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J5 Ram skidder

mog5858

New member
well guys just pic up a J5 ram skidder. it mostly needs some TLC. but i need info on how to give her some TLC as this is my first snow cat. there seams to be little info on the made only from 62-65 is what i got. the wired thing is the number bage is not beans stamped. guy i got it from said on of the first 7 never had numbers? in a hurry to get home and the owner forgot to tell me what the shift pattern is. can any one help what are the leaver / nobs for i feel like a nob for asking. how are my sprokets? well hear to a good winter project thanks for all the help i going to need it. lol https://youtu.be/JNkzWrStxpE





 

J5 Bombardier

Well-known member
Nice Project
That bombardier badge, that I have seen, are never stamped . I'm sure there was another data plate or stamping somewhere on the machine that has disappeared over time . There is a thread on the winch operation , on this forum. Gear shifter will have LOTS of play , your going to have feel around where the gears are .
Great machine , keep the pics coming !
J5 Bombardier :hammer:
 

mog5858

New member
thanks J5 for the info is there a place i should look for the stamped one? can you point me in the right way for the winch operation thread as i can't find it with the search. i will try and keep the pic rolling. is there a J5 Pdf manual floating around a guy could get?
 

IMP

Member
Site Supporter
PM me your email I have all the J5 manuals. These J5's are well worth the effort. Enjoy the restoration! It's like an Epic adventure!!
 

mog5858

New member
the PO called me and said he found a photo copy of part of a manual. it's not complete but dose have some good info. it's a 3 speed and running a rebuilt 251 Chrysler 6 Flathead. sale brochure said it weight is only 5050 lb with a max speed of 16 mph. but what i find odd is it's saying that the winch in only a 10,000 lb it looks bigger than that. i guess they did not wont to pull it apart. what kind of fluid should i be using for the diff/ steering clutches. so of the controls are a little customized and i would not say in a good way. i think i going to take the 4" riser out of the back of the bed cus right now it will not touch the ground. and then get to setting the arch right. what should i run you PSI in the tires. will get some pic of her when she comes apart. two videos one of a test drive and other controls.
https://youtu.be/W0OW4UB3hY0
https://youtu.be/4xcVLCm6RkA
 

IMP

Member
Site Supporter
I use TO4 Catapeller wet brake differental oil in my diff, but my buddy still uses 90wt gear oil in his. I use mine in winter and he dosent
 

mog5858

New member
thanks for the manuals that is really great info. love the track blue-print not guessing there. how did you know that it came with 5 new belts to make new tracks lol. i sure i can find some cat oil as i almost bleed yellow.lol
 

IMP

Member
Site Supporter
That cat oil was called TDO4 I think not TO4. Anyway if you really want the specifics i can get them just ask. I have a 1/4" steel, water jet cut, track pattern templet standing up in the corner of my shop. Too bad you don't live closer and you could put it too use again. It works perfect for punching all the holes to within .003" of that J5 track factory print.
 

mog5858

New member
well not much to report but. got a few more pic. trans shifting pattern for anyone one else that needs to know is. R- press knob and push all the way forward till horizontal. 2- push the leaver forward to about 10 o'clock N- is vertical 3- witch is high gear pulling backwards with out pressing the knob 1- press know and pull all the way back. i will try and do a little video when i have her out next time. have to find out where the battery is to live as i sure that's not the factory placement and find the proper air cleaner as that air filter looks a little small for the size of motor.
 

mog5858

New member
well got a little work done on the Ram today. bean really slow as i was used up for 3 weeks with a bad back but i can see the light at the end of the tunnel now i hope. got the deck off the back so i can cut off the deck riser that where added and get it back down to the ground lol. witch means i have to find a new place for exhaust to hang out. dose anyone know where it was run from the factory and the battery should find a new home too. when i get the shop cleaned up a little more and get the Christmas gifts out of there she will be going in. the diff is running 80-90 i sure with a little add water dose not look fun to change lol.

