Cletrac HG Stuff

[Wingnut]

I bought a parts Manual and a Instruction Manual for the Cletrac HG.

I am not really working on it, nor even playing around on it.

Its missing a drawbar

It over heats quickly, I think the radiator need to be flushed

The engine does not smoke and idle well using any gear other than first or reverse engine wants to bog down and quit. The tracks do not appear to be in a bind or locking up like a bad bearing.

The engine strains to move the cletrac anywhere, I think the transmission is in a bind. I don't know enough about crawlers yet, but I don't think setting the throttle a 75%+ to move a crawler on the level ground without a load is normal.

[bear]

sounds to me like its time for a compression test could be weak engine due to head gasket hopefully and not a cracked head or sleeve

[Wingnut]

If its a crack head or sleeve, I will convert it to a diesel!

[Wingnut]

I don't plan to touch the Clevtrac until the F-12 is completed.

Possible a pole barn also

[Wingnut]

The engine from a Benz 240D is a good fit for the Clevtrac HG

[Wingnut]

I got my HG Instruction Manual today, this was back when instruction manuals were instruction manual. Not only does it tell me how to operate and maintain the HG; it tells me how to rebuild the engine, drive train, and supporting units.

[glenn27]

Wingnut--I saw a green Oliver HG yesterday @ a country festival being set up for this weekend.....I didn't have but a minute to check it out, but the tracks were a lot farther apart than yours-at least the track width again between the seat and the track, and they had little rubber pads on every other cleat.....
Do you think the tracks were made wider to avoid getting stuck/spread the weight out more---maybe like the modern-day Cat LGP wide traks??And what does the HG stand for?? No one was there to talk to......
Thanks...

[Wingnut]

the tracks were a lot farther apart than yours-at least the track width again between the seat and the track, and they had little rubber pads on every other cleat.......
There are 4 version of the HG:
HG-31 Track width measure center to center 31 inchs --rare
HG-42 Track width measure center to center 42 inchs --common
HG-60 Track width measure center to center 60 inchs --rare
HG-68 Track width measure center to center 68 inchs --common
Mine is a 42 you probably saw a 68

The little rubber pad are to protect pavements from damage

Do you think the tracks were made wider to avoid getting stuck/spread the weight out more---maybe like the modern-day Cat LGP wide traks??.......
I don't know!!! I have not found any information on it


what does the HG stand for??
Cletrac first letter was the Model the second letter was type of engine.
"H" was a model, the models followed a sequence from A to G
"G" stood for Gasoline fuel engine
"D" stood for Diesel fuel engine
The HD would have been a diesel it was never manufactured

[lt230s]

Do you think the tracks were made wider to avoid getting stuck/spread the weight out more---maybe like the modern-day Cat LGP wide traks?? Around here the wide tracks were used almost like a row crop tractor for the onion & lettuce fields. They could cultivate and pull harvester without damaging crops. Although the blackdirt was quite soft, the wide tracks also help as you described.

[glenn27]

Thanks for the info--if I'm back in the area this week, I'll measure the width...

[Wingnut]

This wench that weighs in at 240+ lbs. came off of an HG. I am thinking about getting it and restoring it.

[Wingnut]

Well I have no serial number on my HG-3. I am not sure if it’s a Cletrac or an Oliver.
It is an HG-42 powered by a 4-cylinder Hercules IXA3 flathead engine with a 113 cubic inch displacement.

It has Oliver HG tins; they are duplicates because the Oliver Badge on the front is held by plastic rivets.

It has four different shades of green paint. The green is peeling on the track frame, engine, bell housing, and drive assembly underneath the green is Cletrac Burnt Orange.

The person who sold me the crawler that he was told that it was a 1940 Cletrac; he got it in trade for an antique horse wagon, with new tins (hood and front grill).

