Caterpillar Enthusiasts Link Club website

[martyn williams]

Also a lot of these parts a manufactured in third world countries and bagged and tagged Caterpillar. So you could be paying top dollar for an inferior part.Finning have a very good parts service.Some of the machines they hold parts for are 70 years old.
All they need to do is reduce their markup on classic spares,I think they would do well on sales.
I can't fault the boys at my local Cat dealership.But its the cost of parts,perhaps they should refurbish parts off the older machines as there is a growing market.How can a price of £70 be justified for a rad cap wingnut
What do you think ?
Martyn

[Julian]

We need Agriline to start stocking stuff!

Julian.

[bigkit]

Julian the idler was for the 7G and was a CLASSIC PART! Idler wheel is about £800 plus the shaft at £250 plus the bearings plus VAT! AND you've got to make it up yourself! The machine is too old to have the parts made up on the shelf and they obviously dont sell too many everyday.

[jcb4cx]

set of track plates for D7 on ebay for a grand

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/track-shoe-dozer-D7-/260999217747?pt=UK_BOI_Industrial_Tools_Construction_Tools_ET&hash=item3cc4c40253#ht_500wt_1361

[bigkit]

Magic Graham. Have emailed the vendor.

[Julian]

Julian the idler was for the 7G and was a CLASSIC PART! Idler wheel is about £800 plus the shaft at £250 plus the bearings plus VAT! AND you've got to make it up yourself! The machine is too old to have the parts made up on the shelf and they obviously dont sell too many everyday.

Blimey. Is there much to one of these things? Could a local engineering firm turn one up from a slug of steel in a lathe as I'm guessing £800 would pay for a hell of a lot a machining. £250 for a shaft, well a bit of EN24T steel turned to size wouldn't be that expensive and bearings are available ex www.simplybearings.co.uk and the like......

Julian. (maybe I should look into making the things )

[bigkit]

When you think a bottom roller for a 5 tonne track dumper is between £350 and £650 plus VAT is make the idler cheap for a big cat.

[nick lamb]

Quick word of warning over 'genuine cat parts'.Only buy them from Finnings.simple.
many items are too expensive for enthusiasts but beware of some non oem bits as they can be dreadfull.There are plenty of good non oem parts out there but they aren't as cheap as some so it's worth thinking about where the part is going and what work you expect from it.
I have for instance rebuilt torques using Cat bits as the torque is a pain to get out and it works hard.
I have used many clevite,miba,federal mogal lumps in engines as these are chaper than Cat but still do the job.
Where easy to access pumps,injector lines and the such,I am happy to use cheap ones and throw them away.