Oliver OC-3 crawler

[Rick Keith]

Okay, there's an Oliver OC-3 with a dozer for sale up here, and I have a few questions. (I'll post pictures later . . . this computer doesn't have an image editing program that will re-size pictures.)

1. The track frames are both marked Chicago Pneumatic . . . but they look like the ones in the pictures I found.

I was wondering if

a. Chicago Pneumatic built the track frames for Oliver.
b. Oliver built trackframes for Chicago Pneumatic.
c. Chicago Pneumatic dealers sold double-badged Oliver tractors as "accessories".
d. Someone just stuck Chicago Pneumatic badges on the frames.

Does anyone know anything about this?

2. What would be a fair price for a solid runner?

3. Are there any known problems with this series of machine?

4. Is there an operator's manual available somewhere?

5. Would it be hard for a novice with some book learning to learn to operate this machine?



--Rick

[Rick Keith]

Okay, the promised pictures:

First, an overall view; it has a brush rake bolted to the blade, which is perfect for what I need.

Second, the right track frame . . . notice the Chicago Pneumatic badge and that the track frame looks like the pictures in the gallery.

Third, the left-side frame . . . that looks awfully rough, but it's the same on both sides. Is this normal?

Thanks, Rick

[lt230s]

My mom still has Dad's OC-3 & HG(Cletrac equivalent) and both are nice little machines.
Can't help you with the Chicago Pnuematics..never noticed on Dad's machines. Probably PO put them on it.
They are easy to learn to drive. 2 levers for steering, geared tranny. They won't push a house but if clearing brush is all you need it for, it should work OK. We used to pull 16" single plow, 3 gang spring tooth harrows with it and never gave us a problem.

[Rick Keith]

I'm looking at using it for maintaining my driveway including spreading gravel, pushing snow (when it snows), moving brush and slash (from previous logging), and light skidding of smallish logs.

I've been using a 4x4 pickup for the skidding, so you can see it's not much.

Are the levers pure clutch, or do they have a brake side?

I've never actually run a cat, but I seem to recall that on some you push forward (from a spring-centered position) to engage the clutch and move that track under power, and pull back for the brake for that track . . .

Thanks, Rick

[Kbeitz]

The leavers are all brake... I has a foot clutch... Tracks look like Oliver to me... Price range around $2000.00 ... Look for broken frame by clutch housing...

[bear]

it sounds like it should do all you are asking about never seen the CP on tracks like that but it sure looks Cletrac to me. Like Kbeitz said the levers are all brake a good system really, would corner under load and get out of wet situations a lot better than clutching a track imo. Not really sure why it didn't catch on. Price varies a lot from area to area likely closer to 3- $4000 around here

[Kbeitz]

Originally Posted by bear

it sounds like it should do all you are asking about never seen the CP on tracks like that but it sure looks Cletrac to me. Like Kbeitz said the levers are all brake a good system really, would corner under load and get out of wet situations a lot better than clutching a track imo. Not really sure why it didn't catch on. Price varies a lot from area to area likely closer to 3- $4000 around here

They did catch on... Thousands where made for years...
You will be very lucky to find one that does not have a cracked frame...

[Wingnut]

Here is my 2 cents for what it is worth:

Parts and Manuals you can find here: http://www.cletrac.org/

I have a Cletrac painted like and Oliver and pour over some of my manuals and pictures and I listed some stuff the wasn't right, granted this is a 1940 vintage that I compared it too. The stuff I pointed out looks to be an improvement over my cletrac design.

I don't know if Chicago Pneumatic bought the rights from Oliver to build crawler when Oliver stopped production (around 1955??). It looks to me like its a "Franken-Crawler" a Chicago Pneumatic crawler merge with a OC3 Engine to power it. Or it could be a very rare OC3 but my guts telling me its a "Franken-Crawler"

I can't find anything about Chicago Pneumatic building a crawler, but my references are for Farm Tractors, it could have been sold for industrial use and I don't have reference industrial tractors. If Chicago Pneumatic did build a crawler the frame looked different than the Oliver's Frame but the components (tracks, wheels, bearing retainers, etc.) looked the same.

Did Chicago Pneumatic build a crawler using Oliver components or did Chicago Pneumatic buy the rights to build a crawler based on the OC3 or did Oliver build a industrial crawler for Chicago Pneumatic?

