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DMC 1450 WT new to me

BearGap

Active member
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Had McCall rooms since day 1 and had big/crazy plans to brave the 3" freezing rain in Reno and make it in time for Sat-Sun. But my engine light came on and much diesel emission $ later we're good. Made the 1800 mile round-trip to Lake Tahoe from WA this weekend and picked up this DMC 1450 WT. Data plate and logos long gone it appears. 17 hours back up, lots of snowy miles in Oregon with big March blizzard. Runs and steers great, no leaks seen yet, looks like front and rear hydraulics. Here's a few pictures. All comments, advice, rumors, stories welcome. This is my first cat, so here we go. Hoping my PNW cohorts have an outing planned the last 2 weekends of March. Thanks, Dan
 

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JimVT

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
dan, on the first picture I see DMC under the headlight. i'm not sure when delorean motor company bought it but 1980??
make sure all the edge guides are ok. if one is sharp it cuts all the tires.
jim

PJL didn't notice the trailer. He borrowed it when he got his cat.
 

GSSD06

Member
Good choice for a trailer and good choice for a snow cat. I would be curious what your snow cat weighs. My full cab DMC 1450 is about 4200 pounds. The Thiokol trailer and snow cat together are right at 6000 pounds. It would be great to go out with you sometime, JimVT and I are out quite often together.
Bruce
 

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BearGap

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I agree Bruce, JimVT's old trailer pulls like a dream. My 1450 shows 3600 lbs stock in the manual, so probabaly 3800 with the winch and buried hydraulics. I havent checked to see if there is a pump. Its got 4 hook ups center of bed, so maybe it was a groomer at one point. I'm going look it over closely this weekend and get another $1500 in diesel exhaust work on my truck. But count me in for anything after the 16th. Can't wait to look over your cool 1450.
Thanks, Dan
 

PJL

Well-known member
Mine weighs 11,000 with the trailer. I wondered who bought the trailer. Nice that it stayed local.
 

BearGap

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Some pictures in the pouring rain. Looks like front and rear hydraulics all hooked up. Didn't see a controller. I hope someone can help me with the engine year from the ID. Track belts pretty tired, but probably 1/3 new bolts.
 

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redsqwrl

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
controller should be in your crotch.
as in on the drivers seat.

save some weight and just box all that hydraulic stuff up and leave it on the curb....

sweet cat for sure.

mike
 

BearGap

Active member
GOLD Site Supporter
I agree. Must be >100 lbs of stuff. I can sell all the hydraulics back to the guy at Chameleon I got it from. He was very nice and fended off cat flippers for a week while my truck got fixed. Thanks
 

redsqwrl

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
Or you could sell it to a groomer guy in WI.. He is a nice guy too.

I have the manual version of hydraulics on my 1404 and want to make the switch to electric over hydraulic like yours.

I groom a cross country ski area and the mass of hydraulic lines into the cab has become too much for me. I have nine sticks on one bank between me and the passenger seat. Of course one has to leak.

Mike in WI
 

BearGap

Active member
GOLD Site Supporter
I would rather help out a Forum member for sure. Lighter is better out here with all the mtns, and I'll never groom a foot. PM me and we'll work something out. You, as a Titan in the snowcat world, will know what the heck it's worth. Probably take me a month to get at it all and remove it carefully.
dan
 

Manistee

Member
Here are a couple images that might help you a bit. The nearest I can determine, my 1450 was made in 1981 and there is no Logan Manufacturing references on it, which is what DMC became, but there are Thiokol markings in the cab. This would indicate that yours was made after mine. The first image shows the ID tag on mine, showing the Thiokol reference, even though it is badged DMC on the outside. IMG_20141125_122731_654.jpg
The second image shows the hydraulic control panel attached to the front of the driver's seat.
IMG_20170325_193650294.jpg
The third image is looking up under the tunnel from the rear, showing the hydraulic actuators.
IMG_20170325_193725326.jpg
 

turbinator62

Active member
Site Supporter
SUPER Site Supporter
Hi Bear Gap. We need to get together. I live just down the road in Silverdale at the airport. My cat is in Ellensburg right now but I will probably bring it home in May or June for servicing.
I'll PM you with my email.
 

JimVT

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how deep is the snow at your cabin? is the rear backup camera working out ok?
 

turbinator62

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SUPER Site Supporter
We haven't been over since the end of Feb. There was several feet then but it has been melting according to neighbors. We are in Hawaii now till the 4th of April and will be going to the cabin on the 7th. My cousin is having a bridal shower for his daughter on the 8th, at a cabin up the mountain from ours. If it doesn't melt, I may be running guests up and down in the cat.
I haven't put the camera in yet. I'll do that when I bring it home this spring because I will have to remove the rear cab and deck. I bench tested it and it looks like it will work out nicely.
 

