As a teenager, I used to summer fallow in Alberta with an RD6. I remember that startup process well but what I liked most was the sound when the diesel kicked in and you shut down the pony engine. Also the incredible sound of the engine when it started to pull down.

Wow this brings back memories. My Uncle had a construction company and two of his oldest machines, a grader and a dozer had the pony motor starting system. He trained us rookies on these.

Amazing what you find on KZfaq at 4am

This was the beginning of the interest in these machines.

Back in the days before glow plugs and instant gratification. Yes.

My father used to tell us about operating these old D6s, D7s, D8s, up in Alaska in the early fifties. This is the first time I've actually seen one. Such torque!

My grandad had several Caterpillar pony motors running various equipment on the farm. I remember a generator, a backup well pump, even a sawmill. That was the first engine I ever rebuilt as a young teen ( I'm 50) I still have two that run and parts of several other

I suppose that, on the upside, you don't worry about finding a dead battery. On the other hand, you have to get up two hours earlier to get the 'dozer ready for work!

Best video I've seen about starting a bulldozer with a pony engine. Thanks.

Holy jeepers was waiting for it to blast off in space after that starting procedure

1937 and still starts like a champ. I think I found my new daily driver

Fascinating, the amount of ingenuity that took place to get those big engines running. Thanks for posting this piece of American history.

We put an engine in your engine so you can run an engine while running your engine!

We don’t need no stinking Ether we got us a Pony Motor! Battery Smattery this engine just need fuel!

Where were you 30 years ago when we had so much trouble starting our old D4? Now I know what we were doing wrong! Too late now, the old cat's been sold. Keep smiling.

Grew up driving a Diesel 35 on a wheat farm in Eastern Washington. Our Diesel 35 was almost identical with the RD 6 which several neighbors had.. Broke my arm starting the gasoline starting motor when i was about 14, . Got lots of advice on how to hold the crank afterwards - I was putting my thumb around it instead of cupping it in my hand. I think I ran the gas tank dry and then when I filled it the float stuck flooding the engine and it backfired. That was the only time I had any trouble starting it or the diesel motor. A great video. Appreciate your taking the trouble to put this online.

Last time i saw one of these started up was 1957 in Erina NSW australia, I was just a kid.

Not too many of these tractors would have been stolen for a quick get away with that start up process.

Absolutely incredible video. I honestly never knew that's how this was done. Now I want one just to listen to it run!

I'm so glad I have a D4 6U Caterpillars are so enjoyable to own.

Memories of my dad starting one over 60 years ago!

Nice! A neighbor had one of these when I was a kid - except the pony motor was started with a pull rope that you had to wind on each attempt. Brings back memories.

Absolutely incredible. So many cool steps. How awesome to build a small motor attached to the big one to start the big one, knowing we're not going to be able to start the big monster.

Before Dad went off to Korea, the 15 was used for the family saw mill. When it was cold, Dad would build a fire under the oil pan to warm the oil - of course made some safety feature to keep things from burning or blowing up. I love this video you made - thank you.

I work in a field where I have to make things stupid simple for an operator. Watching this makes me think that we would be in big trouble as the human race if we had to go back to doing things this way. I love this machine by the way! Stuff like this I enjoy for the simple fact of what I have to do in my profession!

So.... You don't just push the button with the key fob in your pocket?

WOW does this bring back some memories of some of the dozers we had in the Army Engineers. I remember doing this same thing but they were a lot bigger. Thanks for the refresher course...

Nice video, I have a 1935 RD6 that was "Restored" in the 90s and it needs some work. The O-ring between the injector pump and the fuel filter housing it leaking and pouring diesel into the block. So once I get that taken care of, i'll start to get it going again.

That's a hell of a starting procedure. Diesels have come a long way since then.

This is why people think the Earth is flat, they never had to deal with complex machinery...well there's more reasons than that but Instagram doesn't show you how real life works LOL -- this thing is AWESOME and the start up steps are insane, in a good way of course :-)

Love it. All the switches and levers that you just have to know not just what they do or what they are, but where they are.

If it had one or 2 more steps to start it , then you could almost say it was a little ridiculous but just the 14 steps this one takes, piece of cake👌🏻

This would work a treat in icy conditions, awesome.

That thing is awesome! Built to last not like crap they build now

I was operating one of these at 12 years old!! Lucky for my grandpa there was no You tube! I never could get it started when he was at work as an engineer at Northrup Grumman during the week.

I really ,really don't need an RD6 yet I really ,really want one!

This is a great reference video for my D6. Thanks Squatch!

Awesome.....got same here,WW2 US Army surplus. Runs great.(Holland)

This excellent demonstration reminds me of a video on the operations required to start the engines of a B-29 Superfortress during WWII. Look it up: ' Boeing B-29 Superfortress Flight Engineer - 1944'

Squatch , thanks for the excellent vid , My dad had two old Rds he intended to get running , but never did , I would play on them as a kid and allways wondered how they operated and sound , wow that is slick!

Love your videos keep them coming your a true professional sincerely yours Ed James

Just watching a few vids before bed and this put a big smile on my face had a buddy living on an old fish boat and it took two of us to start the BIG 6 cylinder Lister engine (generator) but when you get em goin they sound great

When I see this, man I love it, glow plugs and electric starters today seem like a luxury.

Crazy when you need a engine to start an engine. Serious compression with the size of those pistons and stroke

An absolutely ingenious system!

