1970s Td25c

[JeremyNzl]

Hi all

Heres a pic of our International Harvester TD25c, Iam currently using it to break in more ground for Cherry trees here in New Zealand,
Will try to get a vid or pics of it working,

Jeremy

[Neil D]

Jeremy,

How about some more photos as well? and some background info, that looks a super big tractor

Neil

[JeremyNzl]

The Machine came to us from a Lime Quarry. It was almost inoperable in the state we purchased it. As they had cooked the motor and rebuilt it on the cheap, (incorrect turbo, poorly sealing manifold, Timing was off) basicly it could not push a full blade of dirt, and would belch thick black smoke. We have replaced both head's, and imported the correct turbo and with an imaculate manifold, We have not gone from 5psi max boost to 20psi. We are using it to make new land out of hills and gullys. with the ground being shist rock (soft compared to other rock types, mostly layered). It rips really well I'am able to pull 2 rippers though it at 2/3rds depth. I am a relativly new dozer driver with my only experience being 10ish hrs on a IH Btd 6 which we have as well. I have approx 50hrs driving on the machine (I am the only operator). The machine has a powershift transmission so it can steer under full load, SO basicly two leavers, with full back being brake then speed 1 & 2 as the lever is advanced, additional to that there is a two speed box for forward and reverse so 8 gears forward and backwards. The motor is a DT 817c 13.4L 320ish Hp and the machine is approx 44tons. Iam running fuel consumption of around 50L per hr

Attached are two more photos one of the dozer and another of the hill to be demolished including the big rock above but beside the worked area. the hill look to be dirt but the ridge is mainly rock

In photo 3583 the hill was higher than the cab of the Dozer where its sitting

[nick lamb]

nice tractor Jeremy.Looks solid enough for the job in hand especially after working in a stone quarry.It has some unusual features that you don't see everyday such as the grousers which I've only ever seen on traxcavators or larger excavators.
P.S,I'm curious to meet the wife of the man that designed that cab
Keep the pics coming please as the job progresses.
Many thanks.

[JeremyNzl]

Todays progress on the rock (or rather rock begone)

[JeremyNzl]

Hi all a quick photo update of the job to date, No pics of the tractor in these sorry, Hope to get a video up some stage

[david]

do you have any video of the 25 playing in the working.

[JeremyNzl]

Hi David,

Sorry no videos yet, But as u can see the job is far from done, I will have to arrange someone to film me working. I might be parked up for the next few days till some new tips for the ripper arrive, But I can and will get footage for u all. As there is a shortage of good Td25c videos on the net. Also its hard to see but all of that ridge was rock, I have had to rip every push I have made.

Cheers

Jeremy
New Zealand

[Deas Plant]

Hi, JeremyNzi.
Nice photos. Thanks for sharing. Those TD25C's were a good dozer and a lot of them did a lot of work in some fairly rough going. Did you know what its issues were before you bought it or was that a process of 'uncovery'?

Hi, Nick Lamb.
Dunno about where you hail from but those don't look like either excavator or traxcavator tracks to me. Excavators are almost universally 3-barred plates, as were most early track loaders. Later track loaders mostly went to 2-barred plates with the bars at either end.

What you see on that machine reminds me of some modifications that were done by some contractors back in the 1950's-early 60's. They would weld an extra grouser bar on each track plate to stiffen them up when working in rock. Some would weld them straight across as you see on that machine. Others would have them passing between the two pairs of bolts in the middle of the plate then bending back toward the rear corners of the plate in a sort of truncated V shape. This type of reinforcement seemed to pretty much disappear about the time that Cat brought in their extreme service rock plates.

Just my 0.02.

[JeremyNzl]

Hi Deas, We were aware of main issues, Of which all related to the motor. I understand the planetary drives were overhauled and trans work done as well. I have put about 10 more hours into the face since the last photos. But the going is slow and the rock has been heavy, almost the whole flat area has needed ripping and I have had to drop back to one ripper which is fracturing coffee table size rocks out. I am really happy with the grousers as they afford good traction for ripping rock but skid rather than stall when the ripper locks, I then lift and decelerate, I try to keep this to the bare minimum. But looking at other grousers with single bars I think in the rock I am in they would grip and stress the trans to hard for ripping and wear more quickly. Although I will be surprised if I ever put more than 2000 hrs on the tractor in the next decade. Iam @ a conference for the coming week so will try for the promised vid the week after.

Cheers

Jeremy