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I have an OC3 with a small loader and a OC46 (first year with the same 4 cylinder engine as the OC3). My OC46 will work circles around my OC3 despite having considerably more weight with the same power. A 3 cylinder OC46 will work circles around my 4 cyl version, a 50% increase in power & torque. BTW. my sprung OC3 rides like a Rolls Royce compared to the solid suspension of the OC46.

How thick are these bushings? Mine are no more than shim stock thick (maybe .020") and there is a lot of clearance, 1/8" all around.

[just clear]

I recently rebuilt some rollers on my OC46 and found that the rollers can bind if not carefully assembled.

Use a hydraulic press to install the bushing into the retainer and the retainer into the axle, not a hammer, I hope that I didn't have to say that.

Make sure that the bushing doesn't protrude from the end of the retainer that goes towards the centering ridge on the axle. Actually if it protrudes from either end or the end of the retainer is worn enough that the grooves are nearly gone then it's time to replace the retainer.

When pressing the bushing retainers into the roller (use a piece of pipe or deep socket) only push them in enough to just clear the retaining clip slot but don't install the clip yet. Press in one retainer, flip the roller over, install axle then press in the other retainer. With both retainers pressed in you will find that the axle will have some slop side to side. Now you can determine how much farther one or both retainers have to be pressed in to eliminate all but .010"-.015" or so of the slop. It does take some fiddling to get to the point that there is only the slightest side to side movement of the axle. If you go too far and bind the axle then just use the axle to move the retainer back in it's bore until clearance is regained. If the retainers contact the centering ridge on the axle then there will be drag that will keep the roller from rotating. Too much slop will allow the roller to slide back and forth on the shaft. The goal is to have enough clearance to allow oil between the centering ridge and the retainers yet not enough to allow the roller to flop around side to side. Each retainer, especially used ones, will be slightly different so you will find that no two retainers will be pressed in their bore to exactly the same depth, again it takes some fiddling but once you get a feel for it they go pretty quickly.

Even though you already have your rollers assembled you can still generate some clearance by using the axle to push the retainer(s) back out in there bore but if you go too far (easy to do) you will have to remove the seal to push they back in again.

Getting back to my final drive hub repair. The stud holes are stripped, ovalled and a couple have cracks radiating to the edge of the hub. My hub has very good bearings and an excellent 72T gear. I have a spare from a HG/OC3 with excellent studs but the outer bearing is a different larger size (and shaft that the hub is on is a different diameter). It has a bad 72T gear on it.

I stopped at a welding shop to see about getting the old stud holes welded closed so that I can drill new ones. The guy asked if it is cast iron or cast steel. The hub was 30 miles away so I couldn't even show it to him. My first inclination is iron but steel would make sense. Anyone know?

Trying to determine if just buying a used part would be the better option.

Both my machines have just one buttonhead per idler, I would say that you are correct that some PO added an extra one. I just spent all afternoon cleaning old hard grease out of 4 rollers and one idler hub. IIRC the threaded hole in the idler is the same as on the end of the roller axle or at least very close in size.

I was afraid of that, I don't have an O/A setup, even my brother who retired after a 35 year career as a pipe welder doesn't have one anymore.

I am trying to remove the rollers from my OC46 track frame to rebuild them. The frame is out and turned upside down for access. So far it has taken me one month to get 2 rollers out. The axle saddles are frozen/rusted to the studs. I have tried penetrate, hammer, wedging under then and heat (the last of my MAPP gas, not O/A) and they just seem to be laughing at me. I am sure that I am not the only one to come across this problem. Anyone have a good method of getting these out?

The good news is that the ones that I have gotten out only need new bushing inserts. They were packed with hardened grease, so hard that I had to chip out what I could reach and burn out the rest. All clean and shiny now.

Thanks everyone for the advice.
I got most of it apart, actually everything came apart very easily. I haven't pulled the hub out yet but I have taken the front idler assembly apart to address some issues there. The idler has always been a bit out of line and I did replace the actual wheel a few years ago as the machine came to me with a section of the flange missing and a welded together axle shaft. Someone probably rammed the idler into an immovable object more than once as the rods through the springs are bent and one is smaller in diameter than the other (OC3?). Also I will take this opportunity to rebuild or replace the rollers.

As far as the sprocket, it's a mess. Fortunately I have a good spare. After a good cleaning it's easy to see why it would never stay tight. The holes for the studs have been welded to eliminate the cone washers and then ground out with a die grinder so that the sprocket would fit over the studs. Calling it a "hack job" is giving it too much credit. Work has stopped for now until the rain goes away.

My 1957 OC46 came to me with several missing studs and a few more with the threads stripped out in the hub/gear assembly on one side. For a few years I have been tightening the remaining 5 studs/nuts about every 200 yds. of travel which, since I don't use the machine for much more than occasional lifting, hasn't been much of a problem. This year I need to use the machine for a gravel driveway re-construction and extension so re-tightening the nuts often (or at all) isn't going to work anymore.

My question is can these stripped threads in the hub be successfully repaired with a TIME-SERT or similar insert? Also I have 2 hub/gear assemblies out of an OC3 in my spares pile, will they swap into the OC46 in the event that I can not repair what I have?

I have a mill and lathe so accurate machining is not a problem although I would rather do it in place.

Mike

I may be wrong but I don't think that any OC3 dozer/loaders where built on the Oliver assembly line. Anderson and Ware produced packages that were installed at Oliver dealers so the serial # on the side panel is an Anderson serial # referencing the package that they produced. My 1951 OC3 has an Anderson blade data plate with a model and serial# (don't remember what it is) but the model#  changed periodically as improvements were implemented. Looking at your photo I see that you have the oil tank mounted by the operator as opposed to in front of the radiator which would indicate that it is a later version. My 1951 has the tank between the grill and the radiator.

Zimmerman would be the most obvious and probably the only source for Ware loader parts. They are very knowledgeable about such things.

http://www.olivercletrac.com/

13 1/2 wide, 9 high, 2 1/2 deep.
I'm not 100% sure this is a factory one though. I'll check to see if I have another.

9" high and a 2-1/2" web is a standard C 9 structural channel.

C9 = 9" depth x 2.485" web x 15# per foot.

It would be easy to duplicate the angle piece, fortunately for us Anderson utilized standard size metal in their designs.

I searched around for old posts and found that the owner of the machine that I posted was appropriately enough, Mike Anderson who IIRC lived in California. His website address no longer works.

It looks like you have almost the same valve, just right for a tilt blade.

The Anderson blade was available with a piece that angled the blade. It was also available with a hydraulic tilt option.

Several years ago there was a guy who had a web page with lots of photos of the restoration of his OC3 equipped with then hydraulic tilt option. Most of the pieces were weldments made up with standard structural steel shapes. The "filler" piece used to angle the blade was made of a section of formed "C" channel that utilized the same attachment points as the blade. In his case the tilt feature required a custom height but one could easily made the piece out of standard C channel that would fit between the upper and lower attachment points for the blade.

I saved the photos from his web site a couple that I have tried to attached. I can't give credit to him as I didn't save his name or web address but I think that he posted here on occasion.