All in all it looks like fun crawler to play with; Good luck

[bear]

[QUOTE=Kbeitz;636071]They did catch on... Thousands where made for years...
You will be very lucky to find one that does not have a cracked frame...[/QUOTE

I agree I guess what I was meaning is that its funny none of the other major crawler builders picked up on this

[jdemaris]

[QUOTE=Rick Keith;634487]Okay, there's an Oliver OC-3 with a dozer for sale up here, and I have a few questions. (I'll post pictures later . . . this computer doesn't have an image editing program that will re-size pictures.)

The track frames and undercarriage were made for years after Oliver stopped making Cletracs - to be use for mining equipment. Some was made by CP/Atlas Copco and Clark so maybe parts of the undercarriage were robbed off a newer piece of mining equipment. I've got a bunch of new rollers here that took of one for my OC3 and OC4.

Price depends much on condition and options. A late HG is exactly the same machine as an OC3. Both have the IXB3 Hercules engine with a water pump. A good crawler with an inside-blade Anderson dozer can bring $3000. If rough, sometimes only $500. Now, if it has the option aux. transmission it's easily worth an extra $1000. Keep in mind that HGs and OC3s were NOT designed to push dirt. They were made for row-crop farm work and are way too fast in 1st gear to be very useful with dirt work. So, Oliver offered an aux. transmission kit to slow it down and used a Ford Model A three-speed car transmission. I have two Cletracs with the setup. When the OC4 came out and replaced the OC3, Oliver offered the option two ways - either a trans to slow things down - or a reverser. I have an OC4 with the reverser.
The machine will push dirt without the aux, but you wind up running lugging the engine at low RPMs and slipping the clutch a lot.

In regard to problems? They were the Model T of the crawler world, so many got cheap quick repairs over the years, parts stuck in that don't belong, etc. No severe design problems except - like I said - too fast in first gear and the plantary bolts fall out sometimes if not checked once in awhile. You also MUST use the correct oil in the transmission and NOT use modern gear oil with EP additives. If you do, the steering brakes plug up and stop working. The three speed transaxle was made by Clark Company and was also used in Avery tractors, Generals, Case-Terratracs, Bombadiers, etc.

As far a learning how to run it? Very easy. One thing that might take a bit of patience is working on steep hills since there is NO foot brake (you use the steering levers).

Many places sell the operators and shop manuals. Also, Zimmermans in Pennsylvania specializes in parts for all Cletracs as well as all the books.

[jdemaris]

Here's some stuff on the Cletrac Imp. The HG top-mount Imp dozer looks similar to the one you posted.

[bear]

thanks for the info. jdemaris I knew the transaxles were used in many different applications but didn't know about the undercarriages being built later for mining equipment learnt something already today and its not even 9

[440roadrunner]

Originally Posted by Kbeitz

They did catch on... Thousands where made for years...
You will be very lucky to find one that does not have a cracked frame...

I found this out the hard way. I bought this mess here:

http://cletrac.org/newbb/viewtopic.php?p=8343#8343

for 400. I'm still trying to decide if it was too much. Unfortunately, I found out in the "middle" that the frame was bent to one side--which I straightened, but THEN removed the "had been added" battery box to find the frame cracked right near the transmission

Rick your frame and suspension (arms?) where they attach to the frame appears much stronger than mine. I don't know what model mine is--but it's late enough that the frame extends back between (sandwiched) the final drive extensions.

I'm putting a Toyota 20R and 4 speed into mine---I got it cheap--but it's debatable yet, whether this is a good choice.

The joke with mine is that "they'll" have to use it to bury me with

[jdemaris]

Originally Posted by 440roadrunner

I'm putting a Toyota 20R and 4 speed into mine---I got it cheap--but it's debatable yet, whether this is a good choice.

The joke with mine is that "they'll" have to use it to bury me with

Poor little Cletracs and the missing Hercules engines. I've come across HGs and OC3s with Wisconsin or Briggs & Stratton engines stuck in, Chevy Chevette engines, Continentals, etc. Now, I guess, a Toyota?

[Rick Keith]

I think that the plates on the side of the frame are reinforcement for the anderson dozer . . . it almost looks like they did that at the factory/when the dozer was installed, which might indicate a late machine, as does the shape of the support beam . . . it looks like a stronger, product-improved version.

The tube that shows in my right-track photo is part of the dozer support structure.

How do you tell if it has the auxilary transmission? This one has only one lever that looks like a shift lever, on the right side of the transmission.

Would it be possible to install an auxilary trans, since my primary use is dozer work?

And the CP tracks would likely be from a crawler drill, which is mining equipment . . . OTOH, if they're identical to the Oliver parts (as they appear to be), then I don't care that much.

Thanks for all the help! --Rick