Parts Progress (my visit with Mike)

Well, I went to see fellow OC-3 restorer Mike. I got in contact with Mike on-line at http://www.cletrac.org/. We realized we lived less than an hour away from each other and he said he was selling off parts from his parts machine, an Oliver/Cletrac HG-42 (predecessor of the OC-3 and nearly identical).

Mike has been working on his OC-3 for 2 years. It is an OC-3 (42 inch wide with Ware Loader). It is stripped down to the frame. Quite frankly I wouldn't have realized there was an OC-3 lying around if he didn't walk me around to identify the piles of parts and pieces. Mike works out of a shop owned by his friend Jim. Jim and Mike tinker on a lot of different tractors and do quite a bit of on-the-side work for other folks. Looking around they had a John Deere B, Ford 8N, David Brown 990, Allis G, IH Utility, and Massey 30 sitting in the yard.

Mike was a wealth of knowledge. He too has had his challenges along the way. However, like me, he enjoys learning from the challenge. He also has access to some great tools, a good sized shop, a torch, a press, a lathe, a drill press, and he's retired - so he has some time to focus on the project.

At the end of the day I bought a few items from Mike: an empty transmission/differential case, two track rollers, and 4 bushing holders for those rollers.

I may go back to Mike for a few more parts in the future. Mike (and his friend Jim) also have the ability to manufacture some parts. They have been successful in turning their own shafts and bushings. He may also have a used HG stub shaft for me. . .He needs to press it out of the final drive housing (with his 100 ton press) and measure it up to see if it would match the OC-3. This is good because I have one stub shaft with bad threads. He also has a contact that may have a bull gear for me! That would be very good as noted in the "Toothfairy" post I have a bullgear with a broken tooth.

Oh, and I got that last stubborn roller out of the track frame tonight! Heat, spray, walk away rules the day once again. It was a good day in OC-3 restoration - progress was made.

Side note for myself: Mike gave the part numbers for the roller seals - Tisco 70218450 or Chicago Rawhide 15039CR1(or I?) - remember to put them in backwards.