BearGap

Active member
GOLD Site Supporter
Found my ID plate

I found my ID plate painted over on the passenger side. Looks like Manistee's is 1413 and mine is 1415. I saw a tiny piece of blue tape on a big blob of paint and gave it a tug. Mr. M: does yours have bed hydraulics as well as the 2 on the very back end?
 

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Nikson

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
Very very nice... I believe I saw that cat somewhere posted on sale on CL or some other site. WT is definitely nice for powder, especially in the years like this past winter.

Looking over your pictures of all the hydrolines, I'm glad I didnt have to deal with that during my resto. Enjoy, they are fun machines, and get you anywhere pretty much... :)

p.s. I scaled mine, and it was pushing 4500lbs, even with aluminum cab that I put on it, its always been a mystery to me.
 

BearGap

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GOLD Site Supporter
Thank you Bud. I recently saw this on an old post from Peterson's used cats. They showed 2000 hours and now it shows 2013. Same big ugly winch and mismatched mirrors. I emailed them and ask for any history, but no response. You must be going crazy for a project!!
 

Nikson

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GOLD Site Supporter
Thank you Bud. I recently saw this on an old post from Peterson's used cats. They showed 2000 hours and now it shows 2013. Same big ugly winch and mismatched mirrors. I emailed them and ask for any history, but no response. You must be going crazy for a project!!

Patience pays off, or so I have learned... Time will come and project will come along with it... I think I'm ready for a bigger machine, but thats just a thought...
 

BearGap

Active member
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Tracks off - repairs started

New track belts and Idler bearings from MN Outdoors arriving today. Removed tracks this weekend and found some work to do first. LF idler has been bent back to where the wheel impacted the frame. Spindle looks good but the end is .5 inches rearward. Main frame looks good but axle mount is cracked 1 o'clock to 5 o'clock where the spindle is through welded. Wheel looks good with hot/blue and galled roller bearings & races. Thoughts on the best approach to repair?

Oh yeah, 2nd bogie on the same side has 1" positive camber and .5" toe in. Probably not good unless I'm going circle track racing...

Thanks, Dan
 

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BearGap

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It's the RF as you can tell :). Moved it 1/16" forward today - enough to free it up. Both track adjusters work!! But right spindle end is still .75" to far back. Will try more heat and 10' pipe again tomorrow. Anyone know of a RF axle for sale?
Thanks, Dan
 

Manistee

Member
Here are a few pics of my 1450 from when I first picked it up. They are the best pictures I have of how it looked with the groomer hooked up. The groomer now sits out back behind the garage since I don't have any trails to groom.
 

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Manistee

Member
To answer a couple questions I missed, my 1450 does not have hydraulic remotes on the rear. It has three remote circuits on the bed, just behind the fuel tank, one to raise and lower the groomer, and one each to control the two nordic track setters on the groomer. It also has five circuits on the front for the 10 way blade.

It is probably a bit late now, but when I replaced my front idler wheels, I also replaced the bearings and races. They were not easy to find, but finally found them through O'Reilly Auto Parts of all places. The spindles for my front idlers do not have the braces like yours either. Am including pictures from when I was working on it.
 

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BearGap

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Thanks for the great pictures. Sorry for this very late reply. I'll have some pictures next week for sure. Both my front idler axles had stiffener webs, and both were bent anyway. The square tubing was bent where it goes into the frame. Frame is good. I had to replace all bearings/races/seals/axles and spindles. The bogie hubs cost $125 each to rebuild and the front idlers $100 each. The two front idler axles were $750 each.new from machine shop. Another $750 for bogie spindles and through bolts. Then $800 for new front springs and all new shackle bolts. About $4K to get the undercarriage good and everything heading north/south. Just drilled and trimmed my new grousers. Going to heat treaters tomorrow in South Seattle for an R40. Thanks again for the great pics!
 

BearGap

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The manual says mine came with 5/16" bolts for the wheel guides and 3/8" for the belting. My new belts came drilled for 5/16 so I'm going to switch and use 3/8" for the wheel guides. I have about 4 different kinds of guides with some having 3/8" holes already anyway. Probably have to drill out some of the originals. I still need about 20 or so, if anyone knows of any. The new grousers are crazy tough (heavy). I'm saving a lot of weight using 3-ply belting, compared to the Plylon Plus IIB Spryte belting that came on it. I'm guessing 150 lbs, and probably adding 200 with the .125" full width channel I'm using. Not sure if I would use 12 gauge (.10") in a do-over or not. I guess we'll see how good it goes uphill. I'm definitely set up to go log skidding with JimVT. :thumbup:
 

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