It was bought in Ohio and brought down to Texas to be restored and used in the Texas where blue limestone and pink granite out cropping is part of the landscape. Mason is known for Topaz being found in this area. A HG would be ideal for hunting Topaz in this area small and light compare to other crawlers.

Rancher will let you “Rock Hound” for $10 a day on there property, I spent $20 and 16 hours in the hot Texas sun looking for Topaz and never found and I was on the same acre where a $64,000 stone was found 2 years earlier. You can only look in the summer, Deer leases are big money makers in the winter.

I think it is a Cletrac that was built between 1940 and 1945

[Wingnut]

I did get my Parts Book for the HG :fing32:

[Wingnut]

sounds to me like its time for a compression test could be weak engine due to head gasket hopefully and not a cracked head or sleeve

This is the first time I pulled the hood off to see the engine and to do a compression test.

The cletrac orange under the green!

[glenn27]

This is the first time I pulled the hood off to see the engine and to do a compression test.

The cletrac orange under the green!

{Cletrac--seductively whispering--Fix me up/change the oil/paint me again--I'm YOURS!!} :sidelaugh

Well, W E are waiting,.....Sir Wingnut--you got it :fing32: --you drug it home..you got all of us involved.......You ain't goin' to leave us High and Dry like one of his USNEd's hoochie's would!!!

We are going to hold our breaths right here until it's working....

Well, maybe not quite ALL of us!! :duh: We need Smoke!!

[Wingnut]

This is the first time this has happened. I had to use duct to to get a good seal to check the compression. The spark plugs holes were 7/8"


These are brand new plugs 1-4 left to right.

The compression read 120 psi on all cylinder except number 2 it read 90 psi.

I poured some oil into number 2 and it still read 90 psi.
That narrows it down to:
Bad Valve -- Very possible
Head Gasket -- Very possible
Cracked head -- Very possible
Crack sleeve -- maybe but not likely
Crack Ring -- No psi remain the same after oil was added. (psi would have gone up)
Hole in the piston -- not likely but possible reading on compression at 90 psi is very and it was consistant.
Bent connect rod -- not likely engine runs smooth no knocks

[Wingnut]

Bear what is you opinion?

The number 2 spark plug has carbon junk on it

[glenn27]

Exhaust valve, and /or head gasket on that cylinder?

[Wingnut]

Exhaust valve, and /or head gasket on that cylinder?


I am going to pull the head tomorrow, but there is a history of cracked head on this engine!

[glenn27]

Is there a ready-made source for replacements?

[Wingnut]

Is there a ready-made source for replacements?

New and used part are available at http://www.olivercletrac.com/

[bear]

does it burn any oil, antifreeze or have you run it long enough to tell looks like #3 has some deposits on it to possible head gasket between the 2 do you have a rad pressure tester if so hook it up and take it for a drive hook a load to it or use brakes to work engine and see how fast press raises in the rad

[Ingersoll444]

Ing nice and strong? Maybe its the picture, but they all look pretty oily to me. Kinda like what my N used to produce.

[Kbeitz]

This tractor is an OC3 ... What did the OC stand for???
Oliver Cletrac ???
http://user.pa.net/~kbeitz/Kevin/Tractor%20pictures/Dad%20and%20his%20tractor.jpg

[Wingnut]

does it burn any oil, antifreeze or have you run it long enough to tell looks like #3 has some deposits on it to possible head gasket between the 2 do you have a rad pressure tester if so hook it up and take it for a drive hook a load to it or use brakes to work engine and see how fast press raises in the rad

Its a non-pressure radiator system the wounderful Thermo-sophon system, but it has field installation kit water pump. The radiator is still a no pressure.

I do have a radiator pressure tester that I can used to verify the system is water tight. I can use that to check and see if any air being in pump cooling system with spark plug out just kicking the engine.

