didn't know you could bore one out more. Is a 149 just a later version of the one used in the OC-4?
Geoffrey

I would just have the starter rebuilt with a new armature. I think mine got a new armature, fields, brushes, bearings, etc and was only maybe $150. I don't remember for sure, but I think that is right. It also has to do with being in Kansas. That will vary by state and town.

I don't have any problems with the original starter, especially with a good size 12V battery in it.   I just don't crank very long before I let the starter cool.
Geoffrey

2 places for information and part are Bechtold Tractor Service in Lodi, CA //http://www.bechtholdtractor.com/ and Zimmerman Oliver-Cletrac in Ephrata, Pa //http://www.olivercletrac.com

Not sure about your location, but for here in Kansas $1200 is very high for a burned up one. My OC-3 with Ware 3-HI loader was $1600 I think and it ran and drove (not great but it did).

Go back in the older posts looking for posts about buying an HG or OC-3 and read them. You need to be able to tell how complete this one is and know some about the undercarriage. It's the details that will really cost you.

It's small, keep it anyway! Mine is behind the house with a tarp on it at all times when it isn't in use. A $10 blue tarp from the farm store will last a year in some rather bad Kansas weather.
Geoffrey

I believe a Carco C-3 is the corect winch for the OC-3. It is PTO driven.

Are they flush with the surface or just slightly below? What an older mechanic told me to do once is gas weld a washer to the bolt and then weld a nut on the washer. It has worked for me including a broke off manifold stud in the block of my OC-3. The idea is that the washer is much easier to weld to the bolt than a nut is. Then you can weld all the way around the outside of the nut. I usually use a fender washer so that it's bigger and I can use a bigger nut as well. That part is just to make it easier to handle. The heat from the torch also helps with the removal.
As a side note, this mechanic learned on the cars of the 40's, 50's and 60's and is my mechanic of choice. He gas welds everything including all the exhaust systems that he puts on. Heck, he doesn't even own any other type of welder. So, his gas welding is very good. If your's isn't I would suggest getting someone who's is or the results will be poor at best. I know my gas welding skills have improved since I started doing this.
Geoffrey

I like the 3-WI loader on my OC-3 and I would consider at least saving the loader even if you take it off. At some time you may want/need it even if it isn't pretty.

Did you happen to buy that in Spring Hill, KS a few weeks ago? There was one on an auction about like you have described yours. If it was an OC-3 I would have bought it for the undercarriage and tracks for mine, but didn't stay to see it sell since the tracks don't interchange.
Geoffrey

John will know more then me about doing this and if it's possible, but it's still a suggestion. If the rods need rebabbited it might be possible to bore them and use regular insert type bearings. A lot of guys are doing that around here with old Chevy 6's that had babbited rods. I have never had a Hercules apart and don't know if you can do it with them, but I thought I would throw the option out there. The hardest part would be finding someome with the machinery to do it and maintain the correct center to center length of the rod.
Geoffrey

I believe Landis had one at the HPOCA summer show when it was in Kinzers, PA. Other then that I haven't seen one.
Geoffrey