tucker 323 info

[ALLEN PARSONS]

Some tucker 323 info for you
lenght 13ft
width 6ft 4
weight 3000lbs
pontoons steel
tracks 18in
6 cylinder chry 3speed
How many of the units were made, I do not know.
Why there is no id plate on this cat? I can only gess that it was a proto type of some sort. Maybe with the six cylinder, it put them over the weight limit that they wanted.
I tried to get the oridinal steering system working. I was told that the rear end was a brandnew poisatrack when we bought the unit. so that was the only thing that I did not take apart. And gess what,It was a positrack all right. They welded the spiders to the pod
I had to make a choice, continue fighting with what I had or try something different.
I went and built a hole new rearend. and put a diskbrake system on each side. With two single pot masters. You can see in photo DSC00548 In photo
gallery.

Now I can steer with my feet or my hands. It works GREAT. The cat will turn on a dime. You can steer it with two fingers if you want.
Now this may sound odd, But there is a very diferent way to steer a two track system. As you drive a two track unit you will feel it will rock forward and backwards as you go over bumps. You want to steer as you crest the bump and it will turn instantly. Because at that point the weight is taken off the ends of the pontoons.
Yes I find that at a higher speed when I want to turn I have to give it some gas but at low speed it just powers its way right on throught the turn. As for heat build up in the brakes I have had on trouble at all.
That is the only change that I made to the cat and I have keeped all the old parts
One day we hope that some oldertimer in the tucker corp. will remember this unit and fill us in on the history of it.
We were thinking of painting it next summer. but i think that all the dents and dings give it a story. but the wife wants it painted. what do you think.

Moe&Al Parsons See photo gallery for more photos, I will post tomorrow

 

[Melensdad]

So if I understand it correctly, you have 2 brake pedals like a farm tractor and you use them to individually brake each track to help you turn and this works at the same time that you use the steering wheel to turn. How hard is it to turn the unit if you do NOT use the brake pedals to help turn it?

Aktiv Snow Tracs and Snow Masters have a steering wheel and a power-system called a "variator" that shifts power from track to track to steer the snowcat. As I turn the steering wheel to the right, the "variator" transfers more power to the left track and speeds it up while taking away power from the right track and slowing it down. This 'variator' power-transfer system makes my snowcat turn.

Did your Tucker have some version of a 'variator' before you modified it to also use brake steering? And did you keep that system but just add the brake steering to help it out?

The "variator" power-transfer system on my snowcat was developed in the mid-1950's. Do you have any idea when your Sno-Cat was made? I suspect your system is older, and I wonder if you have an early version or some similar type of power-transfer system?

I'm curious how the steering system on your 323 differs from the system on the much smaller 222?

 

[ALLEN PARSONS]

I just put some photos into the photo gallery. but where they went ?????
maybe you can find them I cant. they are of the inside of the cat. And they show the steering system I have put into the cat. this cat did have a clutch
brake stysem. But Now with a open rear end I only need to use a independent brake for each track. I do not have a steering wheel. I only need the brake to steer As you said , you slow down one track and the the other picks up speed.
What year the cat is I do not know. Jim Tucker said It was in the late 50s or early 60s They did nick name it old Muly for some reason.
Let me know if you can find the photos. If not I will try again
Thank you Al