D-2 thermostat removal

[dead axle]

Do any of you happen to know if there is a special cat service tool to remove the thermostat on a D-2? I tried several years ago to pull mine and it wouldn't budge. I didn't force it for fear of breaking something.

[edb]

Hi dead axle,
here is a scan from the tool book of the tooling in question.
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Eddie B

[dead axle]

Thanks Eddie that helps a bunch!

[SJ]

Yes that is the tool that Cat sells & I,ve used one 100s of times but maybe you could try a slide hammer with the hook on it and catch first one notch and then go over to the other side & hit that one a little but go easy so it more or less comes out fairly even.I never tried this operation but it crossed my mind that it might do the trick to get the retainer out.This retainer is not the thermostat but just holds the thermostat down in the housing.

[gwhdiesel75]

That little puller is really neat! I wonder what they cost? GWH

[SJ]

GWH, from Cat I,m sure it would be big bucks and the one at the shop was made out of cast iron.Maybe his dealer would lend him their puller as we used to lend tools at times to customers.I,d try the slide hammer if you have one handy if the dealer won,t lend theirs.

[bcwayne]

Someone had posted pictures of their homemade puller a couple of years ago... unfortunately I didn"t save the info in a place where I can find it. Perhaps they will post it again.
It consisted of a short piece of pipe or tubing slightly larger diameter than the retainer, two bolts with the heads ground to fit in the retainer recesses, a plate across the top of the tube with holes drilled for the the bolts to pass through, and nuts on the bolts, which when tightened draws out the retainer. It seems there was another component that caused the bolt heads to stay engaged in the retainer slots, but I don"t remember what it was. Perhaps someone else does.
I have successfully used the slide hammer method to remove the retainers in the past.

[John from Fresno]

I have used the slide hammer with excellent success. Mine has two or three jaws. So I use the two jaw setup. I always heat the surrounding cast up a bit. You might have to bend in the thermostat where is the notches are on the retainer to get the slide ahmmer hooks in. But there thermostat should be replaced anyway.

John

[ccjersey]

I made up the "puller" you described from a collection of bits that were in the shop. The 3/8 bolts had one side of the head ground off so they could engage the notches in the retainer and stand up straight. The ground off sides bear against the thermostat so they are trapped in the notches. The 3/8 holes in the plate on top keep them vertical so they stay engaged as you tighten.

[D4Jim]

It is elementary but make certain you install the notches in the retainer "down" into the housing or you will never get it back out again the next time!! Not my problem but when a neighbor changed the thermostat in his 6U, someone before him had installed the retainer upside down. He ended up cutting it out with a die grinder.