Bent Handle Function? Nortrac 3500 Dozer

Hi Tim, welcome to CTOA and congratulations on your new dozer. Hope you have many happy hours of seat time. :good:

The lever in question is not really an adjustment, but a means of applying the right steering brake. You could call it a “parking brake”. I removed mine altogether because it interfered with making clutch/brake adjustments, and served no other practical purpose. B-)

I didn’t get that label on my transmission, but loosely translating the “Chinglish” it means one shot of grease every 50 operating hours. This lubricates the clutch release (throw out) bearing. This is a semi-sealed ball thrust bearing, and over lubricating it will spill grease into the clutch pressure plate and migrate to the clutch disc causing slipping, in which case you will have to replace the clutch disc, which is an involved operation. Always remember to not rest your foot on the clutch pedal when operating.

Sounds familiar :yes: . I replaced all of the brass zerk fittings on mine. The top carrier rollers should have a zerk fitting on the outside just like the bottom rollers and idlers, which should get five shots of grease every ten operating hours (equivalent of one shift). The TY395E engines don’t have a zerk fitting on the coolant pump – nothing to worry about.

Glad you changed all the lubricants. Don’t know what you used, but I recommend 15w-40 oil for the engine such as Shell Rotella or Chevron Delo 400. The transmission and bevel gear compartment share the same sump and use 80w-90 gear oil. The final drives use 85w-140 gear oil. There are large plugs underneath the steering clutch compartments that should be removed periodically to see if any oil is leaking into that compartment. I use some red dye in the final drive oil so I can tell which seal would be leaking. Flushing the cooling system is recommended if you haven’t already done so because casting sand is a coolant pump seal’s worst enemy. I have a coolant filter on all my machines.

It should be noted that most, if not all, of the Chinese tractors wiring is marginal at best, and in some cases undersized. I completely rewired mine when I installed an 80 amp Delco 12Si alternator. I also replaced all of my gauges with Murphy Switchgages© that are connected to an alarm system (something you see on higher end equipment).

Glad you’re getting some seat time. :good:

Here’s my operation, including a few videos.

https://www.facebook.com/yuchaidozer/

Tim wrote:

Runs at about 130 degrees now.

Should be running at 180° to 190°F (82.2° to 87.7°C). You need to check to see if the rubber doughnut spacer is missing from on top of the thermostat. That won’t be in your manual.

The right brake was pretty tight and matched the left after the “protocol” but now isn’t as responsive after some use?

It’s possible that: 1) The steering clutch isn’t releasing soon enough and conflicting with the brake. 2) The brake lining has oil on it (did you check the plugs underneath?).

Is it possible to replace the brake lining from the top of the  dozer with out removing the track?

Yuchai tried to accomplish that procedure by introducing segmented lining, but it didn’t work very well. You can remove to old brake band from the top, but you cannot successfully install a new one from the top. Replacing a brake band involves blocking the dozer, dropping a track, and removing a final drive to get into the clutch compartment. Pretty involved.

Hard to see the blade, any help on the thread size on the original holes in the blade for eyebolts? I am working  on putting up some blade markers but tried 14 mm coarse and was slightly small.

16mm if I remember correctly. Not sure what you are trying to see, but what you really need to keep an eye on is the cutting edge corners. I have a grade and bank indicator attached to the ROPS, it works pretty good for rough grading.

 Can’t afford laser levels yet but may jimmy rig a Bosch laser detector at a later date.

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Timothy Beatty wrote:

Understand about the temperature, can’t seem to find the link for aftermarket thermostats and the picture of that rubber donut. What will fit a TY395 EPA injector for a coolant thermostat, gasket etc?

I used a NAPA thermostat, but I don’t have the part number in front of me. I’ll get that for you later today.

will check drain plugs under brake assembly for oiL, and further adjust clutch release need to see the blade to check for blade level etc, will try 16 mm coarse just hard to find that size metric Like the grade indicator idea, what is a safe number not to exceed on a slope sideways?

I wouldn’t attempt any side slope dozing unless you have some experience doing it. Make sure your tracks are correctly tensioned and snugged up. Some people have lost tracks side sloping, and invariably it’s the downslope side so it will pretty much ruin your day. As far as slope limitations go, I don’t know, but I’ve had mine to around 12° and it was beginning to feel tender.