 

MNoutdoors RIP

Gone But Not Forgotten
GOLD Site Supporter
FYI, that winch runs the same ring and pinion as the differential :biggrin:
And hope you don't ever break your axles they are different from the J5 and almost non existent;) one is shorter than the other the differential is not centered
 

J5 Bombardier

Well-known member
Re: Ram skidder

Lots of mods can happen to a machine in 50 plus years. On my neighbors Ram the exhaust comes out and up between the driveshaft and wall, but there is no table. Your hyd tank seems overly large, they cut the rail to make it fit, which I don't think a factory would want to weaken the hull. The pipe may have come out, just forward of the drum, I'll check his rams, one hull used to have a table.
Straight splined front sprocket hubs I never understood on the Ram, at least if they were tapered. We measured one out one time, and it looks like you could convert it over to a J 5 setup with some lathe and welding time.
J5 Bombardier:flagcan:
 

MNoutdoors RIP

Gone But Not Forgotten
GOLD Site Supporter
We do have one axle, don't remember if it's the left or right. Bought a machine from a sawmill years ago it had been sitting for years went to get it and one of the workers at the mill thought he was doing a good deed and was going to move the machine from the bone yard with the big pay loader before we got there to pick it up. So he went and put the forks under the roll cage a lifted away
Well it was winter and the tracks had sunk into the ground over the years and they were froze Into the dirt when he lifted it up it snapped the axle right off.:sad: the machine was pretty tuff anyway o well
 

mog5858

New member
thanks guy for the info J5 if you don't mind taking a few pic's of your neighbor on how the arch is mounted to the bed and where the factory place for the battery is that would be grate. it's hard to fine meany pics of them with a deck on them that you can see anything. yes the hydraulic tank is large it used to have a post ponder on so they need it. they had it rig up to holed 500 posts. my plan is to make a small tank and relocate it and use that space to put a second seat so i can take a passenger along with. MN thanks for the heads up on the axle hopefully i will not have to put my skills to work as i work in a machine shop so if i had to make one i could get it done. but to be truth full i have no work for it other than to drive around in the bush lol maybe hall a few logs for fire wood for the cook stove in the cabin but i dose not burn much or hall out. broken sled from a trail.
 

mog5858

New member
well boys got it in to my little shop just before the holidays. got time the last few days to open up a big can of worms i think. the front diff are they steering clutch or steering brakes with a friction material. i pulled the plug to drain the diff and got 2-3 gallons of water then came the 80-90. it looks like i will have to pull the motor to get at the top cover of the diff off and have a look inside. got the new hydraulic tank tack up and in place to take place of that huge 12 gallon tank and made room for a second seat. the new tank is about 3.5-4 gallons still thinking about where i going to run my return line in to the new tank do you think it would be worth while adding a second valve in for a plow or hydraulic winch? looks like she will be coming all apart. the list is adding up 2 of the drive shafts are too long and i think i got a bent rear spindle too boot. plus i need to make new tracks for her i hope it going to be a long winter as it looks like i will be needing it.


 

Snowtrac Nome

member formerly known as dds
GOLD Site Supporter
the diffs are not brake steer rather planetary steering as you apply pressure to a band it engages a planetary gear that drops one track 20 % and increases the other by the same to steer you
 

mog5858

New member
thanks for the info. can anyone give in some info on the round barrel tripe seat that was used from factory thinking about fabing up some rather than going with bucket sets are they comfortable? what with all the fine thread fasteners is the a throw back to the airplane side of things? all 3 for my drive shafts are too long as they are fully clasped when installed going to shorting them all for ease of instillation i had to unbolt the gear box to get the to unseat them.
 

