• Please be sure to read the rules and adhere to them. Some banned members have complained that they are not spammers. But they spammed us. Some even tried to redirect our members to other forums. Duh. Be smart. Read the rules and adhere to them and we will all get along just fine. Cheers. :beer: Link to the rules: https://www.forumsforums.com/threads/forum-rules-info.2974/

Snowcat 442A purchasing advice...

R

Racerbob4

New member
I'm currently looking at a 1968 442a snowcat. I would appreciate any advice out there for an experienced snow cat guy on what to look at with the tracks and the drive stuff on the machine to know what's good and what's bad or any key places that need to be checked before buying the machine for wear. Are any of the track parts available for that or do you have to fabricate them all? Also I noticed that the drive sprockets all look different one of them looks nearly new where a few of the other ones look like they've possibly been repaired or had some type of stainless insert welded in them ..are those available?
Any advice would be appreciated thank you in advance.
 
You're asking the right questions.
Could be the weld used to build up the sprockets is a S.S. alloy.
Lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of track parts.
Dedication?
 
Are any of the parts on the track or that lower unit available if you needed to replace them or is everything on there have to be made. I guess for instance I know links for the actual chain of the track there's small rollers on them and also the rollers that the track rolls on. is that stuff that still can be purchased or would you have to have it all made? Is any of that stuff still available from Tucker?
 
I am not the right person to answer your questions.
Pontoon Princess I hope will jump in here soon. She is the go to for Tucker advice I think.
 
best thing is to make lots of friends with a 400 series tucker, access to lots of money if you want things done right and hopefully you are a great machinist...


nothing is available from tucker, you have to make everything yourself, though a few guys do make rollers, good luck, everything on a tucker is a wear item and wears against itself, not sure if tucker ever meant for a machine to last much longer than a couple years, lots of things to look for and learn about, continue source of what were they thinking and how did it work that long like that, good luck
 
Last edited:
Good news, I am a Machinist..I run an automotive machine shop,so nothing I can see on it so far scares me. Sometimes it makes more sense to buy it than build it....
Did a 68' come with a flathead 6, or is it really older? What are the transmission and rear ends? Chrysler?
 
great to hear,

flathead six is original

3 dodge, 4 5 speed transmissions, new process

400 series used dodge half ton pickup rear ends
 
We have had our 1968 442a for about 10 years and just now re-starting the refurbishing journey. It has the 25" Chrysler industrisl flathead 6 , the complete Stewart Warner Green Line gauge set and rear only hydraulics. It was well taken care of and still has a lot of life left. Almost all original but will be keeping/restoring the 'Powder Pirate' paint scheme.
 

Attachments

  • CC6FF49F-FEB3-4A3E-8107-199852724149.jpeg
    CC6FF49F-FEB3-4A3E-8107-199852724149.jpeg
    120.7 KB · Views: 87
Last edited:
I did not. A former member here, Muely180, was parting out his machine. He was loading parts on ebay for sale during Christmas and while everyone was looking for the Christmas goose I snagged 40 rollers. Luckily. I needed almost every one. At the time there wasn't an option for replacements, but recently a couple of sources (including the factory) have started reproducing a similar item. Most have a new outer shell w/ twin sealed bearings. but no matter how the "next best way" is done, they are all around $40-$50 each. That adds up QUICK. All of the value in a steel track Tucker is in those rollers. And if someone has failed to grease religiously, or treat it like a race car by exceeding 10-12mph, you are only buying their problems.
 
DAVENET said:
I did not. A former member here, Muely180, was parting out his machine. He was loading parts on ebay for sale during Christmas and while everyone was looking for the Christmas goose I snagged 40 rollers. Luckily. I needed almost every one. At the time there wasn't an option for replacements, but recently a couple of sources (including the factory) have started reproducing a similar item. Most have a new outer shell w/ twin sealed bearings. but no matter how the "next best way" is done, they are all around $40-$50 each. That adds up QUICK. All of the value in a steel track Tucker is in those rollers. And if someone has failed to grease religiously, or treat it like a race car by exceeding 10-12mph, you are only buying their problems.
Click to expand...
Have access to a Haas cnc lathe with a bar feeder....may make a bunch....may make parts to sell I'm thinking to....
 
RAcer Bob, every tucker owners new best friend.

There are files floating around for the poly rollers. some machines have full compliments of poly rollers. They work.
 
redsqwrl said:
RAcer Bob, every tucker owners new best friend.

There are files floating around for the poly rollers. some machines have full compliments of poly rollers. They work.
Click to expand...
I made some from Nylon on a small hobby lathe in a few minutes. I was testing them when I sold the machine but they seemed to work well. I put a bigger flange on them than the originals.
 
Racerbob4 said:
Have access to a Haas cnc lathe with a bar feeder....may make a bunch....may make parts to sell I'm thinking to....
Click to expand...
Hey bob, did you ever go through with this? Have any example photos of the finished product?
I need to replace a bunch of my rollers and currently am weighing my options.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top