Old 453

[artworks]

Hi I am new to this forum been lurking for a while.
I got this old 453 and have been working on it for abought a year fixing it up.

The trans axle was leaking out all four axles and full of water.
The engine didn't run and boy was it rusty.


I pulled the engine out.


When I was trying to get it started I noticed it had horrifically bad blow by
while it was cranking over. Pulled it apart and found 2 broken pistons and 1 broken rod.
Put in 3 new pistons and rings 1 new rod. Honed the cyls. Put it back together. Runs pretty good know.

This is it with the trans axle and engine out.
The trans axle was big repair. Dissemble, Pressure was inside and out, Sand blast front half. It was serverly pitted. Repair top cover bolts simillar to Old Machinist repair. I read abought it here. Reassemble with new bearings axle seals and speedy sleaves on all four axles. Chains, sprockets and motors were in good shape.

Here it is with the repaired trans axle back in.

Here it is with the engine back in.
I will post some more pic ass I get them loaded up in the bucket.
Hope you enjoy the pic's.
Thanks Art

 

[Tazza]

That's some fine work you have done so far.
The old man got hold of a 453 years ago, i got the job of repairing it. It had run tracks in it's previous life, these destroyed the bearings and seals. The chains were sad as well. Where the drive motors mounted to the chain case had cracks all over it. It took me quite a bit of time to gouge the cracks out and weld them up. New bearings and seals, the chain case is mostly leak free. The only issue it has now is a very slow hydraulic pump, it's either shot or there is a leaky hose i can't find sucking in air.
They are fun machines to drive, a lot quicker that i expected it to be. And they can lift a lot more than you may think. Very handy.

 

[artworks]

That's some fine work you have done so far.
The old man got hold of a 453 years ago, i got the job of repairing it. It had run tracks in it's previous life, these destroyed the bearings and seals. The chains were sad as well. Where the drive motors mounted to the chain case had cracks all over it. It took me quite a bit of time to gouge the cracks out and weld them up. New bearings and seals, the chain case is mostly leak free. The only issue it has now is a very slow hydraulic pump, it's either shot or there is a leaky hose i can't find sucking in air.
They are fun machines to drive, a lot quicker that i expected it to be. And they can lift a lot more than you may think. Very handy.

Thanks Tazza. I know what you mean by cracks at the travel motor on the chain case. When I got the engine in and running for the fist time with no wheels yet still up on blocks. I was adjusting the travel neutral position. I tried the travel with parking brake applied. The motor really bends and twists the case.
On your slow hydraulics I would put my money on the pump. Theres only 1 hose and 1 tee fitting ware it comes out of the bottom of the tank. Tough to get to. Pulling the battery out you can see both ends of the hose but no room to swing wrench's. I don't think you can get the pump off with out taking out the motor mounts and pushing the hole power unit over. And even then I am not sure theres enough room to get the shaft to clear. I guess you probably already know all this.

 

[artworks]

Thanks Tazza. I know what you mean by cracks at the travel motor on the chain case. When I got the engine in and running for the fist time with no wheels yet still up on blocks. I was adjusting the travel neutral position. I tried the travel with parking brake applied. The motor really bends and twists the case.
On your slow hydraulics I would put my money on the pump. Theres only 1 hose and 1 tee fitting ware it comes out of the bottom of the tank. Tough to get to. Pulling the battery out you can see both ends of the hose but no room to swing wrench's. I don't think you can get the pump off with out taking out the motor mounts and pushing the hole power unit over. And even then I am not sure theres enough room to get the shaft to clear. I guess you probably already know all this.

Some pictures of the bucket hitch repairs

This is when I was trying to figure out how I was going to fix it. I just cut the top off of the left side to see how bad it was and how I was going to fix it.

This is the new replacement section just tacked together.

Here it is all assembled and ready to be welded in place.

Here it is all the welding done both sides. I all so replaced some of the webbing on the up rights on the other side. Its ready for sand blasting prime and paint. Then all the repaired components get put back in.

 

[Tazza]

Some pictures of the bucket hitch repairs

This is when I was trying to figure out how I was going to fix it. I just cut the top off of the left side to see how bad it was and how I was going to fix it.
This is the new replacement section just tacked together.

Here it is all assembled and ready to be welded in place.

Here it is all the welding done both sides. I all so replaced some of the webbing on the up rights on the other side. Its ready for sand blasting prime and paint. Then all the repaired components get put back in.

I have never run it with the brake on to see the flexing. It doesn't surprise me though, there is a lot of power there and not a really thick chain case wall.
Access is horrible, i have yet to fiddle with the pump. I think you can change the pump without pulling the engine, but it's tight. There are details of a replacement pump that is a little longer and it ill not fit without pulling the engine and pump. The way around it is to cut a hole in the frame to gain access and weld it back up after you are done.
I will check the fittings under the pump when time allows, just to be sure. I am with you on suspecting the pump is at fault.
I had to cut the bobtach open too, the levers were rusted solid. I cut it out and cleaned out all the sand and what not. Cleaned up some rust and coated everything is grease. It still works like new 5 or so years later.

 

[artworks]

Some pictures of the bucket hitch repairs

This is when I was trying to figure out how I was going to fix it. I just cut the top off of the left side to see how bad it was and how I was going to fix it.
This is the new replacement section just tacked together.

Here it is all assembled and ready to be welded in place.

Here it is all the welding done both sides. I all so replaced some of the webbing on the up rights on the other side. Its ready for sand blasting prime and paint. Then all the repaired components get put back in.

Hear is the hitch ready to go back on the machine. Its on the machine know.

This a pic of the tires and rims when I got the machine. Just had soft car tires on it. They are bent so bad a the bead area they wont hold air. When I took the tires off the rims they were full of that green slime stuff and still flat.

Here it is with the rims sandblasted primed and painted. After I sandblasted and primed I used a air hammer to straighten the rims cold. Got some 3/8” solid rod had it rolled to the size of the rim bead area on the out side and welded them on both sides of the rim all four. Got four new sneakers on it.

Here is a close up of the rim

The new tires are 8 ply and have rimgaurd.
Art.

 

[Tazza]

Hear is the hitch ready to go back on the machine. Its on the machine know.

This a pic of the tires and rims when I got the machine. Just had soft car tires on it. They are bent so bad a the bead area they wont hold air. When I took the tires off the rims they were full of that green slime stuff and still flat.

Here it is with the rims sandblasted primed and painted. After I sandblasted and primed I used a air hammer to straighten the rims cold. Got some 3/8” solid rod had it rolled to the size of the rim bead area on the out side and welded them on both sides of the rim all four. Got four new sneakers on it.

Here is a close up of the rim

The new tires are 8 ply and have rimgaurd.
Art.

They look much better now.
Nice idea for the rims to strengthen them up a little. I get into mine with a sledge hammer, seems to do a decent job getting htem mostly back into shape. I then go over them with a wire bursh if i don't sand blast, and use a flap wheel to make the bead area smooth.