J5 Bombardier

Well-known member
When you get her done , you can test it like this one . It was taken somewhere in west Quebec, date unknown. J5 Bombardier:hammer:
 

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mog5858

New member
well another day has gone and the list get longer got the main gear box out. drain the oil out and what little came out was very shinny. from the looks i would say that it was still seal from the factory. on today's list it try and take it apart to see what we got left of the bearing after 50 year with little oil lol. what worries me is i have not eavin got in to the under carriage and i think i have a bent rear spindle or the baring are gone. i must have really had my eye closed when i looked at it. i was thinking all was going to have to do was make new tracks and change oil lol. J5 thanks for the pic i really like that one has your friend every bean in to the winch and drive gear box? the good news is from the looks they used Lego parts to make this so all the seals size are nominal size.

 

J5 Bombardier

Well-known member
Not much to the winch, one of the spares my buddy had donated the gearset , for my Muskeg diff. Seals , bearings etc are all standard, Mr Bombardier seemed to like building boxes for the transfer case , diff housing etc , whether he should have kept the complete t16 diff assembly, instead of the guts is debatable .Drive sprocket seals are a bombardier one off , but there are ways around that problem. Keep the pics coming .
J5 Bombardier :hammer:
 

mog5858

New member
well i figured what all the shinny metal flakes came from and glad to report that there not from the bearings it came from the old straight cut gear having no detente to keep in gear looks like it has slip out under power more than once. i will have to figure out something to keep it in winch or drive mode. got the new winch seals in hope to get the drive shafts shorted up this week at work. hope to have the gear box ready to go back in by the weekend. maybe i will get this thing back to work shape before what little snow we have melts lol
 

mog5858

New member
not too much to update got 2 out of 3 of drive shafts shorten up. the gear box is re-sealed is ready to go back in. still got lost to do on her but getting there and to think i drove her in under it's own power lol.
 

J5 Bombardier

Well-known member
Nice job , keep the pics coming. What's with the missing spline travel on the drive shafts ,was the motor backed up for some reason ,or did somebody's tape slip fixing them years ago ?
J5 Bombardier :hammer:
 

mog5858

New member
well bean working on some of the fiddle little stuff so not much to show. got the shiftier to shift now with about 3" of travel rather than 12" plus it had. it may to too tight right now but you have a more positive feel of what gear you are in. i would like thoughts on what i guy can do to change the 251 over to a spin on oil filter rather than the cartridge filter or they not too much of a pain ?dose someone have a part number for them as well. finished up the hyd tank with some feet to holed it in place and cut the return line in.



 

mog5858

New member
well i not sure on the drive shafts as why there where too long the motor dose not look like it was moved back. the winch one is the only one that has non factory looking welds on it as it a had bean fixed or replace at some time and was welded by hand. can anyone give me any in site in too what name plate or badges is missing from my dash i would like to try and remake it. i going to be making a new dash as mine is like Swiss cheese plus it got some big cracks in it at the bend.
 

mog5858

New member
well not that we got snow and a little time i on to making new track for her as i broke one of the dry rotted track 1 day before we got snow :( was moving it to make sure it did not frees down and broke right in fount of the shop. punch or drill the new belts what works best? i can do both thinking punching will be faster and leave a cleaner hole.
 

J5 Bombardier

Well-known member
Punching holes is the way for me, I made up a jig to punch a bunch of holes before moving to reset. Pics of the setup are in my muskeg thread, used to use hyd press, then switched to a hammer.
J5 Bombardier
 

mog5858

New member
hello everybody. i finely getting around to building the new tracks for my red ram j5 but i have a few questions about the belting. it came with new belts cut "ready to use" just need to punch holes. well after looking at them and doing some measuring he cut them 6" wide rather than 5 1/2" so i started to cut the belts down. other thing is they are only 3 ply rather than 6 witch is stander so there about .100 thinner than what the blue print called the blueprint i have is for a muskeg but there the same just not as long right? i guess that just means they will stretch more and i will spend more time keeping my tracks tight? is there any reason to stay with the Fine thread bolts for the track cleats? my plan is to do a 2 cleat overlap to join the belts is this a good idea? this is just a toy that will really not see heavy use or a lot of hours but i do plan on using year round. thanks for your help and input
 
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