A machine like that, with decent maintenance would last a man a lifetime. And when that man retires he'd still have something with plenty of life left in it to either sell it or pass on to a favorite son or nephew.

I'm fairly certain there are less starting procedures for an F16....

Amazing! Electronics I understand, this was a magical mystery tour. Thank you.

PHEW!!! That's one off of the Bucket list!!🤩👍

...réálly enjoyed that, thank you kindly! (getting the oil pressure up makes for longevity...) well done, i really like the caring touch here - this glimpse into times gone by, which i knew well as a young kid, much appreciated.

Cool video. There certainly is a procedure. I have an International MD that starts on gas and then switches to diesel but without the pony motor. It has "procedures" too. Love those old complicated machines

Best toy ever to have in ur backyard.

Looks like the Pony Motor was rebuilt / I'm thinking that as it has a nice coat of Caterpillar yellow paint. Sure is a nicely working tractor. Thanks for the video.

I just love that rd6 wish I had one ur lucky man thxs for sharing ur start up video

That ole girl will last for ever if you stick to that starting procedure, thanks for sharing !!

I'd always crank the pony on the 8-H on idle and let it warm up and turn the diesel no compression while I drank a cup of coffee. The pony was worn out and would foul a plug if you didn't baby it, which I did anyway as with all the others. When the coffee was gone and the pony warmed up I'd open the pony throttle and kick the compression on. Then after a bit I'd fuel it and see what happened. No pop, more spin, no fuel. Pop? Held the starting lever till it ran. Latches on the pinion were worn out so force was needed. Also found out an oil clutch is like NO clutch till it warms or limbers up. Same as engaged. Like your procedure and the 2!

Pony motor sounds better than my 17 year old neighbor's riced out chevy cavalier!

Love to see how long it takes to start on a cold frosty morning...driver goes to work for 8am..its near 10am before anything gets done...oh look at the time...its break time🤣...what a beauty though...once it gets goin it never stops👍

I like the way you move back like it's going to explode.

Boss-"what did you get done today?" Worker-"Started the tractor"

Nice work

good luck with the eye mate appreciate the videos

Wow. An oldie but a goodie. Would be nice to have. Funny but starting procedure / levers remind me of a Ford Model T (?).......why not, it was after all built around that time. For this RD6 to have lasted this long, for sure previous owners truly appreciated and maintained it to a large extent. Heck of a machine that RD6!

Hey, great work on the video. Informative content, really sharp picture, and the audio is not so bad either. Thanks for taking the time to post it.

Quite the process!

Really cool.. Thanks for sharing

Squatch I love these videos of the old cats. I'm going this Thursday to go look at a D2 to buy. I hope my H can get it to my trailer. Wish me luck

what a lovely old beast!

Thank you for that i learned a lot

Proud to say I have done this on old D6s and D7s.

I see where Ferrari got the idea for their gated shifters.

could you add a few more steps to the process? this wasn't complex enough

All ways loved the way these old tractors smell

And i know people today that complain that car manufacturers are still using key start ignition systems instead of the "better" push button start ignitions. Imagine these lazy SOBs having to start one of these bad boys. Love it.

How cool is that!

The way you backed up, I was waiting for it to explode.

Thanks Steve, you are an amazing teacher, and historian. I take it those idiots who thumbs down, have a button to start this machine......

Step one: evict raccoon from air box. Step two: send a smoke signal to Thomas Edison “ 1: invent electricity “ 2: “ do you know how to rewire a prehistoric catapillar?” 3: have Fred Flintstone make you some oil..

Wow. Great stuff. I never heard of a "pony motor" before. I knew about early jet engines starting this way, but never seen it like this.

Now this is a real man's tractor!

So cool to see how they engineered systems pre war.

That is so cool!

That is so cool, I want one.

now I know just what to do if I ever run into a 1936 Cat.... wonderful fun here seriously

Great job, Thanks

that is very cool to watch but there is something to be said for waiting for the glow plug light to go out then turn the key

nothing like the sound of a Caterpillar diesel

I ran a D8 14A pullin a pan in 1993. Loud and good times.

Love them old machines

Where I worked in Michigan had a D8 Cat engine with a pony engine from 1950. It had a 6 volt starter as well as the magneto. It had a 2 speed transmission to turn the diesel; low was for turning the diesel with the compression release open to warm the engine and then switch to high to turn the diesel then slowly close the compression release until the diesel fired and caught. Then the pony could be shut down. We could start that thing in any weather. I actually preferred using the crank to start the pony as I could get it to fire quicker than with the starter. The diesel top rpm was 1000 and with 4 gears in the transmission with forward, neutral, reverse; it would do 1.5 mph in 1 st and 12.5 mph in 4 th using No 200 roller chain from the transmission out to the axles. It was fun to run; you picked the gear for the load and let out on the clutch-slowly and then added fuel till the speed you wanted or could get.

That's cool as hell man!

This is like getting an airplane started!

That's so freakin' cool.

Amazing, thanks!

Holly mackerel... going through all that just to start that little diesel engine! All I have to do is turn the key to heat up the glow plugs, turn the fuel level on and start it! With this diesel engine by the time you do all this it's time for lunch !

Need to pull discs in the field with RD6, a beast

I had no idea about pony motors, thanks!

Good video

Now I need a Cat RD6 !

I love this stuff