This marked the first time variants of the D8 had been constructed outside of the USA.Īnother horsepower revision was made around 1965, from 235 to 270 horsepower, and this is where the previously ultra-reliable D8 started to suffer problems in the engine department.ĭespite Caterpillar’s best efforts, the problems were never entirely corrected even in the last production version the D8K.Ī fully equipped (blade and ripper) D8H tipped the scales at 25 tons. Several versions of the D8H were manufactured by Caterpillar’s UK facility, where it was known variously as the 22A, 52A and 68A series. ![]() It was available in three versions – the 35A series torque converter drive, 36A direct drive and 46A series with powershift transmission.īy far and away the most popular of these was the 46A series with over 33,000 examples being produced. However several other improvements, notably to the operator’s area and the sheer size of the machine, were apparent. The horsepower increase was gained by turbo-charging, and Caterpillar subsequently tweaked this further, very early in the production run, to 235 horsepower. The next major revision to the D8 design came in 1959 with the introduction of the 225 horsepower model D8H No other piece of Caterpillar mobile equipment used the D342 engine.īoth transmission options featured a forward/reverse lever (first introduced on the 2U series) to cut down on the number of gear changes an operator had to perform during a shift.Īttachment options were now all supplied by Caterpillar and the operating weight had risen to 20 tons. Producing 191 horsepower, the D342 diesel was a naturally aspirated six-cylinder inline engine that had been specifically designed for the new D8. These were the D342 powered D8E and D8F (14A series) manual transmission with oil clutch (the ‘E’ became an ‘F’ when oil-cooled steering, clutches and brakes were introduced) and the D8G (15A series) manual transmission with torque converter drive. ![]() In 1955 two all-new D8s, with a brand new engine, were introduced. Looking very much like its 2U predecessor apart from a larger fuel tank, the 13A series production run lasted from 1953 to 1955 and was not built in very large quantities.Īs such, the D8-13A is considered to be an interim type. The 2U series was a major seller, with Caterpillar delivering over 23,500 examples.įollowing the 2U came the 13A series, the last of the D13000 powered D8s. With the introduction of the 2U series Caterpillar also started to supply its own blades and attachments, although other brands could still be specified at the buyer’s request.Ī fully equipped D8-2U weighed approximately 18 tons. Immediately following the war Caterpillar introduced a new version of the D8, the 2U series, which sported several refinements over its predecessors and of course, more horsepower – 144 at the flywheel.ĭuring its lengthy production life this particular version of the D8 saw numerous improvements and upgrades as the type was developed, most notable of which was a new five-speed transmission the replacement of the standard dry type clutch with Caterpillar’s famous oil clutch which extended service life of this critical component by a considerable margin. This designates US Navy 7 th fleet, which operated in the Pacific area. Quite a few of these machines ended up in New Zealand following WWII and can be identified as ex-military machines by the figures “US7” stamped into the serial number plate above the machine’s serial number. Attachments were still sourced through LeTourneau and LaPlant-Choate. The D8 (8R series) was manufactured throughout WWII and thousands were supplied to the US armed forces.Įngine horsepower of the D13000 was increased to 132 and the weight rose to 17 tons. Powered by a 115 horsepower six-cylinder naturally aspirated Caterpillar model D13000 diesel engine they weighed approximately 16.5 tons (depending on equipment) and had a six-speed manual transmission.īulldozer blades and other operating equipment was normally supplied by outside manufacturers such as LeTourneau or LaPlant-Choate, Caterpillar’s preferred suppliers.Īccording to Caterpillar records, just under 10,000 of the 1H series were manufactured up until 1941 when the 8R series replaced it. The early D8sĭeveloped from the successful model Diesel 75, the original D8 machines were known as RD8s (the ‘RD’ designation was dropped halfway through production) and carried the series number 1H. This segment of the Caterpillar D8 story will deal only with the conventional drive tractors, that is, non hi-drive machines (RD8 thru D8K). ![]() A true classic tractor in every sense of the word, the Caterpillar D8 has been around in various forms since 1935.
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