Thermostat: Yes, the NAPA #133 is the correct one that matches the OEM perfectly except that you have to trim about 1/32″ off the lip. I did this by simply chucking up in a lathe but you can grind it off just as well. You will have to make your own rubber doughnut from 3/8″ thick O-ring stock or whatever you can find that will fit. The reason for this is that they are not shipped from the factory with it. Don’t know why, but without the doughnut the thermostat is always in bypass and the engine never reaches operating temperature. You can also install the doughnut on the OEM 140° thermostat.

The large plugs under the steering compartments are cast zinc (pot metal) and are straight threaded.

Applying the right brake should not lock both tracks. The sequence is that the steering clutch is released before the brake is applied. This is according to pedal travel. This is detailed in the manual. Do you have the operators manual?

The problem with the right side could be that there are some steering clutch plates rusted/frozen and are not disengaging completely (this is not uncommon with machines that have been idle for long periods and stored outside uncovered). The steering clutches are spring actuated, and when you depress the pedal for the first couple of inches it compresses the springs and lets the clutch plates and discs turn independently of each other. If there are some that are hanging up, that will create a drag that the brake might not overcome, and yes you’ll get some squealing because they are dry clutches. Another reason the brake isn’t working correctly, as stated before, is that the lining has become saturated with oil.

Personally, I have found the Yuchai linkage problematic in that it’s very difficult sometimes to get the sequence right, with there not being enough travel adjustment to completely release the clutch before the brake applies. That’s why I completely redesigned the linkage on my machine. You may not be up to doing that, but if you’re interested there are pics on my FB page. I also made a “T” tool that bolts in place of the deck plates so you can adjust the pedals equally from side to side. I’ll post a pic of it later. You may want to make one, very handy.

Forgot to mention that you can get the OEM thermostats from almost any of the supporting dealers of CTOA. Any of the TY395 thermostats will fit that are used on a lot of Jinma tractors using the same engine.

http://www.circlegtractorparts.com/cooling-system/thermostat-for-ty395-engines/

Tim wrote:

1). how do you trouble shoot and know if you have frozen /stuck steering clutches on one side vs an actual brake adjustment issue?

This isn’t in the manual, it’s something that you just acquire a feel for, but generally if you are pushing a half full blade straight on (not digging), both feet off the pedals, and you depress one pedal about one-quarter to halfway, the machine should begin to turn in that direction. If it does not, and the adjustment is correct, then you have a sticking/dragging steering clutch. Further application of the pedal should apply the brake and the machine will begin to turn sharply.

2) so I use a Napa 133 thermostat and OEM donunt from thermostat but not OEM thermostat?

To clarify: Neither the NAPA or OEM thermostat come with the “doughnut” this is something that you have make or procure yourself. I have an O-ring making kit, I made my own. You can run without it but your engine will not come up to operating temperature, and that’s not good for the engine, and it wastes fuel.

Here is a pic of that tool for adjusting the pedals so they are correct with the deck plate openings.

Here is a few pics relating to the thermostat issue. The Stant thermostat is the same as the NAPA #133 thermostat NOT the OEM. Hope I didn’t confuse you.

Yuchai tried to accomplish that procedure by introducing segmented lining, but it didn’t work very well. You can remove to old brake band from the top, but you cannot successfully install a new one from the top. Replacing a brake band involves blocking the dozer, dropping a track, and removing a final drive to get into the clutch compartment. Pretty involved.

Beg to differ Bob. The segmented lining with the bolt-on link certainly can be installed through the top hatch. I did mine a while back though not without difficulty. Method I used was to run a loop of fencing wire through the links then feed the wire around the drum. Once that was through I used a 6ft crowbar to reef the band around. Lot less bother than removing the final drives. Pictures somewhere if I can find them.

Here they are…

That’s very good to know, because the last pair of linings I saw didn’t have the bolt-on ends. In fact, they were welded instead of riveted. Nice pics. Maybe a come-a-long attached to the ROPS would have been an alternative to the pry bar.

As I recall, the “doughnut” was about 3/8″ thick. I’ll get the ID when I get back over to the shop.

Thanks for the reminder. I’ll have it shortly. :good:

Inside diameter is 1-5/8″, outside diameter is 2-1/8″, thickness is 5/16″ +-. I used a compressible 3/8″ O-ring.

As far as posting pics from an iPad, I have no idea. But, assuming you have pics in the iPad, and they have the correct file extension naming conventions, I don’t see a problem. Just click on the browse button and your file system should be opened up. It’s very straightforward.