[Wingnut]

does it burn any oil, antifreeze or have you run it long enough to tell looks like #3 has some deposits on it to possible head gasket between the 2 do you have a rad pressure tester if so hook it up and take it for a drive hook a load to it or use brakes to work engine and see how fast press raises in the rad

It’s a non-pressure radiator system the wonderful Thermo-siphon system, but it has field installation kit water pump. The radiator is still a no pressure.

I do have a radiator pressure tester that I can used to verify the system is water tight. I can use that to check and see if any air being pump into cooling system with spark plug out just kicking the engine.

[bear]

you'll need the spark plug in to see if it pumping air into the cooling system i just reread your post and #2 and #3 have different compression so its not likely the gasket is blown between them

[Wingnut]

I can use stethoscope listen to air being pushed in, but its windy here today, so probably anything through it. Number 3 has good compression still. All will try all kind methods

[Wingnut]

This tractor is an OC3 ... What did the OC stand for???
Oliver Cletrac ???

Oliver Cletrac at first then couple of years later morphed into Oliver Crawlers

[mbkerk]

I thought of you Wingnut, a couple of weeks ago at the James Valley show in Andover, SD...

This one's for you!

http://www.98dodge.com/images/cletracs.jpg
Cletrac's owned by the Anderson family in Andover.

[Wingnut]

I thought of you Wingnut, a couple of weeks ago at the James Valley show in Andover, SD...
This one's for you!
Cletrac's owned by the Anderson family in Andover.

Very nice! The OC3 is worth twice as much as the HG3 :fing32:

[Wingnut]

I did a quick power wash on it and found orange everywhere except for the seat it was yellow.

You a few post back I said "I had a power loss!" Look at the spark plug wire location and look at the wire.

I said I smelt fresh paint burning when running it; well it was spark plug wires :fing20: The #3 had burn all the insulation down to bear wire and was shorting out on the manifold.

[Wingnut]

Water pump pulley is out of round!
http://www.dropshots.com/photos/178146/20060922/103214.jpg (http://www.dropshots.com/videolink.php?userid=178146&cdate=20060922&ctime=103214&showVideo=1)
Photo Sharing (http://www.dropshots.com/) - Upload Video (http://www.dropshots.com/) - Video Sharing (http://www.dropshots.com/)

At Idle
http://www.dropshots.com/photos/178146/20060922/105722.jpg (http://www.dropshots.com/videolink.php?userid=178146&cdate=20060922&ctime=105722&showVideo=1)
Photo Sharing (http://www.dropshots.com/) - Upload Video (http://www.dropshots.com/) - Video Sharing (http://www.dropshots.com/)

[Ingersoll444]

Love them videos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Sounds cool.

[Wingnut]

This is a can of worms :omg:
My HG is suppose to be a Cletrac 42 made in 1940, I have no serial numbers anywhere.
The problem of serial number tags missing on the Hg was a problem. In fact they even sent a service bulletin out about that.

Behind the Magneto is a casting date which reads: 7/48.
So it was it was a piece together tractor or had the engine replaced.
I think it is a Cletrac HG with the engine replaced, because the manifold on Oliver has its name casted on the side in bold lettering that really cool looking, the Cletrac had an inbranded manifold, mine is unbranded.
I do like the fact it is a newer engine block because the 1940 Hercules Engine used babbits instead of bearing on mains.

On the LEFT side of the block near the top by the head is a flat spot in which Hercules stamped the model, they are some form of an IX engine, The first ones were IXA, then IXK, and finally IXB engine. My engine is a IXB.

It has Cletrac written all over it because of the color Orange was used on HG from 1939-1944. The Factory color from 1945 to 1950 (Oliver built) was green. In 1951 it went Yellow.
:omg:
But you could still order your new tractor during in 1945-1951 with Cletrac orange, construction yellow, or Oliver Green. Same goes for post 1951's- you could still order the green after they went to all yellow.

The HG has history of losing serial numbers and can be painted 3 different colors, so it makes it a big pain in the ___ to figure out what year it is.

The good news is that Oliver used the same serial numbers for parts as Cletrac did.