New to me 1693 Cat - looking for upgrades

A little update:

I have been bugging the Cat parts guy for about 2 weeks now. He has not been able to come up with anything for the 9L5136 arrangement number. He has contacted Cat directly and they said it doesn't exist. He sent them the picture form earlier in this thread and they are now supposedly doing some digging.

 

It was - came with a 36' Fruehauf end dump. Didn't want the end dump and they didn't want to separate them so I low balled him big time and he took it. Debating on whether I should just sell it for whatever I can get out of it or put a gate in the back of it so I can haul grain with it.

 

Cat dealer has pretty much said good luck on finding anything on the 500 HP arrangement number - although one old boy I talked to at T&E in Billings said if I wanted 500 HP to just find a JWAC and back the rack screw out a couple turns.

On a completely different note, is there any chance anyone makes a factory looking steering wheel but in a much smaller diameter? Power steering is super easy and it takes a lot of turns to get from lock to lock so a smaller wheel would be a little faster to turn when going slow...

 

Finally found someone that knows a little about 1693's - actually knows more than everyone I have talked to combined. He goes by Jpaydirt over on Youtube.

He runs some scrapers with the industrial version of the 1693 and has/had an old W900A with a 1693 as well but is currently torn apart due to a dropped valve.

Anyways, standard procedure for him is to advance the timing by just a little less than 1/2 a hole - supposedly makes it start better and run a little smoother.

As for turning them up, his is well over 500HP with the stock turbo and JWAC - just the timing bump and rack setting.

So, my plan is to source a 1400 square inch radiator and air to air intercooler from a W900B to swap into my W900A. This, coupled with an upgraded turbo, should get me a cool and reasonable 500 - 550 HP.

 

So I advanced the timing a little bit last night. Cold started it in the shop (55° or so) and WOW - what a difference. Started about the same, but once it started, it just took off and purred. Before, it would shake and shudder and spit smoke rings, but now it just cranks up and idles glass smooth - much less of the classic precup "clatter" at idle as well.

 

We'll see what we can do, but getting a video uploaded might be pushing it for this dirt farmer.